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THE

CHRISTIAN HERALD.

VOL. II.]

Saturday, February 1, 1817.

[No. 19.

HEATHEN YOUTH IN AMERICA.

In our first volume we gave an account of some young men, natives of the Sandwich Islands in the Pacific Ocean, who are receiving an education in Connecticut with a view to their being made instrumental in the conversion of their idolatrous countrymen.

A short sketch of the history of these young men since they left their native land, and a statement of the proceedings of the Board of Agents appointed to establish a school for heathen youth, have lately been published in a small pamphlet*, entitled "A Narrative of Five Youth from the Sandwich Islands, now receiving an education in this country."

It is not many years since exertions were made to any extent by Protes tant Christians for evangelizing the heathen world. Their efforts in this cause were for a long time without much apparent effect.. At length it hath pleased the Lord of the harvest to quicken in many places the good seed of the word scattered by the hands of his ministering servants, and watered with the prayers of his Church, and to cause it to spring up and bear fruit abundantly to the praise of his glorious grace. The missionaries of the cross in the Islands of the South Pacific Ocean have lately witnessed the labours of nearly twenty years at last crowned with the most remarkable and unexpected success; and we have recently been greeted with the intelligence of a rich harvest which the successors of the late venerable Vanderkemp are reaping in the field cultivated for many years by that faithful labourer and his worthy associates. These facts are calculated to encourage and strengthen the hope of Christians, that similar labours in this great cause will be likewise attended with the Divine blessing, and in God's own good time produce the like happy results.

This work has hitherto chiefly been carried on by our Christian brethren on the other side of the Atlantic. America has as yet contributed but little towards it. It seems as if to provoke us to this labour of love, Divine Providence has cast these heathen youth upon our shores, and as it were into

*This pamphlet is for sale at Messrs. DODGE & SAYRE's Bookstore, corner of Broadway and Wall-street, and at most of the Bookstores in this city-Price 25 cents. The profits, if any, to go to the support of the School

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our arms, in order that they might be brought up in the family of the King of Saints, and prepared to bear his precious name and the offers of his great salvation to their benighted fellow countrymen.

The prospects of the future usefulness of these young men of pagan nativity are not a little increased and confirmed by the evidence afforded, that several of them have been made the subjects of regenerating grace, and thereby chosen vessels for carrying the lamp of life into the abodes of spiritual darkness and death. Let us therefore cherish them as likely to be the messengers of "the glad tidings of great joy" to the perishing heathen. Let us foster the means of their education for that blessed purpose.

The five youth of which a narrative is given, are named Henry Obookiah, aged 21: Thomas Hopoo, aged 20; John Honoree, also aged about 20;-all from Owhyhee, the largest of the Sandwich Islands;-William Tennooe, about 19, a native of Woahoo, one of the same cluster of Islands; and George Prince Tamoree, about 18, a native of Atooi, another island of the same group.

The following account is given of the progress which Obookiah has made in learning and piety.

"Since Obookiah has been taken under the care of the North Consociation of Litchfield county, he has pursued his studies under the direction of their committee, so far as the charity of his Christian friends has furnished him with the means. He has been obliged to labour a part of the time for his own support; and te change from time to time his place of residence. The evidences

of his Christian character have, in the view of those who have had most opportunity to observe him, been brightening. He discovers a strong relish for the Bible; is constant in reading it; and seldom will any object or circumstances prevent his reading daily some portion of the Scriptures.

He has studied the English Grammar so far as to be able to parse most sentences with facility; he has obtained considerable knowledge of Geography, and has proceeded in Arithmetic through the fundamental rules, the Rule of Three and Interest.

He has studied one book of Euclid's Elements of Geometry; and by his own exertions, without any regular instructor, has acquired considerable knowledge of the Hebrew. He has read several chapters in the Hebrew Bible, and translated portions of them into his own language. He manifests a taste for the Hebrew language, and is much pleased to study it. He is more and more anxious for the enlightening and salvation of his poor countrymen.. He always mentions their case in his prayers, and requests his Christian friends to pray for them. It seems to be his sole object to be qualified to return and declare to them the unsearchable riches of Christ.

As his Christian character, it may be observed, that since he

has entertained a hope of having experienced a change of heart, his conduct has been such as becomes the Gospel. He has lately been baptized, and received into the church in Torringford. Mr. Mills observes, that the account of his Christian experience, which he gave at his examination, was highly satisfactory. We here insert a quotation from Mr. Harvey's letter: Henry is bent" upon going back to his countrymen with the glad tidings of salvation. This seems to be his great object.'

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The following is the substance of a short prayer which Obookiah made when retired with a friend for private devotion about a year after his arrival in this country. That friend having knelt down and prayed, turning to Obookiah before they rose, said, you may pray." "I prayer?" says he; "yes," replied the friend when he delivered himself in the following terms:

"Great and eternal God-make heaven-make earth-make every thing.-Have mercy on me-make me understand the Bible-make me good-great God have mercy on Thomas-make him good-make Thomas and me go back Owhyhee-tell folks in Owhyhee, no more pray to stone god-make some good man go with me to Owhyhee, tell folks in Ŏwhyhee about Heaven-about Hell God make all people good every where-great God have mercy on college" (Divinity College, Andover,)" make all good -make Mr. Samuel" (Mr. Samuel J. Mills, Jr.) "good-have mercy on Mr. Samuel's father-mother-sister-brother.". „“ Our father which art in Heaven," &c.

