RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 69 
cisive in its nature, and unquestionable in its ten- 
dency. Though these gradual transformations are 
the general means by which, through the Holy 
Spirit, we hope many have been made partakers 
of the grace of eternal life, there have been excep- 
tions. Some have been melted. under the truth, 
others have been led to rejoice in the promises of 
the gospel, and. raised to gladness and praise. 
These facts are adapted to shew that the Spirit of 
God is not limited, in the manner of His opera- 
tions on the human mind, to any one particular 
kind of order and rule. 
The accounts of their views of Divine truth, and 
their reasons for desirmg to join with us, have 
often been delightful and satisfactory, not only in 
the Society, but also in the northern isles of the 
Pacific. One from a native of the latter, although 
it has appeared in the American Missionary Herald, 
has not been given to the British public; and its | 
character is so unequivocal, that I cannot deny 
myself the pleasure of inserting it. 
Buaiti, the individual to whom it refers, is be- 
tween thirty and forty years of age. I believe I 
had the honour of preaching the gospel in his 
native islands the first time he ever heard it. It, 
however, produced no salutary effect then; nor, 
indeed, until some time after. Since I left the 
islands, the preaching and instructions of Mr. 
Richards have been singularly useful to this indi- 
vidual, as well as to others; he has given every 
evidence of their having, under the blessing of 
God, produced an entire and highly beneficial 
change in his sentiments, feelings, and conduct. 
The late queen of the Sandwich Islands, with 
her usual benevolence, had always treated him 
with kindness; and the recollection of it is still 
