,,thoughts ,,on ,,missions4  by the     
,late  ,,rev4 ,,sheldon ,,dibble1       
,missionary in the ,sandwich ,islands4  
,go ye into all the world1 and preach   
the ,gospel to every                    
creature4--,,mark #af3ae4               
,go--teach all nations4--,,matt4 #bh3ai4
       ,prove all things--hold fast that
 which is good4--#a ,,thes4 #e3ba4      
,published by the ,american ,tract      
,society1 #aej ,nassau-,street1         
,new-,york4     ,,contents4   ,,chapter 
,i4  ,,the ,,true ,,spirit ,,of         
,,missions4                             
,,page4  ,lowliness and condescension1  
like our ,saviour's1 essential to       
missionary character1                   
#ah  ,the true ,missionary is ready1    
like ,christ1 to endure suffering for   
the good of others1                     
#ba  ,the true ,missionary1 like his    
,master1 waits not to be urged and      
entreated1                              
#bd  ,the true ,missionary1 like the    
,saviour1 feels no less compassion and  

love to the heathen on account of their 
ingratitude and enmity towards him1     
#bf    ,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,christian     
,,stewardship4  ,all we have belongs to 
,god1                                   
#cb  ,to occupy all our powers for ,god1
 we must equal the engagedness and      
enterprise of worldly men1              
#cd  ,how much faithful stewards may    
consume on themselves and children1     
#dj  ,the best use of a large capital1  
#df  ,money not the main thing needed1  
#ej  ,the luxury and honor of being     
,god's stewards1                #ef     
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,guilt ,,of          
,,neglecting ,,the ,,heathen4           
,prospects of the heathen for eternity1 
#fd  ,peculiar advantages of the        
,american churches to carry abroad the  
,gospel of ,christ1                     
#fi  ,do we pray for the heathen as much
 as we ought8              #gc  ,do we  
give as much as we ought to evangelize  
the heathen8                            
#ge  ,do we go and instruct the heathen 

as we ought8               #ha  ,why are
 the heathen lost8                      
#he    ,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,the           
,,saviour',s ,,last ,,command4  ,excuses
 of ,christians for not doing more to   
evangelize the heathen1                 
#ajb    ,,chapter ,v4  ,,laymen ,,called
 ,,to ,,the ,,field ,,of ,,missions4    
,labors of the first disciples1         
dispersed from ,jerusalem by            
persecution1                            
#aaa  ,to elevate all nations requires a
 great variety of laborers1             
#aaf  ,feasibility1                     
#abf  ,reasons why laymen should engage 
in the work of ,missions1               
#acj    ,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,claims ,,of  
,,missions ,,on ,,ministers ,,of        
,,influence4  ,separation of ,barnabas  
and ,saul for the ,missionary work1     
#acd  ,the present distribution of      
ministers anti-apostolic1        #ada   
,insufficient excuses of pastors for    
remaining at home1                      
#adg  ,other excuses of pastors that    

have weight1 but are not sufficient1    
#aee  ,necessity that some pastors of   
influence and talent should become      
,missionaries1                          
#afa  ,some excuses common to pastors   
and to candidates for the ministry1     
#afi    ,,chapter ,,vii4  ,,import ,,of 
,,the ,,great ,,commission4             
,responsibility not peculiar to         
,missionaries1                #agh  ,the
 fallacy of endeavoring to convert the  
world by proxy1                         
#aha  ,no cheap or easy way of          
converting the world1               #aia
  ,some rules that may be of use in     
agitating the question of becoming      
,missionaries1                          
#aid    ,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,trials ,,to
 ,,be ,,met4  ,difficulties in the way  
of training children on heathen ground1 
#bja  ,reasons in the minds of          
,missionaries for not sending their     
children home1                          
#baj  ,other thoughts about             
,missionaries' children1                

#bah  ,entire consecration of children1 
not a duty peculiar to ,missionaries1   
#bbb     ,,introductory ,,letter4  ,,to 
,,my ,,classmates ,,in ,,theology4      
,,dear ,,brethren ,,in ,,christ3--,few  
periods of our lives can be called to   
mind with so much ease and distinctness1
 as the years which we spent together in
 theological studies4 ,the events of    
that short season1 and the sentiments we
 then indulged1 are clothed with a      
freshness and interest which the lapse  
of time cannot efface4  ,among the      
questions that occupied our thoughts1 no
 one perhaps was so absorbing1 or       
attended with such deep and anxious     
feeling1 as that which respected the    
field of labor to which each should     
devote his life4 ,and many of us then1  
,i remember1 made a mutual engagement1  
that if spared and permitted for years  
to labor in different portions of the   
vineyard of the ,lord1 we would         
communicate to each other our mature    
views in regard to the claims of        

different fields4  ,thirteen years have 
elapsed2 and ,i propose to fulfil my    
engagement1 by expressing1 in the form  
of the present little volume1 the views 
which ,i now entertain in regard to the 
claims of foreign lands4 ,to you1 my    
beloved classmates1 the book is         
specially addressed2 and if ,i use a    
frankness and freedom1 which might      
possibly be construed into presumption1 
if ,i were addressing strangers and     
elder brethren1 ,i am sure that ,i shall
 fall under no such imputation when     
communicating my thoughts to you4 ,i    
wish to express my thoughts familiarly1 
as we used to do to each other1 and at  
the same time with the earnestness and  
solemnity which one ought always to feel
 when pleading for the perishing        
heathen4  ,a free1 full1 and earnest    
discussion of such sentiments as those  
contained in this book1 had no small    
influence1 under ,god1 in preparing the 
way for that extensive work of grace at 
these islands1 which has been           

denominated the ,great ,revival4 ,at the
 ,general meetings of the mission in the
 month of ,may of #ahcf and #ahcg1 the  
main doctrines of this volume were      
thoroughly canvassed1 and with deep     
effect upon every member present4 ,our  
feelings were enlisted1 our hearts were 
warmed1 and our thoughts were absorbed  
by the great topic of the world's       
conversion4 ,the theme1 in all its      
amazing import and solemn aspects1 was  
allowed to take possession of our souls4
 ,it gave importunity to prayer1        
earnestness and unction to our          
conversation and sermons1 and zeal1     
energy1 and perseverance to every       
department of our work2 and the result  
was soon apparent in the wide-spread and
 glorious revival4  ,it can almost be   
said1 therefore1 that the main          
sentiments of this volume have received 
the impress of the ,divine approbation4 
,in the fall of #ahcg1 ,i was           
constrained by family afflictions and   
the failure of my own health1 to embark 

for the ,united ,states4 ,as ,i began to
 breathe the bracing air of ,cape ,horn1
 my strength in a measure revived1 and  
having no other employment on board     
ship1 ,i sketched the outlines of most  
of the chapters of this little volume4  
,my heart was full of the theme in the  
discussion of which ,i had taken part   
before my embarkation1 and ,i penned my 
thoughts freely1 amidst the tossings of 
the ship and the care of two motherless 
children4  ,on my arrival in the ,united
 ,states1 ,i revised and filled up the  
outlines ,i had sketched1 and delivered 
them1 in connection with various        
historical lectures1 at several places1 
as ,providence gave me opportunity4     
,now1 having returned to these islands1 
,i have thought best to give the        
chapters a second revision1 to dedicate 
the whole to you1 and with the help of  
the press to send you each a copy1      
accompanying it with my prayers and my  
most affectionate salutations4 ,and may 
,i not expect1 beloved classmates1 that 

you will read the book with candor1     
weigh well its arguments1 admit its     
entreaties to your hearts1 as those of  
your former associate1 and act in       
accordance with the convictions of duty8
  ,among the considerations that have   
prompted me to the train of thought     
contained in this book1 as well as to   
the views interwoven in my history of   
the ,sandwich ,islands1 ,i may mention1 
as not the least weighty and prominent1 
a dutiful respect and filial obedience  
to the instructions delivered to me1 in 
connection with others1 by the wise and 
devoted ,,evarts1 on the eve of our     
embarkation for the foreign field4 ,the 
delivery of those instructions was his  
last effort of the kind1 and they may   
therefore be regarded as the parental   
accents of his departing spirit4 ,on    
that occasion of interest1 to which     
memory can never be treacherous1 a part 
of the charge to us was in the following
 words3  ,from the very commencement of 
your missionary life1 cultivate a spirit

 of enterprise4 ,without such a spirit1 
nothing great will be achieved in any   
human pursuit2 and this is an age of    
enterprise1 to a remarkable and         
unprecedented extent4 ,in manufactures1 
in the mechanic arts1 in agriculture1 in
 education1 in the science of           
government1 men are awake and active2   
their minds are all on the alert2 their 
ingenuity is tasked2 and they are making
 improvements with the greatest zeal4   
,shall not the same enterprise be seen  
in moral and religious things8 ,shall   
not missionaries1 especially1 aim at    
making discoveries and improvements in  
the noblest of all practical            
sciences--that of applying the means    
which ,god has provided1 for the moral  
renovation of the world8  ,there are    
many problems yet to be solved before it
 can be said1 that the best mode of     
administering missionary concerns has   
been discovered4 ,what degree of expense
 shall be incurred in the support of    
missionary families1 so as to secure the

 greatest possible efficiency with a    
given amount of money2 how to dispose of
 the children of missionaries1 in a     
manner most grateful to their parents1  
and most creditable to the cause2 in    
what proportion to spend money and time 
upon the education of the heathen1 as a 
distinct thing from preaching the       
,gospel2 how far the press should be    
employed2 by what means the attention of
 the heathen can be best gained at the  
beginning2 how their wayward practices  
and habits can be best restrained and   
corrected2 how the intercourse between  
missionaries and the ,christian world   
can be conducted in the best manner1 so 
as to secure the highest responsibility1
 and the most entire confidence2 and how
 the suitable proportion between        
ministers of the ,gospel retained at    
home1 and missionaries sent abroad1 is  
to be fixed in practice1 as well as in  
principle3 all these things present     
questions yet to be solved4 ,there is   
room for boundless enterprise1          

therefore1 in the great missionary      
field1 which is the world4  ,i have not 
attempted to discuss all the topics here
 named1 but have endeavored to cultivate
 in some degree1 as enjoined in the     
paragraph1 a spirit of enterprising     
inquiry4  ,if this book shall impart any
 light on the interesting topic of      
,christian duty to the heathen1 and be  
owned by the ,saviour1 in the great day1
 as having contributed1 though but in a 
small degree1 towards that glorious     
consummation of which the prophets      
speak1 and to which we all look forward1
 ,i shall be richly rewarded4  ,your    
affectionate classmate1  ,,sheldon      
,,dibble4  ,,lahainaluna1 ,feb4 #ag1    
#ahdd4     ,,thoughts ,,on ,,missions4  
,,chapter ,i4  ,,the ,,true ,,spirit    
,,of ,,missions4   ,the apostles1 under 
the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1      
uniformly enforce their exhortations by 
tender appeals to the example1          
sufferings1 and death of their ascended 
,lord4 ,is humility inculcated8 the     

argument is1 ,christ humbled himself and
 became obedient unto death1 even the   
death of the cross4 ,is purity of life  
enjoined8 the plea is1 ,christ gave     
himself for us1 that he might redeem us 
from all iniquity1 and purify unto      
himself a peculiar people4 ,is          
liberality required8 we are pointed to  
,christ1 who1 though he was rich1 yet   
for our sakes became poor1 that we      
through his poverty might be rich4 ,is  
entire consecration to ,christ enjoined8
 the appeal is1 he died for all1 that   
they who live should not henceforth live
 unto themselves1 but unto him who died 
for them and rose again4  ,in like      
manner1 in gaining a true idea of the   
spirit of missions1 the proper course   
evidently is1 to look at once at the    
missionary character of the ,lord ,jesus
 ,christ4 ,he was indeed a missionary4  
,he came to save the lost4 ,he was a    
missionary to us4 ,he came to save us4  
,we had wandered and were lost4 ,we were
 guilty and condemned4 ,we were in a    

state of despair4 ,nothing within the   
compass of human means could avail in   
the least to avert the impending wrath  
of ,god4 ,all wisdom became foolishness4
 ,all resource was futile4 ,not a ray of
 hope remained--not the least flickering
 gleam4 ,whichever way the eye turned1  
there was darkness--horror--despair4    
,but ,christ came1 and hope again       
visited the earth4 ,it was when we were 
helpless--hopeless--justly exposed to   
the horrors and agonies of the world of 
woe1 that ,jesus undertook his mission1 
and appeared for our relief4  ,this     
truth cannot be too deeply impressed    
upon us1 here1 at the very threshold of 
our inquiries in regard to the spirit of
 missions2 and to spread it out         
distinctly before our minds1 let us take
 a simple illustration4  ,you are a     
captive in a foreign land1 and have long
 been immured in a deep1 damp1 and      
gloomy dungeon4 ,sorrow1 sighing1 and   
tears have been your meat day and night4
 ,anguish1 gloom1 and a fearful looking 

for of death1 combined with hunger1     
cold1 and a bed of straw1 have induced  
disease1 wasted your flesh1 destroyed   
every energy1 and entirely drank up your
 spirits4 ,sentence of death is         
pronounced against you1 and the day     
fixed for your execution4 ,the massive  
walls and iron grating look down sternly
 upon you1 and rebuke at once all hope  
of escape4 ,entreaties1 tears1 and the  
offer of gold and silver have been      
tried1 but in vain4 ,effort and means   
have given place to horror and despair4 
,the prospect before you is the         
scaffold1 the block1 a yawning grave1   
and a dread eternity4 ,in this extremity
 a friend appears1 and offers to be     
substituted in your place4 ,the offer is
 accepted4 ,you1 pale1 emaciated1 and   
horror-stricken1 are brought from your  
dungeon to behold once more the light of
 day4 ,the irons are knocked off from   
your hands and feet--your tattered      
garments exchanged for cleanly          
apparel--and a ship is in readiness to  

convey you to the land of your birth and
 the bosom of your friends4 ,the vital  
current of your soul1 so long chilled   
and wasted1 now flows again with warmth 
and vigor2 your eyes are lighted up1 and
 tears of joy burst forth like a flood4 
,but1 in the midst of your joy1 you are 
told of your deliverer4 ,you turn1 and  
behold6 the irons that were upon you are
 fastened upon him--he is clothed in    
your tattered garments--is about to be  
led to your gloomy dungeon--lie on your 
bed of straw1 and thence to be taken in 
your stead to the scaffold or the block4
 ,you throw yourself at his feet1 and   
entreat him to desist2 but when you find
 his purpose fixed1 you finally wish you
 had a thousand hearts to feel the      
gratitude you owe1 and ten thousand     
tongues to give it utterance4  ,the     
,lord ,jesus ,christ has done for us all
 this1 and unspeakably more4 ,we were   
under condemnation4 ,the sentence of    
,god's righteous law was against us4    
,the flaming sword of ,divine vengeance 

was unsheathed4 ,all above and around us
 were the dark frowns of the ,almighty  
and the red lightnings of his wrath4    
,beneath us was not merely a damp       
dungeon1 but the bottomless pit yawning 
to receive us1 and its flames ascending 
to envelope our guilty souls4 ,there was
 no escape4 ,the prospect was weeping1  
wailing1 and gnashing of teeth--the     
agony of ,jehovah's frown forever4 ,in  
this extremity the ,saviour             
appeared--substituted himself in our    
stead--bare our sins in his own body on 
the tree--received upon his own agonized
 soul what was our due1 and thus        
delivered us from the untold horrors of 
eternal death1 and opened before us the 
gate of heaven4  ,to save the lost1     
then1 was the spirit of ,christ4 ,the   
apostles imbibed this spirit4 ,it is the
 spirit of missions4 ,the heathen are in
 a lost condition4 ,if we have the      
spirit of ,christ we shall do what we   
can to save them4 ,the spirit of        
missions is not something different     

from1 or superadded to1 the ,christian  
spirit1 but is simply1 essentially1 and 
emphatically the spirit of ,christ4 ,it 
is compassion for the perishing2 and    
such compassion as leads the possessor  
to put forth strenuous efforts1 and to  
undergo1 if need be1 the severest       
sufferings4  ,as we shall look somewhat 
in detail at the manifestations of the  
spirit of ,christ1 we shall see very    
evidently the great outlines of what    
alone is worthy to be called the true   
spirit of missions4  ,look at the       
condescension of ,christ1 and learn a   
lesson of duty towards the destitute and
 degraded of our race4 ,the ,son of     
,god1 by whom were all things created   
that are in heaven and that are in      
earth1 whether they be thrones or       
dominions1 principalities or powers2 who
 upholdeth all things by the word of his
 power2 before whom ten thousand times  
ten thousand and thousands of thousands 
prostrate themselves1 ascribing power1  
and riches1 and wisdom1 and strength1   

and honor1 and glory1 and blessing2 of  
whom it is said1 ,every knee shall bow  
to him1 of things in heaven1 and things 
in earth1 and things under the          
earth--the ,king eternal1 immortal1     
invisible1 the only wise ,god3 this     
,infinite ,being empties himself of his 
glory1 and comes down to toil1 suffer   
and die--and for whom8 ,for us worms of 
the dust1 insects that are crushed      
before the moth4  ,if the ,saviour had  
come to our relief1 clothed with the    
glory of heaven and surrounded by his   
holy angels1 even that would have been a
 stoop of amazing condescension4 ,but   
look at the babe of ,bethlehem1 born in 
a stable1 and cradled in a manger2      
follow him to ,egypt1 and then back to  
,nazareth4 ,what humility1 lowliness1   
and condescension6 ,look at the ,saviour
 in his public ministry4 ,you find him  
oftenest among the poor1 and always so  
demeaning himself as to be the one that 
was meek and lowly in heart4 ,his chosen
 walk was such1 that it could be said   

with emphasis1 to the poor the ,gospel  
is preached4  ,such was the spirit of   
,christ and such his condescension6     
,such was the spirit of the apostles4   
,they took much notice of the poor1 and 
charged ,paul and ,barnabas1 when going 
forth on their mission1 especially to   
remember them4 ,what else1 ,i ask1 is a 
missionary spirit1 but to be willing to 
labor with self-denial and perseverance 
to elevate and save the low and the     
vile8 ,natural men1 in the pride of     
their hearts1 are inclined to look down 
upon the wretched--to regard them with  
that kind of loathing and disgust which 
disinclines them to make sacrifices in  
their behalf4 ,this dislike is such that
 ,i have often thought it to be a favor 
to the heathen1 that they are far off   
and out of sight2 for if they were near 
and directly around many professed      
,christians1 with all their defilement  
and ugliness in full view1 much of the  
apparent sympathy for them which now    
exists1 would be turned into contempt   

and cold neglect4 ,but if such had been 
the superficial and ill-founded         
character of ,christ's compassion1 where
 should we have been at this present    
hour8 ,there is not a wretch now        
wallowing in the deepest mire of sin1   
who is so vile and low in our eyes1 as  
we all were in the eyes of infinite     
purity4 ,yet the more wretched we were1 
the more deeply did ,christ feel for us4
 ,this spirit of ,christ is the only    
true spirit of missions--the only spirit
 that will make self-denying1 continued1
 and persevering efforts to save the    
heathen4  ,there is no romance in the   
practical and every-day duties of a     
missionary4 ,the work is of a humble    
form1 and emphatically toilsome4 ,there 
is but little true missionary spirit in 
the world4 ,it is not the sympathy of an
 hour1 nor an enthusiasm awakened by    
romance1 but the pure love of ,christ in
 the soul1 constraining the possessor to
 pray earnestly1 and to labor cheerfully
 without notice or applause1 for the    

lowest human objects2 and which finds a 
rich and sufficient reward for a life of
 toil in leading one ignorant slave1 one
 degraded outcast1 or one vile heathen1 
to accept the offers of salvation4 ,my  
observation in the field for thirteen   
years testifies to the fact1 that no    
sympathy or enthusiasm will come down to
 the arduous details of missionary work1
 and persevere in it for years1 that    
does not flow from such genuine and     
permanent love as our ,saviour          
manifested when here upon earth4 ,the   
more we become like ,christ1 the more   
shall we possess of the true missionary 
character4  ,how slow we are to make    
real sacrifices for the good of others6 
,it was not so with ,christ4 ,he chose1 
for our good1 to become a man of sorrows
 and acquainted with grief--to be       
rejected1 despised and hated--to become 
a mark for the bitterest rage and the   
finger of scorn4  ,go to the garden of  
,gethsemane4 ,there behold1 what even   
the pencil of the angel ,gabriel cannot 

fully portray4 ,there1 in the stillness 
of the night1 the ,saviour retires to   
give vent to the bursting emotions of   
his soul4 ,deep sorrow1 keen anguish1   
and excruciating agony roll in1 like    
continuous surges1 upon his tender      
spirit4 ,his strength fails4 ,low he    
lies on the cold earth1 and the drops   
from his pale and agonized features1    
like the clammy sweat of death--no1 like
 drops of blood--fall to the ground4    
,but the agony of his spirit does not   
perturb the submission of his soul1 nor 
shake the steadfastness of his purpose4 
,the furious mob arrive1 and he calmly  
yields himself to their disposal4 ,see  
him in the judgment-hall --meek under   
insults1 forgiving under buffetings and 
abuse1 submissive and quiet under the   
agonizing scourge4 ,then behold him1 as 
faint from his gashes and his pains1 and
 sinking under a heavy cross1 he slowly 
moves towards ,calvary4 ,look on1 if    
your eyes can bear the sight4 ,the rough
 spikes are driven through his feet and 

his hands--the cross is erected--the    
,lord of glory hangs between two        
thieves3--there1 his torn1 bleeding1    
writhing and excruciated body is to wear
 out its vitality in protracted agony4  
,but all this suffering was as a drop in
 his cup of anguish4 ,o the             
deep--fathomless1 untold agony of his   
soul1 when under the hidings of his     
,father's face he exclaimed1 ,my ,god1  
my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me6     
,all this suffering and agony the       
,infinite ,son of ,god endured1 that we 
might be saved4 ,he had a vivid and     
perfect view of all this1 and yet       
voluntarily assumed it that we might    
live4  ,in view of such an example1 what
 shall we say8 ,if the ,lord of glory   
shrunk not from ignominy and scorn1     
untold agony1 exquisite torture and the 
most cruel death1 can any one possess   
much of his spirit1 and yet consider it 
too much to forego some of the comforts 
and delights of this fleeting life1 and 
to labor and toil with perseverance and 

self-denial on a foreign shore1 to      
instruct the destitute and the dying--to
 enlighten the millions and hundreds of 
millions of heathen1 who have never     
heard the precious name of ,jesus1 and  
are entirely ignorant of the            
consolations of his grace8 ,is it too   
much1 even to expose one's self to an   
early grave in a sultry clime1 if       
necessary1 that some ray of hope may    
break in upon the gloom of the benighted
 and perishing nations8 ,god be praised1
 that the prospect of death did not     
daunt the spirit of the self-denying    
,jesus6  ,o1 how has a feeling of shame 
and deep humiliation come over my       
spirit1 as ,i have heard the objection1 
that ,missionaries and missionaries'    
wives especially go forth to die6       
,thanks to the continued grace of ,god1 
that some of this spirit of ,jesus--the 
self-sacrificing spirit1 the spirit of  
devotement1 even unto death--still      
exists on earth4 ,let the objector      
inquire seriously1 whether much of it   

reigns in his own bosom2 and whether in 
proportion as he is destitute of it1 he 
be not lacking not only in the spirit of
 missions1 but in the spirit of ,christ1
 without which it is impossible to be a 
disciple4 ,for it is true not only of   
missionaries1 but equally of all        
,christians1 that they are not their    
own--that they are bought with a price2 
and are under obligations of entire     
consecration1 each in his appropriate   
sphere1 that are as high as heaven and  
as affecting as the scenes of           
,gethsemane and ,calvary4 ,and we are   
bound1 equally with the early disciples1
 to count it not only a duty1 but all   
joy to labor1 suffer and die1 if        
necessary1 for ,christ's sake1 and in   
the good work which he has given us to  
do4  ,did we become sensible of our lost
 condition8 ,did we with one accord lift
 up our penitent and broken-hearted     
cries to the ,god of mercy1 that he     
would provide a way for our salvation8  
,did the angels intercede in our behalf 

that the ,saviour would come8 ,no3      
self-moved he appeared for our relief4  
,he beheld us wedded to our sinful      
courses2 unwilling to be taken from the 
pit into which we had plunged ourselves1
 and clinging with unyielding grasp to  
the very instruments of our             
ruin--strangely enamored with the very  
vampires that were preying upon our     
souls4 ,the more disinclined we were to 
sue for mercy1 the more the ,saviour    
pitied us2 for our very unwillingness to
 supplicate showed the depth of our     
ruin4  ,in like manner1 the more        
indisposed any heathen nation may be to 
receive us to their shores1 admit the   
light of the ,gospel and partake of its 
blessings1 the more deeply should we    
feel for them1 and the more zealously   
labor for their salvation4 ,that a      
nation has not called for our aid1 but  
is resolutely determined to keep us at a
 distance1 is a strong argument for     
being deeply interested in their behalf4
 ,their very blindness and maniac       

disposition should call forth the deep  
commiseration of our souls4 ,such was   
the spirit of ,christ4 ,such is the true
 spirit of missions4 ,it is but a small 
measure of compassion to aid those who  
supplicate our assistance4 ,the very    
blindness1 guilt1 madness and vile      
degradation of a people1 should be to us
 a sufficient voice of entreaty4 ,they  
were so to the heart of the precious    
,saviour1 or he never would have        
undertaken the work of our redemption4  
,o1 when shall it be1 that ,christians  
and ministers of the ,gospel shall arise
 self-moved1 or rather moved by the     
spirit of ,christ within them1 and exert
 all their powers for the good of the   
perishing8 when they shall not need     
appeal upon appeal1 entreaty upon       
entreaty1 and the visit of one agent    
after another1 to remind them of duty1  
and to persuade them to do it8  ,it was 
not a world of penitents that the       
,saviour pitied1 but a world of         
rebels--proud and stubborn rebels1 ready

 to spurn every offer of reconciliation4
 ,he saw us1 not on our knees pleading  
for mercy1 but scorning the humble      
attitude of suppliants1 and raising our 
puny arms against the authority of      
,heaven4 ,he beheld us1 not as the      
,ninevites once were1 in sackcloth and  
ashes1 but recklessly violating all his 
holy laws4 ,it was in view of all the   
deformity1 bitterness1 rage and         
heaven-daring impiety of our naked      
hearts1 that ,christ left his throne of 
glory and died on the cross4 ,it was for
 such beings that he voluntarily endured
 humiliation1 toil1 self-denial and     
death4 ,he toiled and died for the      
ungodly4 ,he came1 though men despised  
his aid4 ,he died even for his          
crucifiers4  ,are the heathen           
guilty--covered with blood and black    
with crime8 ,do they exhibit many traits
 that are repulsive and horrid8 ,would  
our visit to them fill them with rage   
and bitterness1 and tempt them to       
crucify us8 ,what then8 are we to relax 

our efforts for them1 because they are  
ungodly8 ,so did not ,jesus ,christ4    
,let us learn from his example1 and     
imbibe his spirit4 ,that man1 who may be
 called a missionary1 and yet is capable
 of being alienated in his feelings by  
ill-treatment1 contempt1 abuse and rage 
from the heathen1 is not worthy of the  
name4 ,that professed ,christian1 in    
whatever land he may reside1 who loves a
 sinner less on account of the personal 
abuse he may suffer from him1 has not   
the true missionary spirit1 or1 in other
 words1 the spirit of ,christ4  ,and    
here ,i would repeat the remark with    
emphasis1 in accordance with all that ,i
 have said1 that there is nothing       
peculiar in the spirit of missions1     
except what peculiarity there may be in 
the spirit of ,christ--that it is what  
all must possess to be disciples1 and   
without which no one can enter heaven4  
,it is a spirit humble yet elevating1   
self-sacrificing yet joyful1 intensely  
fervent yet reasonable1 meek and yet    

resolute4 ,it is all this indeed1 but   
yet nothing more than what is required  
of every ,christian2 and therefore no   
excuse can be more absurd and           
contradictory in terms1 than that       
sometimes made1 ,it is not my duty to go
 to the heathen1 for ,i never had a     
missionary spirit2 for one professes to 
be a ,christian1 and yet excuses        
himself1 on the ground of not having a  
missionary spirit1 or in other words1 of
 not being a ,christian--of not being in
 possession of a fair title to heaven4  
,o1 remember1 ,christian reader1 that   
the least desire to be excused shows a  
deplorable lack of the spirit of        
,christ4     ,,chapter ,,ii4            
,,christian ,,stewardship4   ,on account
 of heavy domestic afflictions1 and the 
failure of my own health1 ,i was        
induced1 a few years since1 to visit the
 ,united ,states4 ,full well ,i remember
 my feelings when returning to my native
 land4 ,i had been laboring among a     
heathen people1 and impressions by the  

eye are deep and affecting4 ,i had seen 
degradation and vileness1 destitution   
and woe4 ,i had a vivid impression of   
the urgent claim of the destitute and   
the dying2 and ,i had formed some       
conception of the greatness of the work1
 if we would put forth the              
instrumentality needed to elevate and   
save them4 ,and during a long voyage1 ,i
 had time1 not only to think of the     
,sandwich ,islanders1 but to cast my    
thoughts abroad over the wide world4    
,the millions and hundreds of millions  
of our race often came up fresh before  
me1 sunk in untold vileness1 covered    
with abominations1 and dropping one     
after another1 as fast as the beating of
 my pulse--twenty millions a year--into 
the world of woe4 ,painful as it was1 ,i
 could not avoid the deep and certain   
conviction1 that such was their end4    
,then ,i thought of the greatness of the
 task1 if we would be the means1 under  
,god1 of saving them from perdition3    
that we have idol gods without number to

 destroy--a veil of superstition forty  
centuries thick to rend--a horrible     
darkness to dispel--hearts of stone to  
break--a gulf of pollution to           
purify--nations1 in ,god's strength1 to 
reform and regenerate4 ,with such       
thoughts the conviction forced itself   
upon me1 that the work could not be done
 without an immense amount of means1 and
 a host of laborers4  ,think1 then1 how 
chilling and soul-sickening the         
intelligence that met me as ,i landed on
 my native shores1 7in the spring of    
#ahch17 that ,christians were           
disheartened by the pressure of the     
times1 and were receding from ground    
already taken3 that the bread of life   
must not issue from the press1 though   
millions were famishing for lack of it2 
that thirty heralds of salvation then   
standing on our shores must not embark1 
though the woes and agonies of dying    
souls were coming peal after peal on    
every wave of the ocean2 that they must 
be turned aside from the perilous yet   

