188 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
and said, Is that true? can that be true? God 
,0ve the world, when the world not love him! God 
so loved the world as to give his Son to die, that 
man might not die! Can that be true? Mr. Nott 
again read the verse, ‘‘ God so loved the world,” 
&c. told him it was true, and that it was the mes- 
sage God had sent to them, and that whosoever 
believed in him, would not perish, but be happy 
after death. The overwhelming feelmgs of the 
wondering native were too powerful for expression 
or restraint. He burst mto tears, and as these 
chased each other down his countenance, he re- 
tired to meditate in private on the amazing love of 
God, which had that day reached his soul; and 
there is every reason to believe he was after- 
wards raised to share the peace and happiness 
resulting from the love of God shed abroad in 
his heart. 
Connected with the means employed in the ac- 
complishment of this important work, a few remarks 
on the agents who, under God, were instrumental 
in effecting it, may not be inappropriate. In com- 
mon with the Missionaries in other parts of the 
world, they have been described, by the enemies 
of religion, as ignorant and dogmatical fanatics; 
more intent on the inculcation of the peculiarities 
of their sect or party, than promoting the well- 
being of the people; holding out no inducement, 
by precept or example, to industrious habits, &c. 
The present state of the islands in which they have 
spent so many years, compared with what it was 
at the time of their arrival, and during several 
. subsequent years, is a sufficient refutation to every 
_ charge of this kind. 
But there are individuals, from whose general 
habits of observation, and principles of judgment, 
