OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH. 553 



and sunk her tribes into the state of savagism in which we now find them. 

 Would it be righteous in her to turn away from them, and leave them to wel- 

 ter as best they may out of that state of darkness and blood into which she 

 exerted her power formerly to sink them ? Surely common justice requires 

 that she endeavour to undo the evil she has done, and use that power to save 

 which was formerly used to destroy. 



"Around our older stations, the Sabbath is now as well observed out- 

 wardly as it is in most of our British towns. Frequent meetings are held 

 on that day and throughout the week, as most of the instruction received by 

 the people is through the ear. We have therefore to give ' line upon line, 

 and precept upon precept.' To Sabbath school and church service the regular 

 attenders are seen wending their way, having now assumed a decent covering 

 of their nakedness, and many of them with their Bible and hymn-book. In 

 Duke and Creek towns especially, being the chief seats of population, are 

 there respectable congregations as to number and appearance. In the latter, 

 the audience ranges from one hundred and fifty in the season of farm- work, 

 when the people are scattered into the country, to two hundred and fifty, 

 when gathered into the town during the rains ; in the former, the attendance 

 may average from three hundred to six hundred. These higher numbers 

 are about a tenth of the population commonly attributed to these towns 

 respectively. 



" Of those regularly waiting on the means of instruction, a number have 

 come forward to profess the Christian faith, and have been received into the 

 Church by baptism. These have been formed into four churches at Duke 

 Town, Creek Town, Ikunetu, and Ikorofiong. The native converts in these 

 four churches may number one hundred. A falling away from profession of 

 the truth, or a lapse on the part of one numbered in the membership of the 

 Church, is so detrimental to the cause of the gospel in the midst of heathen- 

 ism, where Christianity is necessarily judged by the conduct of those who 

 profess it, that a long period of trial and preparation is, as a rule, imposed on 

 all offering themselves for baptism, that their sincerity may be tested so far 

 as may be, and that they may thoroughly understand that which they wish 

 to profess and the duties they desire to assume. Our congregations also 

 regularly contribute, as an act of divine worship, of their substance. This 

 we have to go about awkwardly, as we do not understand coin. The articles 

 of trade brought out by European ships are our money, and these are de- 

 posited in the somewhat capacious receptacles placed to receive the offerings. 

 It is not so much the amount contributed, as the inculcation of the duty, that 

 is our care at present ; but even the former is very creditable to our native 

 churches. 



" Of that of Creek Town, where my sphere of duty lies, I may speak 

 more particularly. The native members number upwards of fifty, and the 



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