fond enterprise to which the love of    
,christ had constrained them1 and that  
future applicants must be thereby       
discouraged--that missionaries abroad   
must be trammelled in their operations  
for want of means2 and that multitudes  
of children and youth1 the hope of the  
missions1 gathered with much care1 and  
partially instructed and trained with   
much expense of time1 strength and      
money2 the centre of solicitude1 love1  
and interest2 the adopted sons and      
daughters of the missionaries1 must be  
sent back--in ,ceylon three thousand in 
a day--to wallow again in pollution1 bow
 down to gods of wood and stone1 and    
wander1 stumble and fall on the dark    
mountains of heathen superstition2 a    
prey to the prowling monsters that lie  
thick and ready to devour in all the    
territory of ,satan4 ,surely1 thought   
,i1 7and had ,i not grounds for the     
thought87 ,christians in ,america must  
be destitute of the common comforts of  
life3 nothing but the direst necessity  

can induce them thus to surrender back  
to ,satan the ground already taken and  
the trophies already gathered1 and to   
put far off the hope of the latter day  
glory4  ,i looked abroad and made       
inquiries4 ,i found indeed a derangement
 of currency and a stagnation of        
business4 ,but did ,i find1 think you1  
that ,christians were destitute of the  
ordinary comforts of life8 that they    
were in a distressing emergency for food
 and clothing8 that their retrenchments 
had been made first in personal         
expenditures1 and last in efforts to    
save souls8 ,alas6 it was evident that  
the principal cause of the retraced     
movement was not found in the reverse of
 the times4 ,it was found to lie deeper2
 and to consist in wrong views and wrong
 practice on the great subject of       
,christian stewardship4 ,to this        
subject1 then1 my thoughts for a time   
were much directed1 and ,i tried to look
 at it in view of a dying world1 and a  
coming judgment4 ,the subject1 ,i       

perceived1 lay at the foundation of all 
missionary effort2 and my position and  
circumstances were perhaps advantageous 
for contemplating it in a just and      
proper light4 ,be entreated1 therefore1 
,christian reader1 to look at the       
subject in the spirit of candor and     
self-application4         99       99   
99       99       99  ,a little heathen 
child was inquired of by her teacher1 if
 there was anything which she could call
 her own4 ,she hesitated a moment1 and  
looking up1 very humbly replied1 ,i     
think there is4 ,what is it8 asked the  
teacher4 ,i think1 said she1 that my    
sins are my own4  ,yes1 we may claim our
 sins--they are our own2 but everything 
else belongs to ,god4 ,we are stewards2 
and a steward is one who is employed to 
manage the concerns of another--his     
household1 money or estate4 ,we are     
,god's stewards4 ,god has intrusted to  
each one of us a charge of greater or   
less importance4 ,to some he has        
intrusted five talents1 to others two1  

and to others one4 ,the talents are     
physical strength1 property1 intellect1 
learning1 influence--all the means in   
our possession for doing good and       
glorifying ,god4 ,we can lay claim to   
nothing as strictly our own4 ,even the  
angel ,gabriel cannot claim the smallest
 particle of dust as strictly his own4  
,the rightful owner of all things1 great
 and small1 is ,god4  ,to be faithful   
stewards1 then1 we must fully occupy for
 ,god all the talents in our possession4
 ,a surrender1 however1 of all to       
,god--of time1 strength1 mind and       
property1 does not imply a neglect of   
our own real wants4 ,a proper care of   
ourselves and families enters into      
,god's arrangement4 ,this is not only   
allowed1 it is required of us2 and if   
done properly and with a right spirit1  
it is a service acceptable to ,god4     
,this is understood then1 when we say1  
that all our talents must be occupied   
for ,god4 ,with this understanding1     
there must be no reserve4 ,reserve is   

robbery4 ,no less than all the heart and
 all our powers can be required of      
us--no less can be required of angels4  
,it is our reasonable service4 ,we      
require the same of the agents we       
employ4 ,suppose a steward1 agent or    
clerk1 in the management of your money1 
your estate or your goods1 devotes only 
a part to your benefit and uses the rest
 for himself1 how long would you retain 
him in your employment8 ,let us beware1 
then1 that we rob not ,god4 ,let us be  
faithful in his business1 and fully     
occupy for him the talents intrusted to 
us4 ,god has an indisputable right to   
everything in our possession2 to all our
 strength1 all our influence1 every     
moment of our time1 and demands that    
everything be held loosely by us1 in    
perfect obedience to him4 ,for us or for
 angels to deny this right1 would be    
downright rebellion4 ,for ,god to       
require anything less1 would be         
admitting a principle that would        
demolish his throne4  ,no less          

engagedness certainly can be required of
 ,god's stewards1 than worldly men      
exhibit in the pursuit of wealth and    
honor4 ,let us1 then1 look at their     
conduct and learn a lesson4 ,they are   
intent upon their object4 ,they rise    
early and sit up late4 ,constant toil   
and vigorous exertion fill up the day1  
and on their beds at night they meditate
 plans for the morrow4 ,their hearts are
 set on their object1 and entirely      
engrossed in it4 ,they show a           
determination to attain it1 if it be    
within the compass of human means4      
,enter a ,merchants' ,exchange1 and see 
with what fixed application they study  
the best plans of conducting their      
business4 ,they keep their eyes and ears
 open1 and their thoughts active4 ,such1
 too1 must be the wakefulness of an     
agent1 or they will not employ him4     
,notice also the physician who aspires  
to eminence4 ,he tries the utmost of his
 skill4 ,look in1 too1 upon the         
ambitious attorney4 ,he applies his mind

 closely to his cause that he may manage
 it in the best possible way4  ,now1 ,i 
ask1 shall not the same intense and     
active state of mind be required of us1 
as ,god's agents or stewards8 ,can we be
 faithful stewards1 and not contrive1   
study1 and devise the best ways of using
 the talents that ,god has intrusted to 
us1 so that they may turn to the        
greatest account in his service8 ,is not
 the glory of ,god and the eternal      
salvation of our ruined race1 an object 
worthy of as much engagedness1 as much  
engrossment of soul and determination of
 purpose1 as a little property which    
must soon be wrapped in flames1 or the  
flickering breath of empty fame8 ,be    
assured1 we cannot satisfy our ,maker by
 offering a sluggish service1 or by     
putting forth a little effort1 and      
pretending that it is the extent of our 
ability4 ,we have shown what we are     
capable of doing1 by our engagedness in 
seeking wealth and honor4 ,god has seen1
 angels have seen1 and we ourselves     

know1 that our ability is not small1    
when brought fully into exercise4 ,it is
 now too late to indulge the thought of 
deceiving either our ,maker or our      
fellow men on this point4 ,we can lay   
claim to the character of faithful      
stewards1 only as we embark all our     
powers in serving ,god1 as worldly men  
do in seeking riches1 or a name4  ,then1
 too1 to be faithful1 we must be as     
enterprising in the work that ,god has  
given us to do1 as worldly men are in   
their affairs4 ,by enterprising1 ,i     
mean1 bold1 adventurous1 resolute to    
undertake4 ,worldly men exhibit         
enterprise in their readiness to engage 
in large projects--in digging canals1 in
 laying railroads1 and in sending their 
ships around the globe4 ,no port seems  
too distant1 no depth too deep1 no      
height too high1 no difficulty too      
great1 and no obstacle too formidable4  
,they scarcely shrink from any business 
on account of its magnitude1 its        
arduousness1 or its hazard4 ,a man is no

 longer famous for circumnavigating the 
globe4 ,to sail round the world is a    
common trading voyage1 and ships now    
visit almost every port of the whole    
earth4 ,a business is no longer called  
great1 where merely thousands of dollars
 are adventured2 but in great           
undertakings1 money is counted by       
millions4 ,such is the spirit of        
enterprise in worldly matters4  ,now1 ,i
 ask1 are we not capable of as much     
enterprise in using the means ordained  
by ,christ for rescuing souls from      
eternal burnings1 and raising them to a 
seat at his right hand8 ,had the same   
enterprise been required of men in some 
former century1 they might have plead   
incapacity4 ,but it is too late now to  
plead incapacity4 ,unless we choose to  
keep back from ,god a very important    
talent1 we must put forth this          
enterprise to its full extent in the    
great work of the world's conversion4   
,such enterprise is needed4 ,if the     
latter day glory is to take place       

through human instrumentality1 can it be
 expected without some mighty movement  
on the part of the church8 ,can a work  
of such inconceivable magnitude be      
effected1 till every redeemed sinner    
shall lay himself out in the enterprise1
 as worldly men do in their projects8   
,if the promises of ,god are to be      
fulfilled through the efforts of men1   
what hope can there be of the glorious  
day1 till men are resolute to undertake 
great things--not for themselves merely1
 but for ,god1 their ,maker and         
,redeemer4  ,is it not a fact that will 
strike us dumb in the judgment1 that it 
is the love of money1 and not zeal for  
,god1 that digs canals1 lays railroads1 
runs steamboats and packets1 and1 in    
short1 is the main spring of every great
 undertaking8 ,the love of money has    
explored the land and the seas1 traced  
rivers in all their windings1 found an  
entrance to almost every port1          
,christian or heathen1 studied the      
character of almost every people1       

ascertained the products of every clime 
and the treasures of the deep1 stationed
 agents in all the principal places1 and
 in not a few ports1 a hemisphere       
distant1 erected shops1 factories1 and  
even sumptuous palaces4  ,men exhibit no
 such enterprise in serving ,god4 ,how  
many ships sail the ocean to carry the  
,gospel of ,christ8 ,and in ports where 
one magnificent ,exchange after another 
is reared1 stretching out its capacious 
arms1 and towering towards heaven1 how  
difficult it is to sustain a few humble 
boarding-houses for wandering seamen4   
,worldly enterprise is bold and active1 
and presses onward with railroad speed4 
,shall1 then1 ,christian enterprise be  
dull and sluggish1 deal in cents and    
mills1 and move along at a very slow    
pace8 ,the thought is too humiliating to
 be endured4  ,suppose angels to be     
placed in our stead1 would they1 think  
you1 be outdone by the seekers of wealth
 in deeds of enterprise8 ,no3 their cars
 would be the first in motion1 and their

 ships the first on the wing4 ,they     
would be the first to announce new      
islands1 and the first to project       
improvements1 and for what8 that the    
,gospel might have free course and be   
glorified4 ,enterprise and action would 
then be exhibited1 worthy of our gaze   
and admiration4 ,o6 if the ransom of    
those who fell from heaven like stars to
 eternal night1 could only be paid1 and 
the inquiry of the ,lord were heard     
among the unfallen1 ',whom shall we     
send1 and who will go for us8' hold they
 back8 ,no3 they fly like lightning to  
every province of hell2 the echo of     
salvation rolls in the outskirts as in  
the centre2 a light shines in the       
darkest dungeon2 the heaviest chains are
 knocked off1 and they rest not till all
 is done that angels can do1 to restore 
them to their former vacated seats in   
the realms of the blest4  ,but if angels
 would act thus1 we too1 as the stewards
 of ,god1 ought to be the first in      
enterprise4 ,god's work is infinitely   

more important than wealth or honor4    
,and how shall we1 in the judgment1 be  
found faithful1 if the seekers of wealth
 or the aspirants for renown are        
suffered to outstrip us on every side4  
,it is not faithfulness for any one to  
consume on himself or his children more 
of ,god's property than he really needs4
 ,suppose you hold in your hand an      
amount of property4 ,it is not yours you
 remember1 for you are merely a steward4
 ,god requires that it be used to       
produce the greatest possible good4 ,the
 greatest possible good1 is the         
promotion of holiness in yourself and in
 others4 ,luxury1 pride and vanity can  
lay no claim4 ,speculative knowledge1   
taste1 and refinement must receive a due
 share of attention1 but be kept in     
their place4 ,our real wants1 of course1
 must be supplied4 ,but what are our    
real wants--our wants1 not our          
desires--our real wants1 not those that 
are artificial and imaginary8  ,we      
really need for ourselves and families  

what is necessary to preserve life and  
health2 we need a mental cultivation    
answerable to our profession or         
employment2 need the means of           
maintaining a neat1 sober and just      
taste2 and we need too1 proper          
advantages of spiritual improvement4    
,things of mere habit1 fashion1 and     
fancy may be dispensed with4 ,luxuries  
may be denied4 ,many things1 which are  
called conveniences1 we do not really   
need4 ,if provision is to be made for   
all things that are convenient and      
pleasant1 what room will remain for     
self-denial8 ,things deemed comfortable 
and convenient may be multiplied without
 limit--consume all of ,god's wealth1   
and leave the world in ruins4 ,if the   
world were not in ruins1 then it might  
be proper to seek not only the comforts1
 but even the elegancies of life4  ,take
 a simple illustration3 ,in the midst of
 the wide ocean ,i fall in with a crew  
floating on the few shattered planks of 
a hopeless wreck4 ,i have a supply of   

water and a cask of bread1 but the poor 
wrecked mariners are entirely destitute4
 ,shall ,i keep my provisions for my own
 comfort1 and leave these sufferers to  
pine away with hunger and thirst8 ,but  
suppose ,i have not only bread and      
water1 but many luxuries1 while the men 
on the wreck are perishing for the want 
of a morsel of bread and a drop of      
water8 ,and then1 suppose ,i have casks 
of bread and other provisions to dispose
 of1 and intend with the proceeds to    
furnish myself with certain of the      
conveniences and elegancies of life2 and
 my mind is so fixed upon obtaining     
them1 that ,i refuse to relieve the poor
 tenants of the wreck1 and leave them to
 the lingering death of hunger and      
thirst4 ,o1 who of you would not shudder
 at the hardness of my heart and the    
blackness of my crime6  ,but the world  
dead in sin is surely a wreck4 ,millions
 upon millions are famishing for the    
bread and water of life4 ,their         
cry--their dying cry has come to our    

ears4 ,shall we then take that which    
might relieve them1 and expend it in    
procuring conveniences1 elegancies1 and 
luxuries for ourselves8 ,can we do it1  
and be guiltless of blood8  ,but1       
perhaps here1 some one may have the     
coolness to thrust in the common        
objection1 that a man's style of living 
must correspond with his station in     
society4 ,it is wonderful to what an    
extent this principle is applied4 ,a    
man1 it is said1 cannot be a governor of
 a state1 a mayor of a city1 a member of
 ,congress1 or hold any high office1    
unless his house1 his equipage1 his     
dress and his table1 exhibit some       
appearance of elegance and wealth2 and  
if a man live in a large and opulent    
city1 he must be somewhat expensive in  
his style of living1 that he may exert  
an influence in the higher walks of     
society4 ,then1 country towns1 and small
 villages1 take pattern of the large    
cities1 and the plea goes down through  
every rank and every grade4 ,scarcely a 

,christian can be found1 who is not     
familiar with the doctrine4 ,it is a    
very convenient doctrine4 ,in a         
qualified sense it may be true1 but in  
its unlimited interpretation it may be  
made to justify almost every article of 
luxury and extravagance4  ,it seems to  
be conformity to the world1 and the     
world has always been wrong4 ,the       
principles of the ,gospel have always   
been at variance with the maxims and    
customs of the world4 ,conformity is    
always suspicious4  ,again1 the doctrine
 cannot be applied to all places4       
,suppose a missionary conform to the    
society around him4 ,instead of raising 
up the heathen from their degradation1  
he would become a heathen himself4 ,the 
descent to heathenism is easy4 ,the     
influence of comparing ourselves with   
ourselves1 and measuring ourselves by   
ourselves1 is felt by those living among
 barbarians as well as at home1 though  
the insidious influence leads in another
 direction4 ,if there is a man on earth1

 who1 more than any other1 needs to     
cultivate neatness1 taste and           
refinement1 both in his mind and in his 
whole style of living1 it is the man who
 is surrounded by a heathen population4 
,here1 then1 the rule contended for     
fails4 ,travel round the world1 and how 
often will it fail8  ,let us turn away1 
then1 from this fickle standard1 and    
look to reason enlightened by the ,word 
of ,god4 ,shall we not then find1 that  
substantially the same style of living  
that is proper in one latitude and      
longitude1 is proper in another2        
substantially the same1 paying only so  
much regard to the eyes of the world1 as
 to avoid unnecessary singularity and   
remark2 and that this rule1 founded on  
the principles of the ,gospel1 makes a  
proper provision for health1 mental     
cultivation1 and a neat1 sober and just 
taste8 ,are not these the real wants of 
men allowed by the ,gospel1 whether they
 live in ,london or in ,ethiopia8  ,but 
the ground on which ,i choose to rest   

this inquiry more than any other1 is the
 perishing condition of our dying race4 
,is fashion1 splendor and parade1       
appropriate in a grave-yard1 or in the  
chamber of the dead and dying8 ,but the 
whole world is a grave-yard4 ,countless 
millions lie beneath our feet4 ,most of 
our earth1 too1 is at this moment a     
chamber of dying souls4 ,can we have any
 relish for luxuries1 folly and needless
 expense1 amidst the teeming millions   
commencing the agonies of eternal death8
  ,i erect a splendid mansion2 extend   
about it a beautiful enclosure2 furnish 
it with every elegance2 make sumptuous  
entertainments1 and live in luxury and  
ease4 ,in the midst of it1 the woes and 
miseries of my ruined race are brought  
vividly before me--their present        
wretchedness and eternal agonies4 ,and  
it is whispered in my ear1 that these   
woes might have been relieved by the    
expense ,i have so profusely lavished4  
,o6 how like ,belshazzar must ,i feel1  
and almost imagine that the groans of   

lost souls are echoed in every chamber  
of my mansion1 and their blood seen on  
every ornament6  ,let us have the love  
of ,christ in our hearts1 and then      
spread distinctly before us the world as
 it is--calculate the sum total of its  
present wretchedness and eternal woes4  
,in such a world and as ,god's stewards1
 who can be at a loss in regard to the  
course of duty8 ,when twenty millions of
 men every year are entering upon the   
untold horrors of the second death1 and 
we are stewards to employ all means in  
our power for their salvation1 ,o1 away 
with that coldness that can suggest the 
necessity of conforming to the expensive
 customs of the world4 ,may we1 in      
heaven1 find one of these souls saved   
through our instrumentality1 and we can 
afford to forego all we shall lose by a 
want of conformity4 ,there is a         
nobleness in taking an independent stand
 on the side of economy1 and saving     
something to benefit dying souls4 ,there
 is a heavenly dignity in such a course1

 infinitely superior to the slavish     
conformity so much contended for4 ,it is
 an independence induced by the         
sublimest motives2 a stand which even   
the world must respect1 and which ,god  
will not fail to honor4  ,but how shall 
those possessing large capitals best    
employ them as stewards of ,god8 ,i     
speak not of the hoarding of the miser2 
that would be a waste of breath4 ,i     
speak not of property invested in stock 
that habitually violates the ,sabbath4  
,no remark is necessary in so plain a   
case4 ,but ,i speak of large capitals1  
professedly kept to bring in an income  
for the service of the ,redeemer4 ,the  
subject is involved in many practical   
difficulties2 and they who are business 
men have some advantages of judging in  
the case which ,i have not4 ,i will     
therefore merely make one or two        
inquiries4  ,is not the practice in many
 cases an unwise investment of ,god's   
funds8 ,is there not a reasonable       
prospect that one dollar used now1 in   

doing good1 will turn to more account   
than twenty dollars ten years hence8 ,a 
,bible given now may be the means of a  
soul's conversion2 and this convert may 
be instrumental in converting other     
souls1 and may consecrate all his powers
 and property to ,god2 so that when     
years shall have passed away1 the one   
dollar given to buy the ,bible may have 
become hundreds of dollars1 and1 with   
,god's blessing1 saved many precious    
souls4 ,one pious young man trained for 
the ministry now1 may be instrumental1  
before ten years shall expire1 in       
bringing into the ,lord's kingdom many  
immortal souls1 with all their wealth   
and influence2 and so the small sum     
expended now1 become ten years hence    
entirely inestimable4 ,the same may be  
said of a minister sent now to the      
heathen1 instead of ten years hence2 and
 the same1 too1 may be said of every    
department of doing good4 ,it would     
appear then1 that1 in all ordinary      
cases1 to make an immediate use of funds

 in doing good is to lay them out to the
 greatest possible interest2 that by    
such a course we can be the means of    
peopling heaven faster than in any other
 way4 ,we can hardly appreciate how much
 we save by saving time1 and how much we
 lose by losing it4 ,worldly men1 in    
their railroad and steam-packet spirit  
of the present day1 seem to have caught 
some just sense of the importance of    
time1 and we1 in our enterprises to do  
good1 must not be unmindful of it4      
,again1 is not the expenditure of       
property in the work of doing good1 not 
only the most advantageous1 but also the
 safest possible investment of ,god's   
funds8 ,whilst kept in capital1 it is   
always exposed to greater or less risk4 
,fire may consume it4 ,floods may sweep 
it away4 ,dishonest men may purloin it4 
,a gale at sea may bury it4 ,a reverse  
of times may ingulf it4 ,but when used  
in doing good1 it is sent up to the     
safe-keeping of the bank of ,god2 it is 
commuted into the precious currency of  

heaven2 it is exchanged for souls made  
happy1 and harps and crowns of gold4    
,again1 ,a4 keeps a large property in   
capital1 and therefore ,b4 resolves to  
accumulate a large property1 and then   
give the income4 ,but whilst            
accumulating it1 he not only leaves the 
world to perish1 but also runs the risk 
of ruining his own soul--the awful      
hazard which always attends the project 
of becoming rich4 ,and the result is1 in
 ninety-nine cases out of a hundred1    
that the summons of death arrives before
 the promised beneficence is paid in4   
,in view of such considerations1 would  
it not be wiser1 safer1 and very much   
better1 in most instances at least1 that
 the greater part of large capitals     
should be made use of at once in the    
service of the ,redeemer8  ,it is said  
of ,normand ,smith1 that he dared not be
 rich2 and that it became an established
 rule with him1 to use for benevolent   
distribution all the means which he     
could take from his business1 and still 

prosecute it successfully2 and that he  
charged a brother on his dying bed1 to  
do good with his substance while living1
 and not suffer it to accumulate to be  
disposed of1 at the last extremity1 by  
will4 ,sound advice4 ,a few other such  
men there have been in the world1 and   
they are the ,,shining ,,lights4 ,their 
example is brilliant all over with true 
wisdom4  ,it is not acting always as    
faithful stewards1 merely to accumulate 
wealth to promote the cause of ,christ2 
for there may be more need of our       
personal service in disseminating the   
,gospel1 than of any pecuniary means we 
can contribute4 ,christians are not     
faithful stewards1 merely when they     
labor for ,christ1 but when they do that
 by which they may most promote the     
cause of ,christ4 ,the dissemination of 
,gospel truth is the great end to be    
aimed at1 either directly or indirectly4
 ,now1 it is evident that many must     
further this object by accumulating the 
pecuniary means2 but the danger is1 that

 too many1 far too many prefer this     
course4 ,many conclude1 with perfect    
safety and justness1 that in practising 
law or medicine1 or in selling goods1 in
 tilling a farm1 or in laboring in a    
shop1 they are doing as much to further 
the object as in any other way2 but     
some1 it is believed1 come to such a    
conclusion either from mistaken views or
 mistaken motives4 ,the fact that so    
large a proportion of ,god's stewards   
resort to the notion of operating by    
proxy1 and that so few choose to engage 
in the direct work1 shows that there is 
danger existing4 ,not only the fathers1 
but a vast majority of the middle aged  
and the young1 prefer to advance the    
cause of ,christ by accumulating the    
pecuniary means4 ,now1 why is there such
 a rushing after this department of the 
great work8  ,the ,saviour calls for a  
great army of preachers1 to carry his   
,gospel everywhere1 and to proclaim it  
to all nations1 kindreds and people4 ,in
 truth1 you need not go beyond the      

limits of the ,united ,states to feel   
the force of this remark4 ,look at the  
destitutions in the more newly settled  
states and territories1 and see if there
 is not need of men to preach the       
,gospel4 ,but notwithstanding this need1
 only a small number1 comparatively1    
offer themselves to the work4 ,almost   
all young men1 even the professedly     
pious1 slide easily into lucrative      
occupations2 but to bring them into the 
direct work of making known ,christ1    
they must be urged and persuaded by a   
score of arguments4  ,it is needed1 too1
 of lay members of the church1 to do    
much in searching out the destitute and 
the dying1 who exist in multitudes1 even
 about their own dwellings2 to give here
 a word of warning1 and there a word of 
consolation2 to add here a helping hand1
 and impart there the restoring effect  
of sympathy and kindness2 in short1 to  
employ some hours in the day in going   
everywhere1 as the early disciples did1 
from house to house and street to       

street1 and in communicating1 in an     
appropriate way1 the simple truths of   
,jesus4 ,laymen1 too1 are needed in     
great numbers in the foreign service4   
,there are reasons numerous and urgent1 
which ,i cannot here name1 why lay      
members in the church should go abroad4 
,but notwithstanding this call for      
personal effort1 it is too often that we
 meet with church members who are       
completely engrossed1 from early dawn to
 the close of day1 in accumulating      
wealth2 and who deny themselves the     
luxury of spending either hour of the   
twenty-four1 in conversing with souls1  
and leading them to ,jesus4 ,such       
persons will give somewhat of their     
substance1 when called upon2 and press  
on1 almost out of breath apparently1 in 
the cares of the world1 not thinking to 
say to this man or that1 on the right   
hand and the left1 that there is a      
heaven above and a hell beneath1 and    
death is at the door4 ,you would almost 
imagine1 from the conduct of some1 that 

they would like to commit to proxy even 
their own faith and repentance4 ,now    
this entire engrossment in worldly      
cares1 even though professedly for      
,christ's sake1 will never illumine the 
dark recesses of the earth--will never  
usher in the millenial day4  ,it is not 
so much1 after all1 an accumulation of  
wealth that is needed1 as the personal  
engagement of ,christians in making     
known everywhere1 at home and abroad1   
the precious news of ,jesus4 ,the       
disposition to go everywhere1 regardless
 of wealth1 and with ,jesus on our lips1
 must be the spirit of the church1      
before we can expect much good either at
 home or abroad4 ,the world will not be 
covered with the knowledge of the ,lord 
as the waters cover the sea1 till men to
 make known that word are scattered like
 rain on all the earth--not only in     
heathen lands1 but in the streets and   
lanes of large cities1 and throughout   
the ,western desolations4 ,so long as we
 remain together1 like water in a lake1 

so long the moral world will be         
desolate4 ,we must go everywhere1 and if
 the expansive warmth of benevolence    
will not separate us1 so that we arise  
and go on the wings of the wind1 ,god1  
be assured1 will break up the fountains 
of the great deep of society1 and       
dashing the parts together1 like ocean  
in his turmoil or ,niagara in its fall1 
cover the heavens with showers1 and set 
the bow of hope for the nations1 and the
 desert shall rejoice and blossom as the
 rose4 ,god is too good to suffer either
 ,amazon or ,superior to lie still1 and 
become corrupt1 and the heavens in      
consequence to be brass and the earth   
iron4 ,god is too benevolent also1 in   
the arrangements of the moral world1 to 
allow his people to be inactive--to have
 here a continuing city1 and be immersed
 in the cares of the world as though    
here were their treasure1 while         
thousands about them are dying for lack 
of instruction1 and the heathen abroad  
are going down to death in one unbroken 

phalanx4 ,the church must take more     
exercise1 and the proper kind1 too1 or  
she will become frail and sickly1 too   
weak in prayer1 and too ignorant in     
effort to usher in the millenial day4   
,it is a possible thing to seek wealth  
honestly for ,god2 but he that is called
 to such a work1 has more occasion to   
mourn than to rejoice3 he has occasion  
to tremble1 watch1 and pray2 for to be a
 faithful steward of ,god's property1   
requires perhaps more grace than to be a
 faithful steward of ,god's truth4 ,we  
find many a faithful preacher of the    
,gospel where we find one ,normand      
,smith1 or ,nathaniel ,r4 ,cobb1 or one 
firm of ,homes  ,homer4 ,the grace      
needed is so great1 and the temptations 
to err so many1 that almost all prove   
defaulters1 and therefore it is that the
 world lies in ruins3 not because the   
church has not wealth enough1 but       
because ,god's stewards claim to be     
owners4  ,how small the sum appropriated
 by a million and a half of ,god's      

stewards to save a sinking world6 ,the  
price of earthly ambition1 convenience  
and pleasure1 is counted by millions4   
,navies and armies have their millions2 
railroads and canals have their         
millions2 colleges and schools have     
their millions2 silks1 carpets and      
mirrors1 have their millions2 parties of
 pleasure and licentiousness in high    
life and in low life have their         
millions2 and what has the treasury of  
,god and the ,lamb1 to redeem a world of
 souls from the pains of eternal        
damnation1 and to fill them with joys   
unspeakable8 ,the sum is so small in    
comparison that one's tongue refuses to 
utter it4  ,there must be a different   
scale of giving2 and the only way to    
effect it is1 to induce a different     
style of personal consecration4 ,let a  
man give himself1 or rather let him have
 a heart that cannot refrain from       
telling of ,jesus to those who are near1
 or from going to those who are more    
remote1 and the mere item of property   

you will find appended1 as a matter of  
course1 and on the plain principle that 
the greater always includes the less4   
,we must learn to devote1 according to  
our vows1 time1 talents1 body1 soul and 
spirit4 ,bodies and minds are wanted2   
the bones and sinews of men are         
required3 these more substantial things 
are needed1 as well as property1 in     
arduous services at home and still more 
self-denying labor abroad2 and no       
redeemed sinner can refuse either the   
one or the other1 and continue to be    
regarded as a faithful steward of       
,jesus4 ,money1 though needed1 is by no 
means all that is required of us4       
,though ,god has devolved upon us1 as   
stewards1 a responsible work1 the weight
 of which is fearful1 and sufficient to 
crush us unless aided from on high1 yet 
the employment is one of indescribable  
delight4 ,it is a pleasant work4 ,angels
 would rejoice to be so employed4  ,is  
there any professed ,christian who does 
not relish the idea8 ,to such an one ,i 

would say1 ,your condition is by no     
means enviable4 ,you deny yourself all  
true happiness4 ,if you do not delight  
in the thought of being ,god's steward2 
of holding not only property1 but body1 
soul and spirit at ,god's control1 then 
you know not what true luxury is4 ,there
 is pleasure in doing good2 there is a  
luxury in entire consecration to ,god4  
,the pleasures of this earth are empty1 
vain and fleeting2 but the pleasure of  
doing good is real1 substantial and     
enduring4 ,the pleasure of doing good is
 the joy of angels2 it is the thrill of 
delight which pervades the soul of      
,jesus2 it is the happiness of the      
eternal ,god4 ,in not wishing to be     
,god's steward1 you deny yourself this  
luxury2 you refuse angels' food and feed
 on husks4 ,o1 there is a richness of   
holy joy in yielding up all to ,god1 and
 holding ourselves as waiting servants  
to do his will4 ,this fullness of bliss 
you foolishly spurn from you1 and turn  
away to the beggarly elements of the    

world4 ,do you feel that the principles 
of stewardship contained in the ,bible  
are too strict--that too entire a       
devotement is required of you8 ,angels  
do not think so4 ,redeemed saints do not
 think so4 ,the more entire the         
consecration1 the more perfect the      
bliss4 ,in heaven devotement is perfect1
 and joy of course unalloyed4 ,blot out 
this spirit of consecration1 you blot   
out all true happiness on earth2 you    
annihilate heaven4  ,but it is not only 
a luxury1 but an honor to be the        
stewards of ,god4 ,what honor greater   
than that of continuing the work which  
,jesus commenced2 of being employed in  
the immense business of saving a ruined 
race8 ,what work more glorious than that
 of being the instruments of peopling   
heaven8 ,what employment more noble than
 to rescue immortal souls from endless  
agonies1 and to raise them to eternal   
joys2 to take their feet from the sides 
of the burning lake1 and to plant them  
on the firm pavement of heaven2 to      

rescue victims from eternal burnings1   
and to place them as gems in the diadem 
of ,god8 ,would not ,gabriel feel       
himself honored with a work so noble and
 glorious8 ,were a presidency or a      
kingdom offered you1 spurn it and be    
wise2 but contemn not the glory of being
 ,god's stewards4  ,remember1 too1      
whether these are your views or not1 the
 work of ,god will go on4 ,the world    
will be converted4 ,the glorious event  
is promised4 ,almighty power and        
infinite wisdom are engaged to          
accomplish it3 all the resources of     
heaven are pledged4 ,the ,god of heaven1
 he will prosper his true servants1 and 
they shall arise and build2 but those   
who do not relish the idea of being     
,god's stewards1 can have no portion1   
nor right1 nor memorial in ,jerusalem4  
,the wheels of ,god's providence are    
rolling onward3 those wheels are high   
and dreadful4 ,will you1 being a        
professed ,christian1 dare to oppose the
 march of ,god8 ,ah6 we do not oppose1  

say you4 ,but ,i reply1 ,there can be no
 neutrality2 you must either help onward
 his car of victory1 or you do really   
stand in the way--will be crushed by his
 power1 and ground into the earth by the
 weight of his chariot4 ,take then1 ,i  
entreat you1 this warning1 which is     
given you in earnestness1 but in the    
spirit of love4  ,joy1 glory and        
immortality1 to all who will cordially  
assent to be co-workers with ,jesus4    
,they shall ride with him in his chariot
 from conquering to conquer1 and shall  
sit with him on his throne in the day of
 triumph4  ,be entreated1 then1         
professed ,christian1 first to give your
 own soul to the ,lord1 and with your   
soul all you have1 all you are1 and all 
you hope to be4 ,make an entire         
consecration4 ,you will never regret    
having done so1 in time or in eternity4 
,may ,god give us all grace to imbibe   
wholly the true principles of           
stewardship4 ,not the principles popular
 in the world1 but the principles of the

