c«3C* 
 
 TS 
 
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 S> G.V v>1 
 
 AN 
 
 ADDRESS 
 
 TO 
 
 CI)e fteberenti Cuotarr Catty, 
 
 January 19 , 1814 , 
 
 
 ON HIS DESIGNATION AS 
 
 A CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY 
 
 TO 
 
 INDIA. 
 
 BY 
 
 ROBERT HALL, M. A. 
 
 1! rirrsrcr : 
 
 rrtixTED be thou as combe; 
 
 AND SOLD BY BUTTON AND SON, PATERNOSTER-ROW, LONDON J 
 DEIGHTON, CAMBRIDGE j AND JAMES, BRISTOL. 
 
 1814. 
 
AN ADDRESS, 
 
 &C. 
 
 AS it has been usual in the designation of a 
 Missionary, after solemnly commending him to 
 God by prayer to deliver a short address ; in 
 compliance with a custom not perhaps improper, 
 or illaudable, I shall request your attention to 
 a few hints of advice without attempting a 
 regular charge, which I neither judge myself 
 equal to, nor deem necessary, since on your 
 arrival in India you will receive from your 
 venerable relative Dr. Carey, instruction more 
 ample and appropriate than it is in my power 
 to communicate. 
 
 When the first Missionaries who visited these 
 western parts were sent out, their designation 
 was accompanied with prayer and fasting ; 
 whence we may infer that fervent supplication 
 ought to form the distinguishing feature in the 
 exercises appropriated to these occasions. 
 
 B 
 
4 
 
 Ail effusion of the spirit of prayer on the 
 church of Christ is a surer pledge of success 
 in the establishment of Missions, than the most 
 splendid exhibitions of talent. As there is 
 no engagement more entirely spiritual in its 
 nature, nor whose success is more immediately 
 dependant on God than that on which you are 
 entering; to none is that spiritual" aid more 
 indispensably necessary, which is chiefly award- 
 ed to the prayers of the faithful. 
 
 “ Separate to me,” said the Holy Ghost to 
 the disciples assembled at Antioch, “ separate 
 to me Barnabas and Saul to the work where- 
 unto I have called them.” When the omni- 
 scient Searcher of hearts separates a Christian 
 minister from his brethren, and assigns him a 
 distinct work, it implies the previous perception 
 of certain qualifications for its successful dis- 
 charge not generally possessed ; for though none 
 can give the increase but God, much of his 
 wisdom is to be traced in the selection of in- 
 struments fitted to his purpose. The first and 
 most essential qualification for a Missionary is 
 a decided predilection for the office ; not the 
 effect of sudden impulse, but of serious, deep 
 consideration ; a predilection strengthened and 
 matured by deliberately counting the cost. 
 Every man has his proper calling, and while 
 
5 
 
 the greater part of Christian teachers arc per- 
 fectly satisfied with attempting to do all the 
 good in their power in their native land, there 
 are others of a more enterprising character, 
 inflamed with the holy ambition of carrying the 
 glad tidings beyond the bounds of Christendom; 
 like the great Apostle of the Gentiles who was 
 determined not to build on another man’s foun- 
 dation, but if possible to preach Christ in re- 
 gions where his name was not known. The 
 
 o 
 
 circumstances which contribute to such a reso- 
 lution are various, often too subtle and compli- 
 cated to admit of a distinct analysis : a consti- 
 tutional order of mind, a natural neglect of 
 difficulties and dangers, an impatience of being 
 confined within the trammels of ordinary duties, 
 together with many accidental associations and 
 impressions, may combine to form a missionary 
 spirit; nor is it so necessary minutely to investi- 
 gate the causes which have led to a given deter- 
 mination, as the legitimacy of the object, and 
 the purity of the motive. 
 
 We adore the prolific source of all good, in 
 the variety and discrimination of his gifts, by 
 which he imparts a separate character and allots 
 a distinct sphere of operation to the general and 
 essential principles which form the Christian 
 and the minister. “ He gave some apostles 
 
6 
 
 and some evangelists, and some pastors and 
 teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for 
 the work of the ministry, for the edifying of 
 the body of Christ.” 
 
 The sacred impulse to which we have ad- 
 verted, I am certain you have felt in no common 
 degree, and that it has been your ardent wish 
 to be employed as a messenger to the Heathen, 
 from the time you devoted yourself to the mi- 
 nistry. Of your possessing this most essential 
 prerequisite for the office you have undertaken, 
 it is impossible for those who know you to 
 entertain a doubt. 
 
 The next qualification of whose necessity 1 
 must be allowed to remind you, is singular self- 
 devotement, without a degree of which it is not 
 possible to be a Christian, still less to any useful 
 purpose a Minister, least of all a Missionary. 
 In resolving to quit your native country, and 
 to relinquish your nearest connections with little 
 expectation of beholding them again in the llesh, 
 you have given decisive indications of this spirit; 
 nor to a mind like yours, exquisitely alive to 
 the sensibilities of nature and friendship, can 
 the sacrifice you have already made be deemed 
 inconsiderable. But as it is still impossible for 
 you to conjecture the extent of the privations 
 
7 
 
 and trials to which in the pursuit of your object 
 you may be exposed, your situation is not unlike 
 that of Abraham, who being commanded to leave 
 his own country and his father’s house, went 
 out not knowing whither he went. As you are 
 entering on an untried scene where difficulties 
 may arise to exercise your patience and forti- 
 tude, of which you can form but a very inade- 
 quate conception, you will do well to contem- 
 plate the example, and meditate the words of 
 St. Paul, in circumstances not very dissimilar: 
 “ And now I go up bound in spirit to Jerusa- 
 lem, not knowing what shall befal me there, 
 save that in every city the Holy Ghost wit- 
 nesseth that bonds and ailliction await me : but 
 none of these things move me ; neither count I 
 my life dear to myself so that I may finish my 
 course with joy, and the ministry I have re- 
 ceived of the Lord to fulfil it.” The love of 
 ease, or the indulgence of secular ambition, 
 would be fatal to the object you are pursuing ; 
 nor in your situation is there any thing so much 
 to be dreaded as a divided heart, a spirit which 
 hesitates betwixt the calls of duty and the at- 
 tractions of the world. “ To arm yourself with 
 the same mind that was in Christ, who himself 
 suffered, leaving us an example that we should 
 walk in his steps,” is a most indispensable part 
 of your duty. In proportion as you feel your- 
 
8 
 
 self a stranger upon the earth, eagerly attached 
 to none of its enjoyments or pursuits, prepared 
 without repining’ to relinquish whatever Pro- 
 vidence may demand, and suffer whatever it 
 may inflict, in a word, in proportion to the 
 degree in which you abandon all right in your- 
 self, will you be qualified for the work of an 
 evangelist. Purged from earthly concretions, 
 and worldly passions, you will become “ a vessel 
 of honor fitted for the Master’s use.” He who 
 is not possessed of a considerable portion of a 
 self-denying spirit, which was eminently the 
 spirit of him “ who pleased not himself,” can 
 engage in no employment more irksome and 
 intolerable than that of a Missionary ; for what 
 pleasure can he expect, what advantage can he 
 hope to reap, independent of the consciousness 
 or the hope of doing good. By the nature of 
 your undertaking, all the avenues to secular re- 
 putation and emolument are shut against you ; 
 on the brilliant illusions with which the children 
 of this world are enchanted, you have closed 
 your eyes, and nothing is left but the severe 
 and sublime satisfaction of following in the 
 steps of those apostles and prophets, who in 
 the midst of the derision of the world, exhausted 
 themselves in a series of efforts to enlighten 
 and to save it. You have chosen, it is true the 
 better part; but it is a part which you must 
 
