communications from the brethren now labouring among the heathen, prove that most of them possessed these excellencies of character in an eminent degree. Amidst all the genuine christian simplicity so admirable and so characteristic of these worthy servants of Christ, I have been again and again gratified by the proofs their letters and journals furnish of their acute discrimination of the character of the people to whose conversion* they have devoted themselves. How wisely and cireumspectly they deal with them-how well they

abourers. The part that caught my eye, viz. "The Life of David Zeisbergen," exemplifies what I have said great quickness and decision of character, accompanied with a large share of prudence and zeal-a fine talent for languages, &c. were his distinguishing qualities. Had I time to search for further confirmation of what I have stated, it would be easy to select abundance from these records of missionary exertion. See also the accounts of T. S. Schuman.-Per. Acc. No. 103.

*This word conversion is used by the Moravians in a sense which has an odd effect upon an English ear. They seem to mean nothing more by it in their application of it to the heathen, than the circumstance of becoming a scholar or catechumen. Thus the phrase often occurs in their journals, that such an one desired to be converted, i. e. to come under instruction. They of course understand that a farther and more important change must take place before this heathen disciple becomes a Christian-and their manner of procedure shews it, for such are not admitted to christian privieges till proof is obtained of their sincere belief and profession of the truth.

know the heavenly art of winning and ruling them -gaining the entire command of their converts, while they make themselves more beloved as fathers and friends than feared as masters. Nor is the charming naïveté and happy christian cheerfulness of the female part of their communities less worthy of notice, as qualities of great price in such situations as they fill. If occasionally passages in the brethren's letters or journals may be met with that betray superficial knowledge, or the substitution of warmth of pious feeling for soundness of judgment, many paragraphs might be pointed out indicative of their quick perception, sagacity, and good common sense.

I am far from approving some things in the management of their communities (e. g. their regulations as to marriage and single life), and I am not blind to some defects that adhere to their system; nor can I admire the cant phrases peculiar to the sect, plentifully scattered over the pages of their publications; but they hold up a pattern to the world of the unobtrusive but mighty energies of the christian character. If their piety and zeal have not been made to shine out as in combination with superior talent, it has been because their talents, their whole hearts and souls have been devoted to the accomplishment of one thing-the conversion of the heathen, and that chiefly by patient and persevering oral instruction. To this they have directed their energies, and we know

with what success. They have not astonished us by new discoveries-by deep researches into nature-they have not expatiated on the fields of philosophy and science, but they have solved some of the most interesting problems in the science of human nature, by shewing what the Esquimaux, the Cherokee, and the Hottentot can be made under the transforming "word of the cross."

But if we advert to the pretensions of the missionaries in question to general learning, here I believe they will be found defective; and to their deficiency in this point perhaps is to be attributed their having done so little in the way of translating the scriptures and other books, and introducing generally the knowledge of letters among their congregations gathered from among the heathen. Besides, as if conscious of their inability in this respect, the fields of exertion they have chosen are the very spots where the want of literary acquirements would be least felt. Their Greenlanders, &c. have no books or learning of their own, like the Hindoos, Chinese, and other pagan nations, high in the scale of general improvement, skilful in the arts of civilized life, and among whom learning raises its possessor to a proud elevation above the unlettered multitude; not but that learning might be turned to good account in Labrador or South Africa, but the want of it may there be more readily dispensed with than at Benares or Serampore.

It is true, that God employs the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; "and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen; yea, and things which are not to bring to nought things that are." And there have been many striking illustrations of this from the days of the apostles to the present time. But it is easy to overstrain such passages in their application to every department of the work of God; and they will be found to have utterly mistaken the meaning of such declarations, who think themselves thereby warranted to act as if the excellencies of character which God has bestowed upon individuals, and the height of acquirement in knowledge human and divine, which, by his blessing, they have reached, were talents of no value, and of no use in the propagation of the gospel-as if miracles were to be expected in the accomplishment of a work carried on by instruments physically and intellectually (and why not also morally?) disqualified for the task-as if it were expected that men should successfully study languages without any talents for philology, or make translations of the scriptures into a foreign language without being able to distinguish things that differ in their own-or felt the difficult and delicate situation of a Christian missionary, without being possessed of an ordinary measure of discretion in

ordinary affairs. It may be allowable to interpret the text above quoted as countenancing such views when the gift of tongues-of prophecy-of discerning of spirits-of healing, &c. are restored to the church. But till then it will be a wiser course to seek the blessing of God to crown the employment of the best means we can command; and, after all, there will be infinite room for him to manifest that 66 no flesh shall glory in his presence."

When men pervert texts of scripture to excuse their supineness in the work of God, as if the employment of human agency was a tacit infringement of the divine prerogative, or, refining still farther, while they employ means, yet, to preserve all the glory to God, insist upon using only such as are unfit, protest against learning and genius, and hail imbecility and stupidity as the best qualifications for that work which is to be performed "not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord."-I say, when men entertain such sentiments, or hold principles evidently drawing such conclusions after them-and withal point us to the word of God as their authority; it is hard to find language expressive enough to denote the mischief of such perversions. The evil may be conceived by supposing the sentiments to become general, and to be acted upon throughout the Christian world.

The most strenuous advocates for choosing men