 ,bible2 those principles which hold out
 the only hope of the latter day        
glory--of means commensurate with so    
great an end4     ,,chapter ,,iii4      
,,guilt ,,of ,,neglecting ,,the         
,,heathen4   ,during all the years that 
,i have been allowed to labor for the   
heathen1 my mind has been led to        
contemplate1 constantly and intensely1  
the obligations of ,christian nations   
towards those who sit in darkness2      
obligations arising from the command of 
,christ1 and the principles of the      
,gospel4 ,and ,i shall1 therefore1 in   
this chapter1 freely1 fully1 and        
solemnly express the sentiments which   
have been maturing in my mind1 on the   
great guilt which ,christians incur in  
neglecting the heathen4  ,the heathen   
world1 as a mass1 has been left to      
perish4 ,and by whom8 ,not by the       
,father of mercies2 he gave his ,son to 
redeem it3 not by the ,saviour of       
sinners2 look at ,calvary3 not by the   
,holy ,spirit2 his influences have been 

ever ready3 not by angels2 their wings  
have never tired when sent on errands of
 mercy4 ,all that ,heaven could do has  
been done1 consistently with the        
all-wise arrangement of committing an   
important agency to the church4 ,the    
church has been slothful and negligent4 
,each generation of ,christians has in  
turn received the vast responsibility1  
neglected it in a great measure1 and    
transmitted it to the next4 ,the guilt  
of this neglect who can estimate8  ,that
 such neglect is highly criminal1 the   
,bible everywhere testifies4 ,it says1  
,if thou forbear to deliver them that   
are drawn unto death1 and those that are
 ready to be slain2 if thou sayest1     
,behold1 we knew it not2 doth not he    
that pondereth the heart consider it8   
and he that keepeth thy soul1 doth not  
he know it8 ,and shall not he render to 
every man according to his works8 ,this 
solemn interrogation needs no comment4  
,the obvious import is1 ,if our fellow  
men are perishing1 and we neglect to do 

what we can to save them1 we are guilty 
of their blood4 ,but this testimony does
 not stand alone4 ,what does ,god say to
 the prophet1 who should see the peril  
of the wicked1 and neglect to save him  
by giving him warning8 ,his blood will  
,i require at thy hand4 ,what does ,god 
say of the watchman of a city who should
 see the sword come1 and blow not the   
trumpet8 ,if the sword come and take any
 person from among them1 his blood will 
,i require at the watchman's hand4  ,but
 this is not only the sentiment of the  
,bible1 but the voice of common sense4  
,a neighbor of mine is drowning in the  
river4 ,with a little exertion ,i can   
save his life1 but neglect to do it4    
,shall ,i escape the goadings of        
conscience and the charge of            
blood-guiltiness8  ,a house is in       
flames4 ,the perishing occupants1       
looking from a window1 implore of me to 
reach them a ladder4 ,i have some little
 affairs of my own to attend to1 and    
turn a deaf ear to their cry4 ,the      

flames gather around them3 they throw   
themselves from the window1 and are     
dashed in pieces on the pavement4 ,who  
will not charge me with the loss of     
those lives8  ,to-day1 a raging malady  
is spreading through the streets of a   
large city4 ,the people are dying by    
hundreds4 ,i know the cause2 the        
fountains of the city are poisoned4     
,from indolence1 or some other cause1 ,i
 neglect to give the information1 and   
merely attend to my own safety4 ,who    
would not load me with the deepest      
guilt1 and stamp me as the basest of    
murderers8  ,both ,scripture and common 
sense1 then1 concur in establishing the 
sentiment1 that if our fellow men are   
perishing1 and we neglect to do what we 
can to save them1 we are guilty of their
 blood4 ,but if this doctrine be true1  
its application to ,christians1 in the  
relation which they sustain to the      
heathen world1 is irresistibly          
conclusive and awfully momentous4 ,the  
soul shudders1 and shrinks back from the

 fearful thought3 ,if six hundred       
millions of our race are sinking to     
perdition1 and we neglect to do what we 
can to save them1 we shall be found     
accountable for their eternal agonies4  
,if such a charge is standing against   
us1 we shall soon meet it4 ,the day of  
judgment will soon burst upon us4 ,let  
us look1 then1 at the subject candidly1 
prayerfully1 and with a desire to do our
 duty4  ,the conditions on which the    
charge impends are simply two3 that the 
heathen world are sinking to perdition1 
and that we are neglecting to do what we
 can to save them4 ,if these two points 
are substantiated1 the overwhelming     
conclusion is inevitable4 ,it becomes   
us1 then1 to look well at these         
points--to examine them with            
faithfulness and with honesty4          
99       99       99       99       99  
,is it true1 that the heathen world are 
sinking to perdition8 ,as fast as the   
beating of my pulse1 they are passing   
into the world of retribution1 and the  

inquiry is1 ,what is the doom they meet8
 ,do they rise to unite with angels in  
the songs of heaven8 or sink in         
ceaseless and untold misery8  ,certain  
it is1 that they are not saved through  
faith in ,christ2 for how shall they    
believe in him of whom they have not    
heard8 ,it is also clear that ,god1 in  
his usual method1 does not bestow the   
gift of repentance and eternal life     
where a ,saviour is not known4 ,it      
pleases ,god by the foolishness of      
preaching to save them that believe4    
,those who are saved1 are said to be    
begotten by the word of truth--born of  
the word of ,god4 ,as the heathen       
nations1 therefore1 are not furnished   
with the appointed means of salvation1  
it follows inevitably that1 as a mass at
 least1 they are sinking to perdition4  
,they are the nations which have        
forgotten ,god1 and shall be turned into
 hell4  ,it is unnecessary to enter into
 the inquiry1 whether it is possible1 in
 the nature of the case1 for a heathen  

unacquainted with the ,gospel to be     
saved4 ,it is sufficient to know the    
,,fact1 that ,god has ordained the      
preaching of the ,gospel as the means of
 saving the nations2 and that there is  
probably no instance on record1 which   
may not be called in question1 of a     
heathen being converted without a       
knowledge of the true ,god and of his   
,son ,jesus ,christ4  ,but the          
consideration1 solemn and conclusive1   
which needs no other to corroborate it  
or render it overwhelming1 is the       
character of the heathen4 ,look at their
 character1 as portrayed by the ,apostle
 ,paul in the first chapter to the      
,romans4 ,read the whole chapter1 but   
especially the conclusion1 where he     
describes the heathen as being filled   
with all unrighteousness1 fornication1  
wickedness1 covetousness1 maliciousness2
 full of envy1 murder1 debate1 deceit1  
malignity2 whisperers1 back-biters1     
haters of ,god1 despiteful1 proud1      
boasters1 inventors of evil things1     

disobedient to parents1 without         
understanding1 covenant breakers1       
without natural affection1 implacable1  
unmerciful4 ,this description is not    
understood in ,christian lands1 neither 
can it be2 but missionaries to the      
heathen1 who are eye-witnesses of what  
is here described1 place an emphasis on 
every epithet1 and would clothe every   
word in capitals4  ,the character of the
 heathen is no better now than in the   
days of ,paul4 ,it is worse4 ,it is     
impossible that such a state of society 
should remain stationary4 ,a mortal     
disease becomes more and more malignant1
 till a remedy is applied2 a sinking    
weight hastens downwards with           
continually accumulating force2 and     
mind1 thrown from its balance1 wanders  
farther and farther from reason4 ,it is 
thus with the disease of sin1 the       
downward propensities of a depraved     
nature1 and a soul revolted from ,god4  
,besides1 ,satan has not been inactive  
in heathen lands4 ,he has been aware    

that efforts would be made to save them4
 ,and night and day1 year after year1   
and age after age1 he has sought1 with  
ceaseless toil and consummate skill1 to 
perfect the heathen in every species of 
iniquity1 harden their hearts to every  
deed of cruelty1 sink them to the lowest
 depths of pollution and degradation1   
and place them at the farthest remove   
from the possibility of salvation4 ,it  
is impossible to describe the state of  
degradation and unblushing sin to which 
the nations1 for ages sinking1 have     
sunk1 and to which ,satan in his        
undisturbed exertions for centuries has 
succeeded in reducing them4 ,it is      
impossible to give a representation of  
their unrestrained passions1 the        
abominations connected with their idol  
worship1 or the scenes of discord1      
cruelty and blood1 which everywhere     
abound4 ,i speak of those lands where   
the ,gospel has not been extended4      
,truly darkness covers such lands1 and  
gross darkness the people4 ,deceit1     

oppression and cruelty fill every hut   
with woe2 and impurity deluges the land 
like an overflowing stream4 ,neither can
 it be said1 that the conduct of the    
heathen becomes sinless through         
ignorance4 ,from observation for many   
years1 ,i can assert that they have     
consciences--that they feel accountable 
for what they do4  ,will1 then1 ,god    
transplant the vine of ,sodom1 unchanged
 in its nature1 to overrun his paradise 
above8 ,will he open the gates of his   
holy city1 and expose the streets of its
 peaceful inhabitants to those whose    
heart is cruelty1 whose visage is       
scarred with fightings1 and whose hands 
are red with blood8 ,,know ,,ye ,,not1  
,,that ,,the ,,unrighteous ,,shall ,,not
 ,,enter ,,into ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of    
,,heaven8 ,where1 then1 is the hope of  
the unconverted heathen8 ,if there were 
innocent heathen1 as some men are ready 
to imagine in the face of ,god's word1  
and in the face of a flood of facts1    
then indeed they might be saved without 

the ,gospel4 ,but this mass of          
pollution1 under which the earth groans1
 must disgorge itself into the pit of   
woe4 ,we cannot evade the conclusion1   
painful as it is1 that the millions of  
this world of sin are sinking to        
perdition4  ,the ,american churches have
 peculiar advantages to carry abroad the
 ,gospel of ,christ2 and ability in such
 an enterprise is the measure of our    
duty4 ,if there be first a willing mind1
 it is accepted according to that a man 
hath1 and not according to that he hath 
not4 ,to whom much is given of him will 
much be required4 ,and to determine     
whether ,christians in the ,united      
,states are doing what they can to save 
the heathen from their awful doom1 the  
second point of inquiry proposed1 it is 
necessary to look at their unparalleled 
advantages4  ,it may be said then1 that 
,christians in ,america are not         
trammeled in their efforts to do good by
 any governmental restrictions1 or      
ecclesiastical establishment4 ,the      

remark is trite1 but no less true1 that 
the genius of our free constitution is  
eminently propitious to call forth      
energy and enterprise4 ,and the remark  
applies with no more force to worldly   
matters1 than to the business of doing  
good4 ,the religion of ,christ courts no
 extraneous influence1 and is dependent 
for its power on no earthly aid4 ,under 
our free government1 uncontrolled1      
unrestrained and unsupported1 it is left
 to exert its own free and native       
energy4 ,we can plead1 therefore1 no    
arbitrary hindrance of any kind in the  
work of propagating the ,gospel4 ,and we
 can carry the ,gospel1 too1            
disconnected from any prejudicial       
alliance with political interests4 ,this
 is the free1 disencumbered1 and        
unshackled condition in which the       
,gospel is permitted to have free course
 in our beloved land2 and it is a talent
 put into our hands to be improved4     
,again1 no country possesses such       
advantages of education as the ,united  

,states4 ,in no land is knowledge so    
generally diffused throughout the       
different grades of society1 and in no  
land do such facilities exist for       
acquiring a thorough education4         
,schools1 colleges and seminaries1 are  
open equally to the high and to the low1
 to the rich and to the poor2 and only a
 good share of energy is required1 to   
rise from any grade or condition of     
society1 to eminence in general learning
 or professional study4 ,the general    
intelligence of the community is such1  
that nothing but disinclination can     
prevent men from being acquainted with  
the wants of the world1 and their duty  
to evangelize it2 and the facilities for
 fitting themselves for the work are    
such1 that nothing but criminal         
delinquency can hold back a very large  
army from entering the field4 ,this is  
an immense advantage committed to the   
,american churches1 for propagating the 
religion of ,christ4 ,it is another very
 precious talent committed to their     

trust1 which if they fail to improve1   
they treasure up guilt4  ,again1 the    
,american churches possess a great      
advantage in the facilities so generally
 enjoyed for accumulating wealth4 ,the  
road to comfort and to affluence is open
 to all2 and notwithstanding all        
reverses1 the remark1 as a general one1 
is still true1 that the prosperity of   
the ,united ,states--of the whole mass  
of the people--is altogether unexampled1
 and that enterprise is vigorous and    
successful4 ,in the greatest strait1 how
 much retrenchment has there been in the
 style of living8 ,and as we look into  
the future we see1 7,god's providence   
favoring17 that wealth is destined to   
flow in upon the land like a broad and  
deep river4 ,look at the extent of      
territory1 bounded only by two rolling  
oceans2 and at the resources which from 
year to year are developed--varied1     
unnumbered1 and inexhaustible4 ,if then 
unto whom much is given1 of them will   
much be required1 what may not ,god     

justly demand of ,american ,christians8 
,another advantage which the ,american  
church possesses1 is the ,spirit which  
has been poured out upon her from on    
high4 ,god has been pleased to bless her
 with precious revivals4 ,the ,holy     
,ghost has come down frequently and with
 power1 and gathered in multitudes of   
souls4 ,what ,god has wrought for the   
,american ,zion has been told in all    
lands1 and every one applies the        
,saviour's injunction1 ,freely ye have  
received--freely give4 ,one great       
reason1 perhaps1 why the blessings of   
the ,spirit are not now more richly     
enjoyed1 is the neglect of ,christians  
to make this return1 and to labor       
gratefully for the destitute and the    
dying4 ,it was expected1 and justly too1
 that the land of apostolic revivals    
would be the first to imitate the       
apostles in the work of saving the      
heathen4 ,a failure to do this may bring
 a blight upon the churches1 if it has  
not brought it upon them already4       

,surely1 if there is a nation on earth  
to whom are intrusted many talents1 ours
 is that nation4 ,our ability is not    
small4 ,we must come up to a high       
measure of ,christian action1 before it 
can be said with truth1 that we are     
doing what we can to save our ruined    
race4 ,the ,united ,states1 a nation    
planted by ,god1 enriched by his        
providence1 nourished by his ,holy      
,spirit1 and brought to the strength of 
manhood in this solemnly momentous time 
of the nineteenth century1 seems to have
 committed to her in a special manner   
the work of the world's conversion4 ,who
 knoweth but that she is brought to her 
preminent advantages for such a time as 
this--for the interesting period        
preceding the latter day glory2 and now 
if she prove herself unworthy of so     
lofty and responsible a trust1 and      
neglect to put forth her strength to    
usher in the glorious day1 deliverance  
will break out from some other quarter1 
but she1 like a third ,babylon1 may sink

 in the bottomless abyss4 ,an immense   
responsibility rests upon us4 ,o that   
,god would give us grace to act worthy  
of our trust--to do what we can for a   
dying world6  ,let us inquire1 then1 ,do
 we pray for the heathen as much as we  
ought8 ,were one duly impressed with the
 condition of perishing millions1       
certainly no less could be expected of  
him1 than to fall on his knees many     
times a day1 and to lift up his cry of  
earnest entreaty on their behalf4       
,filled with the love of ,christ1 and   
having distinctly and constantly before 
his mind the image of millions of       
immortal souls dropping into perdition1 
surely he could not refrain from an     
agony of prayer4 ,under such a sense of 
the wants and woes of our perishing     
race1 a sense true to facts1 he would   
have no rest4  ,but what prayer has     
actually been offered to the ,lord for  
benighted nations8 ,is it not a fact1   
that many professed ,christians do not  
remember the heathen once a day1 and    

some not even once a month8 ,let the    
closet1 the family altar1 and the       
monthly concert testify4                
,prayer-meetings for the heathen--how   
thinly attended6 what spectacles of     
grief to ,jesus1 and to angels6 ,and if 
that prayer only is honest which is     
proved to be so by a readiness to labor1
 give1 and go1 there is reason to fear  
that few prayers for the heathen have   
been such that ,christ could accept     
them1 place them in his golden censer1  
and present them before the throne4     
,since such is the case1 what wonder is 
it that a million and a half of         
,christians in the ,united ,states      
should be so inefficient8 ,inefficient1 
,i say1 for what do this million and a  
half of professed ,christians           
accomplish8 ,by their vows they are     
bound to be as self-denying1 as         
spiritual and devoted1 as though they   
were missionaries to foreign lands4 ,if 
we should send abroad a million and a   
half of missionaries1 we should expect  

that1 under ,god1 they would soon be the
 instruments of converting all nations4 
,but what1 in fact1 does this vast      
number of professed ,christians--or in  
other words1 of the professedly         
missionary band of ,jesus ,christ1      
accomplish in the narrow limits of the  
,united ,states8 ,o1 there is a         
deplorable lack in the churches1 of the 
deep devotion and missionary character  
of our ascended ,saviour4  ,again1 ,do  
we give as much as we ought to          
evangelize the heathen8 ,it would       
perhaps be a liberal estimate to say1   
that a million and a half of professed  
,christians in the ,united ,states give1
 on an average1 year by year1 to save   
the heathen1 about twenty-four cents    
each1 or two cents a month4 ,there are  
other objects1 it is true1 that call for
 contributions2 but put all             
contributions together1 and how small   
the amount8  ,the ,jews were required to
 give to religious objects at least     
one-fifth of their income4 ,one-fifth of

 the income of a million and a half of  
,christians at seven per cent41         
supposing them to be worth on an average
 five hundred dollars each1 would be ten
 and a half millions of dollars4 ,this  
is merely the income of capital of which
 we now speak4 ,a fifth of the income   
from trade and industry would probably  
double the amount1 and make it          
twenty-one millions4 ,is anything like  
this sum given by ,american ,christians 
to support and propagate the religion of
 ,jesus8 ,what ,christians have done1   
therefore1 is by no means a measure of  
their ability4  ,to see what men can do1
 it is necessary to look away from      
,christians1 to those whose ruling      
principle is a thirst for pleasure1 for 
honor1 and for gain4 ,how vast a sum is 
expended at theatres--on fashionable    
amusements and splendid decorations--not
 to mention the hundreds of millions    
sunk by intemperance1 and swallowed up  
in the deep dark vortex of infamous     
dissipation6 ,men are lavish of money on

 objects on which their hearts are set4 
,and if the hearts of ,christians were  
set on saving the heathen1 as much as   
wicked men are set on their pleasures1  
would they1 think you1 be content with  
the present measure of their            
contributions8  ,look1 too1 at what men 
can do who are eager in the pursuit of  
wealth4 ,under the influence of such an 
incentive1 railroads1 canals1 and       
fortresses spring into being1 and fleets
 bedeck the seas like the stars of the  
firmament4 ,money is not wanting when   
lucrative investment is the end in view4
 ,even professed ,christians can collect
 together heavy sums1 when some great   
enterprise promises a profitable income4
 ,they profess1 perhaps1 to be          
accumulating money for ,christ2 but1    
alas1 to what a painful extent does it  
fail of reaching the benevolent end     
proposed6 ,worldly men accomplish much1 
for their hearts are enlisted4          
,professed ,christians1 too1 accomplish 
much in worldly projects1 for their     

minds become engrossed4 ,what then could
 they not accomplish for ,christ1 if    
their feelings were equally enlisted in 
his cause8 ,they might have1 in serving 
,christ1 intellects as vigorous1 muscles
 as strong1 and this advantage in       
addition1 a ,god on high who has        
vouchsafed to help them4  ,take another 
view of the case4 ,the child that is now
 sitting by your side in perfect health1
 is suddenly taken sick4 ,its blooming  
cheeks turn pale1 and it lifts its      
languid and imploring eyes for help4    
,you call a physician1 the most skillful
 one you can obtain4 ,do you think of   
expense8 ,a protracted illness swells   
the bill of the physician and apothecary
 to a heavy amount4 ,do you dismiss the 
physician1 or withhold any comfort for  
fear of expense8  ,your child recovers1 
and becomes a promising youth4 ,he takes
 a voyage to a foreign country4 ,the    
ship is driven from her course1 and     
wrecked on some barbarous coast4 ,your  
son becomes a captive1 and after long   

anxiety you hear that he is alive1 and  
learn his suffering condition2 and you  
are told that fifty dollars will procure
 his ransom4 ,i will suppose you are    
poor1 have not a dollar at command1 and 
that the sum can be raised in no other  
way than by your own industry and toil4 
,now1 ,i ask1 how many months would     
expire before you would save the sum    
from your hard earnings1 and liberate   
your son8 ,but what is an ,algerine     
dungeon8 ,it is a heaven1 compared with 
the condition of the heathen4 ,in the   
one case1 there are bodily sufferings2  
in the other1 present wretchedness and  
eternal agonies4  ,i once fell in       
company with a man of moderate          
circumstances1 with whom ,i used the    
above argument4 ,he promptly replied1   
,it is true4 ,three years ago ,i thought
 ,i could barely support my family by my
 utmost exertions4 ,two years since1 my 
darling son became deranged1 and the    
support of him at the asylum costs me   
four hundred dollars a year4 ,i find    

that with strict economy and vigorous   
exertion ,i can meet the expense4 ,but  
if any one had said to me three years   
ago1 that ,i could raise four hundred   
dollars a year to save a lost world1 ,i 
should have regarded the remark as the  
height of extravagance4  ,now1 ,i ask1  
ought not men to feel as much in view of
 the eternal and unspeakable agony of a 
world of souls1 as a parent feels for a 
suffering child8 ,god felt ,,more4 ,he  
loved his only ,son with a most tender  
affection--inconceivably more tender    
than any earthly parent can exercise    
towards a beloved child4 ,and yet1 when 
the ,father placed before him1 on the   
one hand the eternal ruin of men1 and on
 the other the sufferings and death of  
his beloved ,son1 which did he choose8  
,let ,gethsemane and ,calvary answer4   
,can ,christians then have much of the  
spirit of ,god1 and not feel for the    
eternal agonies of untold millions1 more
 than for the temporal sufferings of a  
beloved child8 ,but if ,christians felt 

thus1 what exertion would they make--how
 immense the sum they would cheerfully  
raise1 this present year1 to evangelize 
the heathen6 ,feeling thus1 a few of the
 wealthy churches might sustain the     
present expenditures of all foreign     
operations4 ,yet all the ,american      
churches combined1 feeling as they do   
now1 fail to send forth a few waiting   
missionaries1 and suffer the schools    
abroad to be disbanded4 ,the truth is1  
in the scale of giving1 the church as a 
body 7,i say nothing of individuals or  
of particular churches7 has scarcely    
risen in its feeling above the freezing 
point4 ,what they now contribute is a   
mere fraction compared with their       
ability4  ,millions are squandered by   
professed ,christians on a pampered     
appetite1 in obedience to fashion1 a    
taste for expensive building1 a love of 
parade1 and on newly-invented comforts  
and conveniences1 of which the hardy    
soldiers of ,jesus ,christ ought ever to
 be ignorant4  ,then1 again1 some who   

are economical in their expenditures1   
have little conception of what is meant 
by total consecration to ,god4 ,there   
must be an entire reform in this matter4
 ,every ,christian must feel that his   
employment1 whether it be agriculture1  
merchandise1 medicine1 law1 or anything 
else1 is of no value any farther than it
 is connected with the ,redeemer's      
kingdom2 that wealth is trash1 and life 
a trifle1 except as they may be used to 
advance the cause of ,christ2 and that  
so far as they may be used for this     
purpose1 they are of immense value4 ,let
 every ,christian feel this             
sentiment--let it be deeply engraven on 
his heart1 and how long1 think you1     
would pecuniary means be wanting in the 
work of the world's salvation8  ,and do 
we go and instruct the heathen as we    
ought8 ,this is indeed the main point4  
,to pray1 formally at least1 is quite   
easy2 to give1 is a little more         
difficult2 but to go1 in the minds of   
most persons1 is entirely out of the    

question4 ,satan understood human nature
 when he said1 ,all that a man hath will
 he give for his life4 ,speak of going1 
and you touch the man1 his skin and his 
bones4 ,to go1 requires that a man have 
such feelings as to begin to act in     
earnest1 as men do in other matters4    
,men act in person1 when they are deeply
 in earnest4 ,in the case supposed of a 
sick child1 does the mother simply      
express a desire that the child may     
recover8 does she merely give money1 and
 hire a nurse to take little or no care 
of it8 ,no3 in her own person she       
anticipates its every want1 with the    
utmost attention and watchfulness4 ,when
 a son is in bondage on a barbarous     
coast1 does the father merely pray that 
his son may be redeemed8 does he merely 
send money for his ransom8 ,no3 he      
chooses1 if possible1 to go in person   
and carry the sum1 that no means may be 
left untried to accomplish the object he
 has so much at heart4 ,men who are     
deeply interested in an important       

matter1 where there is much at stake1   
cannot be satisfied with sending2 they  
choose to go themselves4 ,this remark is
 true in all the enterprises and        
transactions of life the world over4    
,if then1 after all1 the measure of     
going is the true measure of interest1  
to what extent1 ,i inquire1 have        
,christians of ,america gone to the     
heathen8 ,alas6 the number is few1 very 
few4  ,look at the proportion of        
ministers who go abroad4 ,in the ,united
 ,states the number of preachers1 of all
 denominations1 is perhaps not far from 
one to a thousand souls4 ,this is in a  
land already intelligent and ,christian2
 in a land of universities1 colleges1   
and schools2 in a land of enterprise1 of
 industry1 and of free institutions1    
where the arts flourish1 and where      
improvements are various and unnumbered2
 and more than all1 in a land where more
 than a million and a half of the people
 are professed ,christians1 and ready to
 aid the ministers of ,christ in various

 ways4 ,on the other hand1 even if      
missionaries from all ,christendom be   
taken into the account1 there is not    
more than one minister to a million of  
pagan souls1 with almost no intelligent 
,christians to assist as teachers1      
elders1 catechists1 and tract           
distributers2 no physicians1 artists1   
and judicious legislators1 to improve   
society and afford the means of         
civilized habits2 no literature worthy  
of the name2 no colleges1 or even common
 schools of any value2 no industry and  
enterprise1 and every motive for it     
crushed by arbitrary and tyrannical     
institutions3 the mind degraded and     
besotted1 inconceivably so1 and         
preoccupied also with the vilest        
superstition1 the most inveterate       
prejudices1 and the most arrogant       
bigotry4 ,who can measure the vast      
disproportion8 ,what mind sufficient to 
balance extremes so inconceivably       
immense8 ,on the one hand a minister to 
a thousand souls1 with many helpers and 

a thousand auxiliary influences in his  
favor2 on the other1 one minister to a  
million of souls1 with no helpers and no
 auxiliary influences1 finding out an   
untrodden track amidst unnumbered       
obstacles1 and penetrating with his     
single lamp into the dark and boundless 
chaos of heathenism4 ,this is the manner
 in which ,christendom shows that she   
loves her neighbor as herself2 and in   
view of it1 judge ye1 whether ,american 
,christians go as much as they ought to 
instruct and save the benighted nations4
  ,we said1 that the number of          
missionaries to the heathen population  
is about one to a million of souls2 but 
let not the conclusion be drawn1 that   
every million of heathen souls has a    
missionary4 ,by no means4 ,the few      
hundred missionaries preach to a few    
hundred thousand souls4 ,the millions   
and hundreds of millions of heathen1 are
 as destitute of preaching as though a  
missionary had never sailed1 as         
destitute of the ,scriptures as though a