9 
 
 not hope to sustain, but by the perfect subjec- 
 tion and mortification of every rival passion. 
 You must be content to derive your satisfaction 
 from yourself, or rather from your consciousness 
 of the Divine approbation, since you will meet 
 with few disposed to sympathise in your sor- 
 rows, or rejoice in your success. • 
 
 The next qualification necessary for a teacher 
 of Christianity among Heathens is the spirit of 
 faith , by which I intend, not merely that cor- 
 dial belief of the truth which is essential to a 
 Christian, but that unshaken persuasion of the 
 promises of God respecting the triumph and 
 enlargement of his Kingdom which is sufficient 
 to denominate its possessor, strong in faith. 
 It is impossible that the mind of a Missionary 
 should be too much impressed with the beauty, 
 glory, and grandeur of the Kingdom of Christ, 
 as it is unfolded in the oracles of the Old and 
 New Testament ; nor with the certainty of the 
 final accomplishment of those oracles, founded 
 on the faithfulness and omnipotence of their 
 Author. To those parts of scripture his atten- 
 tion should be especially directed, in which the 
 Holy Ghost employs and exhausts, so to speak, 
 the whole force and splendour of inspiration 
 in depicting the future reign of the Messiah, 
 together with that astonishing spectacle of dig- 
 
10 
 
 nity, purity, and peace which his church will 
 exhibit, when “ having the glory of God,” her 
 bounds shall be commensurate with those of the 
 habitable globe, when every object on which 
 the eye shall rest, will remind the spectator of 
 the commencement of a new age, in which the 
 tabernacle of God is with men, and he dwells 
 amongst them. His spirit should be imbued 
 with that sweet and tender awe which such 
 anticipations will infallibly produce, whence 
 will spring a generous contempt of the world, 
 and an ardor bordering on impatience to be em- 
 ployed, though in the humblest sphere, as the 
 instrument of accelerating such a period. For 
 compared to this destiny in reserve for the 
 children of men, compared to this glory, invi- 
 sible at present, and hid behind the clouds which 
 envelope this dark and troubled scene, the bright- 
 est day that has hitherto shone upon the world, 
 is midnight, and the highest splendours that 
 have invested it, the shadow of death. 
 
 Independent of these assurances, the idea of 
 converting Pagan nations to the Christian faith 
 must appear chimerical. The attempt to per- 
 suade them to relinquish their ancient mode of 
 thinking, corroborated by habit, by example, 
 by interest, and to adopt a new system of 
 opinions and feelings, and enter on a new 
 
II 
 
 course of life, will ever be deemed by the 
 worldly-wise, impracticable and visionary. " Pass 
 over the isles of Chittim and see,” said the 
 Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, “and send 
 unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see 
 if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed 
 their Gods!” For a nation to change their 
 Gods, is represented by the highest authority 
 as an event almost unparalleled : and if it be 
 so difficult to induce them to change the mode 
 of their idolatry, how much more to persuade 
 them to abandon it altogether. Idolatry is not 
 to be looked upon as a mere speculative error 
 respecting the object of worship, of little or 
 no practical efficacy. Its hold upon the mind 
 of a fallen creature is most tenacious, its ope- 
 ration most extensive. It is a corrupt practical 
 institution, involving a whole system of senti- 
 timents and manners which perfectly moulds and 
 transforms its votaries. It modifies human na- 
 ture, in every aspect under which it can be 
 contemplated, being intimately blended and in- 
 corporated with all its perceptions of good and 
 evil, with all its infirmities, passions, and fears. 
 In a country like India, where it has been esta- 
 blished for ages, its ramifications are so extend- 
 ed as to come into contact with every mode, 
 and every incident of life. Scarce a day, or 
 an hour passes with an Hindoo, in which by 
 
 c 
 
12 
 
 the abstinencies it enjoins, and the ceremonies 
 it prescribes, he is not reminded of his religion. 
 It meets him at every turn, presses like the 
 atmosphere on all sides, and holds him by a 
 thousand invisible chains. By incessantly ad- 
 monishing him of something which he must do, or 
 Something which he must forbear, it becomes 
 the 'strongest of his active habits; while the 
 multiplicity of objects of worship, distinguished 
 by an infinite variety in their character and 
 exploits, is sufficient to fill the whole sphere 
 of his imagination. In the indolent repose which 
 his constitution and climate incline him to in- 
 dulge, he suffers his fancy to wander without 
 limit, amidst scenes of voluptuous enjoyment, 
 or objects of terror and dismay; while revolving 
 the history of his Gods, he conceives himself 
 absorbed in holy contemplations. There is not 
 a vicious passion he can be disposed to cherish, 
 not a crime he can be tempted to commit, for 
 which he may not find a sanction and an exam- 
 ple in the legends of his Gods. Though the 
 system of polytheism established in India, con- 
 sidered in an argumentative light is beneath 
 contempt, being destitute of the least shadow of 
 proof, as well as of all coherence in its prin- 
 ciples ; yet viewed as an instrument of es- 
 tablishing a despotic empire over the mind, 
 nothing, it must be acknowledged, was ever 
 
more artfully contrived; not to mention the dis- 
 tinction of casts which is obviously adapted to 
 fix and perpetuate every other institution. That 
 the true religion should degenerate into idolatry 
 is easily to be accounted for from the known 
 principles of human nature, because such dete- 
 rioration is aided by its corruption. Hatters its 
 strongest propensities, and artfully adapts itself 
 to whatever is feeble, sensitive, and voluptuous 
 in the character of the species. 
 
 facilis descensus averni. 
 
 As it is easy to descend from an elevation 
 which it is difficult to climb, to fall from the 
 adoration of the Supreme Being to the worship 
 of idols, demands no effort. Idolatry is strongly 
 intrenched in the corruptions, and fortified by 
 the weakness of human nature. Hence we find 
 all nations have sunk into it in succession, fre- 
 quently in opposition to the strongest remon- 
 strances of inspired prophets ; while we have 
 no example in the history of the world, of a 
 single city, family, or individual who has re- 
 nounced it, through the mere operation of un- 
 assisted reason : such is the fatal propensity 
 of mankind to that enormity. It is the vail 
 of the covering, cast over all flesh, which nothing 
 but the effulgence of Revelation has pierced. 
 The true religion satisfies and enlarges the 
 
14 
 
 reason, but militates against the inclinations 
 of men. Resting on a few sublime truths ad- 
 dressed to the understanding and conscience, 
 affording few distinct images to the fancy, and no 
 indulgence to the passions, it can only be plant- 
 ed and preserved by a continual efflux from 
 its Divine Author, of whose spirituality and 
 - elevation it so largely partakes. 
 
