THE PASTOR'S SERVICES. 177 
cases the subjects were i strong in faith, giving 
glory to God.' ' 
It is pleasing to notice the terms of respect 
and regard in which the teacher is mentioned 
in the several communications from the island. 
Indeed, many valuable qualities appear to be 
united in him for the due discharge of his office. 
His good common sense and plainness of 
speech, accompanied with an inoffensive firm- 
ness of conduct and manner, and that kind 
and Christian demeanour, without which all 
other important points of character in the " mes- 
senger of grace" are useless and unmeaning, 
distinguish him as the man for the situation to 
which it has pleased God to call him. 
His remuneration had for many years been 
wholly inadequate to the necessities of his 
family, and to the maintenance of that respect- 
able appearance which a person in such a posi- 
tion among the community ought to hold. For 
instance, in writing to a Clergyman at Valpa- 
raiso, in August 1844, Mr. Nobbs said, 
" My stock of clothing which I brought from 
England is, as you may suppose, very nearly 
exhausted, and I have no friends there to whom 
I can with propriety apply for more. Until the 
last three years, it was my custom to wear a 
black coat on the Sabbath ; but since that period, 
I have been obliged to substitute a nankeen 
jacket, of my own making. My only remaining 
coat, which is quite threadbare, is reserved for 
marriages and burials ; so that it is customary 
to say, when a wedding is going to take place, 
* Teacher, you will have to put on your black coat 