 ,bible were never printed1 and as far  
from salvation1 ,i was about to say1 as 
though ,jesus ,christ had never died4   
,men speak of operating upon the world4 
,such language is delusive4 ,the present
 style of effort1 or anything like it1  
can only operate on some small portions 
of the earth4 ,to influence materially  
the wide world1 ,christians must awake  
to a style of praying1 giving1 and going
 too1 of which they have as yet scarcely
 dreamed4 ,the work of going into all   
the world and preaching the ,gospel to  
every creature1 has scarcely been       
undertaken in earnest4 ,and how vain it 
would be to expect to make any material 
impression on the world1 as a whole1    
when so small a company from all the    
ministers in the ,united ,states go     
abroad1 and a less number even of lay   
members from the vast body of a million 
and a half4  ,the heathen are not lost  
because a ,saviour is not provided for  
them4 ,god so loved the world that he   
gave his only begotten ,son4 ,the       

preaching of the cross is the power of  
,god and the wisdom of ,god both to the 
,jew and the ,greek4 ,facts show1 that  
in every nation1 however barbarous and  
degraded1 the ,gospel of ,jesus has     
power to convert1 purify1 elevate and   
save4 ,these facts are irresistible4    
,neither are the heathen lost1 because  
the ocean separating them is rarely     
passed4 ,for the sake of gain1 men can  
visit the most distant and sultry       
climes4 ,to solve a question of science 
or merely to gratify curiosity1 they can
 circumnavigate the globe1 or penetrate 
far into the icy regions of the poles4  
,the improvements in navigation and the 
extension of commerce have united the   
two continents in one4 ,the ,atlantic   
ocean no longer separates you from      
,africa1 nor the ,pacific from ,china4  
,the amount of intercourse between the  
seekers of wealth from ,christian lands 
and almost every heathen country1 is    
absolutely immense4  ,why then are the  
heathen left to perish8 ,there is a lack

 of earnestness in the church in the    
work of the world's conversion4 ,what   
does the present earnestness of the     
church amount to8 ,they contribute on an
 average two cents a month each1 and    
they find that the pittance of money    
will more than suffice for the small    
number of men3 and then the cry is ,more
 money than men4 ,a few men are obtained
 and then the pittance of money fails1  
and ,more men than money is the cry4 ,a 
year or two afterwards the supply of men
 is gone1 and the cry again is reversed4
 ,as if1 in repairing the wastes of the 
,new-,york fire1 the citizens collect   
together a small quantity of brick1 and 
then find they have more brick than     
workmen4 ,so they employ a few more men1
 and then find they have more men than  
brick4 ,was this the rate at which the  
ravages of the great fire were so soon  
repaired8 ,was this the measure of their
 engagedness in rebuilding the city8    
,some derangement takes place in the    
,erie ,canal3 a lock fails1 an aqueduct 

gives way1 or a bank caves in4 ,is      
business stopped on the canal till the  
next season1 because the times are hard1
 and it is difficult to obtain money to 
make repairs8 ,some derangement takes   
place in a railroad3 is travelling      
postponed till next year8 ,but in the   
work of doing good1 the reverse of times
 is regarded as a sufficient excuse to  
detain missionaries1 disband schools1   
and take other retrograde steps4 ,we    
coolly block our wheels1 lie still1 and 
postpone our efforts for the world's    
conversion till more favorable times4   
,men are earnest in worldly matters3 in 
digging a canal1 in laying a railroad1  
or in repairing a city2 but in ,god's   
work--the work of saving the            
nations--their efforts are so weak that 
one is at loss to know which is most    
prominent1 the folly1 or the enormous   
guilt4  ,is it not a fact1 that in our  
efforts for the heathen we come so far  
short of our ability1 that ,god cannot  
consistently add his blessing4 ,can it  

be that the service rendered by the     
church as a body is acceptable to ,god8 
,it is not according to that she        
hath--it forms an immense and           
inconceivable contrast to that measure  
of effort which lies fully within her   
power4 ,is it not1 then1 as though an   
imperfect sacrifice were offered to the 
,lord--a lamb full of blemish8 ,if the  
church were weak1 and it were really    
beyond her ability to do more than she  
does at present1 then ,god would        
accomplish great victories by the feeble
 means4 ,he can save by few as well as  
by many4 ,he would make the worm ,jacob 
to thresh mountains4 ,but since ,god has
 blessed the ,american church with      
numbers1 and with great and peculiar    
advantages1 he requires of her efforts  
that accord with her ability4 ,the poor 
widow's mites accomplish much2 but the  
wealthy man's mites1 or the wealthy     
nation's thousands1 when she is fully   
able to give millions2 and her very few 
sons1 when it would even benefit her to 

spare a host of her ablest men2 what    
shall we say of such an offering8 ,the  
reason why ,god blesses the efforts of  
the ,american church may be1 that there 
are some widows1 and some others too who
 do what they can--who honestly come up 
to the measure of their ability4 ,for   
the sake of these ,god may add his      
blessing1 just as for the sake of ten   
righteous men he would have spared      
,sodom4 ,but no very great and          
conspicuous blessing can be expected to 
attend the labors of missionaries1 such 
as the conversion of ,china1 or of      
,africa1 till the church begins to pray1
 give and go1 according to her ability2 
till she begins to come up to the extent
 of her powers in her efforts to save   
the heathen4 ,then1 when she renders    
according to that she hath1 her service 
will be accepted2 it will be a sweet    
savor before ,god2 his throne of love   
will come near the tabernacle of his    
saints1 and the noise of his chariot    
soon be heard among the ranks of the    

enemy4 ,the church then1 with ,christ at
 their head1 shall go on rapidly from   
conquering to conquer1 till all nations1
 tongues and people1 shall bow the knee 
before him4 ,as soon as the church shall
 put forth all her strength so as to    
render an acceptable service to ,god1 it
 is of little consequence whether she be
 weak or strong1 few or many1 the       
blessing will descend2 the mountains    
will break forth into singing1 and the  
trees shall clap their hands for joy2   
,god will come1 take up his abode with  
the saints1 and verify all that is      
expressed by the latter day glory4  ,it 
is plain1 then1 not only that           
,christians come far short of doing what
 they can to save the heathen1 but that 
if they would come up to the measure of 
their duty they might1 under ,god1      
rescue the dying nations from their     
impending doom4 ,if they would engage in
 earnest1 pray with fervency and faith1 
and prove their zeal by giving and by   
going1 then the providence of ,god would

 not leave a bolt or a bar in their way1
 except what might be necessary to test 
their perseverance4 ,let every          
ambassador of ,christ1 and every        
,christian too1 possess the unreserved  
consecration of ,paul1 and manifest that
 burning zeal which carried him1 as on  
the wings of an angel1 to preach to the 
,gentiles the unsearchable riches of    
,christ2 let every redeemed sinner1     
minister or layman1 stand ready1 not    
merely to contribute of his substance1  
but to traverse with cheerful step the  
burning plains of ,africa or the icy    
mountains of ,greenland3 then the       
darkness that now envelopes the earth   
would soon be dispelled1 the torch of   
,revelation be carried to the most      
distant lands1 and its light be made to 
penetrate the most gloomy abodes of men2
 the radiance of heavenly truth would be
 poured around the dying bed of every   
pagan1 intelligence now in to us from   
every quarter1 not only of individuals1 
but of nations converted to ,god1 and   

the shout of triumph would soon be      
heard1 ,the kingdoms of this world have 
become the kingdom of our ,lord4  ,it   
seems to be true1 therefore1 that the   
heathen are sinking to perdition2 and   
true1 also1 that we might1 under ,god1  
be the means of saving them4 ,shall we  
not then be found accountable for their 
eternal agonies8 ,o ,christian1 pause   
and look at this thought6 ,look at it   
deliberately1 for we shall be obliged to
 do so at the judgment day4 ,no one can 
plead exemption from it1 unless he does 
what he can to save the heathen4 ,o my  
soul1 how much blood1 how much weeping1 
wailing and gnashing of teeth1 will     
stand at thy account in the day of      
judgment6  ,i appeal to each one of you1
 examine yourselves in the light of this
 truth4 ,call up your prayers1 your     
contributions1 and your personal        
efforts4 ,compare what you have done    
with what ,jesus did for you4 ,i entreat
 you1 open your ears1 and hearts too1 to
 the groans of a dying world4 ,listen to

 the notes which1 like the noise of     
seven thunders1 peal after peal1 are    
rolling in upon your shores4  ,hark6    
what mean those lamentations1   ,rolling
 sadly through the sky8 ',tis the cry of
 heathen nations1   ',come and help us1 
or we die6'  ,hear the heathen's sad    
complaining1   ,christians6 hear their  
dying cry2 ,and1 the love of ,christ    
constraining1   ,haste to help them1 ere
 they die6  ,yes1 reader1 haste to help 
them4 ,confer not with flesh and blood4 
,meet all vain excuses with a deaf ear  
and a determined spirit4 ,let pity move 
you1 the love of ,christ constrain you1 
and a sense of responsibility urge you1 
to take that precious ,gospel on which  
your hopes rely1 and to carry it1       
without delay1 to the perishing nations4
     ,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,the ,,saviour',s
 ,,last ,,command4   ,let us suppose    
that all kindreds and people of the     
earth are assembled1 and that the       
inhabitants of ,africa1 ,asia1 the      
,isles of the ,pacific and the wilds of 

,america1 are called upon to speak1 and 
to give in their testimony how far the  
,saviour's last command has been obeyed4
  ,the inquiry is first put to ,africa3 
,africa1 to what extent and for what    
purpose have people from ,christian     
lands visited thee1 and thine adjacent  
islands8 ,what have they carried to thy 
shores8 ,and what is the treatment thou 
hast received from them8 ,tell the whole
 truth3 let it be known to what extent  
the ,saviour's last command has been    
obeyed in respect to thee4  ,to this    
inquiry ,africa replies3  ,the truth ,i 
can tell1 but the whole truth cannot be 
told4 ,i have indeed been visited by    
people from ,christian lands4 ,thousands
 and hundreds of thousands from those   
lands have visited my shores4 ,some have
 come to measure the pyramids1 and to   
gather relics of ancient literature and 
decayed magnificence2 some to search out
 the sources of the ,nile and the course
 of the ,niger2 some to possess the best
 of the soil2 and a vast multitude have 

come1 with a cruelty that knows no      
mercy1 to tear the husband from his wife
 and the wife from her husband1 parents 
from their children and children from   
their parents1 brother from sister and  
sister from brother--to crowd them      
together without distinction of age or  
sex in the suffocating holds of their   
ships1 where a large proportion of them 
die1 and to convey the remainder far    
away to spend their lives in degrading  
servitude4 ,they have brought beads and 
trinkets2 they have brought instruments 
of death1 such as muskets1 powder1      
knives and swords2 and they have        
brought1 too1 full cargoes of liquid    
poison4 ,the navies of ,christian1 lands
 have fought in my harbors1 and their   
armies upon my shores4 ,their money by  
millions has been lavished1 and their   
blood has run in torrents4  ,a few      
individuals1 however1 of a different    
character1 have found their way hither4 
,they have come in the spirit of        
benevolence and of peace1 and have      

brought in their hands the precious     
treasure of the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,but
 their number is so small as to be      
almost lost among the multitude4 ,for   
one who has taught righteousness1       
purity1 truth and mercy1 thousands have 
taught1 by their example1 rapacity1     
drunkenness1 lewdness and cruelty4 ,for 
one who has led us in the path of life1 
thousands have led us in the paths of   
destruction4 ,for one who has brought   
the ,bible1 thousands have brought rum4 
,for one whose example has been         
salutary1 the intercourse of thousands  
has left a loathsome disease1 which with
 sure and rapid progress is depopulating
 the land4 ,such is the sum of my       
testimony4 ,days and nights would be    
required to give the detail4  ,this     
testimony of ,africa being finished1 the
 same inquiry is put to ,asia3  ,asia1  
to what extent have the nations of      
,christendom visited thee1 and thy      
numerous islands8 ,what have they       
carried to thy shores8 and what has been

 their deportment towards thee8  ,to    
which ,asia replies3  ,the vast number1 
either of men or of ships from          
,christian lands1 that have visited my  
shores1 cannot be told4 ,i know full    
well the enterprise1 the energy1 and the
 perseverance of ,christian lands2 yes1 
verily1 and traits too of less honorable
 name4 ,large portions of my territory  
acknowledge the control of their armies4
 ,their thundering navies lie in my     
harbors and sail along my coasts4 ,ships
 without number--mighty ships whose     
masts pierce the clouds1 have come for  
my teas1 my crapes1 my silks1 my spices 
and other precious merchandise4 ,their  
consuls1 superintendents1 officers of   
various kinds1 and merchants in great   
numbers1 dwell in almost every port1 and
 have erected in those ports stores1    
shops1 offices and sumptuous dwellings4 
,many things pleasant and useful have   
been brought hither1 but many things    
also that are ruinous3 full cargoes of  
ardent spirits2 and immense quantities  

of opium too1 a means of destruction no 
less sure4  ,among the multitudes who   
have come to my shores1 some few1       
indeed1 have brought the ,gospel of     
,christ1 made known its truths and      
exemplified its spirit2 but the         
thousands and tens of thousands have    
inculcated by their example1            
worldliness1 drunkenness1 lewdness1 war1
 violence and treachery4 ,if needful1 a 
volume of details might be given2 but   
this is the sum4  ,next1 the inquiry is 
put to the ,isles of the ,ocean3  ,great
 ,pacific1 to what extent has the last  
command of ,christ been obeyed by       
,christian lands1 in respect to thy     
numerous islands8  ,the reply is as     
follows3  ,thousands of ships from      
,christian lands continually cruise upon
 my wide waters1 and visit my numerous  
groups of islands4 ,they have exchanged 
with my ignorant and destitute          
inhabitants1 beads1 trinkets1 and a few 
inches of rusty iron hoop1 for the best 
produce of the islands4 ,they have sold 

to them guns1 powder and rum4 ,many of  
their ships have been floating          
grog-shops--floating exhibitions too of 
,sodom and ,gomorrah4 ,from some1 on    
slight provocation1 broadsides of cannon
 have been fired on my heedless         
inhabitants1 strewing the deep with the 
dead and the dying4 ,rum and disease    
have been introduced4 ,the one has slain
 its thousands1 and the other has slain1
 and is still slaying its tens of       
thousands4 ,many useful things indeed   
have been introduced1 but in connection 
with a host of evils6 ,a few individuals
 too1 bearing the ,gospel of ,jesus     
,christ1 have visited some of my        
numerous islands2 but what are they     
among the multitude8  ,after this       
testimony of the ,isles of the ,ocean1  
the inquiry is last addressed to        
,america3  ,america1 what is thy        
testimony8 ,from ,bhering's ,straits to 
,cape ,horn1 what treatment have thy    
native inhabitants received from        
,christian nations8  ,america replies3  

,alas6 scarcely enough remain of my     
miserable inhabitants to return an      
answer4 ,they have been swept away by   
the same causes which are now sweeping  
away the inhabitants of the ,pacific4   
,the rapacity of those called           
,christians1 which has not scrupled at  
any means of conquest and extirpation1  
and the rum and diseases introduced1    
have laid my numerous population in the 
grave4 ,have ,i been visited by those   
who bear the ,christian name8 ,yes1     
verily1 they now possess the best       
portions of my territory1 and have grown
 into vast nations on my soil4 ,even my 
veriest wilds have been repeatedly      
traversed by them in search of furs2 and
 the tracks they have made been too     
often marked with drunkenness1 lewdness1
 and treachery4 ,few1 very few indeed of
 all that have come to this vast        
continent1 have come to instruct my     
ignorant inhabitants in the precious    
,gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 and lead them
 in the paths of righteousness and      

peace4 ,few who explore my wilds1       
explore them for this purpose4 ,alas6 a 
far different object prompts their      
enterprise1 their energy1 and their     
perseverance4 ,this is the sum of my    
testimony4  ,now1 reader1 let us look   
well at this testimony of ,africa1 of   
,asia1 of the ,isles of the ,ocean1 and 
of ,america4 ,is it not overwhelming8   
,take1 the ,encyclopedia of ,geography1 
or ,mc,culloch's ,dictionary of         
,commerce1 or ,howitt's ,colonization   
and ,christianity1 and carefully examine
 the facts4 ,are they not enough to     
strike us dumb8 ,to what a vast extent  
heathen nations have been visited by    
those who bear the ,christian name4     
,what obscure island1 or what obscure   
nook or corner of the earth has not been
 visited8 ,what immense multitudes have 
gone forth4 ,,and1 ,,alas6 ,,for ,,what 
,,purposes4 ,how few1 how very few have 
gone forth to make known the ,gospel6   
,what a powerful motive among men is the
 love of earthly gain1 and how weak a   

motive is love to ,christ and regard to 
his last command4 ,the command reads1   
,,go ,,ye ,,into ,,all ,,the ,,world    
,,and ,,preach ,,the ,,gospel ,,to      
,,every ,,creature4 ,christian nations1 
ye have not failed in great multitudes  
to ,,go ,,into ,,all ,,the ,,world2     
scarcely have ye failed to visit ,,every
 ,,creature2 but for what purpose have  
ye gone forth8 ,has it been mainly to   
make known the precious name of ,jesus8 
,be entreated to look at the case as it 
is1 for a day of impartial retribution  
is at hand4  ,many of you indeed1 who go
 forth to heathen shores1 do not profess
 to be the disciples of ,jesus2 but     
imagine not1 that on that account your  
guilt is diminished4 ,ye who reject the 
,saviour1 and disobey his commands--who 
throw away your own souls as worthless1 
and are reckless of the souls of your   
fellow men1 what can you say in the day 
of ,christ's appearing8 ,if ye had only 
destroyed your own souls1 then your case
 would be more tolerable2 but since you 

withhold from the millions of ignorant  
heathen the knowledge of salvation1     
which has been imparted to you--not only
 refusing to enter the kingdom of heaven
 yourselves1 but denying the key to     
those who might be disposed to          
enter2--and not only do this1 but in    
your intercourse with the heathen1 which
 has been very abundant1 confirm them in
 their evil practices by a pernicious   
example1 and hurry them by thousands to 
the grave by means of deadly poison and 
deadly disease--,oh6 how will you endure
 the keen remorse and fearful looking   
for of judgment1 which may ere long     
overtake you8 ,when the impartial ,judge
 shall appear1 and your eyes shall meet 
his eye1 what agonies must rend your    
souls6  ,but some of you have the vows  
of ,god upon you4 ,to such ,i would say1
 ,be entreated to look at the case as it
 is4 ,as ye have gone forth on voyages  
of just and honorable traffic1 and on   
voyages of discovery1 have you          
manifested in all the heathen ports     

where you touched1 that to make known   
the ,saviour was the great and absorbing
 desire of your hearts8 ,alas6 are there
 not some among you who1 either as      
owners1 masters or agents1 are connected
 with ships that sail from port on the  
,sabbath1 or do other unnecessary work  
on that day1 and who thereby teach the  
heathen1 wherever those ships go1 to    
disobey ,god when their gain or         
convenience require it8 ,are there not  
also some among you1 who1 in one way or 
another1 are connected with ships whose 
outfits are wholly or in part1 beads1   
trinkets1 guns1 powder1 rum and opium8  
and who thereby teach the heathen       
injustice1 cheating1 drunkenness1       
lewdness1 and recklessness of life8 ,why
 is it that ye bear the name of the     
peaceful disciples of the benevolent    
,jesus1 whilst ye are concerned in      
scattering among the heathen            
fire-brands1 arrows and death--in       
teaching them every species of iniquity1
 and in rearing a wall of prejudice     

strong and high to the progress of the  
,gospel8         99       99       99   
99       99  ,but most of my readers    
stand pure from all this crime2 and of  
such ,i simply inquire1 with deep       
concern and affectionate earnestness1   
,why1 dear brethren1 have ye not obeyed 
the ,saviour's last command8 ,why have  
ye not made known the ,gospel of ,christ
 to every creature8 ,each one of you has
 doubtless some excuse at hand1 or he   
could not escape the goadings of        
conscience4 ,let us then1 in the spirit 
of candor and honesty1 look at some     
,,excuses4  ,perhaps some one may be    
inclined to say1 ,the work enjoined by  
the ,saviour's last command is a very   
great work1 and there has not been time 
enough to perform it4  ,true1 ,i reply1 
the work is great2 but how does it      
appear that there has not been          
sufficient time to accomplish it8 ,not  
sufficient time6 ,what has been         
accomplished in the pursuit of wealth   
and honor during the same period of     

time8 ,what has been done at home in    
railroads1 canals1 steamboats1          
manufactures1 and in other departments  
of enterprise and industry8 ,what has   
been done abroad8 ,look at the testimony
 of ,africa1 ,asia1 the ,isles of the   
,pacific1 and the wilds of ,america4    
,there has been time to carry rum to    
every shore4 ,there has been time to    
introduce diseases among every barbarous
 people1 which are hurrying them to the 
grave by thousands4 ,there has been time
 to kidnap thousands and hundreds of    
thousands of the degraded ,africans4    
,there has been time to extirpate most  
of the native population of ,north and  
,south ,america4 ,there has been time to
 wage war1 till the blood of human      
beings has flowed in torrents4 ,and     
then1 in regard to just and honorable   
traffic1 compute1 if human arithmetic be
 competent to the task1 the amount of   
merchandise brought from ,india1 and    
from other distant lands4 ,there has    
been time for all this4 ,now ,i ask with

 great plainness1 for it is a solemn and
 practical subject1 ,had you exhibited  
the same enterprise1 energy and         
perseverance1 in making known the       
,gospel to all nations1 as has been     
exhibited in worldly pursuits1 would not
 every human being1 long ere this1 have 
heard the word of life8 ,will you not1  
,christian reader1 look at this         
question1 weigh it well1 and deal       
honestly with your own soul8  ,here1 ,i 
am suspicious that some may be inclined 
to excuse themselves with a vague       
thought secretly entertained1 which1 if 
expressed1 would be somewhat as follows3
  ,true1 we have not exhibited as much  
zeal in teaching all nations as has been
 exhibited by the worldly1 and by many  
of ourselves even1 in the pursuit of    
wealth4 ,but we claim not the praise of 
a holy1 self-denying and apostolic life4
 ,we are content with an humble walk in 
the ,christian course1 and a low seat in
 heaven4 ,entire consecration1 in the   
sense urged1 is what we never professed4

  ,your standard1 then1 it appears is   
very low--too low1 it may be1 to admit  
you even to that humble seat in the     
courts above which you anticipate4 ,you 
claim not the praise of an apostolic    
life1 and ,i seriously fear that you    
will not obtain even the testimony of   
being a true ,christian4 ,but how does  
it appear1 that you never professed an  
entire consecration to ,christ of all   
your powers of body and soul8 ,it is    
true1 the conduct of some would seem to 
say1 that they put on a form of religion
 to silence their fears1 to cheat       
themselves with a delusive hope1 and to 
enjoy a comfortable state of mind on    
earth4 ,but what1 really1 are the vows  
that rest upon you8 ,what else than to  
seek by prayer and effort1 as your      
supreme aim1 chief desire1 and          
all-engrossing object1 the promotion of 
,christ's kingdom--the salvation of     
souls for whom he died8  ,besides1 what 
is the great purpose for which the      
church was instituted8 ,certainly1 not  

to promote in its members a delusive    
comfort and quietude of mind2 neither   
mainly nor chiefly to secure their own  
ultimate salvation2 but to take         
advantage of union of strength to       
convert the world4 ,the church--the     
whole church1 without the exception of  
any of its members1 is by profession1   
not merely a missionary society1 but a  
missionary band3 the minute-men of the  
,lord ,jesus1 ready to do his will1 at  
home or abroad1 with singleness of aim1 
and with a spirit of entire devotion4   
,but1 you say1 were we thus to live1 the
 world would verily believe we were     
deranged4  ,deranged6 it would be the   
right kind of derangement4 ,were not the
 apostles thought to be deranged8 ,and  
the ,reformers--,luther1 ,melancthon1   
,calvin1 ,knox and others--were not they
 thought to be enthusiasts and zealots8 
,why8 ,because they were somewhat in    
earnest in the cause of ,christ4        
,worldly men toil and strive night and  
day1 in collecting together a little of 

the pelf and dust of the earth1 and     
think themselves wise in doing so2 but  
if the disciples of ,christ show zeal or
 earnestness1 in pursuits as much higher
 than theirs as heaven is higher than   
the earth1 and as much more important as
 the immortal soul is more valuable than
 corruption and vanity1 they call them  
enthusiasts and fanatics6 ,but1 alas6   
how few of us who profess to be the     
disciples of ,christ1 have manifested   
such zeal in his service as to be called
 by such epithets4 ,such persons alone  
,god calls wise2 and those worldly men1 
who are mad in the pursuit of wealth1   
,god calls fools4 ,the wisdom of ,god   
and the wisdom of the world are utterly 
at variance4 ,o that all who profess to 
love ,christ1 manifested such zeal in   
obeying him as to be strange and        
singular men6 ,how soon would every     
human being hear his ,gospel6 ,but since
 such zeal is not manifested1 the       
heathen are left to perish2 and where1  
,i ask affectionately and solemnly1     

where rests the guilt8  ,but1 here it   
may perhaps be replied1 ,our sin is a   
sin of ignorance4 ,we have not been     
acquainted with the full import of the  
,saviour's last command1 nor with the   
extent of our obligations to ,christ4   
,neither have we been acquainted with   
the wretched and guilty condition of the
 heathen world1 nor with the exertions  
necessary to turn it from darkness to   
light1 from the power of ,satan unto    
,god4 ,god will wink at our sin1 if we  
be indeed guilty1 for we have not been  
enlightened on this subject4  ,i answer4
 ,does ignorance of the laws of any     
nation excuse those who transgress those
 laws2 or is it not considered to be the
 duty of all subjects to inform         
themselves in respect to the laws of    
their country8 ,and should it not be so 
in the kingdom of ,christ8 ,the         
requirements of ,christ in their full   
extent are contained in the ,new        
,testament1 and are expressed in        
language that need not be misunderstood4

 ,if any one has mistaken their import1 
is it not on account of a self-seeking1 
money-getting1 or slothful disposition8 
,let such a one search his own heart1   
and inquire with concern1 ,did ,i desire
 to know my duty8 ,was not my blindness 
a matter of choice2 no infirmity1 no    
misfortune1 but my guilt8 ,if there had 
been a desire1 nay1 even a willingness  
to be instructed1 could ,i have mistaken
 such plain and unequivocal precepts of 
the ,gospel8  ,the condition too of the 
heathen1 their guilty and wretched      
condition1 is fully made known in the   
,new ,testament1 especially in the first
 chapter of ,paul's epistle to the      
,romans4 ,besides1 accounts of their    
guilt and wretchedness have been        
presented before the ,christian         
community in ,heralds1 ,chronicles1     
reports and newspapers1 till they have  
become too familiar to make an          
impression4 ,can ignorance at this day  
be any other than a criminal            
ignorance--an ignorance of fearful      

responsibility8  ,and1 ,i ask again1    
,can it be an excuse to many ,christians
 that they are laymen and not preachers 
of the ,gospel8 ,can they make it appear
 that many of their number were not     
called to the office of preaching the   
,gospel8 ,did they take the proper means
 to ascertain that point8 ,how1 ,i      
anxiously inquire1 did such persons     
determine so readily1 when a world was  
sinking to perdition for want of        
preachers of the ,gospel1 that they were
 called to be lawyers1 physicians1      
statesmen1 merchants1 farmers and       
manufacturers8 ,can it be fairly shown  
that hundreds of laymen have not        
rejected an office to which they were   
called--,,solemnly ,,called1 by the woes
 and dying groans of six hundred        
millions of their fellow men8 ,is there 
not reason to fear1 that it was from a  
carnal choice and selfish inclination1  
rather than a sense of duty1 that so    
great a majority slid so easily into    
their present occupations8  ,besides1   

how does it appear that only preachers  
of the ,gospel are required to labor    
directly for the destitute at home1 and 
to go forth to the heathen abroad8 ,it  
was far otherwise in the days of the    
apostles4 ,then the whole church--driven
 out1 indeed1 by persecution--went      
everywhere making known the ,saviour4   
,and at the present hour1 not only are  
ministers needed in propagating the     
,gospel in destitute places at home1 and
 in raising up heathen nations from     
their deep degradation1 but there are   
needed also1 in their appropriate       
spheres1 teachers1 physicians1          
mechanics1 farmers--in short1 men of    
every useful profession and employment4 
,besides1 much is to be done at home in 
sustaining those who go abroad4 ,has    
there been no lack in this part of the  
work8 ,alas6 there are facts to meet    
such an inquiry1 facts too well known to
 be named3 disbanded schools1 detained  
missionaries1 and deserted monthly      
concerts3 facts that stand registered on

 a book that shall hereafter be opened4 
,dear brethren1 ,i speak earnestly and  
boldly of your obligations1 not         
forgetting my own2 and ,i would entreat 
you1 by all that is affecting in the    
death of souls1 and by all that is      
constraining in the love of ,christ1 to 
admit freely to your hearts1 without    
subterfuge or excuse1 the full import of
 the ,saviour's last command1 and to    
commence at once a life of sincere      
obedience4 ,o6 let us deal honestly with
 ourselves1 in a matter of such immense 
moment4     ,,chapter ,v4  ,,laymen     
,,called ,,to ,,the ,,field ,,of        
,,missions4   ,in ,acts1 #h3d1 it is    
said1 ,therefore they that were         
scattered abroad1 went everywhere       
preaching the word4 ,and from the       
previous verses it seems that these     
persons1 who were scattered abroad1 were
 lay members of the church4 ,the history
 is instructive4  ,after the day of     
,pentecost1 the number of converts to   
,christianity amounted to several       

thousands4 ,they were ,jews1 and had    
strong feelings of attachment to the    
city of ,jerusalem1 to the temple1 and  
to the land of their fathers4 ,they     
therefore clung to ,jerusalem1 and      
seemed inclined to remain together as   
one large church4 ,but it was the design
 of the ,lord ,jesus1 that the ,gospel  
should be preached everywhere3 such was 
his last and most solemn command4 ,as1  
therefore1 the disciples seemed in a    
measure unmindful of this command1 the  
,saviour permitted a persecution to     
rage1 which scattered them abroad1 and  
they went everywhere preaching the word4
 ,the term preaching1 in this place1    
means simply announcing or making known 
the news of salvation4 ,this must be the
 meaning1 for they that were scattered  
abroad were laymen4 ,as they went1 they 
told everywhere of ,jesus ,christ1 and  
of the life and immortality which he had
 brought to light4 ,this subject        
engrossed their thoughts2 their hearts  
were full of it1 and out of the         

abundance of their hearts their mouths  
spake4 ,it is clear from this history1  
that in early times lay members of the  
church1 in great numbers1 were led1 in  
the providence of ,god1 to go forth and 
engage personally in the work of        
propagating the ,gospel4 ,and the more  
closely we look at the history1 the more
 we shall be impressed with this fact4  
,notice the time chosen by ,god for the 
first remarkable outpouring of his ,holy
 ,spirit4 ,it was on the day of         
,pentecost1 when multitudes were        
present1 not only from all parts of     
,palestine1 but from the surrounding    
nations4 ,there were present1           
,parthians1 and ,medes1 and ,elamites1  
and the dwellers in ,mesopotamia1 and in
 ,judea1 and ,cappadocia1 in ,pontus and
 ,asia1 ,phrygia and ,pamphylia1 in     
,egypt and the parts of ,lybia about    
,cyrene1 and strangers of ,rome1 ,jews  
and proselytes1 ,cretes and ,arabians4  
,upon this multitude1 assembled from all
 the nations round about1 the ,holy     