 But however difficult it may be to prevail 
 upon men to relinquish the practice of idolatry, 
 the accomplishment of this is not the whole, 
 perhaps not the most arduous part of your work, 
 since you are too well acquainted with the genius 
 of Christianity to permit yourself to rest satis- 
 fied with any external profession, which is desti- 
 tute of the fruits of the spirit. The change you 
 wish to realise, and which you will alone con- 
 template with satisfaction, is the effectual con- 
 version of the soul from sin to holiness, and 
 from the world to God ; and how much the 
 necessity of this increases the difficulty of pro- 
 pagating the gospel among Heathens with suc- 
 cess, is so obvious that I need not insist upon 
 it at large. The valley of vision in Ezekiel, 
 filled with bones which arc very dry, is no 
 exaggerated picture of the state of the Hea- 
 then world ; and what less than an Almighty 
 power can clothe them with sinews, cover them 
 
15 
 
 with flesh, and breathe into them the breath 
 of life? 
 
 Hence the absolute necessity of a vigorous 
 faith in the promises of God, respecting the 
 future renovation of mankind, which will sup- 
 port you amidst the greatest discouragements, 
 prompt you to hope against hope, and inspire 
 you with unshaken perseverance and resolu- 
 tion ; besides that on account of the glory it gives 
 to God, it imparts by Divine appointment to 
 its possessor, an interest in his all sufficiency 
 and power. It is a mysterious link in the 
 chain of moral causes and effects which con- 
 nects the weakness of the creature with the 
 almightiness of God. “ Be it unto thee,” said 
 our Lord on a certain occasion, “be it unto thee 
 according to thy faith.” Faith considered as a 
 mere speculative assent to the truth of a divine 
 testimony, may be looked upon as uniform or 
 stationary ; but when we consider it as a prac- 
 tical principle, as one of the graces of the Spirit, 
 we perceive it to be in common with others 
 susceptible of continual enlargement and in- 
 crease. In the degree of power which future 
 and invisible realities exert over the mind, in 
 the practical energy of what men profess to 
 believe, in the promptitude and certainty with 
 which it determines them to a correspondent 
 
16 
 
 conduct, there is the utmost diversity even among 
 those who believe with the heart. The faith 
 to which the scriptures attach such momen- 
 tous consecpiences, and ascribe such glorious 
 exploits, is a practical habit, which like every 
 other is strengthened and increased by conti- 
 nual exercise. It is nourished by meditation, 
 by prayer, and the devout perusal of the scrip- 
 tures ; and the light which it diffuses becomes 
 stronger and clearer by an unintercepted con- 
 verse with its object, and a faithful compliance 
 with its dictates; as on the contrary it is weaken- 
 ed and obscured by whatever wounds the con- 
 science, or impairs the purity and spirituality of 
 the mind. This is the shield which will cover you 
 from every assault ; the chief part of that de- 
 fensive armour which it behoves you to put on. 
 Reposing on the word of him with whom all 
 things are possible, of him who cannot lie ; in 
 the formidable bulwarks of idolatry, in the in- 
 vincible rampart of prejudice and superstition, 
 which the great adversary of mankind has cast 
 up to obstruct the progress of truth, you will 
 see nothing to appal you : you will feel the 
 battle not to be yours, but the Lord’s, who 
 determined to subdue his enemies under his feet, 
 condescends to employ you as an humble in- 
 strument of his victories ; and instead of sink- 
 ing under the consciousness of weakness, you 
 
17 
 
 nil! glory in your infirmities that the power of 
 Christ may rest upon you. 
 
 Allow me to remind you of the absolute ne- 
 cessity of cultivating a mild, conciliating, affec- 
 tionate temper in the discharge of your office. 
 If an uninterested spectator after a careful pe- 
 rusal of the New Testament, were asked what 
 he conceived to be its distinguishing charac- 
 teristic, he would reply w ithout hesitation, that 
 wonderful spirit of philanthropy by which it is 
 distinguished. It is a perpetual commentary on 
 that sublime aphorism, God is love. As the 
 Christian religion is an exhibition of the incom- 
 prehensible mercy of God to a guilty race, so 
 it is dispensed in a manner perfectly congenial 
 with its nature ; and the book which contains 
 it is replete with such unaffected strokes of 
 tenderness and goodness, as are to be found in 
 no other volume. The benign spirit of the 
 gospel infused itself into the breast of its first 
 Missionaries. In St. Paul for example, w r e be- 
 hold the most heroic resolution, the most lofty 
 superiority to all the modes of intimidation and 
 danger, a spirit which rose with its difficulties, 
 and exulted in the midst of the most dismaying 
 objects ; yet when we look more narrowly into 
 his character, and investigate his motives, we 
 perceive it was his attachment to mankind that 
 
18 
 
 inspired him with this intrepidity, and urged 
 him to conflicts more painful and arduous than 
 the votaries of glory have ever sustained. Who 
 would have supposed it possible for the same 
 breast to be the seat of so much energy and so 
 much softness, that he who changed the face of 
 the world by his preaching, and while a prisoner 
 made his judge tremble on the tribunal, could 
 stoop to embrace a fugitive slave, and to employ 
 the most exquisite address to effect his reconcili- 
 ation with his master. The conversion of Onesi- 
 mus afforded him a joy “like the joy of harvest, 
 and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.” 
 When the spiritual interests of mankind were 
 concerned, no difficulties so formidable as to 
 shake his resolution, no details so insignificant 
 as to escape his notice. To the utmost inflex- 
 ibility of principle, he joined the gentlest con- 
 descension to human infirmity, “ becoming all 
 things to all men that he might win some : to 
 the Jews he became a Jew that he might gain 
 the Jews, to them that were without law, as 
 without law,” adapting on all occasions his modes 
 of address to the character and disposition of 
 those with whom he conversed. It was the love 
 of Christ and of souls that produced and harmo- 
 nised those apparent discordances. 
 
 Such is the example you must propose for 
 
19 
 
 your imitation, if you would realise to any 
 considerable extent the object of your mission 
 to the Heathen. By a mild and unassuming 
 deportment, by an attention to their worldly 
 as well as to their spiritual interests; by adopt- 
 ing, as far as you have ability, whatever may 
 contribute to their happiness and improvement, 
 convince them that you arc the friend of man. 
 When you have established yourself in their af- 
 fection, you have gained an important point ; 
 you have possessed yourself of a sig’nal advantage 
 for the successful prosecution of your work. 
 
 Your business is to persuade men, and how 
 can you expect to succeed unless you con- 
 ciliate their regard ; which is more necessary 
 on account of the seeming severity which at- 
 taches to some part of the doctrine of Christ. 
 Were you permitted to inculcate a self-pleasing 
 doctrine, the want of suavity and gentleness of 
 manner might easily be dispensed with ; the 
 laxity of the precept would compensate for the 
 austerity of the teacher. But when you are 
 called to insist on the state of man as a fallen 
 and guilty creature, to enforce the necessity of 
 self-denial, to impose the most powerful re- 
 straints on the indulgence of criminal passions; 
 when you must denounce the wrath of God 
 against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of 
 
 D 
 
20 
 
 men,, great mildness and affection are requisite 
 to prevent such representations from exciting 
 disgust. What is awful and alarming in Chris- 
 tianity should be softened and tempered by a 
 persuasive tenderness of address. Let it be 
 your care to divest religion of whatever is un- 
 lovely and repulsive, that it may appear not 
 only pure, but gentle ; not only majestic, but 
 amiable; equally favorable to the enjoyment 
 and the communication of happiness. But I 
 have dwelt longer on this head than was neces- 
 sary, when 1 recollect that the person I am ad- 
 dressing is distinguished by a temper which will 
 render the mild condescensions 1 am recom- 
 mending not more his duty than his delight. 
 
