88 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
Early in the year 1821, in order to cultivate the 
most affectionate and profitable intercourse with 
our people, we proposed, in addition to visits in 
times of sickness, to pay to each family a pastoral 
visit, for part of an evening, once a month, or at 
least once in the course of two months. Mr. Barff 
and myself, dividing the families between us, were 
enabled to accomplish this. We were received 
with kindness by the parties, and it was our study 
to make these visits advantageous. The time was 
not spent in the useless recital of the passing reports 
of the day; we addressed ourselves to each indi¬ 
dual, when circumstances admitted, directing and 
encouraging them in their adherence to the Sa¬ 
viour, or inviting them to Him, and concluded 
our visit by uniting in prayer for the blessing of 
God upon their household, &c. We trust these 
domiciliary visits were beneficial; they were often 
cheering to our own minds. Some of the many 
happy hours I have been privileged to spend in 
Missionary occupations have been those passed in 
the native families on such occasions. Here 
we sometimes saw the household virtues, the 
endearments of social and domestic comfort, che¬ 
rished—shedding their benign, elevating, and 
purifying influence upon a family, the principal 
members, and sometimes the greater part, of which 
were enjoying that blessing which maketh rich, 
and addeth no sorrow, and were preparing to join 
the family of the redeemed in the abodes of bless¬ 
edness. 
Associated with these delightful duties, there 
were others equally needful, but less pleasing, 
which we were called to discharge, in connexion 
with the infant church we had been honoured to 
gather. These were acts of discipline, in the 
