we may now, and for the time to come, live to extend thy kingdom, that it may reach all Fiji, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the accepted offering for us." In an attempt to conciliate a mountain tribe who had long waged war against Thakombau, Verani became the victim of treachery and murder. But "he died well," almost his last breath being a prayer for the forgiveness of his murderers. His death greatly affected Thakombau, and in review of the many warnings he had received from the lips of his departed friend, as well as from the missionaries and King George of Tonga, he felt that he ought to be a Christian. The announcement was made that the Great Chief was about to lotu, the rongorongoi valu, or death-drum, was beaten, and the people in vast crowds gathered into and around the great Strangers' House for the worship of the true God. It was the 30th day of April, 1854. Mr. Calvert, who had long watched and toiled for this event, was so deeply moved that he could scarcely command voice or strength to conduct the services. At the close Thakombau announced that though not in the possession of a new heart he should earnestly pray for it; that he should strictly observe the Sabbath, and would institute at once divine worship in his own family. Many others followed his example, and before 1854 closed, chapels had been built, and houses opened for religious service in every direction. By the help of native teachers, and such as could read and pray in public, most of the places were supplied with one service on the Sabbath. By February, 1855, the number of regular worshipers in the Mbau Circuit, comprehending some twenty islands, was 8,870. In August, 1857, the Mbau Circuit made this report: "In Viti Levu, or Great Fiji, 1,000 idolaters have forsaken heathenism, and are under Christian instruction. Native schoolmasters have been placed in eight towns, and 94 persons have been received into full membership. At Ngau, 267 have been admitted into full communion; at Ubatiki, 40; at Koro, 59; at Nairai, 200; at Moturiki, 36. In the whole circuit, after filling up vacancies by death, removals, and expulsions, there is a net increase of 750 members, with 722 on trial; 12 chapels have been built during the year; 43 native teachers have been entirely supported by the contributions of the congregations; 600 marriages have been solemnized; 96 schools have been commenced, and the attendants on public worship are everywhere greatly increased." It is impossible, in an article like this, to give in detail, or otherwise even, any account of the original, the marvelous, the exciting scenes that the missionaries and their wives went through. The latter were heroines such as the world has seldom or never seen. Patient, uncomplaining, persevering, self-immolating, they knew no pleasure but the prosperity of God's cause; and when, worn down with fatigue and disease, death came to beckon them away, their hearts went up in prayer to God to save Fiji, and her poor, sincursed people. A certain class of moral philosophers, keeping company with sundry secular journals, have referred to the work of the Wesleyan missionaries in Fiji in terms of mock condolence and contempt: "considerable good has been done;" "in some of the windward islands the flesh-eaters have diminished somewhat ;" and such like are their words. Very many of the Fijians, we are frank to admit, are still heathen; the infirm, here and there, are still buried alive; widows are still strangled, and the treacheries and cruelties of war still pollute and scourge many parts of the group. But, through the labors of the missionaries, we have these relieving aspects: 1. Cannibalism has totally disappeared from one half of the eighty inhabited islands. 2. Infanticide, in quite as many islands, has almost entirely ceased, as also has the practice of widow-strangling. 3. Murder is solemnly punished by law, and forms of justice are established throughout fifty of the group. 4. The Old and New Testaments have been translated into Fijian, and thousands of copies of them, besides tens of thousands of catechisms and other books, have been put into circulation, and are read and followed in their teachings by multitudes. 5. Every seventh day is observed as the Sabbath, and prayer is maintained in families where formerly the parent and the child were the strangler and the strangled. The number of missionaries has always been disproportionate to the multitudes who were anxious to hear the Gospel; the cry was ever heard from distant islands, "Come over and help us," yet, with a few exceptions, it was impossible to respond. But eight missionaries, for this year of grace, 1859, are at work in all Fiji, and never, at one time, was the number greater; yet there is an accredited Church membership, at this writing, of over 10,000, and of stated hearers of God's word, some 60,000. Where poverty once was, competence now reigns; where idleness was, industry and thrift are now seen. On the islands where Christianity has been embraced, in place of robbery, there is honesty; of treachery, a heart-warm friendship; of strife and bloodshed, quietude and peace; of licentiousness, virtue; of intemperance, sobriety; of hate, good will; of all the groveling passions that deface humanity, those lofty ones that spring from universal love to God and man. Is not the change a mighty one? Does it not show the oneness of the Fijian with man? Does not the Gospel, in its power thus to renew such low-sunken and desperate sinners, prove that its fountain-head is in heaven? And, finally, is there not hope, nay, is there not an absolute certainty, that, were the whole group of islands furnished with missionaries, speedily the acclaim would ascend throughout this paradise of the Southern seas, "Halleluiah! the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!" ART. VII.-THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS. 7. If the fact that "the rich man" "was buried" represents a thoroughness and permanence of that condition into which the Jews, whom he is supposed to represent, entered when they "died," then does not this imply that the silence relative to a burial of "Lazarus" indicates a partial and transient transformation into Christians of the Gentiles and the Jews whom he is supposed to represent? But the fact that many of the Jews who do not accept Christianity are no more wicked than are many Gentiles, is sufficient evidence that they are no more "buried" or "fixed" in their condition of wickedness than are those Gentiles. Besides this, if the fact that "the rich man" "died" represents the termination of the Jewish dispensation, then the fact that he was subsequently "buried" ought to be interpreted as representing a second or an increased termination to that dispensation! But can a dispensation be really more than terminated? If, according to inferior and insufficient evidence, it is asserted that "the rich man" was buried" "in hell," that assertion would involve at least either the absurdity of the supposition that he became not miserable when he "died," or that of the supposition that he became a second time, or more miserable when he was buried." 