The Sun. — 1844-11-05 (London, England)

SERMON BY MR. PRITCHARD. LATE CONSUL AT OTAIIEITE. On Sunday morning, the Rev. Mr. Pritchard preached a sermon at the Brunswick Wesleyan Chapel, Great Dover-road, Southwark, in support of the schools in connexion with the chapel. The congregation was extremely numerous. The reverend gentleman took his text from the Acts of the Apostles, chap. xv., verse 3, containing these words :—" They passed trough Phenice and Samaria declaring the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy unto all the brethren." After speaking of the mission of Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles, he observed, that since the Apostles had laboured in the cause of the Redeemer, numerous islands, inhabited by human beings, had been discovered in various parts of the globe. But had those persons been left to perish in their sins ? No. The banner of the Cross had been unfurled upon their shores, and they had heard with gladness and with joy ie principles of true religion. The field of missionary operations now was the world, and it was pleasing to think that every breeze was wafting to some distant land the ambassadors of the Prince of Peace to convert his rebellious subjects. He had told them that the ancient missionaries did not labour in vain, nor did those of the present day. They had carried their missions to the South Sea Islands, amongst the native tribes ; in Africa also, among the different castes; to the degraded negroes of West Indies, and even to the polished Chinese. The Otaheitans no longer imbrued their hands in human blood, to appease the anger of some false deity ; they no longer chopped off the joints of their fingers to propitiate their god ; the Sandwich Islanders no longer gave their property to their priests to avert the evils with which they were threatened—they now accepted the offers of mercy made to them, and hoped for a glorious immortality. In most places churches had been built, and dedicated to the service of God. In the Friendly Isles, which he lately visited, there were 9,000 natives professing the doctrine of our Saviour ; in Navigators Islands, one thousand; in the Harvey, Georgian, and Society's Isles many more ; and in the group of Sandwich Isles there were no fewer than 18;000, who apparently attended divine worship as sincere Christians. Out of the 9,oooChristians in the Friendly Isles 1,400 employed themselves as teacher,. Think, continued the reverend gentleman, of the state in which they were found. He had seen the ground literally strewed with the remains of their barbarous sacrifices, now happily put an end to. If the hearts of his congregation would not sicken at the details, he would tell them of companies of natives gorging themselves with human flesh ; he might tell them how he had seen poised in the air, upon the point of warriors' spears, children writhing in the agonies of death ; but he would forbear. After mentioning some interesting particulars of his travels in the Polynesian Islands, with the late Rev. Mr. Williams, who was murdered by the natives of Erromanga, he proceeded to show the necessity of spreading the truths of Christianity at home as well as abroad, and called upon his hearers to support the charity, to advocate whose claims and necessities he then appeared before them. At the conclusion of the sermon a very handsome sum was raised.