 The affectionate and conciliatory disposition 
 we have been enforcing must be combined with 
 prudence, and the diligent study of human na- 
 ture, which you will find absolutely necessary 
 to conduct you through intricate and unbeaten 
 paths. St. Paul frequently reminds the Tlies- 
 salonians of the manner of his entrance amongst 
 them. In the first introduction of the gospel 
 amongst a people, it is of great importance 
 that every step be well weighed, that nothing 
 be done which is rash, offensive, or indecorous, 
 but every precaution employed consistent with 
 godly simplicity, to disarm prejudice, and con- 
 
ciliate respect ; nor is there any thing in the 
 conduct of the first ministers of the gospel 
 more to lie admired than the exquisite pro- 
 priety with which they conducted themselves 
 in the most delicate situations. Their zeal was 
 exempt from indecorum, their caution from timi- 
 dity or art. In the commencement of every 
 great and hazardous undertaking the first mea- 
 sures are usually decisive, at least in those in- 
 stances in which success is dependant, under 
 God, on the voluntary co-operation of mankind. 
 A single act of imprudence is sufficient to blast 
 the undertaking of a Missionary, which in the 
 situation of an ordinary minister would scarcely 
 be felt. The best method of securing yourself 
 from errors in this quarter, is to endeavour to 
 acquire as large a measure as possible of the 
 graces of the spirit, to be deeply imbued with 
 the w isdom which is from above. Nothing subtle 
 or refined should enter into the views of a Chris- 
 tian Missionary. Let him be continually elevating 
 his principles, and purifying his motives ; let 
 him be clothed with humility, and actuated on 
 all occasions with love to God and the souls of 
 men, and his character cannot fail of being mark- 
 ed with a propriety and beauty which will ulti- 
 mately command universal esteem. These were 
 the only arts which a Schwartz in the East, and a 
 Brainerd in the West, condescended to cultivate. 
 
22 
 
 It must be remembered, however, that the 
 functions of a Missionary connect him more 
 with mankind than on ordinary ministers, and 
 less admit of an entire abstraction from the 
 world; on which account he will sometimes be 
 exposed to difficulties from which nothing can 
 extricate him, but a considerable acquaintance 
 with men and things. lie will probably be 
 called to transact affitirs of considerable moment 
 with persons in superior stations, with men of 
 dissimilar characters and habits, of different 
 nations and religions, who possess nothing in 
 common but the epidemic selfishness of human 
 nature ; in an intercourse with whom, he will 
 need the wisdom of the serpent, combined with 
 the innocence of the dove. The prudence, 
 however, which it is desirable a Missionary 
 should possess, is not a timid calculating policy ; 
 it is manly and heroic, operating with prompti- 
 tude and vigour on an extensive fund of know- 
 ledge, acquired by habits of acute and vigilant 
 observation Of many functions of life it is 
 possible to foresee the duties they comprise, 
 and to ascertain beforehand the extent of their 
 demand on our time and talents. In the office 
 of a Missionary it is impossible. Ilis engage- 
 ments must be in a great degree fortuitous, 
 arising out of circumstances which he could 
 neither foresee nor control ; and hence, unless 
 
23 
 
 lie possess a prompt and enlightened judgment, 
 lie will often feel himself embarrassed and 
 perplexed. 
 
 There is much in the situation of a Mission- 
 ary calculated to keep him awake and attentive 
 to his duties. To a stated pastor, it is con- 
 fessed, there are not wanting powerful motives 
 to diligence and exertion, at the same time that 
 it is equally obvious there are considerable 
 temptations to indolence and formality. Since 
 the services lie is engaged to perform admit of 
 little variety, and are easily reducible to a 
 system, they are in no small danger of being 
 performed rather from the mechanism of habit 
 than the impulse of feeling, and much ardor 
 of mind is requisite to infuse freshness and no- 
 velty into a series of operations so uniform. 
 In the performance of duties which proceed in 
 a settled routine, it is equally difficult to feel 
 and to impart an interest. With the Missionary 
 it is quite the reverse. Incapable, as he is, of 
 forming a conception of the situation in which 
 he may be placed, or of the difficulties with 
 which lie may be surrounded, he must be con- 
 scious his undertaking involves a character of 
 enterprise and hazard. He is required to ex- 
 plore new paths, and leaving the footsteps of 
 the flock, to go in quest of the lost sheep, on 
 
24 
 
 whatever mountain it may have wandered, or in 
 whatever valley it may be hid. lie must be 
 prepared to encounter prejudice and error in 
 strange and unwonted shapes, to trace the 
 aberrations of reason, and the deviations from 
 rectitude through all the diversified mazes of 
 superstition and idolatry. He is engaged in a 
 series of offensive operations : he is in the field 
 of battle, wielding “ weapons which are not 
 carnal, but mighty, through God, to the pulling- 
 down the strong holds of Satan.” When not 
 in action, he is }et encamped in an enemy’s 
 country, where nothing can secure his acqui- 
 sitions, or preserve him from surprise, but in- 
 cessant vigilance. The voluntary exile from 
 his native country to which lie submits, is suffi- 
 cient to remind him continually of his important 
 embassy, and to induce a solicitude that so 
 many sacrifices may not be made, so many pri- 
 vations undergone in vain. He holds the lamp of 
 instruction to those who sit in darkness and in 
 the shadow of death ; and while there remains a 
 particle of ignorance not expelled, a single pre- 
 judice not vanquished- a sinful or idolatrous cus- 
 tom not relinquished, his task is left unfinished. 
 It is not enough for him, on a stated day to 
 address an audience on the concerns of eternity: 
 he must teach from house to house, and be 
 instant in season and out of season, embracing 
 
every opportunity which offers of inculcating 
 the principles of a new religion, as well as 
 of “confirming the souls of his disciples.” lie 
 must consider himself as the mouth, and in- 
 terpreter of that wisdom, “ which crieth without, 
 which uttercth her voice in the streets, which 
 crieth in the chief places of concourse.” 
 
 Under these impressions, you will peruse 
 the acts of the Apostles, which record the me- 
 thods by which the gospel was first propaga- 
 ted, with deep attention, where you will trace 
 precedents the most instructive, as well as diffi- 
 culties surmounted and trials endured exactly 
 similar to your own ; nor will you fail to 
 feel a sympathy of spirit with those holy men 
 in their labors and sufferings, which other minis- 
 ters can but very imperfectly possess. Encom- 
 passed with such a cloud of witnesses, you w ill 
 esteem it no inconsiderable honor to share in 
 the same combat, encounter the same enemies, 
 and accomplish the share allotted you of those 
 sufferings which remain to Christ’s mystical 
 body. I scarcely need recommend to your at- 
 tention the letters of St. Paul to Timothy and 
 Titus, where the office of an evangelist (for 
 such you must consider yourself) is delineated 
 with such precision and fidelity. While you 
 peruse his inspired directions, you are entitled 
 
26 
 
 to consider yourself as addressed, inasmuch as 
 the spirit under whose direction they were writ- 
 ten, unquestionably intended them for the in- 
 struction of all who are in similar circumstances. 
 
 In directing' your view to apostolical prece- 
 dents, attend not so much to their letter as to 
 their spirit: investigate carefully the circum- 
 stances in which they were placed ; compare 
 them with your own with respect to the par- 
 ticulars in which they coincide, and in which 
 they differ, that you may follow them not as 
 a servile copyist, but as a judicious and en- 
 lightened imitator. 
 
