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ing up to him as a father; the honor of planting many churches; the fame of success through all the churches of Christ, and long life in the service of the Redeemer among the heathen; these create an enthusiasm in the soul, and give an ardor to his desires; which he conceived to proceed wholly from a higher source.

But behold, my young friend, a different scene presenting itself to view. Mr. Owen died while a student at the missionary seminary; and so may you: or if permitted to reach a heathen land, it

may

be only that after a few months you may there find a grave. Or perhaps a few years may be granted you; and then the unwelcome tidings of your death are brought to the society and to your friends, and you are known in the churches for your endeavors to do good, but not for their success.

“But why thus discourage (say some) those young persons who would come forward to the service of the heathen? If any one is discouraged by the representation, and says, “I expected the most soothing invitations to the work, but instead of these, I meet with what appears to me a harsh repulse. I believe I shall give up all thoughts of being a missionary.”. I dare not, my young friend, follow any other steps than those of the Master who when applied to by those who desired to become his disciples, had this answer ever on his lips: “If any one will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” I will give thee no encouragement on other terms. Thou mayest be a Christian, but it is not every Christian that has the spirit of a missionary. Thou hast not that ardor of soul, and

a that peculiar self-denial which a missionary must possess. Lay aside the thoughts of that most difficult office, and choose a sîtůation at home more congenial to thy disposition.

But there are other youths not terrified at the prospect; or if a transient timidity and momentary trouble be produced, meditation and prayer banish them from your heart, and your courage is restored. To you I call, to you I say, look the danger full in the face. View death taking one away while a missionary student, a second after a few months residence in a heathen land, a third after three years, and a fourth after five; and consider thật the one or the other of these may be thy lot. Art thou willing to undertake the service? Dost thou say, “None of these things move me:” this world I give up and all worldly prospects: I devote myself to Jesus Christ, and desire to promote his glory among the heathen. Whether my life is to be long or short I leave entirely to him to decide, and I can cheerfully engage in

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his service with all discouragements in view. May I but be faithful to him, and honor him while I live; then let him send death to call me away when he pleases; it will be to receive a crown of everlasting glory.” To thee I say, come in thou blessed of the Lord, and offer thyself for the service of the heathen. The death of so many laborers has a voice which cries aloud for help: and there is something truly dignified, when inquiry is made, “Whom shall we send, and who will go for us," at such a time to step forward and say, “here am I, send me.”

4. Ministers of Christ in this country receive also instruction from the afflictive event. “Might not one of the surviving missionaries, Mr. Lee or Mr. Pritchett thus address us: “You are placed in a situation unspeakably more comfortable and easy than ours; you are in your native land, in a healthful climate, in the bosom of your relatives, in the midst of Christian friends, with fellow laborers who are affectionate brethren all round

you: every thing is congenial to your taste. We are in a foreign land, ten thousand miles from the place which gave us birth; the climate is unfavorable to our constitution, and among a people of different color, manners, and religion,mall strangers to us and we to them. At first we were dumb before them; as yet we know not their language, and we must toil for years with painful assiduity to attain it, while from the irksome labor our health and strength decay, By the time we are able to preach or to translate the sacred Scriptures, like our dear beloved brethren we may be cut off by the stroke of death. Remember us continually at the throne of grace; plead our cause with those who living at their ease, may be extreme to mark our infirmities; strengthen our hands in our arduous task, and be Aarons and Hurs to hold them up; and favor us with all the assistance in your power, that the name of Christ may be made known by us among the perishing heathen."

Ought we not to answer, “Yes, brethren, whom we highly esteem and love for your work's sake, we will remember you while you are executing the most difficult part of the Savior's commis: şion by endeavoring to turn the pagan nations from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, and will give you all the assistance and consolation in our power: especially we will not cease from day to day to entreat our Master in your behalf, for he can do infinitely more for than we,”

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But my brethren in the ministry this is not all the improvement we should make of the event. We are all taught the uncertainty of life; and ought we not to work while it is day with increasing diligence and zeal in the vineyard of our Lord, seeing the night of death cometh when no man can work, and not one soul more can be saved by us through all eternity. As this lesson is taught us by men who left their native country and all its enjoyments and endearments in the service of Christ, ought not we to feel more powerfully our obligations to be wholly devoted to our Redeemer and his cause? In such circumstances is it suitable that years, or months, or weeks, or even days should glide away in inglorious ease, or in worldly, or even literary pursuits? God forbid that we should so sacrilegiously profane the sacred time (for to us all time should be sacred) by spending our days in any other way than seeking the salvation of precious souls. Shall not the talents which God has given us, whatever they may be, from this hour be all employed in the Redeemer's cause? and shall we not strive with all our might to improve these talents to the utmost by reading, by meditation, by preaching, by exhortation in season and out of season, and above all by prayer,

be capable of more useful and extensive service; and shall not that improvement be also devoted to the glory of Christ? Yes, my brethren, let us stir up the gift that is in us to the utmost, and aim at the approbation of our Master, and to hear from his lips these words of love: “He hath done what he could: well done good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

that we may

5. This dispensation of Providence teaches many useful lessons to every Christian.

It is designed to try their spirit, that it may be seen whether they will continue stedfast in the support of the Redeemer's

