ships or sufferings, till they too could say, " I have fought a good fight: I have finished my course: I "have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up "for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, "the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day." "Even after that we had suffered before, and "were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you "the gospel of God with much contention." 1 That calm and steady fortitude with which the three young Jews met the frowns and menaces of Nebuchadnezzar, and the prospects of a fiery furnace; and with which St. Paul was prepared to meet the rage of an incensed multitude at Ephesus; must be your pattern. You must be bold in adhering to the path of duty, and in acting according to your conscience, amidst the scorn, and revilings, and rage of enemies, and perhaps the censure of misjudging friends.

But, my brethren, this fortitude must be connected with proportionable meekness and gentleness. You must aim to be firm as a rock where the cause of God and your evident duty are concerned; yet this should be with suavity, kindness, and temper: but, in what relates merely to your own interest, indulgence or inclination, you must be as pliant as the willow. It will especially be incumbent on you to watch against every tendency to irritability of spirit: and to endure the unteachableness, the unreasonableness, the ridicule, reviling, or injuriousness of those around you, without apparent emotion: you should be ambitious,

so to speak, of being considered as men whom none can make angry. And here I will introduce some observations of one who is well acquainted with the Africans, and a cordial friend to your object :" - Africans, even of the lowest order, possess much more intelligence and discernment 'than Europeans in general give them credit for. 'Missionaries should be apprized of this. Also 'that they are keen, patient, calm, and decorous in 'discussion. If, in argument, they find their adversary deficient in any of these qualities, they 'know well how to make their advantage of it, and 'the audience are in general quite ready to decide against him. A Missionary should keep this well ' in mind; as, in most of his discussions with Africans, the whole of those who are present will feel ' a common interest with his opponent,'

6

Patience, not only in bearing hardships and suffering with resignation and serenity of mind, but especially "patient continuance in well-doing;" perseverance in your undertaking amidst discouraging circumstances, perhaps year after year without visible success; is peculiary needful for a modern Missionary. Of all other things this is perhaps the most essential: and, without it, the most fervent zeal, accompanied with other promising endowments, will seldom produce much effect. For want of this, many who have made a good beginning, and sown good seed, have prematurely left the field and the expected crop to the ravages of the wild beasts of the earth. In this respect, the Moravians have given Missionaries a most instruc

'William Dawes, Esq. formerly Governor of Sierra Leone.

tive example: and perhaps this habit of patient waiting has conduced more to their ultimate success than all other things have done. That time, my brethren, is not lost, which is employed in getting well acquainted with the language and manners of the natives: in attracting their attention, gradually acquiring their esteem, or conciliating their affection. When active services are impracticable, your studies, as subservient to the giving to the natives the Holy Scriptures, or part of them, in their own language, and in coincident services, are very important; and may prepare the way for future Missionaries. You, who enter on a mission where but little ground has as yet been gained, above all others must be contented to labour, and leave "other men to enter into your labours." You may sow seed, and others may reap the harvest: but, at length, " both he that soweth, and he that "reapeth shall rejoice together."— "Be not there"fore weary in well-doing; for in due season ye "shall reap, if ye faint not."

It is not requisite that I should dwell on the need of unaffected disinterestedness; of indifference as to external accommodation; of a willingness, if need be, to live on the same food, and lodge in the same manner, as they do among whom you go; if, by so doing, you can acquire the opportunity of attempting somewhat for their good. You must endeavour, by all means, to convince them that you "seek not theirs but them;" and that you are willing to spend and be spent for them." You must shew yourselves to be men of another world, and dead to all the interests and concerns of this present life. "Your moderation must be known unto

"all men:" and you must be peculiarly careful, not needlessly to "entangle yourselves in the af"fairs of this life," which some having done have at length relinquished their missionary labours.

Time would fail in shewing the need which you will have of heavenly wisdom; ("Be ye therefore "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves :") of evident good-will to all men; of zeal for the glory of God our Saviour; of calm, loving, prudent zeal, expressed by scriptural means alone. I shall, however, here introduce some further remarks, from the same well informed friend of the cause before quoted:- It will be necessary to instruct a Mis'sionary to be kind, affectionate, and meek in his 'intercourse with the natives: but it is very necessary to guard him against an over-kind, and overliberal conduct towards them, on first acquain'tance. What you do for them once, they will ' expect you to do always; and any material change ' of conduct will not fail to produce complaint, and

perhaps disgust. They are, like all other human ́ beings, naturally exceedingly selfish : and great 'firmness, accompanied with mildness, must be exercised in refusing requests, which are either in themselves unreasonable, or which cannot ⚫ without inconvenience, be complied with. When treated in this way, they are not apt to feel ' offended, or to imbibe any ill-will: but, when a ' refusal is attended with any thing contemptuous * or irritating, either in word or manner, it seldom * fails of making both a strong and lasting impression. Some small presents will, on their first • arrival, according to the custom of the country, be expected by the principal people: but this

' matter is well understood by those who are already 'settled. It will be very necessary for the Mis'sionaries to be exceeding careful that the natives 'do not rob them of their time, any more than of 'their goods. Time is comparatively of no value to an African and it is not without difficulty 'that they are brought to comprehend, that very 'frequent interruption and intrusion can be ma

terially inconvenient to an European. On occa'sions of this sort, it will be sufficient to say, 'I am very busy, and I cannot sit to talk with you just now when you come next time, I hope to 'be more at leisure.' It would be well, if one room in a house were kept sacred from intrusion ' of any kind: and the natives should be told, that, 'whenever they should find the person they might

want was in that room, he was not on any account 'to be intruded on. They would feel no uneasi'ness from a plan of this kind, steadily persevered 'in. In fine, they may be treated, on all occasions, ' as reasonable, intelligent persons; and they will ' in general, bear a refusal, or acquiesce in any ' reasonable requirement, with good humour, pro'vided they be treated with kindness and temper. 'The Missionaries, in their intercourse with Mo'hammedans, may discuss points in religion with 'freedom, provided they do it with candour and 'mildness. Mr. Butscher has frequently spoken 'to them, in the plainest terms, concerning the 'impostures and conduct of Mohammed, without 'incurring the slightest ill-will- or displeasure; 'having done it with his accustomed prudence ' and temper.'

The ground, so to speak, must be prepared to