 Be strong in the grace that is in the Lord 
 Je,sus. Among the nations which will be the 
 scene of your future labors, you will witness a 
 state of things essent ially different from that which 
 prevails here, where the name of Christ is 
 held in reverence, the principal doctrines of 
 his religion speculatively acknowledged, and 
 the institutes of worship widely extended and 
 diffused. The leaven of Christian piety has 
 spread itself in innumerable directions, modi- 
 fied public opinion, improved the state of soci- 
 ety, and given birth to many admirable insti- 
 tutions unknown to Pagan countries. The 
 authority of the Saviour is recognised, his in- 
 
2? 
 
 junctions in some instances obeyed, and the 
 outrages of impiety restrained by law, by cus- 
 tom, and above all by the silent counteraction 
 of piety in its sincere professors. Hence in 
 combating the vices and irreligion of the age, 
 so many principles are conceded, and so much 
 ground already won from the adversary, that 
 little remains but to urge him with the legiti- 
 mate consequences of his own opinions, and to 
 rouse the dormant energies of conscience by 
 the exhibition of acknowledged truth. Minis- 
 ters of the gospel in this quarter of the globe 
 resemble the commanders of an army stationed 
 in a conquered country, whose inhabitants, over- 
 awed and subdued, yield a partial obedience : 
 they have sufficient employment in attempting 
 to conciliate the affections of the natives, and 
 in carrying into execution the orders and regu- 
 lations of their Prince; since there is much latent 
 disaffection, though no open rebellion, a strong 
 partiality to their former rulers, with few at- 
 tempts to erect the standard of revolt. 
 
 In India, Satan maintains an almost undis- 
 puted empire, and the powers of darkness, se- 
 cure of their dominion, riot and revel at their 
 pleasure, sporting themselves with the misery 
 of their vassals, whom they incessantly agitate 
 with delusive hopes and fantastic terrors, lead- 
 
 E 
 
28 
 
 ing them captive at their will., while few efforts 
 .have been made to despoil them of their usurp- 
 ed authority. Partial invasions have been at- 
 tempted, and a few captives disenthralled, but 
 the strength and sinews of empire remain entire, 
 and that dense and palpable darkness which 
 invests it, has scarcely felt the impression of a 
 few feeble and scattered rays. In India you 
 will witness the predominance of a system 
 which provides for the worship of Gods many, 
 and of Lords many, while it excludes the 
 adoration of the Supreme Being, legitimates 
 cruelty, polygamy, and lust, debases the stan- 
 dard of morals, oppresses with ceremonies, 
 those whom it deprives of instruction, and sug- 
 gests no solid hope of happiness beyond the 
 grave. 
 
 You will witness with indignation that mon- 
 strous alliance betwixt impurity and devotion, 
 obscenity and religion, which characterises the 
 popular idolatry of all ages, and which, in op- 
 position to the palliating sophistry of infidels, 
 sufficiently evinces it to he what the scriptures 
 assert — the worship of devils, not of God. 
 
 When we consider that moral causes operate 
 on free agents, we shall not be surprised to find 
 their effects are less uniform than those which 
 
29 
 
 result from the action of material and physical 
 powers, and that human minds are susceptible 
 of opposite impressions from the same objects. 
 
 On such as have neither been established in 
 the evidences, nor felt the efficacy, of revealed 
 religion, a residence in a Pagan country has 
 usually a most pernicious effect, and matures 
 latent irrcligion into open impiety. The ab- 
 sence of Christian institutions and Christian 
 examples leaves them at liberty to gratify their 
 sensual inclinations without control, and the 
 familiar contemplation of Pagan manners and 
 customs gradually wears out every trace and 
 vestige of the religion in which they were edu- 
 cated, and emboldens them to consider it in the 
 light of a local superstition. They are no fur- 
 ther converts to the brahminical faith than to 
 prefer it to their own ; that is, they prefer the 
 religion they can despise with impunity, to one 
 that, afflicts their consciences, that which leaves 
 them free, to that which restrains them. As 
 the secret language of their heart had always 
 been, “ cause the Holy One of Israel to cease 
 from amongst us,” in the absence of God, of 
 his institutes and his worship, they find a con- 
 genial element, nor are they at all displeased 
 at perceiving the void filled with innumerable 
 fantastic shapes and chimeras ; for they con- 
 
30 
 
 template religion with great composure, pro- 
 viding it be sufficiently ridiculous. 
 
 You, I am persuaded, will view the condi- 
 tion of millions who are involved in the shades 
 of idolatry, originally formed in the image of 
 God, now totally estranged from their great 
 Parent, and reposing their trust on things which 
 cannot profit, with different emotions, and will 
 be anxious to recal them to the Bishop and 
 Shepherd of their souls. Instead of considering 
 the most detestable species of idolatry as so 
 many different modes of worshipping the One 
 Supreme, agreeable to the jargon of infidels, 
 you will not hesitate to regard them as an impi- 
 ous attempt to share his incommunicable honors; 
 as composing that image of jealousy which he 
 is engaged to smite, confound, and destroy. 
 When you compare the incoherence, extrava- 
 gance, and absurdity which pervade the systems 
 of polytheism with the simple and sublime 
 truths of the gospel, the result will be an in- 
 creased attachment to that mystery of godliness. 
 When you observe the anxiety of the Hindoo 
 devotee to obtain the pardon of sin, and the in- 
 credible labors and sufferings which he cheer- 
 fully undergoes to quiet the perturbations of 
 conscience, the doctrine of the cross will rise, if 
 possible still higher in your esteem, and you will 
 
long for an opportunity of crying in his ears, 
 “ Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away 
 the sins of the world.” When you witness the 
 immolation of females on the funeral pile of 
 their husbands, and the barbarous treatment 
 of aged parents left by their children to perish 
 on the banks of the Ganges, you will recog- 
 nise the footsteps of him who was a murderer 
 from the beginning, and will be impatient 
 to communicate the mild and benevolent maxims 
 of the gospel. When you behold an immense 
 population held in chains by that detestable 
 institution the cast, as well as bowed down 
 under an intolerable weight of brahminical su- 
 perstitions, you will long to impart the liberty 
 which Christ confers, “ w here there is neither 
 Jew nor Greek, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor 
 free, but Christ is all and in all.” 
 
 The cultivation of a wilderness, however, 
 requires a more robust and vigorous industry 
 than is necessary to preserve in a good con- 
 dition the ground which is already reclaimed. 
 The noxious produce of a long tract of time 
 must be extirpated, the stubborn and intrac- 
 table soil broken up, marshes drained, irre- 
 gularities levelled, and much persevering labor 
 employed, ere the ordinary operations of agri- 
 culture can commence, or the seed be cast 
 
32 
 
 into the earth. In attempting 1 to evangelise 
 the inhabitants of Pagan countries, you must 
 expect to encounter peculiar difficulties: you 
 will meet in the natives with the ignorance 
 and mental imbecility of children, without 
 the candor, simplicity and freedom from pre- 
 judice which are among the charms of that 
 tender age. To efface erroneous impressions, 
 to eradicate false principles, and reduce them 
 even to a natural state, defective and corrupt 
 as that state is, will be no inconsiderable task, 
 since there is not only an immense void to 
 be filled, and great deficiences to be supplied, 
 but principles and prejudices to contend with, 
 capable of the most active resistance. 
 