The following letter, written by Obookiah, is exactly copied from the original, with a few alterations in the punctuation, which were obviously mistakes.

"Dear Christian friend,

56 Andover, Dec. 15th, 1812.

"I improve this opportunity to write to you. And I saw your beloved book which you sent by Mr. G. and that I very much thank you for it. I am great joy to God to give me such a good friend in this land where we hear the words of God-God is kind to us and to the other, that is, to every body else. God will carry through his work for us.

"I do not know what will God do with my poor soul. I shall go before God and also both Christ.

Poor

"We must all try to get forward where God wish us to do. God is able to save sinners, if we have some feeling in him. Is very great thing to have hope in him, and do all the Christian graces. I hope the Lord will send the Gospel to the heathen land, where the words of the Saviour never yet had been. people, worship the wood and stone and shark, and almost every thing their gods; the Bible is not there, and heaven and hell they do not know about it. I yet in this country and no father and no mother. But God is friend if I will do his will and not my own will."

The following extracts are taken from a letter, dated Goshen, April 4, 1815.

*«**** I knew not what was my business when at first time I set out from home, only a boy's notion. Because I have no father and no mother, and I therefore thought of it, I must go and see the world, and see what I can find. I never heard any thing about Jesus and heaven and hell, Well, after I have heard about these things, I heard that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that he has came into the world to save sinners; the evil spirit then coming into my mind, and said that there was none neither heaven nor hell. I could not believe it. Sometimes when some good people talked with me on this subject, I was but just hate to hear it.

"I hope that you and I may meet, though at present unknown to each other, in the eternal world; where many come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and sit down together in the kingdom of Christ. But I do sometimes think, often that I shall never see that holy and happy world. I am very afraid, because I was a great enemy to God, and have fought against his grace and his loving kindness towards

me.

"O! my dear friend, do not forget to pray for me before our heavenly Father, when you are alone. Pray for me, and for my poor countrymen, and for others, that we may escape from the wrath to come. Those that have been faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ, the same shall be saved; and those that have done evil shall come to the resurrection of damnation.

"There is no great consequence wherever we may be called, if we only keep our hearts right before God. We are under peculiar obligation to consecrate ourselves wholly to the glory of God. But we know that our deceitful hearts are apt to run down even as a clock or watch is. A good clock will keep good time by wind

ing it up; but if we don't, it certainly will run down. For "this

people," said our Saviour, "draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." My wicked heart has been just as those clocks which run down very often. But I hope I love the Lord Jesus Christ. I am willing to give up every thing, both my soul and body, for time and eternity. God can do all this. "I can do all things," said the apostle, "through Christ," &c.

"My dear friend, do not forget to pray for William; pray that he may ever have joy in the holy presence of God; and may he be made a good soldier of the cross of Christ. There is reason to hope that his heart will be changed, for God will have mercy on whom he will. I wish that he could live with me, so that I could do all what for him I can. God in his holy providence has brought him and me from the heathen land. **** Because of the weakness of our faith and our selfishness, the gold and silver are tempt

ing to the soul. O! can sinners expect to walk the golden streets without a perfect heart; or how shall we live with him without being born again.

"There is no way I can see for sinners but to go to Christ, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me,' said the Saviour. At that day shall ye

know that I am in the Father, and ye in me, and I in you." The Lord Jesus is all ready and waiting for sinners, and inviting them to come to him immediately without delay.

May the Lord direct you, and make you a faithful labourer in the Lord's vineyard,"

TRIUMPH OF GRACE.

The following interesting narrative was originally inserted in the Christian Monitor, published in Richmond, Va.

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In the month of June, 1812, a minister of eminence delivered in the Capitol a discourse on, this text, "There is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." After а sublime description of the great I AM, and a just and lively portrait of man in a state of nature, as an alien and a rebel to his God, the gracious plan of salvation through faith, flowed in animated strains from his hallowed lips. Believers rejoiced, and were built up on their most holy foundation; Infidels were shaken; some, doubtless, secretly ejaculated; what shall I do to be saved?' and others, had they spoken, would have said, "thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian." Before he closed, he stated to his auditors that he would relate to them facts which came under his own observation, which, in his judgment, aptly displayed the all-important truths he had made the subject of their consideration.

6

"In the State of North-Carolina, there lately lived a young man of splendid native genius; his parents were opulent and affectionate, their wealth was liberally dispensed to procure the best of instructors the continent of America could furnish, to guide the stu dies and perfect the talents of this promising hope of their declining years. At one of the most celebrated universities to the north, he rapidly traced the circle of science, and obtained his diploma with more than usual eclat. But, alas! with all his acquirements, he knew nothing of himself or of his God. The seductions of Deism had early insinuated themselves through the fatal eloquence of a Hume, a Rousseau, and a Voltaire. He returned clothed with learning and persuasive powers, not to ornament religious society. Revealed religion was the sport of his fancy and the subject of his keenest satire. He had youth, health, and all that the world esteems. He looked forward with exultation to a long and honourable life. But how different was the destiny that awaited him in the eternal purpose of Him who creates and can destroy. He was suddenly attacked by a hemorrhage of the lungs, which continued to increase, so that the most eminent of the faculty and he himself

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