investigation of his motives ought to be made, as in the sight of God, before he advances a single step; and if he is not, in his own conscience, fully satisfied that his motives are such as God will approve, he should relinquish the design, whatever his talents or qualifications in other respects may be. A physician, or lawyer, need have no scruples about the exercise of his respective functions, although he may not be conscious that a disinterested desire to promote the good of his patients or clients prompts him to serve them to the utmost of his ability. If he perform his duty, he is worthy of his reward. To obtain his living may be the ultimate end of his exercising his profession, and he may honourably and consistently avow it to be so. But if a minister of the gospel is not influenced by a love to the souls of men, and a zeal for the glory of God in their salvation, he is disqualified in the most essential particular for his office. On this account it is, that young men, whose minds are inclining to the ministry, should be directed to give this point their most attentive consideration; and if they obtain proper satisfaction of mind in regard to purity of motive, it will, in most cases, go far towards determining their call to the work.

Most young persons, whose rank in life is such that they must think of devoting themselves to a profession, find their minds leaning towards some particular employment, which is generally such as

their connections or circumstances render desirable or expedient; and, consequently, the choice is made, and the matter proceeded in. But many young men of piety, who have not yet made choice of a profession for life, are apt to look upon all secular professions with equal indifference, or even aversion; and others, whose minds have been brought under the power of religion, after their pursuits for life have been entered upon, become dissatisfied with the employment to which they found themselves bound. They derive no pleasure from the performance of the duties required of them, and long for the moment when they can disengage their hands and their head from the irksome, daily routine of their calling; happy only when they can bid a short farewell to it, and enjoy the society of kindred minds, or taste the sweets of retirement, and indulge in their favourite exercises, undisturbed and unknown. Such persons are apt to look upon ministers as the happiest of human beings. They have little to do with the things of the world; their duties must be their delight, for they consist in studying the word and the works of God, and speaking of them to their people. Their leisure for study, their opportunities of acquiring knowledge, their advantages for self improvement, all appear most desirable; and the pious young man, thus speculating upon the office of the ministry says with a sigh of longing desire, "O that I were a minister!" Now all this is a speculation of

selfishness, and there does not enter into it a particle of the true motive that ought to actuate the breast of a servant of Christ. There may be nothing inconsistent with the love of souls and the the glory of God; but when views of personal enjoyment fix the choice, and take the place of higher considerations as principles of action, what must follow when experience shall have taught that these selfish ends cannot be gratified? What shall bear up a man in the actual discharge of duties, which in reality will be found, many of them at least, very different as to personal gratification from the fancy picture the young aspirant to the sacred office drew for himself? In a word, what shall he do when his principles of action fail him? But, perhaps, if he make self gratification the end of his ministry, he may have his reward.

But I must come to the point I have more immediately in view, in bringing forward these remarks at present.

As an individual, actuated in the manner above described, will seek for himself a station in the church squaring as much as possible with his love of ease, literary leisure, &c.; so, on the other hand, one whose heart is truly devoted to the work of his lord and master, will prefer that station where he has the best prospects of real laborious usefulness, where he may do most good to souls, and most extend the Redeemer's kingdom among

men.

In what light, then, ought the several claims of the heathen abroad and the christian community at home, to appear to the mind of a pious student of divinity, or one who wishes to become a student with a view to the ministry? and what are we to make of the fact, that there are many hundreds of young men of this description, studying with a view to the pastoral office in Great Britain, while scarcely one individual is coming forward to offer himself as a missionary?

Is it that they have adopted the opinion combated in another letter, that persons of mean talents are good enough for missionaries? Is it that the young men who crowd our academies and universities, the nurseries of the church, think their abilities too good to be thrown away upon the heathen? Do they modestly leave it to less gifted brethren, who give no favourable augury of becoming good preachers, to occupy a sphere abroad, where their deficiencies may be less felt by themselves, and less observed by their hearers? I should be glad to find a more favourable explanation of the fact; and I can indeed make a more charitable supposition in the case of a few : but how to account for the great bulk of aspirants to the ministry preferring home service, more honourably to their principles and motives, I confess myself at a loss. It this moment occurs to me, that some may shelter themselves behind the example of the race of ministers

of the last century, who seem to have thought very little of the duty of practically and generally seeking the conversion of the heathen. But without attempting to defend or to criminate the ministers of a former period, it is most manifest that those of the present have had their attention drawn to the subject in a way unprecedented, at least in modern times. The claims of the heathen have been so pressed on their notice, the actual state of the heathen so clearly brought to light, the practicability of attempting and effecting their conversion so proved, the facilities so increased, that they who neglect them now, are utterly with

out excuse.

Do students for the ministry really think that their services are so much needed at home, that to go abroad would be, at the best, a very questionable course? I doubt whether they can think so. Let me suppose a case for the sake of illustration. Suppose the state of a certain empire to be as follows: The rightful sovereign in one part of his dominions is generally acknowledged, his laws are respected, and the great body of the people professing allegiance to his government, and instructed and ruled by faithful servants of the king, enjoy peace and prosperity. But the rest of the empire, all the foreign possessions of the crown, all the distant provinces, are in a state of disaffection or open rebellion; multitudes of the