,ghost was poured out with such power1  
that three thousand souls were converted
 in one day2 and on succeeding days many
 were added to the church4 ,many of     
these converts would naturally return to
 the different nations and places from  
which they came1 and make known the     
,saviour far and wide4 ,it was by the   
return of these converts to their places
 of residence1 that the ,gospel was     
early introduced into many places quite 
remote from ,jerusalem1 among which may 
be reckoned1 in all probability1 the    
distant city of ,rome4 ,the first       
propagation of the ,gospel in that      
metropolis of the world1 can be traced  
to no other source with so much         
probability1 as to the strangers from   
,rome who were present at ,jerusalem on 
the day of ,pentecost4 ,it seems        
evident1 therefore1 that in the time    
chosen by ,god for this remarkable      
outpouring of his ,spirit1 he had an eye
 to an extensive and rapid propagation  
of the ,gospel by lay members of the    

church4  ,again1 as hinted before1 when 
the great body of the first converts    
chose to remain at ,jerusalem1 ,god saw 
best to drive them thence by            
persecution4 ,this persecution began    
with the stoning of ,stephen1 and raged 
with such violence1 that it is said that
 all the church at ,jerusalem were      
scattered abroad1 except the apostles4  
,they were not only a few individuals   
who were driven out1 but so many as to  
justify the expression1 all the church4 
,by thus dispersing the great body of   
the church1 the ,saviour propagated     
rapidly and extensively his precious    
,gospel4 ,for this multitude of lay     
members--and there were several         
thousands of them--went everywhere      
preaching the word2 announcing in all   
places1 in a way appropriate to their   
station1 the news of salvation through a
 crucified ,redeemer4 ,they propagated  
the ,gospel throughout ,judea and       
,samaria2 and some of them travelled as 
far as ,phoenice and ,cyprus1 and laid  

the foundation of the church at         
,antioch4 ,it was not till the apostles 
had heard of the success of these lay   
members at ,antioch1 that they sent     
thither ,barnabas to help in the work4  
,it appears1 then1 that the rapid and   
extensive propagation of the ,gospel1 in
 early times1 was accomplished in a     
great measure by the spreading abroad of
 the great body of the church2 by an    
actual going forth and personal         
engagement of a great multitude of lay  
members4  ,again1 the treasurer of      
,candace1 ,queen of ,ethiopia1 seems to 
have been converted on his return home1 
not simply out of regard to his own     
personal salvation1 but as a means of   
making known the ,gospel in the distant 
place of his residence2 for soon after1 
we find in that region a flourishing    
church of ,christ4  ,again1 look at the 
example of ,aquila and ,priscilla1 who  
labored zealously at ,corinth and at    
,ephesus4 ,look1 too1 at the whole list 
of ,paul's fellow travellers1 and those 

whom he salutes in his letters as       
helpers in the ,gospel4  ,from all these
 facts it is evident1 that in early     
times ,god made use of common           
,christians in propagating the ,gospel4 
,did he not so overrule events in his   
providence1 as to show it to be his     
design that lay members of the church   
should go forth in great numbers1 and   
engage personally1 in ways appropriate  
and proper for them1 in the work of     
making known ,christ8 ,we have then the 
force of primitive example--of primitive
 example1 too1 brought about by the     
manifest overrulings of ,god's          
providence4 ,this example is not        
equivalent1 indeed1 to a ,thus saith the
 ,lord2 yet does it not strongly favor  
the sentiment1 that lay members of the  
church in great numbers are called to go
 forth and assist in evangelizing the   
heathen8  ,to elevate all nations       
requires a great variety of laborers4   
,in illustrating this point1 ,i cannot  
expect to present it with all the       

clearness and force which are due to it4
 ,to appreciate fully its truth and its 
weighty import1 it is necessary to live 
in the midst of a heathen people1 and   
actually to witness the great variety   
and amount of labor which must be put   
forth1 in order to elevate and improve  
them4 ,the work of raising up a people  
from barbarism to ,christianity is not  
only an immense work1 but emphatically a
 various work--a work which requires a  
great diversity both of means and of    
laborers4 ,the minister of the ,gospel  
must perform a prominent part1 but he   
must not be expected to labor alone4    
,his unaided efforts are altogether     
insufficient for the task4  ,there is   
special need of other laborers1 since   
the number of ministers among the       
heathen is likely to be so small2 but   
the need would exist1 even though the   
number of ministers were very much      
increased4 ,labors analogous1 both in   
respect to measure and variety1 to those
 bestowed upon a ,christian             

congregation1 must be expended on a     
congregation of heathen4 ,in ,christian 
countries1 a thousand important labors  
are performed by intelligent and praying
 men and women in the church1 as direct 
aid to the minister in his arduous work2
 and a thousand offices are performed by
 schoolmasters1 physicians1 lawyers1    
merchants1 farmers1 mechanics and       
artisans1 which1 though in most cases   
not aimed directly at the salvation of  
men1 are1 notwithstanding1 most         
intimately connected with the world's   
improvement and renovation4 ,but while  
ministers at home are assisted in their 
work1 shall the missionary abroad       
receive little or no help in his direct 
labors8 ,and in respect to all          
improvements in society indirectly      
connected with his main work1 must the  
task of introducing them and of urging  
them on1 devolve entirely on him alone8 
,why should not the various means of    
civilizing and improving society at     
home1 be brought to exert their         

influence upon the heathen abroad8 ,why 
should not the aid enjoyed by the       
minister in ,christian lands1 from      
intelligent members of his church1 be   
afforded to the missionary among the    
heathen8 ,how1 indeed1 shall the world  
be converted1 unless there be a going   
forth to heathen lands from among all   
classes of ,christians8  ,but ,i fear   
that these remarks are too general to be
 distinctly understood4 ,to make my     
meaning1 then1 a little more clear1 ,i  
will suppose a case4  ,a missionary goes
 forth to a barbarous nation1 and       
locates himself in a village of four    
thousand souls4 ,he learns the language 
of the people1 and soon succeeds in     
giving them a superficial knowledge of  
the great truths of the ,gospel4 ,god   
blesses his labors4 ,the people throw   
away their idols2 many sincerely embrace
 the ,lord ,jesus2 and the community at 
large acknowledge ,christianity as the  
religion of the land4  ,now1 a          
superficial thinker might imagine that  

the work of elevating the people was    
almost done2 but1 in truth1 it is but   
just commenced4 ,the missionary looks   
upon his people1 and wishes them not    
only to be ,christians in name1 but to  
exhibit also intelligence and good      
order1 purity and loveliness1 industry  
and enterprise2 in a word1 a deportment 
in all respects consistent with the     
religion of ,jesus4 ,but what is their  
state8 ,the government is despotic1 and 
the principles of its administration at 
variance with ,scripture and reason4    
,this takes away all motives to industry
 and thrift4 ,then again1 the people are
 ignorant2 have no mental discipline1 no
 store of useful knowledge1 but their   
minds are marked with torpor1           
imbecility1 and poverty of thought3     
while at the same time they are full of 
grovelling ideas1 false opinions1 and   
superstitious notions1 imbibed in       
childhood and confirmed by age4 ,the    
children1 too1 are growing up in        
ignorance of all that is useful and     

praiseworthy4 ,entirely uninstructed and
 ungoverned by their parents2 they range
 at large like the wild goats of the    
field4 ,the people know not the simple  
business of making cloth1 of working    
iron1 or of framing wood2 and have but a
 very imperfect knowledge of            
agriculture4  ,of course1 men1 women and
 children1 are almost houseless and     
naked--destitute of everything but the  
rudest structures1 the rudest           
fabrications1 and the rudest tools and  
implements of husbandry4 ,a large family
 herd together1 of all ages and both    
sexes1 in one little hut1 sleep on one  
mat1 and eat from one dish4 ,from       
irregularity of habits and frequent     
exposure1 they are often sick2 and with 
the aid of a superstitious quackery1    
sink rapidly and in great numbers to the
 grave4  ,the missionary looks upon his 
four thousand villagers1 though         
nominally ,christian perhaps1 yet still 
in this state of destitution1           
degradation and ignorance4 ,he sees1    

that to elevate them requires the labors
 not only of a preacher of the ,gospel1 
but the labors of the civilian1 the     
physician1 the teacher1 the             
agriculturist1 the manufacturer1 the    
mechanic and the artist4 ,can all these 
professions and employments be united in
 one man8 ,can one missionary sustain   
all this variety of labor8 ,yet all     
these departments of labor are          
absolutely indispensable to the         
improvement and elevation of society4   
,they are necessary in a land already   
,christian4 ,still more indispensable   
are they in the work of raising up a    
people from barbarism4  ,teachers are   
needed4 ,to raise a people from         
barbarism1 the simple but efficient     
means of common schools must be         
everywhere diffused2 and higher schools 
too must be established1 and vigorously 
conducted4 ,to teach the hundreds of    
millions of adult heathen in week-day   
schools and in ,sabbath-schools1 and    
more especially to instruct and train   

the hundreds of millions of heathen     
children and youth1 cannot be done by a 
few hands4 ,we forbear to make a        
numerical estimate3 any one may estimate
 for himself4 ,the number must be great1
 even though we look upon them rather as
 a commencing capital than as an        
adequate supply1 and expect that by far 
the greater part of laborers are to be  
trained up from among the heathen       
themselves4 ,it is preposterous to think
 of imposing all this labor on a few    
ministers of the ,gospel4  ,physicians  
are needed4 ,they are needed to benefit 
the bodies of the heathen2 for disease1 
the fruit of sin1 is depopulating with  
amazing speed a large portion of the    
heathen world4 ,the nations1 many of    
them at least1 are melting away4 ,let   
physicians go forth1 and while they seek
 to stay the tide of desolation which is
 sweeping away the bodies of the        
heathen1 let them improve the numerous  
and very favorable opportunities        
afforded them of benefiting their souls4

 ,the benevolent1 sympathizing1 and     
compassionate spirit of ,christ1 led him
 to relieve the temporal sufferings of  
men1 while his main aim was to secure   
their eternal salvation4 ,unless we     
show1 by our exertions1 a desire to     
mitigate the present woes and miseries  
of men1 how shall we convince them that 
we truly seek their eternal welfare8    
,physicians must throw their skill in   
the healing art at the feet of the      
,saviour1 and be ready to use it when   
and where he shall direct4 ,the number  
who should go to the heathen cannot1 and
 need not1 be named4  ,it is unnecessary
 to remark that printers1 book-binders1 
and book-distributers are needed to     
carry on the work of the world's        
conversion4  ,civilians too are needed3 
men skilled in laying the foundation of 
nations and guiding their political     
economy4 ,should such men go forth1 and 
evince by a prayerful1 godly1 and       
disinterested deportment and course of  
procedure1 that their sole aim was to   

promote the happiness of the people1    
both temporal and eternal2 there are    
many barbarous countries where they     
would readily acquire much influence1   
and be able in a gradual manner1 by     
friendly and prudent suggestions to the 
rulers1 and in other ways1 to effect    
changes that would be productive of     
incalculable good4 ,many changes1 with  
pains-taking and care1 could be made to 
appear to the rulers to be really for   
their interest1 as well as for the      
interest of the people2 and more light  
and knowledge1 without the intervention 
of any new motive1 would soon introduce 
them4  ,a few years since1 the king and 
chiefs of the ,sandwich ,islands sent a 
united appeal to the ,united ,states for
 such an instructor1 to guide them in   
the government of their kingdom1 and    
offered him a competent support4 ,while 
the nation had improved in religion and 
morals1 the government had remained much
 as it was--keeping the people in the   
condition of serfs4 ,the system was     

wrong throughout3 of the very worst     
kind1 both for the interests of the     
rulers and of the subjects4 ,the chiefs 
began to see this1 and asked for an     
instructor4 ,such an instructor was not 
obtained2 and one of the missionaries   
was constrained1 by the urgent          
necessity1 to leave the service of the  
mission board1 and to become a political
 teacher to the king and chiefs4 ,his   
efforts have been crowned with great    
success4  ,civilians might do good also1
 not only in the way of their           
profession1 but by a ,christian example1
 and by instructing the people1 as      
opportunity should offer1 in the        
knowledge of ,christ4  ,commercial men  
also1 actuated by the same benevolent   
and disinterested spirit1 might develope
 the resources of heathen lands1 and    
apply them in a wise manner for the     
benefit of those lands2 promote         
industry1 and afford the means of       
civilized habits2 increase knowledge1 by
 expediting communication2 and in this  

way1 indirectly1 though efficiently1 aid
 the progress of the ,gospel4 ,by       
exhibiting also in their dealings an    
example of honesty1 uprightness1 and a  
conscientious regard to justice and     
truth2 by showing practically the only  
proper use of wealth1 the good of men   
and the glory of ,god2 by conversing    
daily with individuals1 as did ,harlan  
,page and ,normand ,smith1 at their     
houses and by the wayside1 on the great 
subject of the soul's salvation2 and by 
presenting in themselves and in their   
families examples of a prayerful and    
godly life1 they might exert a powerful 
influence1 and perform a very important 
part in ,christianizing the world4      
,there is also much need of farmers1    
mechanics1 manufacturers and artisans4  
,they should go forth like other        
laborers in the field1 not with the     
selfish design of enriching themselves1 
but with the disinterested intention of 
benefiting the nations4 ,private gain   
must be kept strictly1 carefully1 and   

absolutely subordinate1 or immense evil 
will be wrought and no good be done4    
,they should be men who cheerfully throw
 themselves and their property on the   
altar of entire consecration1 and go    
forth to labor and toil so long as the  
,saviour pleases to employ them1 with   
the lofty design of doing good to the   
bodies and souls of their perishing     
fellow men4 ,going forth with such a    
spirit1 and with emphasis ,i repeat1    
allowing no other to intrude1 they could
 do much in raising up the nations from 
their deep degradation4 ,in the first   
place1 they could do much good by       
communicating a knowledge of their      
several employments4 ,not only is a     
reform in government necessary1 but an  
introduction of the useful arts also1 to
 raise up the people from their         
indolence and filthy habits1 and to     
promote thrift1 order1 neatness and     
consistency4 ,look at a heathen family  
as above described4 ,how can you expect 
from them refinement or elevation of    

soul8 ,how can you expect from them the 
proprieties and consistencies of a      
,christian life8 ,even though they may  
attend the sanctuary1 and be instructed 
in schools2 and even though the         
government be reformed1 and hold out    
motives to industry2 yet will not       
something else be wanting8 ,unless the  
various useful arts and occupations be  
introduced1 how is the land to be filled
 with fruitful fields1 pleasant         
dwellings1 and neatly clad inhabitants8 
,and to introduce these improvements1   
men must go forth for the purpose4 ,such
 men too might do good1 by exhibiting in
 themselves and in their families habits
 of industry1 domestic peace and strict 
economy2 by holding up the hands of     
,christ's ministers1 and by scattering  
the word of life in their appropriate   
spheres4  ,that laymen of every useful  
occupation are needed in heathen lands1 
is by no means the opinion of one alone4
 ,in looking over the periodicals and   
papers of the last few years1 ,i find   

that such is the sober and deliberate   
opinion of many foreign laborers4 ,i    
find urgent appeals for such helpers    
from at least five important missionary 
fields4 ,would such appeals be made if  
the enterprise were not a feasible one8 
,look too at the fact1 that there is    
scarcely a nation on the globe where men
 do not go1 and permanently reside for  
the purpose of making money4 ,it is     
absolutely amazing to what an extent    
this is the truth4 ,why then cannot men 
go forth1 and while they obtain a       
livelihood1 make it their ultimate and  
chief aim to do good8  ,but the inquiry 
arises1 ,in what way should laymen go   
forth8 ,it may not be desirable that    
they should go forth1 to any great      
extent1 under the care of missionary    
boards at present existing1 lest the    
objects of those boards should become   
too numerous and complicated4 ,and it   
may not perhaps be desirable1 or        
necessary1 to have any other            
organization for the purpose4 ,i am not 

wise enough to give an opinion2 but     
would suggest1 that men of some         
pecuniary means take those means1 and   
emigrate to heathen lands1 just as some 
good men have gone to the far ,west4    
,may there not also be small            
combinations of men1 not to help others1
 but each other into the field1 just as 
there is in worldly enterprise8 ,when   
once established in the field1 it is    
supposed that their trades and          
occupations will afford them1 with      
trials1 hardships and reverses1 an      
adequate subsistence1 and open before   
them a wide door of usefulness4  ,some  
have suggested1 that ministers of the   
,gospel should go forth and sustain     
themselves abroad4 ,that is a far       
different question4 ,if ministers of the
 ,gospel ought not to sustain themselves
 in ,christian countries by laboring    
with their hands1 still less should they
 attempt such a course in foreign       
fields4 ,they have other work to        
do--enough to occupy all their time4    

,but for laymen to go forth1 and sustain
 themselves in this way1 is it not both 
proper and appropriate8 and have not    
such enterprises1 to some extent1 been  
already entered upon with success8      
,different fields1 of course1 present   
greater or less obstacles2 but what     
undertaking is without its difficulties8
 ,perplexities1 embarrassments and      
sufferings1 would be a matter of course2
 but no greater and perhaps far less    
than those ,christians endured1 who1    
being scattered abroad from their       
beloved ,jerusalem1 went everywhere     
preaching the word4  ,it may perhaps be 
objected1 that should many from all     
classes of ,christians thus go forth1 to
 live and labor abroad1 they would soon 
possess the land1 while the heathen     
would melt away before them4 ,let us    
look at this point4 ,and first1 where is
 the evidence of such a result8 ,when   
and where has the experiment been tried 
to justify such a supposition8 ,when and
 where have individuals or companies    

gone forth with the sole design of      
benefiting the heathen1 and yet proved  
their extermination8 ,the settlers of   
,new ,england are not an example in     
point1 for the improvement and salvation
 of the heathen was not their main aim4 
,it was indeed an idea in mind1 but not 
fully and prominently carried out4 ,it  
is yet to be proved that a company of   
persons1 however numerous1 of           
disinterested views1 aiming solely to   
save the nations1 and directing all     
their energies of body and of mind to   
that end1 would prove the extermination 
of the heathen1 instead of their        
salvation4  ,neither can it be presumed 
that the descendants of such persons1   
trained1 as ought to be supposed1 with  
faith and prayer1 would possess a spirit
 so selfish and different from that of  
their fathers1 as to prove the          
extermination of the heathen4 ,and if   
such is the necessary event1 what is the
 conclusion at which we must arrive8 ,it
 seems certain1 that a mere handful of  

missionaries cannot put forth the       
instrumentality which1 according to     
,god's usual providence1 is necessary to
 save them3 that a great number and     
variety of laborers are needed to do the
 work4 ,let us be slow1 therefore1 to   
trust in the objection2 for if it must  
be admitted1 the lawful inference will  
not necessarily be1 that ,christians of 
all classes and in great numbers should 
not go forth to the heathen2 but the    
inquiry will arise1 whether heathen     
nations as nations must not cease to    
exist1 and remnants of them only be     
saved--a painful and dread alternative1 
from which every benevolent heart must  
instinctively recoil4  ,there are other 
reasons why laymen should engage in the 
work of missions4 ,the work of the      
world's conversion is too great1 too    
momentous and too pressing1 to admit of 
exemption simply on the ground of       
profession or employment4 ,when the     
liberties of a people are at stake1 how 
few are excused from the field of       

battle8 ,but now the question is not one
 of temporal liberty3 it is whether six 
hundred millions of the human race shall
 be won to the company of the redeemed  
on high1 or left to sink in the untold  
agonies of the world of woe4 ,in this   
unparalleled emergency1 when the        
question is1 whether the destiny of a   
world shall be heaven or hell1 who can  
be excused on so slight a ground as that
 of profession or employment8 ,a few    
ministers cannot do the work4 ,it is too
 great4 ,it is presumptuous to expect1  
that a speedy and complete triumph is to
 be effected by a few missionaries of   
the right stamp going through the length
 and breadth of ,satan's extensive and  
dark empire1 and sounding as they go the
 trumpet of the ,gospel around his      
strong fortifications and deep          
intrenchments4 ,such an expectation     
places an immeasurable disparity between
 the means and the end4 ,it supposes it 
to be so easy to effect a transformation
 of heathen society1 heathen habits1    

heathen minds1 and heathen character1   
and to raise them up from a degradation 
many ages deep1 that a few sounds only  
from the herald of salvation1 as he     
passes on his way1 are sufficient4      
,leviathan is not thus tamed4 ,the      
prince of the power of the air is not   
thus vanquished4  ,neither can the work 
be effected by a small number of        
preachers1 stationed at different posts1
 in the midst of the wide domains of    
darkness and death4 ,like specks of     
light1 few and far between1 how can they
 illumine the broad canopy of darkness8 
,to commit the work of the world's      
conversion to a few missionaries is1 in 
effect1 to leave the heathen to perish4 
,a large company of preachers must go   
forth1 and a large company too of other 
laborers4 ,there must be among the whole
 body of ,christians1 not only an       
interest in the work1 but to a greater  
extent than is imagined1 a personal     
enlistment--an actual going forth to    
foreign lands4  ,again1 laymen must go  

abroad2 for no less a movement than this
 will convince them that the work of    
saving the heathen presses upon them    
individually1 and with all its weight   
and responsibility4 ,mere giving does   
not seem to answer the purpose4 ,very   
few laymen at home seem to imagine that 
they1 individually1 are as responsible  
for the life and death of the heathen1  
as the laborers abroad4 ,many seem to   
act only as they are acted upon4 ,this  
passive state will not answer3 there    
must be a more general feeling of       
personal responsibility4 ,and how is    
such a feeling of equal and individual  
responsibility to be induced1 till      
laymen in great numbers begin to go     
abroad8 ,till then1 there will be a     
spirit of luxury in the church2 a spirit
 of worldly-mindedness1 and a spirit of 
committing the world's conversion to    
other hands4 ,to destroy this spirit1   
which is evidently eating out the piety 
of the churches1 laymen must be urged to
 arise2 to break off their luxuries1 to 

bury their covetousness--to make an     
entire devotement of body1 soul and     
spirit1 to the direct and arduous work  
of saving the heathen4  ,once1 ,i       
remember1 after urging laymen to go     
forth1 and to assist in evangelizing the
 heathen1 a father in the church said to
 me1 ,your reasons are just and weighty1
 but it is of no use to present them    
before the churches3 they have not piety
 enough to act upon them4 ,if you can   
clearly show that men can accumulate    
wealth1 that they can really make       
fortunes by going to heathen lands1 then
 your appeals will succeed4 ,bring this 
selfish principle to operate1 and       
colonies will quickly scatter over the  
world4 ,but to go forth with a spirit of
 self-denial1 running the risk of trials
 and straitened circumstances1 and with 
merely the prospect at best of obtaining
 a comfortable livelihood and doing     
good1 is a measure not adapted to the   
present standard of piety in the        
churches4 ,until the spirit of          

devotedness shall rise many degrees in  
the churches1 the course you urge will  
be looked upon as entirely visionary4   
,alas6 can the church be so low in      
grace8 ,if it be a fact1 it is painful  
and humiliating4 ,if it be true1 then   
the church is lacking in the most       
essential qualification required of     
it--is unfitted for the main design of  
its organization2 and is there not      
reason to fear that ,god may cast it    
away1 as he has the ,roman church1 and  
raise up another after his own heart1   
that shall do all his pleasure8         
,christian reader1 can you calmly       
entertain the thought of being set aside
 by the ,lord as unworthy of his        
employment--of being rejected on the    
ground of not fulfilling the purpose for
 which you were called8     ,,chapter   
,,vi4  ,,claim ,,of ,,missions ,,on     
,,ministers ,,of ,,influence4   ,in     
early days1 ministers of the greatest   
influence were called to the work of    
missions4 ,to prove this assertion1 let 

us read the first verse of the #acth    
chapter of the ,acts of the ,apostles4  
,now there were in the church that was  
at ,antioch1 certain prophets and       
teachers2 as ,barnabas1 and ,simeon that
 was called ,niger1 and ,lucius of      
,cyrene1 and ,manaen1 which had been    
brought up with ,herod the tetrarch1 and
 ,saul4 ,as they ministered to the      
,lord1 and fasted1 the ,holy ,ghost     
said1 ,separate me ,barnabas and ,saul1 
for the work whereunto ,i have called   
them4 ,paul had been at ,antioch a whole
 year1 and ,barnabas a still longer     
time4 ,their labors there had been      
blessed4 ,the word had been attended    
with the demonstration of the ,spirit   
and with power1 and many people had     
turned to the ,lord1 so that a large    
church had been gathered in that great  
and opulent city4 ,believers there      
became so conspicuous for their numbers1
 as to be designated by a particular    
name3 ,the disciples were called        
,christians first in ,antioch4  ,there  

were laboring in that city1 besides     
,paul and ,barnabas1 three other        
ministers2 ,simeon that was called      
,niger1 and ,lucius of ,cyrene1 and     
,manaen1 who had been brought up with   
,herod the tetrarch4 ,the ,holy ,ghost  
saw that this city1 though very         
important for its numbers1 wealth and   
enterprise1 could not claim the labors  
of five ministers1 while the world at   
large was entirely destitute of the     
,gospel4 ,therefore1 on a certain       
occasion1 when the church were          
worshipping before the ,lord and        
fasting1 the ,holy ,ghost said1         
,separate me ,barnabas and ,saul1 for   
the work whereunto ,i have called them4 
,the ,holy ,ghost did not say1 ,separate
 me ,simeon1 and ,lucius1 and ,manaen1  
but1 ,separate me ,,barnabas and        
,,saul--the spiritual fathers1 and main 
pillars of the church4 ,had the church  
been allowed to vote1 it doubtless would
 have spared its sons1 rather than its  
fathers3 they would have stated their   

fond attachment to their first          
instructors2 would have plead the great 
influence of these two fathers in the   
church1 and the irreparable injury which
 would be sustained by their leaving it2
 and would have said1 ,if we must part  
with some of our teachers1 take ,simeon1
 and ,lucius1 and ,manaen1 but bereave  
us not of our spiritual fathers4 ,the   
question however was not left to their  
decision4 ,the demand is stern and      
solemn from the ,holy ,spirit1 with whom
 there is no selfish bias1 ,separate me 
,,barnabas and ,,saul4  ,in reflecting  
on this narration1 do we not come to the
 conclusion1 that ,,men ,,of ,,talents  
,,and ,,influence ,,are ,,called ,,to   
,,the ,,work ,,of ,,missions8  ,if this 
sentiment be true1 it is one of immense 
and practical importance2 one that not  
only ministers1 but churches also ought 
fully to understand4 ,let us1 then1     
dwell a moment longer on the practice of
 early times4  ,the instance to which we
 have alluded is a striking one2 it     

contains1 distinctly and impressively   
uttered1 the mind of the ,holy ,spirit4 
,it is infallible authority that speaks1
 and what does it declare8 ,the         
paramount claim of missions to the      
ablest1 holiest1 and most experienced   
men4 ,if ,antioch was required to spare 
her two ablest men1 what may not be     
required of such cities as ,boston1 ,new
 ,york1 ,philadelphia1 and ,baltimore8  
,and judging too from this case of      
,antioch1 what is the mind of the ,holy 
,ghost in regard to the twelve thousand 
or more evangelical ministers in the    
,united ,states8 ,can it be his will    
that they should all quietly remain     
where they are8  ,again1 ,god in early  
times made known his mind on this point1
 not only by the express admonition of  
the ,holy ,ghost1 but also by the       
overrulings of his ,providence4 ,take   
the account of the first dispersion4    
,the ,saviour ascended from the ,mount  
of ,olives1 and the disciples returned  
to ,jerusalem4 ,the day of ,pentecost   

arrived1 and three thousand converts    
were added to their number4 ,this       
multitude of believers was daily and    
rapidly increased4 ,here1 then1 was a   
very large city1 the capital and pride  
of the nation1 and a place of immense   
resort from all the nations round about4
 ,and in this city were many thousands  
of ,christians1 who were in peculiar    
need of constant care and faithful      
instruction1 and had they been divided  
out to the pastoral care of the twelve  
apostles1 would have made perhaps as    
large churches as any twelve in the city
 of ,new-,york4 ,jerusalem then         
presented to the apostles a vast amount 
of pastoral care1 and a field of labor  
unequalled perhaps in religious         
influence1 considering the world as it  
then was1 by any city that can be named 
within the limits of ,christendom4 ,the 
apostles were inclined to remain in     
,jerusalem1 and considering the call for
 labor there1 it is not wonderful that  
they were thus inclined4 ,they seemed   

for a time to have forgotten the last   
command of their ascended ,lord1 and to 
have chosen a work more resembling that 
of settled pastors4 ,but the ,saviour   
allowed a persecution to rage in the    
city1 till first the great body of the  
church1 and afterwards all the apostles1
 except ,james1 were scattered abroad4  
,so the great ,jerusalem was left with  
but one apostle4 ,eleven of the twelve1 
who had become in a measure settled     
there1 were driven abroad2 and not from 
,jerusalem only1 but without the limits 
of ,palestine4 ,such is evidently the   
fact4 ,let every one draw from it the   
instruction it affords4 ,to my mind it  
clashes irreconcilably with the present 
distribution of ministers4  ,take       
another case4 ,paul had been laboring at
 ,ephesus two whole years1 and had      
collected a very large church in that   
city4 ,this city was the emporium of    
,asia ,minor2 a place of much resort1   
and greatly celebrated throughout the   
known world4 ,the large number of       

disciples there1 who needed a pastor to 
warn them day and night with tears1 and 
the wide door which was there opened for
 preaching the ,gospel1 presented such  
strong claims to the mind of ,paul1 as  
seemed likely to fix there his permanent
 abode4 ,what pastor of the present day 
can urge stronger reasons for continuing
 his charge1 than ,paul might have urged
 for continuing his relation to the     
large church at ,ephesus8 ,for in       
addition to a large city and a large    
church1 the converts had been but lately
 gathered from heathenism--were but     
babes in ,christ--and needed constant   
instruction and unwearied care4 ,yet    
,god was pleased to allow ,demetrius to 
excite an uproar1 and thus to sever     
,paul from his church and congregation1 
and send him abroad into ,macedonia4    
,this is another fact--a ,,stubborn     
,,fact1 which we ought to bear in mind1 
and weigh well4 ,if ,god saw best thus  
to break tender ties1 separate ,paul    
from a large city and a large body of   