66 8. If the fact that "the rich man" 'lifted up his eyes" "in hell" represents that the Jews feel that, for rejecting Christianity, they are condemned by the Infinite Governor, then how happens it that this supposition does not accord with historical facts? If they felt such a condemnation, would they not accept Christ as the promised and true Messiah? If they perceived that their condition in respect to Christianity is a condemned one, would they cling to it with such tenacity? Are they more conscious of a divine rejection than are many Gentiles? Besides this, that the word "hell" does not express simply a condition is obvious, not only from the fact that, if it did, the words "being in torments," which occur almost next to it, would present an inexplicable tautology, but especially from the fact that the part of what it expresses, into which "the rich man" went, he expressly calls a "place of torment." To say that that "place" is not a "place" would then partake of the absurdity involved in the assertion that that "torment" is unconsciousness or happiness. The fact that the word rendered in this passage "hell" represents a world of spirits, in which happiness is experienced by one and "torments" by another, renders it not inappropriate to say into which of those two conditions he who has arrived into that world has entered. 9. If the fact that "the rich man" "seeth Abraham afar off" represents that the Jews realize that they are no longer "Abraham's" representatives, then whose representatives do they feel themselves to be? Do not historical facts show that they regard themselves to be "Abraham's" representatives? Does not this interpretation of the words, "seeth Abraham afar off," regard the word "Abraham" as used literally and the other words as used figuratively? Is it not absurd then in the advocate for this interpretation to condemn the true interpretation because by it all the words of this passage may not be considered as used literally? 66 10. If the fact that the rich man" "seeth" "Lazarus in" the "bosom" of "Abraham" represents that the Jews realize that the Gentiles have through Christianity become the recipients of God's oracles and blessings, then why do they regard the Author of Christianity, Christ, as an impostor? If they realized that God and "Abraham," whose friends they profess to be, are in Christianity, would they reject it and continue to expect the Messiah, whom it proclaims as having long ago appeared in the world? As they do not realize that their dispensation has been superseded by the Christian, so they do not realize that the Gentiles are in a closer or more correct relation to God than themselves. 46 11. If the fact that "the rich man" "cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me," represents that the Jews rely on the Mosaic institution or their dispensation, then how does this accord with the fact that "the rich man" "said" to "Abraham," Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue?" Do the Jews rely on the Mosaic institution, or their dispensation, and at the same time desire the Gentiles to be sent to them? Do not historical facts show that, so far from earnestly requesting the Gentiles to be sent to them, they regret that they ever approached them and destroyed their capital city, and com pletely subjugated them? Do the Jews confide in their dispensation as exclusively divine, and at the same time see "Abraham afar off” from it? How can they regard their dispensation as of such transcendent excellence, and at the same time so confide in Christianity as to desire its blessings, or to desire that the Gentiles should convey favors from it to them? 12. If the fact that "the rich man" "said," "I am tormented in this flame," represents that the Jews admit that they are condemned by Divine Providence, and are miserable from its infliction of evils upon them, then is not this an interpretation of the word "tormented" as literal, and of the word "flame" as figurative? Will, then, the advocate for this interpretation longer condemn the true interpretation because it may not consider all the words of this passage as used literally? Will he also longer ridicule, as derogatory to the Infinite Governor, the idea that men will be "tor- · mented" after death, while he contends that they are "tormented" before it? 13. If the words, "remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented," refer to the Jews and the Gentiles, and are, with only a few exceptions, to be interpreted as literal, then does not the advocate for this interpretation several times here interpret literal with figurative expressions, and thus in so many instances adopt a mode of interpretation which he condemns? But is it a historical fact that since the introduction of Christianity into the world none but the Jews have been "tormented," and all the Gentiles have been "comforted?" Since that introduction, have not many of the Jews been no more "tormented" than many were before it, and have not many of the Gentiles been, since the same time, no more "comforted" than many were before it? 14. If the words, "between us and you there is a great gulf fixed," represent that "Abraham" and the Gentiles are in one condition and the Jews in another, then, as the Greek word from which the "you" of these words is rendered is in the plural number, who does it comprise besides "the rich man?" 'the rich man?" Will it be pretended that "the rich man," whose oneness has, previously to the occurrence of that Greek word, been denoted by thirty-one Greek words, is in that word represented as alone more than one? For the support of such a pretension, no part of a proof can be adduced. the interpretation of the words, "between us and you there is a great gulf fixed," which is here condemned, regards such of those words as "between" and "great" as used literally, and "gulf" as used figuratively, should the true interpretation be condemned be |