Untitled article | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 8, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 10.

FROM THE SOUTH SEAS.

UNDER date of November 21 Brother J. R. McCoy, formerly governor of Pitcairn Island, but now a missionary on the Pitcairn, writes us, inclosing extracts of various letters received showing the progress of the work in Norfolk Island, where Brother and Sister J. M. Cole and Mary McCoy are at present laboring. It will be remembered that many of the descendants of the original Pitcairn islanders are on Norfolk Island. Brother McCoy says that they left the above-named laborers at Norfolk on September 26, and sailed away for Auckland, N. Z., where the ship arrived on October 1. After two weeks' stay Brother McCoy left for Sydney and Melbourne. Shortly after his arrival at the latter city he received letters from those who attended Brother Cole's meetings, but who are not Sabbath keepers. The first is an extract from a letter from a niece of his, as follows:—

I went down to service this afternoon, and, oh, it is just splendid to hear Mr. Cole's discourse, which is enough to feed hungry souls and to quench one's thirst after righteousness! He took for his text 1 John 3: 1, 2, 3. I can assure you it brought tears to the eyes of his hearers. There were only a few that attended, and I think it is such a pity that not more went to hear him. It threw such an impression on the minds of those that went for good! I know it has done me so much good, thank God. I believe and trust that God will bring out the true light of his holy word among this community.

It is thus that a sister writes:—

I wish you were here with us yesterday when we met together for service. Oh, what a beautiful discourse Mr. Cole brought out! He was really running over with the goodness and love of God, for his soul was filled to its very top. Indeed, he was lit up with the sweetness of the Saviour's presence. Oh, what a blessed state to be in! He read Ps. 107, and then took for his discourse 1 John 3: 1, 2, 3. Truly we believe that he is born again and fully washed in the precious blood of his crucified Redeemer.

Sister M. A. McCoy, sister of Brother McCoy, writes:—

Yesterday quite a good number of women attended our meeting, but only two men. The rest were too busy to come, as they have taken a whale. Brother Cole preached a most beautiful sermon. I believe that I have never heard him preach better. You cannot imagine how much the people here think of our mission ship and all on board. They say that they believe that through the coming of the Pitcairn here Norfolk Island will be raised up again. At dinner table a woman remarked that she believed that the coming of the Pitcairn to this place will be the means of delivering the people from bondage.

She says to tell the people at Pitcairn Island that there is danger of their being superseded in kindness shown to the Pitcairn by the people of Norfolk, who wish to help in sailing the ship because of the good she is doing.

Brother McCoy says that Elder Cole was comfortably located in a neat stone cottage by the sea, free of rent, with plenty of all needed temporal blessings. He continues:—

We too can now see and say, "Every cloud has its silver lining," and can raise our thanks to God, for he has heard our earnest pleadings and is in an especial manner blessing the work which he has intrusted to our hands. "All things work together for good to them that love God."