missionary, if he has not at times been placed in situations which made him feel most keenly his deficiencies, both perhaps in respect of natural endowments and acquired knowledge; and few I think who know the work practically will refuse to own that, as to themselves, with far higher powers, and more extensive learning, they might find scope for the employment of all in the course of their ministry among a heathen people in a state of utter barbarism.

But some one may ask of what use is Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, philosophy, and science to a missionary among a horde of savages? What is he the better for being an adept in mathematics or astronomy, for being a skilful chemist or botanist? "An ounce of grace is worth a cartload of Greek," say some. When I have heard such remarks-betraying so much ignorance and so great love for it, I have been tempted to treat them with silent contempt; but as this specious way of representing the matter may have led some honest but ill-informed minds to contract a prejudice against learning in missionaries as altogether useless, if not positively hurtful, I shall endeavor to form a very short and plain answer. First, As to the learned languages.-Missionaries inay have to act the part of translators of the word of God. They should be able to do it from the originals. And even should the task of translating not be required of them, the capacity of reading the books of inspiration in the languages in which they were written, is a qualification which none will despise or think of small value, but those who themselves are destitute of it. Second, As to philosophy, science, and art; the right use of them is to enable a man to read and explain the volume

of creation. They hold the same relation to the works of God, that the knowledge of languages does to his word. The innumerable lines of wisdom, goodness, power, and majesty, written on every leaf of the great volume of the universe of God, cannot be perused and understood to full advantage, without an acquaintance with the facts and discoveries in every department of science. "Knowledge is power"-and as we take it for granted that the missionary is not disposed to abuse his power, but to employ it to the "profit of many that they may be saved"-he cannot have too much knowledge. All things are not equally important to be known; but there are few branches of knowledge which may not be of use at one time or another—the missionary, I repeat it, cannot know too much.

I proposed, when I began this letter, to treat of the talents and learning requisite for missionaries, but did not foresee that so much was to be said in removing objections before coming directly to the point. I shall be more brief now, because, from the incidental remarks already thrown out, you may gather what are my ideas of the intellectual qualifications, which, with other gifts and graces, render an individual eligible to the office of a missionary.

A facility of acquiring languages is commonly and justly reckoned a valuable missionary talent. This is too obvious to require any illustration. A missionary, in a great measure destitute of it, may indeed, in certain situations, prove a very useful member of a mission. The possession of other gifts, in an eminent degree, may almost compensate for the want of this; but, generally speaking, one who possesses this quickness in the acquisition

of languages, promises to be the more useful missionary. He can sooner, and with more effect, have direct intercourse with the people—--can sooner engage in translating, or in original composition-preparing elementary books, tracts, &c. But one who has only a small portion of the gift in question, is not merely late in acquiring, he rarely acquires a foreign language to any perfection.

Whether a young man actually possesses this facility may be easily ascertained; but many, I think, acquire the character without deserving it. A young man of intense application, by mere dint of long and severe study, gains perhaps a tolerable acquaintance with Latin and Greek ;— he is able to make a respectable figure as a classic, and with many he gains the reputation of having a great turn for languages. But all that ought to be said of him is, that he is able, after a season of severe and perhaps unacknowledged toil, to master the difficulties of a language—and this is saying a great deal. The acquisition of a language, even to a man of the quickest talents, is only the reward, (whatever some may pretend,) of hard, persevering, close study. It is well known that this talent is one of the first a man loses as he advances in years. As the memory, upon which it essentially depends, is the first of our faculties that arrives at maturity, and is often exercised in all its vigor, before there be any ripeness of judgment, so it is the first that begins to decay. Few retain, even to middle age, the ability to acquire a new language, unless they have been habituated to such studies from their youth. In this case the faculty is longer retained, for the constant exercise of the memory both greatly improves it

and preserves it in full vigor, sometimes to a late period of life. I therefore fully agree in opinion with Dr. C. who once observed to me, in conversation upon this very subject, that, considering the importance of a facility of acquiring foreign tongues to a missionary, and the early decay of this talent, a young man of twenty was preferable to another of twenty-five (ceteris paribus) for the missionary work.

A clear and vigorous understanding-a sound judgment—an active and energetic mind; these are of prime importance to a missionary. Placed in circumstances where he must often be called to determine for himself, or to consult with his brethren in matters of the first moment to the interests of their mission, the possession of a calm and discerning judgment is peculiarly requisite. A man who is too hasty or too shallow to deliberate and compare, and take a clear and comprehensive view of things in cases of difficulty, will, if alone, be often in danger of taking the most fatal steps; and acting with equal want of wisdom in other cases, may commit as egregious mistakes in taking no steps at all. It is the part of a sound mind to inform a man both what to do and what to refrain from doing; and to determine the time and manner of doing things, is of as much consequence as to ascertain the propriety of the thing itself. But it is not merely in a few great transactions that the exercise of judgment is required. The daily occurrences of life, and especially of a missionary life, present innumerable occasions for the exercise of a clear, prompt, enlightened, well-regulated mind. Intercourse with persons of all ranks and charactersthe management of secular affairs-the direction and superintendence of servants and converts→

of the family establishment-of the missionary settlement-perhaps of the whole community. If a strong mind is not brought to the performance of such duties, the missionary will often expose the cause to danger and loss, and himself to contempt.

Prudence and circumspection are likewise valuable qualifications. Prudence is wisdom applied to practice. The possession of this quality enables a man to apply his knowledge in a wise and considerate manner. A man greatly deficient in prudence is a most dangerous member of a missionary settlement. A rash unadvised act, one imprudent word, may occasion the most serious mischiefs to a cause perhaps in its infancy-opposed by all the wickedness of the place, assailed by the tongue of slander, watched by the eye of malice, and every advantage ready to be taken of the smallest impropriety of speech or behaviour of the individuals who belong to it.

Besides, in the general prosecution of the work of evangelizing the people, there is continual occasion for the exercise of this virtue. It was when our Lord sent out the disciples to preach, and with immediate reference to the fulfilment of their commission, that he charged them to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." This precept is dictated by the highest wisdom; and nothing, humanly speaking, is more essential to the success of missionary undertakings, than that the execution of them be intrusted to wise and prudent men. Without prudence, the most fervent love, and the purest motives, and the best gifts, would be insufficient for the attainment of their object; and the greatest zeal, without wisdom to conduct it, would but enable its possessor to