How many acts of the Divine government are of this kind? With his own hand Jehovah appears to throw down a stumbling-block in the way; men are told of it, and exhorted to avoid it. Though it lies straight before them, by turning either to the right hand or the left they may avoid it, and then continue their course. But if they will go forward they must fall over it, and sustain a very serious injury. Such is the event before us, and such the design of God. “It is all in vain says one; some missionaries have been driven from their field of labor, and now three are taken away by death. It is a hopeless cause, and shall no longer have my support.” Is this your determination? Pause ere it be final; because the danger is unspeakably great. The dispensation answers the end of God; but it is a dreadful end to thee, for it has brought to light that thou, art, if not destitute, at least wofully deficient in the faith, the hope, the perseverance, the patience, and the zeal of a disciple of Christ. How lamentable, O man, is the discovery which it has made of thy heart and of thy character! How great also is thy danger! If thou refuse to promote the glory of the Redeemer in the salvation of the heathen, what if he should say, “I will no more visit that soul with one ray of light, with one smile of my countenance, with one breath of divine influence:" thou art undone. But O betray not such a spirit; listen to the voice of this mournful dispensation, and shew that thou hast learnt wisdom by making this inquiry, "Lord what wilt thou have me to do?”

God is also teaching you the greatness and difficulty of the work of missionaries in order to excite your sympathy for them. To preach the Gospel at any time, and in any place how difficult! But how much is the difficulty increased when the servant of Christ is called to preach in Hindostan, in Ava, or in China? To be able to speak the language is an Herculean labor: to bear the heat or insalubrity of the climate is equally trying. To have wisdom and strength to endure the opposition and enmity of Satan, of the heathen, and of the world, and the unbelief and depravity of the heart-well may we cry out, “Who is sufficient for these things?” And should not the consideration of these things fill your heart with sympathy for those who are engaged in the 'work of missions? They leave all that is dear to them; they take their lives in their hand and go to fix their abode at the uttermost ends of the earth in an unhealthful climate; they study and labor amidst relaxation and weariness from excessive heat, and some sink under the weight of disease; but in life and in death their aim is to bring the perishing heathen to the faith of Christ and eternal blessedness, Persons thus living and thus dying have they not an irresistible claim to your esteem, to your sympathy, and to your prayers? Too many of them meet with censorious critics, who question the purity of their motives, who with eagle eyes pry into their conduct that they may find some, thing to reprehend, and who with illnatured harshness magnify infirmities into crimesBut tell me, .ye men of severity, the way in which ye learned wisdom. Was it not acquired in the school of experience? Was not she constrained to smite you on

the toins in order to banish folly from your hearts? Was she not compelled from time to time to repeat the strokes? And are ye so unreasonable, are ye so unjust as to expect that

young men who are missionaries should learn wisdom in

any
other

way than you

did yourselves? But if the temper of these men is so remote from the spirit of the Gospel, let yours, my Christian friends, bear no resemblance. They who have bid adieu to father and mother, to brothers and sisters, till they meet them in the eternal world; who have given up every earthly prospect of ever having more than a bare support, while their talents gave them a title to expect the comforts of a competence or affluence had they remained at home; and who have nothing to look for but a life of labor and infirmity till death shall remove them into the joy of their Lord, who can give greater evidence of their sincerity and pure intentions than these men? Let them then have your sympathy and your regard.

By this dispensation God is teaching you the exercise of faith in his promises. He has said to his well-beloved Son, “Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” So extensive is the grant, "that men shall be blessed in him, and all nations shall call him blessed.” With promises to this effect the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament abound; and the means by which they are to be accomplished is the preaching of the everlasting Gospel. Whatever hindrances may be thrown in the way, whatever opposition may be made by the numerous enemies of God and truth, whatever circumstances may occur from the expulsion of some missionaries from their fields of labor, or the death of others in the midst of usefulness and zeal, you are called to believe that, as God has promised, the Gospel shall triumph over all its foes, and Christ shall reign over the whole earth; and to use the means of his appointment for this purpose with the full assurance of ultimate success. Away then with the pusillanimity of those who are terrified at every blast of opposition, at every storm of unfavorable events. Such mean cowardice dishonors both Christ and his cause, and would be exceedingly discreditable to your character. It becomes you to adopt the language of ancient saints, "God is our refuge and strength, a present help in trouble; therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.