Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/399

EEWA. 369 are now glorious, and thousands are anxious to be taught the way of salvation. The Lord is going before us, and opening doors on every hand. The people are continually crying, ' Come and help us ; ' and where in the beginning of the year the offer g>f mercy would have been, and was, rejected, there they beg us to send them some one to instruct them in reading, and to teach them the way of life. The Holy Spirit has also been working among us. Some have been converted to God, and many are repenting of their sins. Our hearts are cheered by many inquiring the way of salvation. We have lately been reminded that God is still the same ,• His way of working the same ; His grace and power producing the same wondrous change in the hearts, lives, tongues, of the degraded Fijians, as in the day when Peter preached to the guilty Jews and others, and such wonders resulted. The religion of Christ is the same in every land. A man came to his friends, the Eewa Chiefs, a few days ago, and said, — ^ Come, and I will tell you of the great things the Lord has done for my soul.' The people were amazed, while he told them of his repentance, and of the Holy Ghost coming upon him, and of the love of God being shed abroad in his heart. Thus the Lord is encouraging us in our work. We have the droppings of the shower, and look for the bursting floods on all this thirsty land." Great surprise was caused by the fervent prayers of the new con- verts, and the earnest simplicity with which they described the effect of the Holy Spirit's work upon them. Family prayer was established in many households, and, in some cases, was conducted by a member of the family. Such a work was fatal to the interests of the Romish Mission, and the Priest was obliged to leave Rev*a, being the third Station already forsaken by the French Mission, after long but unsuccessful toil. In June, 1856, the following was the report from the Rewa Circuit : — " Wide doors have been open before us all the year, but we have not been able to enter them for the want of help. Many have been the cries, ' Come over and help us ; ' and many the schemes resorted to in order to get help. Some have begged, some have sent presents, some have threatened to return to Heathenism, some to Popery, and others who are Papists (in profession) have promised to join us if we could send them a Teacher ; but in most cases we have only been able to give a passing call, and endeavour to satisfy them with a promise. • " From our last report you would learn of the vast numbers who, in a few days, -nade a profession of Christianity. We had feared that there would be a great relapsing to Heathenism this year, but we are thankful to be able to report that such cases have been very few, and only where we have not been able to supply Teachers. The work