 In recommending the principles of Christi- 
 anity to a Pagan nation, I would by no means 
 advise the adoption of a refined and circuitous 
 course of instruction, commencing with an 
 argumentative exposition of the principles of 
 natural religion, and from thence advancing to 
 the peculiar doctrines of revelation ; nor would 
 I advise you to devote much time to an elabo- 
 rate confutation of the Hindoo or Mahometan 
 systems. The former of these methods would 
 be far too subtle and intricate for popular use; 
 the latter calculated to irritate. Great practical 
 effects on the populace are never produced by 
 
33 
 
 profound argumentation ; and every thing which 
 tends to irritation and disgust should be care- 
 fully avoided. Let your instruction be in the 
 form of a testimony : let it, with respect to the 
 mode of exhibiting it, though not to the spirit 
 of the teacher, be dogmatic. Testify repent- 
 ance towards God, and faith in our Lord. Jesus 
 Christ. It might become a Socrates, who was 
 left to the light of nature, to express himself 
 with diffidence, and to affirm that he had spared 
 no pains in acting up to the character of a phi- 
 losopher, in other words, a diligent enquirer 
 after truth ; but whether he had philosophised 
 aright, or attained the object of his enquiries, 
 he knew not, but left it to be ascertained in 
 that world on which he was entering. In him, 
 such indications of modest distrust were grace- 
 ful and affecting, but would little become the 
 disciple of revelation, or the Christian minister, 
 who is entitled to say with St. John, “we know 
 that the whole world lieth in wickedness, and 
 that the Son of God is come, and hath given 
 us an understanding to know him that is true, 
 and we are in him that is true, even in his Son 
 Jesus Christ.” 
 
 After reminding them of their state as guilty 
 and polluted creatures, which the ceremonies 
 of their religion teach them to confess, ex- 
 
34 
 
 hibit to the inhabitants of Ilindostan, the cross 
 of Christ as their only refuge. Acquaint them 
 with his incarnation, his character as the Son 
 of God and the Son of man, his offices, and 
 the design of his appearance ; not with the air 
 of a disputer of this world, but of him who 
 is conscious to himself of his possessing the 
 medicine of life, the treasure of immortality, 
 which he is anxious to impart to guilty men. 
 Insist fearlessly on the futility and vanity of 
 all human methods of expiation, on the im- 
 potence of idols, and the command of God 
 to ff all men every where to repent, inasmuch 
 as he has appointed a day in which he will 
 judge the world in righteousness.” Display the 
 sufferings of Christ like one who was an eye 
 witness of those sufferings, and hold up the 
 blood, the precious blood of atonement, as 
 issuing warm from the cross. It is a peculiar 
 excellence of the gospel, that in its wonderful 
 adaptation to the state and condition of mankind 
 as fallen creatures, it bears intrinsic marks of 
 its divinity, and is supported not less by in- 
 ternal than by external evidence. By a pow- 
 erful appeal to the conscience, by a faithful 
 delineation of man in his grandeur, and in 
 his weakness, in his original capacity for hap- 
 piness, and his present misery and guilt, pre- 
 sent this branch of its evidence in all its force. 
 
35 
 
 Seize on every occasion those features ot Chris- 
 tianity which render it interesting, and by awak- 
 ening the fears, and exciting the hopes, of your 
 hearers, endeavour to annihilate every other ob- 
 ject, and make it appear what it really is, the 
 pearl of great price, the sovereign balm, the 
 cure of every ill, the antidote of death, the pre- 
 cursor of immortality. In such a ministry, fear 
 not to give loose to all the ardor of your soul, 
 to call into action every emotion and every 
 faculty which can exalt or adorn it. You will 
 find ample scope for all its force and tender- 
 ness, and should you be called to pour your' 
 life as a libation on the offering of the Gentiles, 
 you will only have the more occasion to exult 
 and rejoice. 
 
 In order to qualify yourself for the perform- 
 ance of these duties, it is above all things neces- 
 sary for you to acquaint yourself with the 
 genuine doctrines of Christianity in their full 
 extent ; but it will be neither necessary nor 
 expedient to initiate your converts into those 
 controversies which, through a long course of 
 time, have grown up amongst Christians. En- 
 deavour to acquire as extensive and perfect a 
 knowledge as possible of the dictates of inspira- 
 tion, and by establishing your hearers in these, 
 preclude the entrance of error, rather than con- 
 
 F 
 
36 
 
 fute it. Be always prepared to answer every 
 modest inquiry into the grounds of your faith 
 and practice ; and that you may be more capa- 
 ble of entering into their difficulties, and anti- 
 cipating their objections, place yourself as much 
 as possible in the situation of those whom you 
 are called to instruct. "When we consider the 
 permanent consequences likely to result from 
 first impressions on the minds of Pagans, 
 the few advantages they possess for religious 
 discussion, and the extreme confidence they 
 are likely to repose in their spiritual guides, 
 you must be conscious how important it is to 
 * c plant wholly a right seed.” Your defective 
 representations of truth will not soon be sup- 
 plied, nor the errors you plant extirpated, since 
 we find societies of Christians in these parts of 
 the world, where discussion and controversy 
 abound, retain from generation to generation 
 the distinguishing tenets of their leaders. In 
 forming the plan, and laying the foundation of 
 an edifice which it is proposed shall last for 
 ever, it is desirable that no materials should be 
 admitted but such as arc solid and durable, and 
 no ornaments introduced but such as are chaste 
 and noble. As it would be too much to expect 
 you should perfectly succeed in imparting the 
 mind of Christ, might I be permitted to advise, 
 you will lean rather to the side of defect than 
 
37 
 
 excess, and in points of inferior magnitude omit 
 what is true, rather than inculcate what is 
 doubtful ; since the influence of religion on the 
 heart depends not on the multiplicity, but on 
 the quality of its objects. 
 
 The unnecessary multiplication of articles of 
 faith gives a character of littleness to Christi- 
 anity, and tends in no small degree to impress 
 a similar character on its professors. The 
 grandeur and efficacy of the gospel results not 
 from an immense accumulation of little things, 
 but from its powerful exhibition of a few' great 
 ones. If you are determined to initiate your 
 hearers into the subtleties and disputes which 
 have prevailed in the Western world, I would 
 recommend you, in imitation of the church of 
 Rome, to dispense with the New Testament as 
 the basis of instruction, and to betake yourself 
 to the writings of the schoolmen ; for that 
 divine volume, rightly interpreted, supplies no 
 aliment to a disputatious humor, which has 
 never ceased since it was first introduced, to be 
 the scoff of infidels, and the plague of the 
 church. 
 