such converts as1 above all others1     
needed special care1 and to leave the   
important post almost destitute1 can it 
be his will that all the pastors of the 
present day should stay in their places1
 and that none of them should go forth  
to the heathen8 ,if the city had been   
,boston1 with its thousand means of     
grace1 the case would have been         
comparatively weak2 but it was ,ephesus1
 a heathen city1 and depending almost   
entirely on the living voice of ,paul1  
and yet this one preacher must become a 
missionary4 ,let us look at this fact1  
and each one for himself draw           
conclusions2 not those that are wild and
 extravagant1 but such as are true and  
sober4  ,we have here a commentary on   
the last command of ,jesus4 ,it was     
commented upon by the providence of     
,god1 separating the apostles from      
,jerusalem1 ,antioch1 and ,ephesus4 ,it 
was commented upon by the direct        
admonition of the ,holy ,ghost in a     
particular case4 ,it was commented upon 

by the practice of the apostles4 ,let us
 beware that we substitute not1 for this
 correct commentary1 any worldly-wise   
interpretation of our own4 ,let us admit
 it just as it comes to us from early   
days1 fresh and unmodified1 and allow it
 to govern our lives4  ,there are but   
few who do not admit1 that the present  
distribution of ministers is            
anti-apostolic--that many1 who are now  
pastors1 ought to have become           
missionaries before they were settled4  
,and can the mere fact of being settled 
have produced such a vast change in the 
question of duty1 as to place it forever
 at rest8 ,if the clustering together of
 twelve thousand ministers within the   
bounds of the ,united ,states1 where a  
thousand means of grace and improvement 
exist besides the voice of the living   
teacher1 is a very different thing from 
going into all the world1 and preaching 
the ,gospel to every creature--an       
egregious disproportion to the wants of 
the world--must we stifle all emotion   

and all inquiry1 in taking it for       
granted that it is now too late for     
change8 ,and yet there seems to be a    
tacit understanding1 that any other     
distribution than that now existing1 of 
the present generation of ministers1 is 
a point not to be agitated4 ,at least1  
many a pastor quiets himself with the   
thought1 that no change is to be        
contemplated in his particular case1 for
 the care of a church is on his hands4  
,almost by common consent1 pastors are  
excused2 and missionaries are looked for
 from the young men and the children2   
and the hope of the heathen amounts to  
this1 that some young men may be kept   
from imitating the example of their     
fathers and elder brethren1 and be      
prevailed upon to enter the missionary  
work before they become pastors4 ,for if
 the mere fact of being a pastor places 
the question at rest1 young men will    
feel themselves relieved as soon as they
 enter that office4  ,i have known young
 men whose minds were goaded on the     

question of going to the heathen1 like  
the conscience of a convicted sinner1   
till a call was presented to some       
important church2 and then they         
succeeded in laying the subject at once 
and entirely aside4 ,like the pursued   
ostrich1 who thrusts her head into the  
sand1 and vainly imagines that she is   
concealed from her pursuers1 so1 ,i     
fear1 some endeavor to elude the        
convictions of conscience4 ,i put the   
question to your own good sense1 your   
candor1 and your pious feelings3 ,can   
the mere fact of being a pastor excuse a
 man from going to the heathen1 when    
perhaps he became a pastor in violation 
of the ,saviour's command8  ,it is      
acknowledged1 that many pastors ought to
 have become missionaries before they   
were settled--that the present amazing  
disproportion between settled ministers 
at home1 and missionaries abroad1 ought 
never to have existed4 ,to argue so     
plain a case would be a waste of breath4
 ,how then can the fact of having       

wandered from duty excuse one from the  
performance of it8 ,to-day1 it is the   
duty of ,jonah to go to ,nineveh4       
,to-morrow1 he has engaged his passage  
to ,tarshish1 has paid his fare1 has    
gone down into the sides of the ship1   
and is quietly at rest4 ,is he therefore
 excused8 ,to-day1 the command of       
,christ presses upon me the obligation  
to go to the heathen4 ,to-morrow1       
leaving out of mind this command1 which 
still applies in all its force1 ,i enter
 into an obligation with a particular   
church to take upon me its pastoral     
care3 which obligation is binding8 ,the 
last1 do you say8 ,can ,i then thus     
easily thrust aside the ,saviour's last 
and most impressive command8 ,can ,i1 by
 such a course1 shield myself           
effectually from its further            
application8 ,i have yet to learn1 that 
by any change of place or circumstances 
we can free ourselves from the weight of
 the ,saviour's injunction4 ,i mean not 
to assert1 that all who ought to have   

become missionaries before they were    
settled1 ought to become so now4 ,some  
have entirely hedged up their way2 and  
though they may have been disobedient in
 doing so1 yet deep regret and sincere  
repentance is all the reparation they   
can now make4 ,but those who ought to   
have gone to the heathen1 and before    
whom the door is still open for going1  
such should still become missionaries1  
and on the obvious principle1 that it is
 better to do our duty late than not to 
do it all4 ,the mere plea of being a    
pastor is not a sufficient excuse2 and  
it is losing too1 continually1 more and 
more of its force4 ,it is a wonder that 
it should be relied upon so much as a   
quietus1 since1 in the present age1 the 
residence of a pastor is very transient 
and uncertain4  ,again let me say1 it is
 a great thing1 a good thing1 and a rare
 thing1 to be entirely honest in the    
sight of ,god4 ,let us endeavor to be   
so4 ,it is to be feared1 that there may 
be some who exempt themselves from      

becoming missionaries on the ground of  
being pastors1 who are not altogether   
honest in their excuse4 ,are there not  
some individuals1 who make it1 who would
 manifest but little hesitation in      
leaving the pastoral office to take the 
oversight of a college1 to become a     
professor in a theological seminary1 or 
to take charge of some prominent        
religious periodical8 ,when urged to    
become a missionary1 the pastor pleads  
his attachment to his people2 their     
affection for him1 which gives him great
 influence2 and his acquaintance with   
their prejudices1 opinions1 habits1 and 
whole character1 so as to adapt his     
instructions to their particular case4  
,he mentions these1 and the like        
considerations1 and concludes very      
readily that he can be more useful in   
his present situation than in any other4
 ,but when a presidency1 a              
professorship1 or a more influential    
church is offered1 the reasons before   
urged seem to lose something of their   

force2 and through the intervention of  
some new light1 which ,i shall not      
account for1 the conclusion is formed   
that another situation would be more    
useful4 ,the motive for a change is a   
good one2 but it is to be remembered    
that this same motive1 that of being    
more useful1 could not prevail upon them
 to become missionaries4  ,facts of this
 kind could be collected1 ,i think to a 
considerable extent2 and they lead me1  
however unwilling1 to suspect that1 in  
some cases1 the honest reason why       
ministers do not become missionaries is 
not that they are pastors1 but something
 quite different4  ,another fact1 too1  
makes me suspicious that there is some  
lack of entire honesty4 ,a pastor says  
he cannot become a missionary1 for he   
has the care of a church4 ,in a few     
months1 for some cause or other1 he is  
dismissed from his church and people4   
,what does he do8 become a missionary8  
,i have one in my eye who was a pastor  
of a church in a large city4 ,he told   

me1 that nothing but his relation as    
pastor in that city could keep him a    
moment from the missionary work4 ,soon  
after1 he was dismissed from his church 
and people2 and think you he became a   
missionary8 ,you would betray a very    
limited knowledge of human nature to    
think so4  ,but1 says one1 ,i am opposed
 to fickleness and change4 ,ah6 indeed2 
does it betray fickleness to leave a    
church to become a missionary8 ,did ,god
 favor fickleness and change when he    
prevented the permanent location of the 
apostles in ,palestine1 by a voice from 
heaven1 and by violent persecutions8    
,did the ,saviour favor fickleness in   
his last command8 ,when a presidency1 a 
professorship1 or a more prominent and  
influential church is offered you1 then 
speak of fickleness--the excuse may     
possibly be in place2 but never1 never  
in place1 while untold millions of our  
race are dying for lack of vision1 and  
our commission reads1 ,,go ,,ye ,,into  
,,all ,,the ,,world1 ,,and ,,preach     

,,the ,,gospel ,,to ,,every ,,creature4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,one pastor excuses himself1 by saying1 
,the attachment between me and my people
 is very dear1 and this attachment gives
 me great influence with them4 ,i reply1
 ,was not the attachment very dear      
between the apostles and the disciples  
at ,jerusalem1 and also between ,paul   
and the converts at ,antioch1 and at    
,ephesus8 ,what language of affection   
and solicitude can equal that of ,paul  
for his converts8 ,he calls them his joy
 and crown--the little children for whom
 he travails in birth1 till ,christ be  
formed in them4 ,he says to them1 ,i    
live1 if ye stand fast in the ,lord4    
,and had not the apostles great         
influence in the churches in which they 
labored8 ,had not ,paul and ,barnabas   
great influence in the church at        
,antioch8 ,did not the church love and  
respect them1 and hang in breathless    
silence upon their lips1 and look upon  
their departure as an irreparable loss8 

,yet1 though entwined into the hearts of
 the people1 and possessing every       
advantage to instruct them which        
intimate acquaintance and unbounded     
influence could give1 the ,holy ,ghost1 
notwithstanding1 said1 ,separate me     
,,barnabas and ,,saul4  ,attachment is  
your plea2 but the spirit of the ,gospel
 is a spirit of self-denial1 and        
requires us not only to forsake church  
and people1 but also father and mother1 
brother and sister1 son and daughter1   
and to hold our own lives loosely4      
,those persons to whom attachment is    
strongest1 and who can't be spared on   
that account1 are the best fitted for   
missions4  ,you plead the influence     
which you possess with your church and  
people4 ,this1 instead of being a reason
 for remaining at home1 is a powerful   
argument for going abroad4 ,in that very
 influence you possess an advantage and 
qualification for the missionary work1  
which very few missionaries enjoy4 ,it  
is greatly to be lamented that the      

church has but little acquaintance with 
her missionaries4 ,it was not so in     
primitive times4 ,on this account there 
is room for the question to arise1      
,whether there ought not to be less of  
the home minister for life1 and the     
exile for life2 a narrower gulf between 
the two1 and more passing and repassing1
 as the apostles were wont to do2 a     
breaking up of caste1 grade and         
condition among ministers1 as regards   
various fields--a more literal          
compliance with the precept of going    
into all the world1 and preaching the   
,gospel to every creature4 ,be this     
however as it may--for there is much    
that can be said on either side of the  
question--it is most certainly true1    
that the pastor possesses one very great
 advantage3 that by going to the heathen
 he can wake up1 in one church at least1
 the spirit of doing good--the          
enterprising and benevolent spirit of   
,christ and his apostles4 ,he may take  
with him1 as helpers1 some of its most  

intelligent and active members1 and call
 forth the contributions and enlist the 
prayers of those who may remain4  ,it   
seems1 that nothing less than such means
 as the separation of pastors for the   
work of missions1 can avail to awake the
 slumbering churches1 and to lead them  
to begin in earnest to seek the         
salvation of the heathen2 to feel that  
the work presses upon them individually1
 and demands all their energies and     
their personal enlistment4 ,for it is a 
sober and humiliating fact1 as ,i have  
had some opportunity of judging1 that   
there are few churches comparatively1 in
 our land1 who seem to have drunk deeply
 into the missionary spirit4 ,there is  
need1 therefore1 of a movement on the   
part of pastors1 to arouse the churches 
from their guilty slumbers4  ,a pastor  
possesses much influence with his church
 and congregation4 ,the ,lord then has  
given him five talents1 and he can      
easily make them ten3 by going abroad he
 can benefit his church perhaps as much 

as by remaining their pastor1 and1 at   
the same time1 be the instrument of     
saving many heathen souls4 ,there is    
that scattereth1 and yet increaseth2 and
 he that watereth shall be watered also 
himself4 ,god's blessing distils upon   
the liberal soul1 and the liberal       
church4 ,the performance of duty is     
attended with the ,saviour's smiles and 
a rich reward4 ,who does not see1 that a
 pastor could in no way so effectually  
awaken in his church a spirit of        
benevolent feeling and action1 as by    
exhibiting it in his own person2 by     
rising up1 and going forth to the       
heathen1 urging a part of his flock to  
accompany him1 and the rest to sustain  
him in the field8 ,who doubts1 that by  
such a course he would do more to arouse
 the pure and active religion of ,jesus 
,christ and his apostles1 than he could 
possibly do in any other way2 that he   
would give an impulse to his church in  
favor of primitive piety and practice1  
that should add vastly to its strength1 

its glory and its numbers1 and be felt  
in all time to come4 ,let not the       
pastor1 then1 excuse himself from the   
missionary work1 because he has acquired
 influence in his church and            
congregation2 for that very fact is a   
powerful argument for going abroad4     
,for the same reason1 no one can excuse 
himself because he fills a post of vast 
importance4 ,he is the pastor of an     
influential church1 a president of a    
college1 a professor in a theological   
seminary1 the editor of a religious     
paper of immense circulation1 or the    
secretary of some society3 his station  
is one of vast responsibility1 and he   
imagines that he is therefore excused   
from becoming a missionary4 ,but was not
 ,jerusalem an important place8 more    
prominent1 compared with other cities of
 that time1 than any city in the ,united
 ,states8 ,and yet all the apostles1    
except one1 were required not only to   
leave that city1 but to go without the  
limits of ,palestine4 ,was not ,antioch 

as important as ,boston or              
,philadelphia8 ,yet ,paul and ,barnabas 
were not suffered to remain there4      
,besides1 is not the work of a          
missionary a difficult1 important1 and  
responsible work8 ,the ,holy ,spirit    
thought so in apostolic times4 ,when a  
man was needed to preach to ,cornelius  
and his household1 a man of no less     
ability and influence than ,peter was   
chosen4 ,when a man was called to go to 
,antioch1 ,barnabas was sent1 a man of  
great piety and influence4 ,and when two
 of the five preachers at ,antioch were 
called to go to the heathen1 the ,holy  
,ghost did not choose ,simeon1 or       
,lucius1 or ,manaen1 but said1 ,separate
 me ,,barnabas and ,,saul2 the men of   
the greatest ability1 experience1 piety 
and wisdom4 ,thus the ,holy ,spirit     
seemed to declare that the work of a    
missionary required greater talents1    
more mature wisdom1 and deeper piety1   
than the work of a pastor in the largest
 and most influential churches4  ,and is

 not this doctrine1 while it accords    
with the instructions of the ,holy      
,ghost and the practice of primitive    
times1 also a dictate of common sense8  
,would you choose weak men to penetrate 
into the very midst of the enemy1 and to
 grapple with the ,anaks of the land1   
and keep those who are strong in a      
garrison at home8 ,would you select     
indifferent statesmen to settle the     
affairs of revolutionary ,france1 or to 
reduce to order the chaotic mass of the 
,south ,american states2 and employ the 
able1 the wise and talented1 in         
governing a country already quiet and   
peaceful8 ,did it require less wisdom to
 lay the foundation and form the        
constitution of our good government1    
than it requires to manage the state on 
principles already established8 ,does it
 require less skill to draft the plan of
 a capitol1 than to work at the building
 when the plan is mature8 ,does it      
require less wisdom to govern a camp in 
a state of mutiny1 than when in         

subjection and at peace8 ,look1 then1 at
 the work of missions4 ,does it require 
less talent to deal with minds clouded  
by ignorance1 perverted by superstition1
 and barred by arrogance1 bigotry1 and  
pride1 than to instruct the unbiassed1  
the willing1 and intelligent8 ,does it  
require less wisdom to tear up the      
foundations of heathen society1 and lay 
it anew on the principles of the        
,gospel--to change society morally1     
religiously1 and socially1 than to      
preserve in a good condition a people   
already intelligent1 industrious1 and   
,christian8 ,surely1 if talent is needed
 anywhere in the kingdom of ,christ1 it 
is in the missionary work4 ,that        
minister1 whose talents and piety make  
him so useful at home that he cannot be 
spared1 that is the minister who is     
needed abroad4 ,the foreign field calls 
for no laborers who can be conveniently 
spared4  ,then1 is the church of a      
pastor wealthy and influential8 ,it is  
the very church that needs to be aroused

 by his leaving it4 ,or is he connected 
with a literary1 or theological         
institution8 ,some thus connected are   
needed to go1 to produce the best       
impression on the young men who are in  
training4 ,the more important and       
influential then one's place is1 the    
more like a rushing flood do reasons    
crowd upon him to arise and go4  ,it is 
very common for men to excuse themselves
 from the work of missions1 on the      
ground1 that they are somewhat advanced 
in years4 ,there is weight in this      
excuse4 ,that person would exhibit the  
want of a proper balance of mind1 who   
should urge all indiscriminately1       
whatever their age and however          
circumstanced in life1 to go forth to   
the heathen4 ,but still the excuse of   
age ought to be looked at cautiously4   
,age implies experience1 authority1     
dignity1 and wisdom--the very qualities 
most wanted in the difficult work of    
missions4 ,the work of tearing up and   
laying anew the foundations of society1 

moral1 religious1 and social1 is a task 
that ought by no means to be committed  
to the young and inexperienced4 ,it is  
preposterous to commit altogether to    
novices in the ministry a work so new1  
so complicated1 so beset with           
difficulties1 on the right hand and on  
the left1 and so momentous1 too1 in its 
responsibilities4 ,can ,satan be driven 
so easily from his own territory1 that  
none but raw troops are needed for the  
contest8 ,can the broad and deep        
intrenchments of ,paganism1             
,mohammedism1 and ,romanism be so easily
 taken1 as not to need men of age1      
experience and skill1 to direct the     
assault8 ,can the snares in which the   
heathen are held2 which are laid with   
all the subtlety of the arch-fiend1 be  
so easily divested of their specious    
character1 and traced into their        
thousand windings1 as not to require the
 wisdom and experience of age8 ,a       
minister has age3 he has then one great 
qualification for the work4 ,paul the   

aged had none too much experience1      
dignity and wisdom1 for the work of a   
missionary to heathen lands4  ,but age1 
it is said1 is a great barrier in       
acquiring a foreign language4 ,there is 
force in this remark2 but let us be     
cautious1 that we do not trust too much 
to it4 ,a great amount of labor may be  
performed on heathen ground without a   
knowledge of the language4 ,much can be 
done in the ,english language1 and much1
 too1 can be done through interpreters4 
,all that ,david ,brainerd accomplished 
was in this way4  ,but how certain is   
it1 that persons somewhat advanced      
cannot acquire a foreign language8 ,this
 plea is not peculiar to those who have 
been some time in the ministry4 ,no     
excuse is more frequently offered1 and  
with more appearance of honesty1 even in
 the college and the theological        
seminary4 ,it is difficult to place the 
mark of age where this excuse may be    
properly offered1 and where it may not4 
,shall we place it at thirty-five8 ,some

 missionaries now in the field entered  
on the work at that age1 and acquired   
the language without much difficulty4   
,it may be remarked1 too1 that men of   
traffic abroad1 from youth to gray      
hairs1 usually learn so much of a       
foreign language as to answer their     
purpose4 ,let us beware1 then1 how much 
we depend on the excuse of age2 and be  
cautious1 too1 how far up the scale of  
years we place the mark4  ,another      
excuse which has some weight is this3 ,i
 must remain at home to take care of my 
aged parents4 ,so said one to ,christ3  
,lord1 ,i will follow thee1 but suffer  
me first to go and bury my father4      
,jesus answered1 ,let the dead bury     
their dead1 but go thou and preach the  
,gospel4 ,i leave to the reader to      
determine the precise meaning and force 
of this reply of our ,saviour4 ,this    
much it certainly means1 that some may  
excuse themselves from preaching to take
 care of their parents1 when the excuse 
is not valid4 ,i will not say1 that the 

excuse is not sufficient in some cases2 
but ,i am inclined to think that such   
cases are rare4 ,a parent must be very  
dependent upon a son1 to be liable to   
such inconvenience and suffering from   
his absence1 as can reasonably weigh in 
the balance against the claims of the   
hundreds of millions of dying heathen4  
,but the excuse which seems to be the   
most valid1 is this3 ,my going to the   
heathen is out of the question1 for ,i  
have a family of children4 ,this is     
indeed a tender point4 ,god has given me
 some experience on this subject1 and ,i
 know how to appreciate the excuse4 ,but
 the ,saviour says1 ,he that loveth son 
or daughter more than me1 is not worthy 
of me4 ,this declaration means nothing1 
unless it requires us to make great     
sacrifices in regard to our children4   
,so far as we can at present see1 the   
world cannot be converted without great 
self-denial on this point4 ,precisely   
what sacrifices are to be made in regard
 to children1 is a question which is    

not1 as yet1 fully determined4  ,but let
 us look at the excuse4 ,if a minister  
may stay at home because he has         
children1 may not the missionary who has
 children return home8 ,a pastor has one
 child1 and cannot go4 ,then may not the
 missionary who has one child1 come     
back8 ,a pastor has six children1 and   
cannot go4 ,many missionaries have six  
children1 shall not they return8 ,the   
mere circumstance of being already      
abroad cannot have much weight2 and the 
sacrifice of a voyage in such a         
question1 and among a multitude of other
 weighty reasons1 is scarcely worth     
being named4 ,if children then are an   
excuse1 let missionaries return4 ,no1   
you say2 missionaries who have children 
must not return on that account4 ,what  
then shall they do with their children8 
,keep them1 and train them up to be     
helpers in the work8 ,let pastors then  
take their children into the field1 and 
train them up for that purpose4 ,you    
certainly have hearts too noble to      

impose a burden on the shoulders of     
others which you would not bear         
yourselves4 ,your children would have   
the advantage of the children of        
missionaries1 having been thus far      
trained in a ,christian land4 ,as to    
future advantages of education1 they    
will have the same with the children now
 abroad4 ,you certainly cannot complain 
of equality4  ,but1 you say1 let        
missionaries send their children home4  
,then let pastors leave their children  
at home and go abroad4 ,ah1 you say1    
pastors cannot endure the thought2 it   
would be a shock to their parental      
feelings that they cannot sustain4 ,but1
 ,i ask1 have missionaries no feelings8 
have their hearts become hard1 like     
blocks of wood and pieces of rock8 ,does
 love to ,christ1 and compassion for the
 heathen1 tend to make men and women    
obtuse in their feelings1 so that a     
father or mother on heathen ground does 
not feel as intensely for the present   
and eternal welfare of a child1 as a    

parent who has never gone to the        
heathen8 ,ah6 had you seen what my eyes 
have witnessed1 facts then should speak 
and ,i would be silent4 ,missionaries1  
indeed1 are trained to cast their care  
upon ,god2 their feelings are chastened 
and disciplined1 but at the same time   
deep and intense4 ,to a thousand        
dangers1 toils and hardships1 they may  
be inured2 but when the separation of   
children is thought of1 they show full  
well that they are no proof against an  
agony of feeling4 ,certainly1 then1 you 
will not plead for exemption4 ,you would
 not place upon others this burden1 and 
pull away your own shoulders from it4   
,you have souls too generous and        
benevolent to do that4 ,you cannot find 
it in your hearts to offer to the lips  
of others a cup more bitter than you    
would drink yourselves4 ,you can choose 
guardians for your children far better  
than the missionaries can who are       
abroad1 and your children shall have the
 same provision for their support and   

education as theirs have4  ,we have     
glanced at some excuses4 ,many others   
there are in this excuse-making age4 ,be
 entreated to look at them with the     
command of ,christ1 a sinking world and 
a coming judgment1 in your eye1 and as  
far as they have weight and no farther  
be influenced by them4 ,where exemption 
cannot honestly be pleaded1 the command 
in all its force is binding4  ,that some
 pastors of influence and talent should 
become missionaries1 seems necessary2   
for how otherwise can the means be      
raised to sustain missions abroad1 and  
to send forth young men who may offer   
themselves8 ,it is well known1 that     
operations abroad have been and are     
still exceedingly crippled4 ,it is well 
known1 too1 that quite a company of     
young men have at different times been  
waiting1 for want of requisite funds to 
send them forth to the heathen4  ,now   
this is the state of things1 not because
 there is not money enough in the hands 
of ,christians--no one imagines that    

such is the fact--but because           
,christians1 as a body1 are not aroused 
to duty4 ,what means shall be taken to  
arouse them8 ,i1 for one1 am inclined to
 think that there would be hope1 if some
 influential and prominent pastors would
 enter the missionary work4 ,in such a  
case1 ,i should indeed have strong hope 
that the impulse1 falling in with the   
spirit of primitive practice and the    
will of the ,holy ,ghost1 would be such 
as to bring forth the funds needed to   
sustain the operations now begun1 send  
forth waiting young men1 and carry      
themselves also into the field4 ,i feel 
quite confident1 that the measure would 
soon clear the seaboard of all who might
 be detained1 and place their joyful    
feet on foreign soil4  ,the great body  
of professed ,christians are becoming   
luxurious in their modes of life4 ,one  
cannot go through the churches1 after   
the absence of several years1 without   
being forcibly impressed with this fact4
 ,they press forward after wealth1 and  

profess to be accumulating it for       
,christ2 but in the end1 spend it on    
themselves and on their children4 ,now  
what1 under ,god1 shall break up this   
covetousness1 and luxurious manner of   
life8 ,what shall bring them back to the
 pure and unadulterated principles of   
the ,gospel--to live1 labor1 and die for
 ,christ1 as did the primitive          
disciples8 ,let pastors1 like the       
apostles1 go into all the world and     
preach the ,gospel to every creature4   
,there is reason to hope that the church
 members would likewise imbibe the right
 spirit1 and act on right principles4   
,then we should hear no more of schools 
disbanded and missionaries detained1 but
 troops of heralds would be carrying out
 the news of salvation and sending back 
tidings of success4 ,there is much      
philosophical and ,bible truth in the   
proverb1 ,like people like priest4 ,o1  
what responsibility rests on the        
ministers of ,christ6  ,again1 if all   
settled ministers of talent and         

influence remain at home1 how can such a
 number of missionaries be secured as   
seem needed for the world's conversion8 
,if many of those already in the sacred 
office do not go1 it is absolutely      
certain1 that the present generation of 
heathen must die without the ,gospel4   
,the angel of death continues hovering  
over the dying nations1 mowing down his 
twenty millions a year2 and before      
ministers can be raised up from among   
the youth and children1 will be drawing 
a stroke at the last man of all that are
 now heathen4 ,the present generation of
 ministers must preach the ,gospel to   
the present generation of mankind4 ,it  
will be the duty of the next generation 
of ministers to preach to the           
inhabitants that shall be then on the   
globe4 ,to look for missionaries from   
among the young alone1 is making no     
provision for the present generation of 
heathen4 ,if the heathen are to be left 
till missionaries can be trained up1    
they are to be left--the soul shudders  

at the thought--till they shall be in   
hell6 ,by making this postponement1 the 
churches1 in effect1 though certainly   
without intending it1 sign the death    
warrant of a great portion of the       
present six hundred millions of         
perishing heathen2 relinquish all effort
 for this vast multitude1 and only dream
 of saving the next generation--of whom 
it would be a mercy never to be born1   
unless there shall be more hope of their
 salvation than can be seen at          
present--dream1 ,i say1 of saving the   
next generation2 for to think much of   
raising up the young to be missionaries1
 without going ourselves1 is little     
better than dreaming4  ,to induce young 
men1 to any great extent1 to become     
missionaries1 when their fathers and    
elder brethren do not1 is hopeless4     
,precept must become more powerful than 
example1 before such a result can take  
place4 ,how can you so blindfold the    
young1 stop their ears1 and wall them   
off from surrounding influences1 as to  

expect such a result8 ,if their eyes are
 left open1 what do they see8 ,they see 
their fathers and elder brethren settled
 at home1 and some of them in quiet1    
comfort and honor4 ,if their ears are   
left open1 what do they hear8 ,they hear
 various excuses for remaining at home1 
and among others1 the specious idea of  
training up children to be missionaries4
 ,and what will they do8 ,they will     
dream of training your grandchildren for
 missions1 and your grandchildren dream 
of training the next generation1 and so 
on1 as the sixty generations past have  
done1 from the time of the ,saviour     
down4 ,but the fire of ,god's ,spirit   
shall burn up this chaff4 ,the world    
shall not be cheated out of its         
millenium4 ,the judgment trumpet shall  
not sound before the arrival of the     
latter day glory4  ,to become a         
missionary1 in the present state of     
things1 is sailing against wind and     
tide2 so that those who find their way  
to the heathen1 compared with the number

 who ought to go1 are very few indeed4  
,to urge a large number into the field  
is hopeless4 ,bonaparte might as well   
have urged his soldiers over the ,alps  
without leading them4 ,we cannot expect 
the nature of things to change1 and     
precept to become more powerful than    
example4 ,a portion of the more talented
 of the settled ministry must lead the  
way4 ,then there shall be found a       
resuscitating principle2 our eyes shall 
beam with joy1 and we shall fondly      
cherish a rational hope of the world's  
renovation4  ,again1 many pastors should
 become missionaries1 for all things    
await their personal enlistment in the  
service4 ,god1 in his providence1 is    
causing a state of preparation in the   
world which calls for some mighty       
movement on the part of the church4 ,a  
door is opened into almost every nation 
on the earth1 and ships are ready to    
carry us to almost every port4 ,now is  
the time for a great effort4 ,all the   
elements are ready for action1 and need 

only to be brought to bear on the       
glorious cause of the world's           
conversion4 ,to effect this1 there must 
be a high stand of prayerful enterprise 
on the part of the present generation of
 ministers4 ,the ,lord has brought us to
 the ministry for such a time as this2  
and surely my brethren will not prove   
themselves unworthy of so vast a        
responsibility1 but come up joyfully to 
the work1 and reap the harvest of the   
world4  ,and here let me say1 that the  
millions of souls already lost are      
immense2 and it would be awfully        
presumptuous in ,christians to neglect  
the millions and hundreds of millions of
 the present generation4 ,century after 
century has rolled along1 ingulfing     
generation after generation1 till one   
would think that ,satan himself would be
 satisfied with the enormous havoc4     
,eighteen centuries have passed away1   
and sixty generations1 five hundred     
millions each--thirty billions of       
immortal souls left to perish since     

