POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
449 
as I did on the day when I delivered my first native 
discourse. The congregation was large, the chiefs and 
Missionaries were present; and, at the appointed time, 
I Commenced the services with singing, reading, and 
prayer, exercises in which I had occasionally engaged 
before. I had selected for the text what appeared a 
most suitable passage with which to commence my 
public ministry : This is a faithful saying, and worthy 
of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world 
to save sinners.^’ 1 Tim. i, 15. I was enabled to conclude 
the service with less difficulty than I expected, and was 
happy to have an opportunity of declaring, though very 
imperfectly, truths that were able to make those to 
whom they were delivered, wise unto salvation, through 
faith in Christ Jesus. In continuing my labours, I 
found it necessary, on account of the peculiarities of 
the native language, to Write out most of my discourses^ 
and commit them to memory, before I could venture to 
address them to the people. 
The establishment of schools, the reducing to writing, 
and a regular grammatical system, uncultivated and oral 
languages, and the translation of the sacred Scriptures, 
have ever been acknowledged as important, if not essen¬ 
tial parts of a Missionary's duty; but the promulgation 
of the gospel by the living voice has always been con¬ 
sidered by us as the primary means of converting the 
heathen; and though the other departments of labour 
have not been neglected, this has been regarded as the 
first great duty of a Missionary, according with his 
very designation, the principal design of the institution 
under whose patronage he is engaged—the practice of 
the apostles and first Missionaries, and the spirit as 
well as the letter of the Divine commission, whence he 