 Among the indirect benefits which may be 
 expected to arise from missions, we may be 
 allowed to anticipate a more pure, simple, apos- 
 
38 
 
 tolical mode of presenting the gospel, which, 
 it may be doubted whether any of the various 
 denominations under which the followers of 
 Christ have been classed, have exhibited pre- 
 cisely as he and his Apostles taught it. In con- 
 sequence of the collision of disputes, and the 
 hostile aspect which rival sects bear to each 
 other, they are scarcely in a situation to inves- 
 tigate truth with perfect impartiality. Few or 
 none of them have derived their sentiments 
 purely from the sacred oracles, as the result of 
 independent inquiry ; but almost universally 
 from some distinguished leader, who at the com- 
 mencement of the Reformation formed his faith, 
 and planned his discipline, amidst the heat and 
 fury of theological combat. Terms have been 
 invented for the purpose of excluding error, or 
 more accurately defining the truth, to which 
 the New Testament is a stranger, and on those 
 terms associations and impressions engrafted, 
 which in some instances perhaps, little corres- 
 pond with the divine simplicity of the gospel. 
 It is far from my intention to insinuate that 
 serious and fundamental errors may justly be 
 imputed to the classes of Christians to whom I 
 refer ; 1 Am fully convinced of the contrary : — 
 but it may be worth while to inquire whether 
 we have not all in our turn receded somewhat 
 
 t 
 
 from the standard, if not by the adoption of 
 
 / 
 
39 
 
 positive error, yet by a disproportionate atten- 
 tion to some parts of revelation, to the neglect 
 of others equally important, in consequence of an 
 undue partiality to our respective peculiarities. 
 
 The situation of a missionary retired from 
 the scene, of debate and controversy, who has 
 continually before his eyes the objects which 
 presented themselves to the attention of the 
 Apostles, is favourable to an emancipation 
 from prejudice of every sort, and to the ac- 
 quisition of just and enlarged conceptions of 
 Christianity. It will be your lot to walk 
 the same wards in this great hospital, and 
 to prescribe to the same class of patients that first 
 experienced the salutary and renovating power of 
 the gospel. The Gods which are worshipped 
 at this time in India are supposed by Sir 
 William Jones to be the very same under 
 different names with those who shared the 
 adoration of Italy and Greece when the gospel 
 was first published in those regions, so that 
 you will be an eye witness of the very evils 
 and enormities which then prevailed in the 
 Western hemisphere, and which the sword of 
 the spirit so effectually subdued. You will 
 be under great advantages for ascending to first 
 principles, for tracing the stream to its head 
 and spring, by having incessantly to content- 
 
40 
 
 plate that state of things in a moral view, 
 of which every page of scripture assumes 
 the existence, but of which the inhabitants 
 of Europe have no living experience. It is 
 with great satisfaction accordingly 1 have ob- 
 served the harmony of doctrine, the identity 
 of instruction, which has pervaded the minis- 
 try of Protestant Missionaries, who have been 
 employed under the auspices of different de- 
 nominations of Christians. 
 
 If to survey mankind in different situations, 
 and under the influence of opposite institutions, 
 civil and religious, tends to elevate the mind 
 above vulgar prejudice, by none is this advan- 
 tage more eminently possessed than by Chris- 
 tian Missionaries. In addition to the advan- 
 tages usually anticipated from foreign travel, 
 their attention is directly turned to man in the 
 most interesting light in which he can be 
 viewed. An intelligent Missionary, in conse- 
 quence of daily conversing w ith the natives on 
 the most momentous subjects, and at the most 
 affecting moments, has opportunities of becom- 
 ing acquainted, not merely with the surface of 
 manners, but with the interior of the character, 
 which can rarely fall to the lot of any other 
 person; besides that Christianity, it may be 
 justly affirmed, is the best decyphcrer of the 
 
41 
 
 human heart, anil is that alone which can solve 
 its contradictions and explain its anamolies. 
 Hence it may be fairly expected, nor will the ex- 
 pectation disappoint us, that an experienced 
 Missionary, possessed of the talent and habit of 
 observation will, in every country, deserve to 
 be classed amongst the most enlightened of 
 its inhabitants. 
 
 Few things more powerfully tend to enlarge 
 the mind than conversing with great objects, 
 and engaging in great pursuits. That the 
 object you are pursuing is entitled to that ap- 
 pellation, will not be questioned by him who 
 reflects on the infinite advantages derived from 
 Christianity, to every nation and clime where 
 it has prevailed in its purity, and that the pro- 
 digious superiority which Europe possesses over 
 Asia and Africa, is chiefly to be ascribed to 
 this cause. It is the possession of a religion 
 which comprehends the seeds of endless im- 
 provement, which maintains an incessant strug- 
 gle with whatever is barbarous, selfish, or 
 inhuman, which by unveiling futurity, clothes 
 morality w ith the sanction of a Divine law, and 
 harmonises utility and virtue in every combi- 
 nation of events, and in every stage of ex- 
 istence ; a religion which by affording the most 
 just and sublime conceptions of the Deity, and 
 
42 
 
 of the moral relations of man, has given birth 
 at once to the loftiest speculation, and the most 
 child-like humility, uniting the inhabitants of 
 the globe into one family, and in the bonds of 
 a common salvation ; it is this religion which 
 rising upon us like a finer sun, has quickened 
 moral vegetation, and replenished Europe with 
 talents, virtues and exploits, which in spite of 
 its physical disadvantages, have rendered it a 
 paradise, the delight and wonder of the world. 
 An attempt to propagate this religion among 
 the natives of Hindostan, may perhaps be stig- 
 matised as visionary and romantic ; but to enter 
 the lists of controversy with those who w r ould 
 deny it to be great and noble, would be a de- 
 gradation to reason.* 
 
 * It is impossible to read the strictures of the Edinburgh Re- 
 view on Missions, in an article which appeared under that title, 
 without surprise aud indignation, that such sentiments could find 
 admission in a work which possesses such just claims to literary 
 merit. The anonymous writer of the article alluded to, with the 
 levity of a buffoon, joined to a heart of iron, and a face of brass, has 
 more than insinuated that the Christianity attempted to be promoted 
 in India by the Missionaries at Serampore, would, were it adopted, 
 prove a serious injury to the natives, and that they are much hap- 
 pier and more virtuous under their present institutions. The system 
 of religion, be it remembered, which these men have attempted to 
 introduce, and which this Christian Reviewer loads with abuse, is 
 precisely the same in its doctrinal articles with that of the Church 
 of England, to which he has subscribed, ex anirao no doubt, bis 
 unfeigned assent and consent. It may be hoped that at a time when 
 the Church of England is evincing a spirit of moderation and for- 
 bearance, and can boast of so many prelates and dignitaries, dis- 
 
43 
 
 On these principles the cause of missions 
 has recently been sustained in Parliament, and 
 the propriety and expedience of attempting the 
 propagation of Christianity in India, demon- 
 strated by arguments and considerations suited 
 to the meridian of such assemblies. We feel 
 ourselves highly indebted to those distinguished 
 senators who exerted their eloquence on that 
 occasion, and have no hesitation in asserting 
 that a more wise and magnanimous measure 
 was never adopted by an enlightened legisla- 
 ture, than that of facilitating the communication 
 of Christian knowledge to the subjects of our 
 Eastern Empire. As a political measure, no- 
 thing more unexceptionable or beneficial can 
 be conceived. It is not in this light, however, 
 we would wish you to regard your present 
 
 tinguishcd for their piety and learning, no clergyman for the future 
 will be allowed to degrade himself in a similar manner, without 
 the most indignant rebuke. It may possibly' gratify certain spirits 
 to see the dissenters and methodists vilified and abused, but they 
 w ill do well to remember, that the indulgence of a prophane and 
 scoffing humour must be ultimately injurious not only to Christianity, 
 but to any Christian community whatever ; and that to stab religion 
 through the sides of fanaticism, is a stale artifice of infidels, by which 
 the simplest can no longer be deceived. I sincerely hope the Con- 
 ductors of the Edinburgh Review have long been ashamed of the 
 article in question. When I compare the intellectual power displayed 
 in some articles of that publication with the extreme ignorance of 
 religion evinced in others, I know not how better to characterise it 
 than in the language -of Virgil, in speaking of Polyphemus, — 
 
 “ Monstrum horrendum, infonne, iugens, cut lumen ademptum .” 
 