,christ gave command to evangelize them4
 ,are not thirty billions enough8 ,shall
 we1 by any guilty neglect1 suffer the  
present generation1 six hundred millions
 more1 to be added8 ,o1 let the billions
 of souls already lost suffice4 ,o1 let 
us arise1 and go and preach the ,gospel 
to the nations1 that the generations    
that remain between this and the        
judgment may be saved4  ,let me suggest1
 too1 that nothing would so readily     
produce union among ministers at home1  
as to divert all their powers of body   
and mind into some all-absorbing and    
self-denying enterprise4 ,now1 what     
angel of heaven has not wept over the   
contentions and jealousies that cloud   
the glory of the ,american churches4    
,how has the heart of ,jesus bled over  
the dissensions and strife of his own   
ministers6 ,and is there no remedy8 ,let
 pastors become so engrossed in         
fulfilling their commission as to obey  
its literal import1 and arise and go2   
and ,i mistake much1 if the movement    

would not make a material impression on 
their contentions and jealousies4 ,they 
would feel that they were doing a great 
work1 and could not come down4 ,for     
contention they would find neither time 
nor inclination4 ,it would be difficult 
to state1 in a foreign tongue1 their    
metaphysical distinctions1 so as to make
 a difference4 ,higher and nobler       
objects would engross the soul4 ,be     
entreated to try this course4 ,then the 
recording angel shall not be compelled1 
with aching heart and streaming eyes1 to
 inscribe ,,ichabod on our ,american    
,zion2 but1 with willing soul and ready 
hands1 shall write in fairer lines1     
,,beautiful ,,for ,,situation1 ,,the    
,,joy ,,of ,,the ,,whole ,,earth4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,but it is often said1 ,i never felt it 
to be my duty to go to the heathen3 ,i  
never had any such impression4  ,no such
 impression6 ,did then the command of   
our ascended ,lord1 his last command1   
delivered under the most solemn         

circumstances1 make no impression upon  
you8 ,did the temporal and eternal      
miseries of six hundred millions of your
 fellow men make no impression upon you8
 ,did their groans and sighs1 which came
 over the waters like the voice of seven
 thunders1 peal after peal1 make no     
impression upon you8 ,and could you     
remain at home with comfort and peace of
 mind1 with the weeping and wailing of  
millions of dying souls in your ears1   
backed up with the command of ,christ to
 go and seek their salvation8 ,while    
,jesus plead1 ,lo1 ,i died for them1 go1
 preach my ,gospel to them1 that they   
may live2 could you remain unimpressed  
and unmoved8 ,and have all these        
considerations1 and a hundred more1 been
 urged upon you for years1 and yet      
failed to make an impression8 ,alas6 of 
what is your heart made1 that it does   
not feel8 ,look for no supernatural     
impression4 ,missionaries have none4    
,there is no need of any4 ,he that can  
live and not be impressed1 may well     

tremble for his own salvation4 ,it      
appears that you are easily impressed   
that it is your duty to remain at home4 
,the motives1 ,i fear1 that come before 
your mind are well suited to make an    
impression4 ,you quickly perceive a     
call1 when country1 home1 friends1 the  
endearments of society1 and the like    
considerations crowd upon your mind4 ,o1
 dear brethren1 let us be entirely      
honest1 as we expect soon to meet the   
,saviour and the world of perishing     
souls for whom he died4  ,another       
similar excuse is often made3 ,did ,i   
possess the requisite attainments in    
holiness1 ,i should delight to go       
abroad4 ,but as the case is1 ,i cannot  
become a missionary3 ,i have not piety  
enough4  ,not piety enough6 ,then be    
entreated to become more pious without  
delay4 ,as you value the souls of dying 
men1 defer not to become more holy4     
,through your want of piety the heathen 
may be left to perish4 ,but what is     
holiness8 ,is it not obedience to the   

commands of ,christ8 ,obey1 then1 his   
last command3 that will be becoming more
 holy4 ,go forth to the heathen from    
love to ,christ3 that will be becoming  
more pious4 ,,not ,,piety ,,enough6     
,will you presume to offer that excuse  
to the ,lord ,jesus1 when you shall     
stand before him to render account for  
the blood of the heathen8 ,and when you 
shall see multitudes of the heathen     
sinking into hell1 whom1 under the      
blessing of the ,spirit1 you might have 
saved2 and hear their weeping1 wailing1 
and gnashing of teeth2 will it ease your
 mind1 and quiet your conscience1 that  
you had not piety enough to go and make 
known to them the way of life8 ,this is 
a solemn subject4 ,let us try1 dear     
brethren1 to look at it as we ought4    
,allied to this excuse is the following3
 ,i have never thought myself qualified 
for the work of missions4 ,it is a work 
which in my view requires rare          
endowments4 ,did ,i possess the         
requisite qualifications1 ,i should     

delight to engage in so glorious a work4
  ,to this excuse ,i would say1 ,there  
is room in the wide field of missions   
for every grade and variety of talent4  
,such is the universal testimony of     
those who have gone forth4 ,neither     
could it be otherwise in so various and 
vast a work as that of converting all   
nations1 many of whom need to be        
instructed in the simplest arts of      
civilized life1 and in the very alphabet
 of knowledge4 ,but the excuse you      
render is entirely at variance with the 
facts in the case4 ,if the work of      
missions be deemed worthy of the        
greatest talents1 why is it that a large
 number do not go forth from among the  
more prominent and influential in the   
sacred office8 ,the plea of             
disqualification is a popular one4      
,there is in it much appearance of      
humility and self-depreciation4 ,but    
facts testify1 that many who plead their
 want of talent do not hesitate1 if     
invited1 to take upon them the care of a

 college1 or of a large and opulent     
church4 ,if the conduct of men is to be 
regarded as a just interpreter of their 
sentiments1 then the great body of the  
,christian ministry1 instead of         
regarding themselves unfit for the work 
of missions1 consider themselves too    
well qualified to enter it4 ,they really
 think1 that those of inferior          
qualifications will do for missions2    
while those of superior minds and       
brilliant talents must be reserved for  
important stations at home4  ,it is said
 again1 ,all cannot go abroad4  ,i      
reply1 ,do not use the word all till    
there shall be some need of it4 ,there  
is no danger yet that the home company  
will be comparatively too small4  ,there
 is another excuse which is worthy of   
more notice4 ,one says1 ,my own country 
claims my first attention4 ,it presents 
a field of vast extent1 and demands a   
vast amount of labor4 ,its schools1     
colleges and seminaries1 must be        
sustained4 ,its religious periodicals   

must be edited4 ,the churches must be   
watched over1 and brought up to a higher
 standard of piety4 ,revivals must be   
promoted4 ,but passing by these claims  
for labor1 look at the wide-spreading   
desolations of the ,west1 where         
ignorance1 infidelity1 and ,romanism    
prevail1 and threaten1 at no very future
 day1 to be the overthrow of our        
government--the extinguishment of our   
dearly-bought and precious inheritance4 
,all our exertions must be put forth to 
save our country2 for the progress of   
light and knowledge throughout the world
 depends on its existence4 ,the         
overthrow of our government would put   
back the dial of the moral world ten    
centuries4 ,our own nation lost1 and    
what would become of the heathen8 when  
would the millenium arrive8 ,our present
 attention must be directed to the      
salvation of our own country1 and our   
missionary exertions must be            
concentrated on the ,west4  ,the excuse 
does not stop here2 but a citizen from  

,great ,britain would say1 ,i too must  
speak in behalf of my country--a country
 whose possessions encircle the globe4  
,the existence and religious prosperity 
of a nation whose commerce is so great1 
and whose dominions embrace a large     
portion of the heathen world1 cannot but
 be intimately connected with the       
universal prevalence of light and peace4
 ,it is of the first importance1 that   
the heart of such a nation should beat  
with a healthy pulse2 that much effort  
should be made to promote a high        
standard of vital godliness in the      
universities and churches at home4 ,but 
more than this1 look at the vast body of
 laboring men in ,england and ,ireland1 
who are living in ignorance and in sin4 
,they call loudly for teachers and for  
preachers of the ,gospel1 and ought to  
receive1 for the present at least1 all  
we can educate and all we can support4  
,in reply to this excuse ,i would first 
say1 ,let us look a moment at the       
conclusion to which we are reduced4 ,the

 ,united ,states cannot furnish         
missionaries1 for the present at least2 
far less can ,great ,britain2 and still 
less the ,continent of ,europe4 ,the    
inevitable conclusion is1 that the      
present generation of heathen must be   
left to perish4 ,six hundred millions of
 our race must be deliberately          
relinquished to endure the agonies of   
eternal death4 ,but what is the plea    
that so readily leaves the millions of  
ignorant heathen to hopelessness and    
despair8 ,we must go to the ,west4 ,we  
must direct our efforts to the laboring 
class of ,england and ,ireland4 ,then1  
,i say1 be consistent1 and actually do  
what you profess4 ,as yet1 how many of  
the learned1 the eloquent and           
influential of the ministry1 have become
 missionaries at the ,west8 ,some have  
gone to the ,west1 to be presidents of  
colleges there2 but how many have gone  
to engage in the more appropriate duties
 of the missionary8 ,and in ,great      
,britain1 how many have left their      

professorships in the universities1 and 
their wealthy churches1 to labor as     
missionaries among the ignorant class of
 society in ,england and ,ireland8 ,o6  
the ,west1 and the ignorant class in    
,england and ,ireland1 would lift up    
their hearts to ,god in gratitude if you
 would go forth to the heathen3 for the 
reflex influence of such a course would 
scatter among them the means of grace as
 thick as the stars of heaven1 and as   
bright as the sun in his glory4 ,i could
 almost assert1 from personal           
observation1 that every missionary to   
the heathen sends ten to the ,west4 ,if 
men are pressed to go to ,china1 they   
cannot stop short of the ,west4         
,besides1 have you forgotten the nature 
of benevolence8 ,if you wish to         
strengthen it1 to increase it and expand
 it1 so as to be the means of saving the
 ,united ,states1 and of saving ,great  
,britain1 then bring it into exercise4  
,let the church impart liberally of what
 she has1 both of men and money4 ,she   

will have the more left1 paradoxical as 
the assertion may at first seem4 ,let   
the principle of benevolence be aroused 
in the churches1 and it is literally    
inexhaustible in its resources1 both of 
money and of men2 for the more it       
exhausts the more it still possesses4   
,this is not mere missionary philosophy1
 but ,bible doctrine2 and so plainly    
inculcated1 that he that doubts it is a 
novice in the ,scriptures1 and a babe in
 the school of ,christ4 ,there is a     
backwardness1 an apathy and deadness in 
the ministry1 and in the churches2 and  
it is ,,therefore that infidelity and   
,romanism prevail at the ,west1 and that
 the ignorant class in ,england and     
,ireland remain in wretchedness4 ,the   
great thing needed is that the spirit of
 benevolence1 the spirit of ,christ1 or 
in other words true religion1 be aroused
 in the churches4 ,and in no way can you
 so effectually do it as by giving      
yourself to the missionary work4 ,god's 
wisdom is very much at variance with the

 cold1 calculating1 short-sighted and   
sin-blinded wisdom of man4 ,let us      
follow heavenly wisdom1 as laid down in 
the ,bible3 ,,give1 ,,go1 and thereby   
save ourselves1 our country1 and the    
world4 ,that nation that obeys ,god     
shall prosper4 ,let us try the ,bible   
philosophy of saving the ,united ,states
 and ,great ,britain1 ,,by ,,obeying    
,,god--by going forth and teaching all  
nations4     ,,chapter ,,vii4  ,,import 
,,of ,,the ,,great ,,commission4   ,the 
,founder of the church was a missionary4
 ,the church is a missionary band1      
professedly aiming to carry out the     
design of its ,founder1 in the wide     
field of the ,,world4 ,the commission to
 the apostles is the commission to      
,christ's ministers in every age4 ,this 
commission1 it is to be feared1 is      
losing much of its force from           
misinterpretation4  ,that a construction
 somewhat incorrect is placed by some   
ministers on the commission which they  
hold1 seems to be evident2 for how      

otherwise should an impression obtain1  
that there is something peculiar about  
the office of the missionary--that his  
commission is quite different from that 
of other ministers of ,christ4  ,let the
 commission of both the minister at home
 and missionary abroad be exhibited and 
read4 ,the terms1 word for word1 are the
 same4 ,it is unhappy1 extremely so1    
that a peculiarity is thrown about the  
word missionary1 since the ,new         
,testament authorizes no such           
distinction4 ,both ministers at home and
 those abroad claim to be successors of 
the apostles or first missionaries1     
whose letter of instructions1 short but 
explicit1 reads thus3 ,go ye into all   
the world1 and preach the ,gospel to    
every creature4 ,this is the commission 
of every ambassador1 and no one1 at home
 or abroad1 can consistently hold his   
office any longer than he continues to  
act in accordance with its import4  ,the
 ,saviour is all-wise1 and knew         
precisely what commission to give4 ,he  

carefully chose every word in which it  
is expressed4 ,the apostles showed by   
their conduct how they understood       
it--that they knew what was meant by all
 the world and every creature4 ,now1 ,i 
ask1 how can such a construction be     
placed on these obvious phrases1 as to  
make it consistent for about eleven     
thousand eight hundred ministers out of 
twelve thousand to stay in the ,united  
,states1 and about the same proportion  
in ,great ,britain8 ,the apostles showed
 by their conduct what they understood  
by the word ,go4 ,by what reasoning1 ,i 
ask1 has it been made to mean1 in       
fifty-nine cases out of sixty1 send1    
contribute1 and educate young men8 ,if  
an inhabitant of another planet should  
visit this earth1 and see ministers     
clustered together in a few favored     
spots1 could you make him believe that  
they hold in their hands the commission 
first delivered to the apostles8  ,would
 it be thought dutiful1 in military     
officers1 to treat the orders of their  

commander-in-chief as we do the command 
of our ,master2 or in mercantile agents1
 to interpret thus loosely the          
instructions of their employers8 ,the   
perversion1 however1 has become so      
familiar to us1 that we are insensible  
of it2 and the fact may be numbered     
among other wonders of a like kind1     
which the experience of a few past years
 has exhibited4 ,a few years since1 good
 men were in the use of intoxicating    
drinks without dreaming it a sin2 and so
 now we may be shaping our course very  
wide from the command of our ,saviour1  
and yet think not of the guilt we incur4
  ,the misconstruction has become so    
universal1 and so firmly                
established--the true and obvious       
interpretation buried so deep in the    
rubbish of things gone by--that all     
books written on ministerial duty1 which
 ,i have seen1 take it for granted that 
the persons addressed1 for the most part
 at least1 are to preach and labor among
 a people who have long had the ,gospel4

 ,and may ,i not inquire--and ,i would  
do it with due deference and            
respect--,do not lectures on pastoral   
theology in the schools of the prophets 
take it too much for granted1 that the  
hearers are to labor in ,christian      
lands8 ,is not the business of going    
into all the world1 and preaching the   
,gospel to every creature1 regarded1    
practically at least1 as an exception1  
for which there need be no provision in 
books or lectures8 ,if ,paul were to    
write or lecture on pastoral theology1  
would he not give more prominence to the
 duties that might devolve upon his     
students in foreign lands8 ,would he    
not1 indeed1 make the work of missions  
stand forth as the work1 and not as an  
exception or a peculiarity8  ,few men1  
in these last days1 can quiet their     
consciences1 and yet live in entire     
neglect of the heathen4 ,almost all     
professed ,christians feel that they    
must have some interest in the great    
enterprise4 ,to begin to act just as the

 last command of ,christ requires1 in   
its plain literal import1 as the        
apostles understood it1 would be a hard 
and self-denying service4 ,what then    
shall they do8 ,will they operate by    
proxy8 ,this is the charming suggestion1
 by which often conscience is lulled to 
sleep and the heathen are left to       
perish4  ,it is true that many1 and     
perhaps most1 must aid in the work by   
proxy--by training up others1 by sending
 them forth1 by encouraging them1 and by
 furnishing the necessary means4 ,but   
the error is1 that all1 with the        
exception of perhaps one minister out of
 sixty1 and one layman out of three     
thousand1 are inclined so to act4 ,it is
 wonderful with what electrical rapidity
 the soothing suggestion has spread     
abroad4 ,it is so insidious and         
speciously good1 that it has found its  
way1 like an angel of light1 to the best
 hearts and holiest places4 ,indeed1 it 
is a point very difficult to be         
determined2 and many judge no doubt with

 perfect correctness1 when they decide  
to act in this way4 ,the danger consists
 in the eager rush and universal resort4
 ,to be sensible that there is such a   
rush1 begin and enumerate4 ,directors   
and officers of various societies--and  
they are not few--of theological        
seminaries too1 and of colleges1 think  
they are employed in furnishing the     
requisite men1 the requisite means1 and 
the requisite instrumentalities1 and so 
are preaching to the heathen by proxy4  
,among ministers1 the talented and      
eloquent1 the learned and the           
influential1 think they must labor in   
the important field at home2 keep the   
churches in a state to operate upon the 
world1 and so preach to the heathen by  
proxy4 ,ministers generally1 about      
eleven thousand eight hundred out of    
twelve thousand1 are zealous for        
training up young men1 and think in that
 way of preaching to the heathen by     
proxy4 ,pious men of wealth1 and those  
who are in circumstances to acquire     

wealth1 or imagine that they have a     
talent to acquire it1 profess to be     
accumulating the necessary means1 and to
 be thus preaching to the heathen by    
proxy4 ,sabbath-school teachers1 fathers
 and mothers1 are fond of the notion of 
raising up children to be missionaries1 
and of thus preaching by proxy4 ,proxy  
is the universal resort4 ,now some proxy
 effort1 and much indeed1 is proper and 
indispensable2 but must it not strike   
every mind1 that such a universal and   
indiscriminate resort to it is utterly  
unreasonable8  ,how often do we hear the
 exhortation1 ,let mothers consecrate   
their children to the missionary work in
 their earliest infancy4 ,let them be   
taught1 as they grow up1 that to labor  
among the heathen is the most glorious  
work on earth4 ,let teachers in         
,sabbath-schools impart such            
instructions1 and ministers in their    
pulpits4 ,let ministers and elders      
search out young men1 urge them to      
engage in the work of missions1 and let 

the churches educate them for that end1 
and pray for them that their zeal fail  
not4 ,let no pains be spared and no     
efforts be wanting1 to raise up and send
 forth a large body of young men to     
labor for the heathen4  ,now in regard  
to such an effort1 every reflecting mind
 can see that it must be insufficient1  
if not hopeless4 ,to succeed thus1 as ,i
 have already said1 precept must become 
more powerful than example4 ,commit the 
work of converting the world to your    
children1 and they will commit it to    
your grandchildren4 ,try instruction in 
the nursery1 try instruction in the     
,sabbath-school1 try instruction from   
the pulpit3 it will fall powerless as a 
ray of moonlight on a lake of ice1 while
 contradicted by the example of mothers1
 of ,sabbath-school teachers1 and of    
ministers4 ,urge young men into the     
missionary field without going          
yourselves8 ,a general might as well    
urge his army over the ,alps without    
leading them4 ,consecrate them to the   

work8 ,would it not be an unholy        
consecration--a consecration at the     
hands of those who were not themselves  
consecrated8 ,the command does not say1 
send1 but ,go4 ,let us then go1 and urge
 others to come4 ,we shall find this    
mode of persuasion the most effectual4  
,let us commit to proxy that work which 
is pleasant and easy1 and betake        
ourselves in person to those kinds of   
labor that are more self-denying1 and to
 those posts that are likely to be      
deserted4 ,this is the only principle of
 action that will secure success in any 
enterprise within the range of human    
efforts4 ,suppose the opposite principle
 is acted upon--that every one seeks for
 himself the most easy and pleasant     
work1 and the most delightful and       
honorable station1 and leaves for others
 the most obscure1 the most             
self-denying1 and the most perilous4    
,discover such a spirit in any          
enterprise1 secular or religious1 and it
 requires not the gift of prophecy to   

predict a failure4 ,practical and       
business men understand full well the   
truth and force of this remark4 ,the    
true method is this3 if there is a work 
that is likely to be neglected on       
account of its obscurity or self-denial1
 let every one1 first of all1 see that  
that service is attended to4 ,and if    
there is a post likely to be left       
deserted on account of its hardships or 
its perils1 let every one be sure1 first
 of all1 that that post is occupied4    
,let there be an emulation among all to 
do the drudgery of the service1 and to  
man the ,thermopyl of danger4 ,then you 
shall read in the vigor and nerve of the
 action the certainty of success4  ,in  
this way ,bonaparte conquered ,europe4  
,if a portion of his army was likely to 
fall back1 there the general pressed    
forward in person1 inspiring courage and
 firmness4 ,if all others shrunk from   
the deadly breach1 thither he rushed1 at
 once1 with the flower of his army4     
,this principle of action is not more   

indispensable in the conquests of war1  
than in the great enterprise of the     
world's conversion4 ,and how truly      
glorious1 how sublime by contrast1 to   
exhibit this principle of action1 not in
 destroying mankind1 but in laboring for
 their salvation6 ,let all ,christians  
be filled with this spirit1 let every   
redeemed sinner adopt in practice this  
rule of action1 to do the most          
self-denying1 the most difficult and    
perilous work in person1 and to commit  
the easiest to proxy1 then there would  
be a sight of moral sublimity that earth
 has not seen--all the elements in      
action that are needed1 under ,god1 to  
usher in the millenial day4  ,o1 if to  
angels were committed the               
instrumentality of the world's          
conversion1 where would ,gabriel speed  
his way if not to the post of peril1 and
 to the post of self-denying and        
toilsome drudgery8 ,i mistake his       
character much1 if he would not betake  
himself at once to the most arduous     

service4 ,o1 how he would delight to    
come down and labor with the lowest     
being on ,new ,holland or ,new ,guinea1 
and be the instrument of raising him up 
to the throne of ,jesus6 ,but to angels 
is not committed the stewardship of     
propagating that precious ,gospel1 which
 ,god has ordained for the world's      
renovation4 ,the infinite treasure is   
placed in our hands1 the immense        
responsibility is thrown upon us4 ,o1   
let us prove ourselves worthy of such a 
trust1 and not become traitorous to the 
cause1 by falling into the general      
spirit of operating by proxy4  ,but1 in 
truth1 how far do we act on the         
principle named1 that of performing in  
person the most arduous service1 and of 
leaving the most pleasant work for      
others8 ,look over the desolate and     
secluded parts of the ,united ,states2  
look over the heathen world1 and make   
out an answer4 ,let facts speak4 ,is a  
residence in ,arkansas preferred to a   
residence in ,new-,york1 or a voyage to 

,new ,guinea before one to ,europe8     
,our blessed ,saviour and his apostles  
did not feel inclined to shrink from the
 more self-denying service1 and to shift
 it upon others4 ,if they had felt so1  
then we should have continued in a state
 of darkness1 and have known full well  
the import of present wretchedness and  
eternal woe4  ,let us suppose1 for a    
moment1 that the apostles had made the  
discovery of obeying by proxy the       
,saviour's last command4 ,but ,i        
hesitate to make such a supposition1    
lest the force of such an immense       
contrast should make it to be regarded  
as a caricature upon the operations of  
the present age4 ,in other words1 our   
efforts to convert the world become so  
clumsy1 slow and inefficient1 from a    
lack of the right spirit and enough of  
it1 in ministers and in the churches1   
that to impute the same kind and degree 
of effort to the apostles and primitive 
,christians1 might excite a smile1      
rather than a sigh2 and be deemed an    

attempt to ridicule what is at present  
done1 rather than an earnest1 serious1  
and solemn expostulation4 ,such a result
 ,i should deplore4 ,but if my readers  
will believe me to be aiming simply1    
with weeping eyes and an aching heart1  
to illustrate with force my own defects 
and their short-comings in duty1 by     
detecting and tracing out a wrong       
principle of action1 ,i will venture    
cautiously to make the supposition4     
,the words of the last command have     
fallen from the lips of the ascended    
,saviour1 and the apostles assemble to  
deliberate how they shall carry them    
into execution4 ,in the first place1    
,peter delivers an address4 ,it is an   
able and thrilling discourse4 ,he seems 
impatient to wing his way to foreign    
lands4 ,after the discourse1 they form  
themselves into a society4 ,arrangements
 being made1 and the machinery being    
complete1 they send forth ,john to      
solicit funds4 ,he finds the disciples  
willing to contribute on an average1    

after much urging1 about twenty-four    
cents each4 ,a pittance of money is     
obtained1 and then they search for a    
man4 ,they thought ,peter would be ready
 to go1 from the speech he delivered1   
but he wishes to be excused3 he has a   
family to support4 ,they then fall upon 
various plans3 some think of training up
 young men to go forth1 and others      
exhort parents to infuse a missionary   
spirit into their children4 ,at length1 
however1 it is found that one of the    
twelve begins to feel that he has a call
 to go--but this would be at the rate of
 one thousand from the twelve thousand  
ministers in the ,united ,states4 ,this 
one man is sent forth to go into all the
 world1 and to preach the ,gospel to    
every creature4 ,the rest of the        
apostles sustain the various offices of 
the society1 and have charge of         
important posts in ,jerusalem1 and in   
the cities and villages round about4    
,they meet yearly1 to deliberate upon   
the missionary enterprise4 ,some feel   

much1 and humbly pray1 and some say     
eloquent things about the glorious      
cause1 and tell how they have found a   
fulcrum1 where to place the lever of    
,archimides to elevate the world4  ,now 
,i ask most solemnly1 and in a spirit of
 grief and humiliation1 how such a      
course of conduct would have appeared in
 the apostles8 ,would it have evinced a 
spirit of obedience8 ,believe me1 in    
early times1 a readiness to obey        
supplied a great deal of machinery4     
,bring back into the ministers of the   
present day the spirit of the apostles1 
and into the churches the spirit of the 
early disciples1 and operations at once 
would be more simple and more efficient4
 ,a backwardness in duty--a disposition1
 if we do anything for the heathen1 to  
do it by proxy1 this is it that makes   
the wheels so ponderous and encumbered4 
,the letter killeth1 but the ,spirit    
giveth life4 ,give us the spirit1 and   
annihilate the notion of operating so   
much by proxy1 and we shall soon see a  

multitude of angels flying in the midst 
of heaven1 having the everlasting       
,gospel to preach to the nations4       
,there is no cheap or easy way of       
converting the world4 ,it is to be      
feared that some fall into the contrary 
notion1 because they do not wish to     
believe that all they possess is needed 
in the work of the ,lord1 and that there
 is absolute necessity that they        
themselves go to the heathen4 ,it is to 
be feared1 that it is for this reason   
that so many are ready to imagine that  
the work is to be done by a few men1 and
 a small amount of means4 ,it would seem
 they expect to form lines of these few 
men1 and encircle the globe in various  
directions2 to place them on prominent  
points1 like light-houses1 and leave    
each with his single lamp to dispel the 
darkness of a wide circumference4 ,they 
seem to imagine that nations can be     
elevated from a degradation many ages   
deep1 and thoroughly transformed1       
religiously1 morally1 mentally and      

socially1 by the influence of a few     
missionaries1 scattered here and there  
on some high eminences of the earth3    
that a single missionary1 under a       
withering atmosphere1 is to be preacher1
 physician1 teacher1 lawyer1 mechanic1  
and everything that is necessary in     
raising a whole community from the      
inconceivable degradation of heathenism1
 up to the elevation of an industrious1 
intelligent1 and ,christian people4     
,neither are the expectations formed by 
many1 of mission seminaries1 less       
visionary4 ,a school1 with two or three 
teachers1 limited accommodations and    
small funds1 with all its school-books  
to make1 and the whole literature to    
form1 is expected to accomplish all the 
work of the academy1 college1 and       
theological seminary1 and speedily to   
transform untutored savages into able   
preachers of the ,gospel4  ,and it is   
expected1 by not a few1 of the wife of  
the missionary--though living under a   
burning sun1 in a house of poor         

accommodations1 with unfaithful         
domestics1 or none at all2 that         
notwithstanding1 she will not only      
attend to the arduous duties of the     
household and educate her own children1 
but teach a school among the people1 and
 superintend the female portion of the  
congregation--a task which a minister's 
wife in a ,christian land1 and under a  
bracing air1 does not often attempt4    
,now1 would it be really a benefit to   
the church thus to flatter her indolence
 and her avarice1 and convert the       
heathen with a fraction of wealth and a 
handful of men8 ,be assured1 ,god loves 
the church too well thus to pamper a    
luxurious and self-indulgent spirit3 he 
will allow no cheap and easy way of     
accomplishing the work4 ,the object is  
worth more3 worthy not only of the      
combined wealth of ,christendom1 but    
worthy also of the energies1 the toil1  
and the blood if necessary1 of the      
greatest and holiest men4 ,it will not  
be in consistence with ,god's usual     

providence that a victory so noble      
should be achieved1 till the treasures  
of the church shall be literally emptied
 in the contest1 and the precious blood 
of thousands and tens of thousands of   
her ablest and best men poured out on   
the field4 ,the work has already cost   
the blood of ,god's only ,son2 and the  
prosecution and finishing of it shall be
 through toil1 self-denial1 entire      
devotement1 and obedience even unto     
death4  ,some rules that may be of use  
in agitating the question of becoming   
missionaries4  #a4 ,guard against an    
excuse-making spirit4 ,this is an age of
 excuses4 ,there is no need of seeking  
for them2 they are already at hand1 and 
of every variety1 size and shape4 ,they 
are kept ready for every occasion4 ,if  
one will not suit1 another may be tried4
 ,be admonished then1 that a disposition
 to be excused is not much different    
from a disposition to disobey4  #b4     
,guard against antinomianism on the     
subject of missions4 ,there is a great  

tendency in these days to say and do    
not4 ,the thrill of the missionary      
theme1 like an exhilarating gas1 is     
pleasant to many2 but the sober and     
humble business of engaging in the work 
is not so welcome4 ,a disposition to say
 much and do little is a feature of the 
most alarming kind4 ,it shows an        
obtuseness of conscience4  #c4 ,remember
 that ,divine direction is better than  
human wisdom4 ,we are very much inclined
 to argue the question1 ,where can ,i do
 the most good8 ,be assured we can do   
the most good by obeying the ,saviour3  
by carrying out the spirit of his last  
command4 ,let us keep close to that     
command3 it is safer than to determine  
by our own dark and biased reasoning1   
and by our very limited foresight1 where
 we can be the most useful4  #d4 ,the   
nearer you live to ,jesus1 the more hope
 will there be of your coming to a right
 decision4 ,there is a process of       
conviction and conversion before a man  
becomes a missionary--a serious         

conflict4 ,nothing but nearness to the  
,saviour will prepare a man to pass     
through such a conflict1 and keep safely
 on the side of truth and duty4  #e4    
,if1 after examining thoroughly and     
prayerfully the question of becoming a  
missionary1 the mind waver between      
conflicting reasons1 it will be safest  
to lean to the side of the greatest     
self-denial4  #f4 ,in selecting the     
place of the greatest usefulness in the 
wide field of the world1 the best rule  
is1 to fly to the post most likely to be
 deserted4  #g4 ,a kindred principle is1
 to do in person the more difficult and 
unpleasant work1 and to commit the more 
easy and delightful to proxy4  #h4      
,remember the time is short4 ,a few days
 more1 and we shall meet our ,saviour in
 the presence of a world of souls4  #i4 
,keep in mind the conduct of our blessed
 ,saviour1 and be imbued with his       
spirit4 ,feel as he felt1 and do as he  
did1 when he beheld us in misery and in 
sin4     ,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,trials    

