358 ''A SHOWING OF mercy:' 



interesting native account relates that " as they repeatedly 

 heard the preaching, they said, ' What is this religion which 

 leads the Im^rina people not to enslave us any more and 

 take us away by force ? ' And they were answered, ' Because 

 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of men, has 

 given the gospel to teach mankind to show mercy.' " So 

 many of our good pastors and preachers accompanied the 

 Hova forces as officers, that that military expedition really 

 became a missionary expedition, and led to Christ's name 

 being proclaimed in heathen portions of the country where it 

 had not been heard before. This was, no doubt, greatly due 

 to the excellent Christian character of many of the officers ; 

 but it was also not less owing to the admonition of the 

 Prime Minister to the leaders of the army before their de- 

 parture, when he said, " You are Christians now, and must 

 not use any cruelty to the people of the country you are 

 going to ; you must not take any life, except there is armed 

 opposition to the Queen's authority." And so when that 

 Hova army was about to return, the heads of some of the 

 tribes came to the commander and said, " We thought that 

 when you Hovas had burned your gods you would be power- 

 less, but now we see that you are still able to fight although 

 you worship Jehovah ; and we perceive that this filazantsara 

 (gospel) you preach is ' a showing of mercy.' " Surely this 

 was an honourable testimony to the real change which the 

 profession of Christianity had effected among the Hovas. 



ft will of course be understood that in all that has been here 

 said of progress made in morality, Sabbath observance, sobriety, 

 and humanity, it is not to be inferred that there is no room still 

 for immense advance and improvement. Ten years is a short 

 time, indeed, for a people to be purified from the evils and vices 

 and cruelties which are the growth of centuries. But there 

 is reason for hope and encouragement in the fact that great 

 changes have already taken place ; the gospel leaven is begin- 

 ning to work in the so lately heathen masses of the people, 

 and by God's blessing will not cease to influence them untd. 

 in due time it shall have " leavened the whole lump." 



It may, however, be asked by some, What is the vital and 