 G 
 
44 
 
 undertaking. What may satisfy the views of 
 a statesman, ought not to satisfy a Christian 
 minister. It is the business of the former to 
 project for this world ; of the latter for eternity. 
 The former proposes to improve the advantages, 
 and to mitigate the evils of life ; the latter, the 
 conquest of death, and the achievement of im- 
 mortality. They proceed in the same direc- 
 tion, it is true, as far as they go ; but the one 
 proceeds infinitely further than the other. 
 
 In the views of the most enlightened states- 
 men, compared to those of a Christian minister, 
 there is a littleness and limitation, which is not 
 to be imputed in one case as a moral imper- 
 fection, nor in the other as a personal merit ; 
 the difference arising purely from the disparity 
 in the subjects upon which they respectively 
 speculate. Should you be asked on your arrival 
 in India, as it is very probable you will, what 
 there is in Christianity which renders it so ines- 
 timable in your eyes, that you judged it fit to 
 undertake so long, dangerous, and expensive a 
 voyage, for the purpose of imparting it, — you 
 will answer without hesitation, it is the power 
 of God to salvation ; nor will any view of it 
 short of this, or the inculcation of it for any 
 inferior purpose, enable it to produce even those 
 moralising and civilizing effects it is so power- 
 
45 
 
 fully adapted to accomplish. Christianity will 
 civilize, it is true, but it is only when it is al- 
 lowed to develope the energies by which it sancti- 
 fies. Christianity will inconceivably ameliorate 
 the present condition of being, — who doubts it? 
 Its universal prevalence, not in name but in 
 reality, will convert this world into a semi-para- 
 disaical state; but it is only while it is permitted 
 to prepare its inhabitants for a better. Let her 
 be urged to forget her celestial origin and des- 
 tiny, to forget that “she came from God, and 
 returns to God and whether she is employed 
 by the artful and enterprising, as the instru- 
 ment of establishing a spiritual empire and 
 dominion over mankind, or by the philanthro- 
 pist, as the means of promoting their civilization 
 and improvement, she resents the foul indig- 
 nity, claps her wings, and takes her flight, 
 leaving nothing but a base and sanctimonious 
 hypocrisy in her room. 
 
 Preach it then, my dear brother, with a con- 
 stant recollection that such is its character and 
 aim. Preach it with a perpetual view to eter- 
 nity ; and with the simplicity and affection with 
 which you would address your dearest friends, 
 were they assembled round your dying bed. 
 While others are ambitious to form the citizen 
 of earth, be it yours to train him for heaven. 
 
46 
 
 to raise up the temple of God from among' the 
 ancient desolations, to contribute your part to- 
 wards the formation and perfection of that eter- 
 nal society, which will flourish in inviolable 
 purity and order when all human associations 
 shall be dissolved, and the princes of this world 
 shall come to nought. In the pursuit of these 
 objects, let it be your ambition to tread in the 
 footsteps of a Brainerd and a Schwartz, I may 
 add, of your excellent relative, with whom we 
 are happy in perceiving you to possess a con- 
 geniality of character, not less than an affinity 
 of blood. 
 
 But should you succeed beyond your utmost 
 hope, expect not to escape the ridicule of the 
 ungodly, or the censure of the world ; but be 
 content to sustain that sort of reputation, and 
 run that sort of career, invariably allotted to 
 the Christian Missionary ; where agreeable to 
 the experience of St. Paul, obscurity and noto- 
 riety, admiration and scorn, sorrows and conso- 
 lations, attachments the most tender, and oppo- 
 sition the most violent, are interchangeably 
 mingled. 
 
 But whatever be the sentiments of the world, 
 respecting which you will indulge no excessive 
 solicitude, your name will be precious in India. 
 
47 
 
 your memory dear to multitudes, who will reve- 
 rence in you the instrument of their eternal sal- 
 vation ; and how much more satisfaction will 
 accrue from the consciousness of this, than from 
 the loudest human applause, your own reflec- 
 tions will determine. At that awful moment 
 when yon are called to bid a final adieu to the 
 world, and to look into eternity; when the hopes, 
 fears, and agitations which sublunary objects 
 shall have occasioned, will subside like a fever- 
 ish dream, or a vision of the night, the cer- 
 tainty of belonging to the number of the saved, 
 will be the only consolation, and when to this 
 is joined the conviction of having 'contributed 
 to enlarge that number, your joy will be full. 
 You will be conscious of having conferred a 
 benefit on your fellow creatures, you know not 
 precisely what, but of such a nature that it will 
 require all the illumination of eternity, to mea- 
 sure its dimensions, and ascertain its value. 
 Having followed Christ in the regeneration , in 
 the preparatory labors accompanying the reno- 
 vation of mankind, you will rise to an elevated 
 station in a world where the scantiest portion 
 is a “ far more exceeding and eternal weight 
 of glGry,” and a conspicuous place will be as- 
 signed you in that unchanging firmament, where 
 those who have turned many to righteousness, 
 shall shine as the stars for ever and ever. 
 
48 
 
 But it is time I should close this address, 
 which has already been extended much further 
 than was at first designed. On the neces- 
 sity of maintaining on exemplary purity of con- 
 duct, little or nothing has been said, because 
 such is our confidence in your character 
 that we deemed admonition of this kind su- 
 perfluous. As you are, however, still in the 
 body, and will be exposed to numerous temp- 
 tations, you will feci the propriety of being 
 jealous over yourself with a godly jealous}', 
 and exerting a continual care and vigilance, 
 lest in the awful language of the Apostle, 
 “ after preaching to others you yourself should 
 be a cast-away.” I need not remind you 
 that as the society under whose auspices you 
 are proceeding to India, have on no occasion 
 employed a Missionary in whom they reposed 
 more confidence, or of whom they formed more 
 raised expectations ; if you should become vain, 
 worldly, sensual, indolent, and consequently 
 useless, ours will not be an ordinary disap- 
 pointment; we shall have fallen from a great 
 hope. You will be sensible of the indispcn- 
 sible necessity of not interfering with the 
 politics of India, nor of giving the smallest, 
 ground of umbrage and distrust to the con- 
 stituted authorities, to whom it will be your 
 duty not less than your interest to pay on 
 
49 
 
 all occasions, in return for the protection they 
 will yield, the most respectful deference. 
 
 Let me also recommend you to listen to the 
 advice, and be guided by the suggestions, as 
 far as your conscience will permit, of your 
 Fathers in the Mission, and of Dr. Carey in 
 particular, whose wisdom and experience, to 
 say nothing of his relationship to you, en- 
 title him to reverential attention. You are 
 now about to be removed from us, who it is 
 probable shall sec your face no more ; but you 
 will not be removed from the communion of 
 saints, which no seas can divide, no distance 
 impair, in which we shall often meet at a throne 
 of grace, whence fervent prayers will ascend 
 to the Father of mercies, that he may keep 
 you under his holy protection, and cause the 
 richest of his blessings to descend on the head 
 of him who was separate from his brethren. ' 
 
 THE END. 
 
 \ 
 
 COMBE, PRINTER, LEICESTER. 
 
BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 
 
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