,,to ,,be ,,met4   ,common trials need  
not be named3 we allude only to a few of
 those that are most severe4 ,take then 
first1 the trial of leaving friends4    
,the ,saviour says1 ,he that loveth     
father or mother more than me is not    
worthy of me1 and he that loveth son or 
daughter more than me is not worthy of  
me4 ,the plain meaning is1 to be        
,christians1 our love to ,christ must be
 supreme4 ,now1 if it is supreme1 it    
will show itself to be so in our        
conduct4 ,there is full room1 even at   
the present day1 for a practical test of
 this condition of discipleship4 ,not   
only is the spirit of this passage      
required1 but in many cases1 a literal  
compliance with the identical things    
named in it4 ,this saying of our        
,saviour has been too much forgotten4   
,like some other important sayings of   
our ,lord1 it has been virtually        
expunged4 ,it has been regarded as      
applying only to apostolic times--to    
times of persecution4 ,this is a wide   

mistake4 ,if all nations are to be      
enlightened by the use of means1 there  
must be a practical exhibition among    
,christians at the present time1 and in 
all time to come1 of a love to ,christ  
superior to the love which we owe to    
father1 mother1 son or daughter4 ,and   
this love is not spoken of as a high    
attainment in piety1 but as an          
indispensable condition of discipleship4
 ,the missionary enterprise presents    
many instances of stern necessity to    
test and exhibit this principle4  ,the  
occasion most familiar to the general   
reader1 and the one best appreciated by 
him1 is the time when missionaries go   
forth to the heathen4 ,they are         
compelled to break away from almost     
every tie4 ,the strength of attachment  
to all that is dear on earth1 is a      
feeling that may be experienced1 and can
 be imagined too1 in part1 but can never
 be described4 ,there are a thousand    
ties1 and tender ties too1 that must be 
sundered4 ,the loved scenes of childhood

 and youth1 and scenes of sacred peace  
and pleasure that cluster about the     
sanctuary1 the conference-room and the  
praying circle1 must all receive a      
parting thought4 ,friends--dear friends 
and connections1 must receive a last    
adieu and a lingering look4 ,but ,o how 
keen the sensation when the last sigh1  
the last tear1 and the last embrace is  
to be exchanged with father and mother1 
brother and sister--when all the        
touching associations of kindred and    
home are for once revived to be         
dismissed forever6  ,imagine not that   
the sensibilities of missionaries are   
less exquisite than those of other      
persons4 ,the pangs they endure are     
indeed alleviated by soothing           
considerations drawn from the ,gospel2  
but they are1 notwithstanding1          
deep--deeper than the looker-on may at  
first suppose4  ,there may be some      
persons--,i have heard of such--who     
misrepresent the feelings and motives of
 missionaries in leaving their friends2 

who impute to them cold hearts and a    
bluntness of sensibility2 who say that  
they are wanting in filial devotion1 and
 can therefore leave aged parents to    
droop and die3 that they have a small   
share of fraternal affection1 and that  
it is therefore they can break away from
 the embrace of brothers and sisters1   
and leave them in anguish and in tears4 
,all these remarks are sometimes made1  
and perhaps oftener secretly indulged1  
than openly expressed4 ,it is often that
 the missionary is not allowed to take  
his leave merely with a bleeding heart  
and a soul gushing with emotion1 but is 
compelled to endure a keener anguish3   
that of knowing that the course he is   
taking1 agonizing as it is1 is imputed  
by some to a want of sensibility2 to a  
destitution of the finer1 tenderer1 and 
more delicate feelings1 that adorn      
society1 and that make families lovely  
and happy4 ,here then are trials3 such1 
however1 as he must cheerfully meet for 
,christ's sake4  ,but the separation    

from home1 with its numerous and        
nameless endearments1 and at the risk of
 misrepresentation1 is but the first    
lesson of obedience4 ,that person whose 
love to ,christ is so weak as to fail   
here on the threshold1 would give but   
poor evidence of being prepared for     
similar and severer trials in prospect4 
,the main occasion for exemplifying the 
spirit of the ,saviour's words to which 
we have alluded1 is on heathen ground1  
when stern necessity calls upon parents 
to make the best disposition in their   
power in regard to their own children4  
,this is an occasion not so well        
understood by the ,christian community  
as the one ,i have noticed4 ,the        
difficulties in the way of properly     
training children on heathen ground are 
not clearly seen2 neither are all the   
objections appreciated which attend the 
usual alternative1 that of sending them 
to a ,christian land4 ,these are the    
occasions of trial1 compared with which 
all other sufferings of the missionary  

are scarcely worthy of being named4     
,they are trials1 however1 that must be 
met1 not evaded2 for the ,saviour says1 
,he that loveth son or daughter more    
than me is not worthy of me4 ,they must 
be cheerfully met1 and counted all joy1 
or we cannot claim the spirit of the    
first disciples4  ,there are those1 ,i  
know1 who would relieve this subject at 
once by proposing the celibacy of       
missionaries2 but the argument of such  
persons can hardly be deemed worth      
considering1 till they shall know a     
little more what they say1 and whereof  
they affirm4 ,celibacy for ministers at 
home would be a much more proper and    
expedient arrangement1 than for         
missionaries in most foreign fields4    
,and one would think that the experience
 of the church1 from the days of the    
apostles till now1 had taught us enough 
to silence at once any such proposition1
 and to place it forever at rest4 ,were 
it in place for me1 ,i could give       
reasons here to the heart's content3 but

 ,i deem it more prudent to forbear4    
,the ,,difficulties in the way of       
training children on heathen ground1    
cannot all be named2 and fewer still can
 be justly appreciated by those who have
 never made the attempt4 ,what ,i shall 
say will apply particularly to barbarous
 and degraded nations1 such as the      
,sandwich ,islanders once were2 for it  
is to such nations that the missionary's
 eye should be specially directed4  ,i  
shall mention first1 the difficulty of  
keeping children from the pollutions and
 vices of the heathen4 ,children have   
eyes1 and among the heathen what do they
 see8 ,i need only refer you to the     
knowledge you already possess of the    
naked condition1 vile habits1 and gross 
vices of a barbarous people4 ,there is  
much in heathen society which cannot be 
described1 but which children must more 
or less witness4 ,the state of things1  
in this respect1 is very much improved  
at the ,sandwich ,islands2 but ,i refer 
to that condition in which they once    

were--to that condition in which all    
barbarous nations are1 without the light
 of the ,gospel4 ,imagine then to       
yourself this feature of heathen        
society1 and then repeat the inquiry1   
,what do children see8  ,again1 children
 have ears1 and they cannot be so       
effectually closed as to be kept from   
learning in some measure the language of
 the heathen4 ,and if they become       
acquainted with the language of the     
heathen1 what do they hear day after    
day8 ,in many a pagan country they are  
liable to hear disputes1 contentions1   
revilings1 execration and blasphemy2 but
 what is more1 they are liable to hear  
in familiar1 unblushing and open        
conversation1 words and phrases which   
are not so much as to be named4 ,the    
heathen have no forbidden words in their
 language4 ,every term is liable to be  
brought into public and frequent use    
without the least sense of impropriety4 
,on account of this pernicious example  
and vile conversation1 many             

missionaries1 where it is practicable1  
make walls about their houses1 and      
endeavor by strict inclosures to prevent
 their children from having intercourse 
with the natives4 ,this can be done in  
some places1 and to some degree1 while  
children are young2 but when they are   
somewhat grown up1 it is preposterous to
 think of keeping them within           
inclosures4 ,and as soon as they are out
 of their inclosures1 there are a       
thousand pitfalls ready for their feet1 
on the right hand and on the left4 ,how 
much solicitude was felt by ,abraham and
 ,isaac for their children1 on account  
of the heathen population which         
surrounded them4 ,this pernicious       
influence1 better imagined than         
described1 and still better seen than   
imagined1 is one of the reasons which   
lead missionaries to undergo the agony  
of separation1 and to send their        
children to a ,christian land4 ,this    
evil at the ,sandwich ,islands is much  
diminished1 but not so much so as may at

 first glance be supposed from the      
progress in ,christianity which has been
 made1 and from the powerful revivals   
which have here been experienced4       
,again it must be remarked1 that        
children trained up on heathen shores   
are in danger of contracting habits of  
indolence4 ,the heathen1 as a general   
remark1 exert themselves no oftener and 
no longer than they feel the pressure of
 present want4 ,they are far from being 
industrious1 and farther still from     
anything like enterprise4 ,those nations
 that are partly civilized exhibit more 
or less industry1 and are acquainted    
with some of the arts2 but barbarous    
nations are acquainted with none of the 
improvements that elevate society1 and  
exhibit a state of lounging indolence   
and torpid inactivity4 ,if there be     
noise1 it is not the rattle and whirl of
 business1 or the hum of industry2 but  
the noise of giddy mirth1 boisterous and
 unmeaning laughter1 or fierce and angry
 contention4 ,if there be stillness1 it 

is not the peace and quiet of           
well-ordered society1 but the gloomy and
 deathlike stillness of indolence1      
sensuality1 and beastly degradation4    
,now1 who does not know that children   
are likely to be much influenced by the 
aspect and character of the society by  
which they are surrounded8 ,who does not
 know that they are likely to imbibe the
 spirit of the nation in which they     
live1 whether on the one hand it be that
 of industry and enterprise1 or on the  
other1 that of sensual ease and torpid  
indolence8 ,let a youth be trained up in
 a village of intelligence1 active      
industry and stirring enterprise2 let   
his ears be filled with the noise of    
business from morning till night2 let   
him travel in stages1 in steamboats and 
on railroads1 and it will be next to    
impossible for him to be indolent and   
sluggish4 ,but in heathen society1 the  
whole atmosphere is entirely different2 
it is a choke-damp to all activity1 and 
it falls on the senses with a benumbing 

and deadening influence4  ,but more than
 this1 missionaries have no business in 
which to employ their children2 and if  
it were possible to devise business in  
which to employ them1 there is no one to
 superintend their labor4 ,missionaries 
have no time for the purpose1 and no    
other persons1 among most pagan nations1
 can be found who are trusty and        
competent4 ,this is a stubborn fact1 and
 stands in the way as a very great      
obstacle4 ,neither1 in most cases1 can  
the children of missionaries be kept    
industrious in the acquisition of       
knowledge4 ,their fathers and mothers   
cannot devote so much of their time to  
their children1 as to keep their minds  
industriously employed in the pursuit of
 knowledge2 and as to schools1 most     
missions are not thus favored4          
,missionaries then1 if they keep their  
children on heathen ground1 run the risk
 of seeing them grow up in habits of    
inactivity and indolence4 ,this1 if a   
risk1 is a fearful one2 for missionaries

 ardently wish their children to be     
useful when they themselves shall be    
dead4 ,but indolence and usefulness are 
the opposites of each other2 whereas    
indolence and vice are closely allied4  
,to prevent then this deadly evil1 of   
having their children grow up in        
indolent habits1 is one of the strong   
reasons why missionaries resort to the  
heart-rending alternative of parting    
with their children1 with but little    
probability of seeing them again this   
side the grave4  ,again1 as the state of
 things now is1 the children of         
missionaries1 if kept on heathen ground1
 can possess but very limited advantages
 for mental improvement4 ,their mothers 
cannot be depended upon to instruct them
 much in literature and the sciences4   
,under the influence of a withering     
atmosphere1 often sick1 with no help in 
many countries in their domestic affairs
 but untrusty domestics1 and often with 
none at all1 and obliged to attend to   
many calls from the people1 or run the  

risk of giving offence1 how can they be 
expected to find much time and strength 
for disciplining the minds of their     
children1 and storing them with useful  
knowledge8 ,they may succeed in giving  
them an acquaintance with the branches  
of common education1 but to carry them  
into the higher branches is1 as a       
general remark1 entirely out of the     
question4 ,such a task is by no means   
expected of a minister's wife at home1  
much less can it be expected of the wife
 of a missionary4  ,neither can their   
fathers be depended upon to give a      
thorough education4 ,ministers at home  
would find it a great encroachment upon 
their time to spend several hours each  
day in instructing their own children2  
but they have vastly more leisure to do 
so than the foreign missionary4 ,to     
instruct a class of three or four       
requires the same apparatus1 the same   
preparation in the teacher1 and the same
 number of hours each day1 as would be  
required for a class of thirty or forty4

 ,but should a missionary devote such an
 amount of time and means to his own    
family1 it must be to the neglect of    
other labor4 ,the most economical1 and  
the most efficient course by far1       
evidently is1 to collect together a     
sufficient number of missionaries'      
children to form a school1 and devote a 
competent number of teachers entirely to
 that work4  ,but even where such       
schools can be enjoyed1 they must be    
attended with many risks and privations1
 and be only preparatory in their       
nature4 ,those scholars1 who may need a 
thorough education1 must be still under 
the necessity of visiting a ,christian  
land4 ,it is too of great1 and perhaps  
indispensable importance1 that youth who
 are trained for active life should see 
the industry1 enterprise1 and           
intelligence of a ,christian land1 and  
so far1 at least1 partake of its        
character and imbibe its spirit4        
,missionaries1 then1 must either suffer 
their children to grow up with a very   

limited education1 or submit to the     
alternative sooner or later of sending  
them to a ,christian land4 ,but         
missionaries see the want of laborers in
 the great field of the world1 and      
ardently desire that their children may 
be qualified to take part in the work4  
,they choose therefore the present      
anguish of separation1 bitter as it may 
be1 that there may exist a reasonable   
prospect that their children1 at some   
future day1 may be eminently useful in  
the vineyard of the ,lord4  ,one other  
difficulty ,i must name1 and that is1   
that missionaries' children1 if kept on 
heathen ground1 will have no prospect of
 suitable employment when old enough to 
settle in life4 ,they will have no      
trades4 ,to be merchants they will not  
have means4 ,they will not be acquainted
 with agriculture1 and in many countries
 will not be able to obtain land to     
cultivate4 ,some1 who are fit for the   
work1 may become preachers and teachers1
 but will not command the influence that

 they would if they were educated in a  
,christian land4 ,thus the prospect of  
suitable employment is very dark1 and is
 a fact in the case of much weight4     
,these reasons and others that might be 
named1 possess in the minds of          
missionaries immense force--force       
enough1 in many instances1 to induce    
them to tear from their embrace the dear
 objects of their love1 and to send them
 over a wide ocean to the care of       
friends1 and often to the care of       
strangers4 ,they do not lead all parents
 to this result2 for on the other hand1 
there are strong1 very strong objections
 to such a course4 ,the trial in either 
case is great2 but it is one that must  
be met1 not evaded4 ,it is wise to count
 the cost1 but it is treason to be      
faint-hearted2 for the trial1 after all1
 cannot weigh much in the balance       
against the eternal interests of the    
dying heathen4 ,,how ,,much ,,worse ,,is
 ,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,millions      
,,upon ,,millions ,,of ,,heathen        

,,children6  ,the first ,,objection in  
the minds of missionaries against       
sending their children home1 is1 that   
such a measure seems unnatural4 ,that it
 is a violation of nature1 all parents  
not only admit1 but most deeply feel4   
,god has implanted feelings in the      
breast of natural parents1 which        
peculiarly fit them to take care of     
their own children4 ,no other persons   
can precisely take their place1 and feel
 the same interest1 the same unwearied  
concern--the same unprovoked temper and 
unchangeable love through good report   
and through evil report4 ,in a word1 no 
other persons1 however good and worthy1 
can be natural parents4 ,guardians can  
be found1 who will feel a warm interest 
in those children who are bright1       
interesting1 well-behaved and pious4    
,but to feel properly for children that 
are dull1 uninteresting and wayward1    
requires a parent's heart4  ,that this  
is the state of the case1 is too true to
 be denied4 ,for parents1 then1 to      

violate this provision of nature1 is    
causing a sword to pierce through their 
own bosoms1 and the bosoms of their     
children3 to do it without sufficient   
reasons1 is to act at variance with the 
,god who made them4 ,in the feelings    
implanted in the breasts of parents     
towards their children1 ,god has        
established a general rule3 has made    
known his will1 his law1 and indelibly  
inscribed it on the parent's heart4     
,missionaries must be able to plead an  
exception to this general law1 or they  
will be found to be opposing the will of
 their ,maker4 ,that the very strong    
reasons they can urge really justify an 
exception1 is plain to the minds of     
many1 but not to the minds of all4      
,another objection arises from the      
command binding upon parents to train up
 their children in the nurture and      
admonition of the ,lord4 ,it is clear to
 the minds of some missionaries1 that   
the spirit of this and similar commands 
is complied with when they make         

provision1 according to the best of     
their judgment1 for the religious       
education of their children4 ,by others 
it is thought1 that these explicit      
commands of ,god cannot be obeyed by any
 arrangement which commits the work to  
proxy2 that there is risk in committing 
the work to others2 that fully to obey  
,god1 parents1 if not removed by death1 
must in person pray with their children 
and instruct them in the truths of the  
,gospel2 and that they must do this1 not
 only through the period of childhood1  
but also through the season of youth1 or
 till their children are old enough to  
think and act for themselves4 ,it is    
admitted by all1 that it is desirable   
that parents should do this interesting 
and responsible work in person4 ,no one 
else can do it with the feeling and     
unction natural to parents4 ,all not    
only admit this to be true1 but feel it1
 too1 to the very centre of their souls4
 ,but some think that it is not only    
very desirable1 but altogether          

indispensable--that any other course is 
an unwarrantable substitution of human  
wisdom for the explicit direction of the
 all-wise ,god4 ,the reader must judge  
whether this position is tenable or not4
  ,there is another objection3 ,if      
missionaries' children are sent home1   
then one very important influence of a  
missionary's family upon the heathen is 
in a great measure lost4 ,among the     
heathen1 the family constitution is in  
ruins4 ,the state of society is almost a
 perfect chaos4 ,it is of immense       
importance1 therefore1 not only to      
inculcate the principles of domestic    
peace1 but actually to bring before     
their eyes living examples of           
well-ordered and happy families4 ,they  
need to see1 not only young children    
well governed1 but also the mutual      
interchanges of love1 affection and     
duty1 between young people and their    
aged parents4 ,but this they cannot see 
if children are sent home4 ,a           
missionary's family1 who sends his older

 children home1 and keeps with him only 
those that are quite young1 is not like 
a tree adorned with its natural and     
well-proportioned branches1 but presents
 the aspect of a tree closely trimmed1  
and with only a few twigs left at the   
very top4 ,and when all his children are
 sent away1 his family presents the     
aspect of a trunk without branch1 shoot1
 twig or foliage1 standing alone in an  
open field4 ,this is unnatural1         
blighting to much of the comfort and    
cheerfulness of the parental abode1 and 
is not the example which it is desirable
 to hold up before the eyes of the      
heathen4 ,one important reason1 then1   
why a missionary should have a family1  
is lost in sending his children home4   
,i mention as another objection1 the    
dangerous influence to which children   
are more or less exposed on a long      
voyage at sea4 ,from some of the        
missionary fields1 the voyage must be   
five1 six1 or seven months4 ,i speak not
 of what are called the dangers of the  

deep1 or the hardships of a sea life for
 six or seven months4 ,these are of     
little account4 ,the danger of which ,i 
speak is1 the pernicious influence to   
which for that length of time they are  
exposed4 ,this is an objection which1   
though not of sufficient weight in      
itself to determine one's course1 may   
yet come in as an item in making up the 
account4  ,on the supposition that      
children are sent1 they go of course    
without their parents4 ,in some cases   
the protector to whom they are to be    
intrusted may not be altogether such as 
could be desired4 ,even in case a parent
 accompanies the children1 he will find 
it a great task to keep them from many  
pernicious influences during a long     
voyage4 ,in very many ships they will   
hear more or less profane1 low1 vulgar  
and infamous language1 both in          
conversation and in song4 ,they will see
 exhibitions of anger1 impatience1      
fretfulness1 boisterous laughter and    
giddy mirth4 ,they will see the holy    

,sabbath made a day of business1 or at  
best a day of lounging and idleness4    
,they will be likely on the one hand to 
receive such caresses as to make them   
vain and self-important2 or1 on the     
other hand1 to be so treated as to chafe
 their tempers and injure their         
dispositions4 ,in short1 for six or     
seven months1 they must be thrown into a
 strange family2 into a family confined 
to the narrow limits of a ship's cabin  
and deck2 into a family over which the  
parent of the children has no control2  
into a family1 too1 composed of the     
variety of character and disposition of 
those who sail on the ocean4 ,thus      
circumstanced1 children inevitably      
suffer much1 even under the vigilant eye
 of a parent1 and still more would they 
suffer under any eye less careful and   
attentive4 ,this moral danger to which  
children are exposed at sea1 though not 
an objection of the strongest kind1 is  
yet an item worthy of being noticed4    
,missionaries think of it when sending  

away their children1 and dread it far   
more than tempests and tornadoes4       
,another objection is1 that no adequate 
provision is made for the support and   
education of missionaries' children1 if 
sent to a ,christian land4 ,the         
provision that is made by the ,american 
,board of ,commissioners is #fj a year  
for a boy till he is eighteen years of  
age1 and #ej a year for a girl during   
the same period4 ,now1 every one sees   
that this is a sum scarcely sufficient  
to furnish them with food and clothing1 
without provision for sickness or means 
of education4 ,it may be said1 that they
 must be thrown much upon the           
spontaneous charities of ,christians and
 of friends4 ,but such a dependence must
 be uncertain1 especially as few        
,christians appreciate the reasons and  
feelings of missionaries in sending home
 their children4 ,who of my readers in  
,christian lands would be willing to    
throw his own child on such a precarious
 subsistence8  ,but the strongest       

objection1 in my opinion is this3 ,if no
 other course can be adopted than that  
of sending the children home1 it is to  
be feared that the number of            
missionaries will never be so increased 
as to afford a rational prospect of the 
world's conversion4 ,while the plan of  
sending children home is cherished1 it  
will seem so incompatible with a large  
number of laborers1 that it will tend to
 perpetuate the destructive notion1 that
 the nations are to be saved by the     
labors of merely a few hundred men4 ,but
 if means are to be employed in any     
measure commensurate with the end in    
view1 a few men cannot put forth the    
instrumentality needed to elevate all   
nations4 ,to commit the work to a few is
 in truth to relinquish it4 ,if1 then1  
the measure of sending children home    
should tend in the least to favor this  
destructive notion1 it must1 if         
possible1 be avoided4 ,this tendency is 
disastrous2 and is1 of course1 an       
objection of immense force4  ,it is     

clear that there are1 on the one hand1  
very strong reasons for sending children
 home1 and on the other hand1 very      
strong objections to such a course4     
,missionaries1 then1 are reduced to a   
very trying dilemma4 ,whichever course  
they choose1 it is equally distressing4 
,whichever way they turn1 they find     
enough to rend their hearts with        
anguish4 ,there are two cups1 mixed     
indeed with different ingredients1 but  
equally bitter1 one of which they must  
drink4 ,their only comfort is to look   
upward1 pour their sorrows into the ear 
of ,god1 and cast their cares on him who
 careth for them4 ,this is a trial1 the 
sting of which cannot be appreciated    
except by those who have felt it4 ,it is
 by far the greatest trial of the       
missionary1 and probably greater than   
all his other trials combined4 ,the pain
 of leaving one's kindred and country is
 nothing compared with it4  ,but if the 
cup be of such a mixture1 can there be  
found those whose hearts are so         

insensible as to throw in other         
ingredients to make the draught more    
bitter8 ,if missionaries keep their     
children1 and ask for the requisite     
means of education1 shall they be called
 extravagant8 ,if they send them home1  
shall they be regarded as possessing but
 a small share of natural affection8    
,here1 then1 are trials2 but however    
great1 they are to be met1 not          
evaded--met by the churches1 met by     
missionaries2 and however severe and    
agonizing such trials1 they are nothing 
in the balance against the dying        
condition of the heathen4 ,the situation
 of our children1 trying as it is1 is   
unspeakably better than that of three   
hundred millions of heathen children and
 youth4 ,the ,saviour commands--the     
world is dying--and he that loveth son  
or daughter more than ,christ is not    
worthy of him4         99       99      
99       99       99  ,the inquiry is   
worth notice1 ,whether the situation of 
missionaries cannot be so altered as to 

change very materially the state of the 
question1 in regard to their children8  
,would not such a change be effected by 
the going forth of laymen in great      
numbers1 and of all the useful          
professions1 arts and employments1 so as
 to form little circles here and there  
over the earth8  ,a great part of the   
heathen world is open for such classes  
of men4 ,appeals for such men have been 
sent from ,africa1 ,asia ,minor1 ,siam1 
the ,sandwich ,islands1 and in short    
from almost every mission4 ,they would  
of course labor under greater or less   
disadvantages2 but these disadvantages  
should only have the effect to call     
forth the more energy1 patience and     
perseverance4  ,but it will be asked1   
,how would the going forth of such      
classes of men better the condition of  
missionaries' children8  #a4 ,they would
 afford society1 form a public          
sentiment1 and thus serve in a measure  
to keep children from the influence of a
 heathen population4 ,it is already     

found on heathen ground1 that where     
there are several families of           
missionaries1 the children form a       
society among themselves2 but where     
there is but one family1 the children   
are more inclined to seek society among 
the degraded objects about them4  #b4   
,again1 if men of various useful        
employments should be located with the  
missionary1 there would be held up      
before the children examples of         
,christian industry and enterprise2     
whereas1 in their present isolated      
condition1 the children suffer from an  
atmosphere of indolence and stagnation4 
#c4 ,the going forth of such men to     
introduce the different arts and        
occupations1 would afford suitable      
employment for the children and youth of
 missionaries1 and furnish them to some 
extent with permanent situations in     
mature life4  #d4 ,if there were such   
little circles of laymen as we suppose1 
they would have at whatever sacrifice1  
as the ,pilgrims of ,new ,england did1  

institutions of learning among          
themselves1 where children and youth    
might receive a suitable education4     
,unless some arrangement of this kind   
can be made1 the trials of missionaries 
must remain unrelieved and unmitigated4 
,and even with such an arrangement1 the 
trial would be only in part removed4    
,even then the children of foreign      
laborers would by no means receive all  
the advantages of a ,christian land1    
neither would they be shielded from all 
the evils of a heathen community4 ,but  
it is worthy of thought1 whether by such
 an arrangement they would not be so far
 shielded1 and possess advantages to    
such an amount1 as to change the        
preponderance of argument4  ,then1 in   
addition to this or some similar        
arrangement1 should not ,christians be  
more liberal in affording means and     
facilities for education1 and expect of 
missionaries to devote to their children
 more of their time8  ,i have now       
brought before your minds the greatest  

of all missionary trials2 and yet ,i    
urge many of you1 ministers and laymen1 
and urge you considerately and solemnly 
too1 to enter the work4 ,i have not     
hesitated to state freely the whole     
difficulty1 for ,i am in no wise        
unwilling that you should count the     
cost4 ,and ,i would say with ,gideon1   
,whosoever is fearful and afraid1 let   
him return and depart early4 ,god       
desires no faint-hearted men in his     
service4 ,he desires men that shrink    
from no self-denial for his sake4 ,for  
after their trials are over--and they   
will be but short99--he wishes to crown 
them with glory1 and place them at his  
own right hand as partners of his       
throne4 ,he will place no unbelieving1  
faint-hearted men there4 ,he will place 
none there who are not worthy of him4   
,and remember that he said1 ,he that    
loveth son or daughter more than me1 is 
not worthy of me4  ,footnote 993 ,the   
author1 soon after writing this appeal1 
was called to enter into the joy of his 

,lord4          99       99       99    
99       99  ,in looking at the         
embarrassment of missionaries in regard 
to their children1 a thought something  
like this is apt to arise3 missionaries 
are by profession a class of            
self-denying persons1 and this trial is 
only in consistency with the life they  
have chosen4 ,now1 where in the ,bible  
do you find1 that a spirit of           
self-denial and of consecration is      
enjoined peculiarly upon missionaries   
more than upon others8 ,where do you    
find it intimated1 that a missionary    
spirit is a thing superadded to         
,christian character8 ,an entire        
consecration of our children to ,christ 
is not a test of missionary spirit1 but 
a test of discipleship4 ,not the        
missionary1 but ,he1 that loveth son or 
daughter more than me1 is not worthy of 
me4  ,the spirit of this injunction     
requires all parents to train up their  
children in that way in which they may  
be of the greatest service to ,christ2  

and not only to be willing--that would  
be but a small measure of ,christian    
feeling--but earnestly and constantly to
 pray1 that they may be employed in that
 part of his vineyard1 and in that kind 
of work1 where they can be instrumental 
of the most good1 even though it be on  
some distant shore1 teaching the        
alphabet to the ignorant and degraded4  
,but is this the spirit which prevails  
in the churches8 ,i have seen it stated 
that1 of twenty or more young men in a  
theological institution1 who were at the
 same time agitating the question of    
their duty to become missionaries1 all  
but two were discouraged by their       
parents1 and these two were the sons of 
widows4 ,many other facts of a similar  
kind might be added1 if it were best to 
name them4 ,many parents give their     
children to the ,lord when young1 and   
talk of locating them on the shores of  
,japan1 or ,new ,guinea2 but the very   
manner of educating them--in softness1  
delicacy and helplessness--shows at once

 the inefficacy of such a profession4   
,many parents are quite ready to        
consecrate their children before they   
become pious4 ,o1 if the ,saviour would 
only convert my child1 ,i would readily 
yield him to go to any part of the      
world1 and to perform any service for   
which he might be fitted4 ,the child    
becomes a ,christian1 and proposes to go
 to the heathen4 ,the parents cling1    
dissuade1 and throw every consideration 
in the way to keep him at home4  ,at the
 judgment day1 if ,i mistake not1 we    
shall see a great deal of our conduct in
 a different light from what we do now4 
,the spirit of the ,gospel is a spirit  
of self-denial for the sake of ,christ4 
,the ,saviour is worthy of our highest  
love1 and no earthly attachment can be  
allowed to come in competition with the 
supreme affection which we owe to him4  
,this love to ,christ must be manifested
 by obeying his commandments4 ,to yield 
strict obedience to ,christ in this     
world1 disordered and confused by sin1  

it is frequently necessary to sunder    
some of the tenderest ties on earth4    
,keen as is the sensation1 it must be   
endured4 ,a child must not cling unduly 
to a parent1 nor a parent to a child1   
but each cling with more ardent feelings
 and firmer grasp to ,jesus ,christ and 
his cause4 ,this world is not our rest4 
,neither is it a place to give much     
indulgence to many of the fond          
affections of the soul4 ,there is no    
time for it4 ,we live in a world of     
sin--a confused1 disordered and chaotic 
world--in a revolted territory1 among a 
crowd of sinners dying an eternal death4
 ,the main point then is1 to save our   
own souls and the souls of as many as   
possible of our fellow men1 before the  
grave shall close upon us4 ,the         
indulgence of many of our tenderer      
feelings of love and fondness must be   
postponed to a more peaceful abode4     
,while in a world of dying souls1       
self-denial and laborious effort are    
most in place4 ,parental and filial     

affection should be deep and ardent     
indeed1 but under the control of        
judgment4 ,love to ,christ and to souls 
must predominate and govern our conduct4