Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/451

VIWA Am) MB AIT. 419 built his new, large house, called it Cherith. Here he lived in great happiness, with his wife, of whom he was very fond. Their daughter was regular and attentive at the school. Family prayer was never neglected : so that this household became a pattern to the natives, and its master went in and out among them an example of what the grace of God could do in reclaiming the worst of men. He was always happy and kind, and thought no trouble too great, and no distance too far, if anything could be done to heal a quarrel, to prevent a war or strangling, or any other of the horrors in which he had formerly taken so active a part. Elijah Verani was singularly a man of prayer. He contmually went to God with his difficulties ; and they were many. The Chiefs and people under him, who yielded an implicit obedience while they dreaded him, now despised his kind and fervent exhortations, and often his life was in peril at their hands. All this served to make his com- munion with God more close and abiding. In praying aloud, he had great fluency and power. A specimen #)f his petitions fortunately exists. It was taken down by Mr. Williams when Verani was on visit to Mbua. Many a man who raises his voice in public; to lead the devotions of the people, and who spends the precious time in soulless talking, offensive to God and man, might learn with profit from this beautiful prayer of the converted Chief. He did not talk to God, or talk at the people; he pleaded, he interceded, he prayed. " O Lord, our Lord ! O God, our Father, whose abode is heaven ! we worship before Thee. We offer not ourselves, or our own right- eousness, to gain Thy notice ; we present Jesus ; we come with this our worship in His name. Thou art God ; we know thee to be God. We come to Thee whom once we knew not : in those days we served gods that are not gods ; we were wearied in attending on them. O Lord, the true God, have mercy upon us ! We are now engaged in worshipping Thee, but this will not profit us if Thou art away ; we are in Thy house, but it will not be Thy house to us if Thou art away : hear our cry, O Lord, and be with us and help us. We are moving towards Thee ; do Thou move towards us, and give us a blessing in this worship. " O Jehovah, hear us for His sake. Thy son, whom Thou didst give that through Him we also might become Thy children. O hear our prayer, that the wicked may consider, and that the impenitent may become penitent, and come to Christ, and be saved. From Thee we came, and our mind is that we may return to Thee. We would enter where Christ has entered, and be with Thee. Holy Ghost, descend