Soutljcru Saptiot tSonomtion.
Correspondence or tlio Foreign Board.
Communications reining tn the general busi¬
ness of the Foieign Mission Hoard, may be ad¬
dressed, post paid, to
James Ii. Taylor, Cor. See.
Richmond, Vo.
Communications enclosing donations, or relat¬
ing to tho financial department, may bo address-
•*d to ARCinnALD Thomas, Treat.
Richmond, Va.
Dr. Morrison,
There ia ono place-at Macao which is very
-<lcar to the cluistian. It is tlio tomb of Dr.
Morrison, tlio first Protestant missionary to Chi¬
nn. lie lies buried there. It was at Macao
that, on his first going out, he remained month
after month shut up in his lodgings, without dic¬
tionary, without vocabulary, without grammar,
mastering the amazing difficulties of the Chinese
ianguage. It was at 'Macao that, after he mar¬
ried, his beloved wifoilived, whilst lie went back¬
wards and forwards between Macao and-Canton.
At Macao ho buried his wife. At Macao he
buried his first-born infant son. Mscao was the
homo of his family, on his return from England
with his second wife. Here Iris children were
wont with noisy, mirth to bound to the gale to
meet him on his return from business at Canton.
Hero, on happy Sabbath evenings, with the
whole of his family around him, (tho little ones
on his knee, and their servants, Chinese, Portu¬
guese, and Cadres, on mats spread on the
ground,) ho would sit on the retired terrace of
his house, while 'the cool brceie camo in from
tho bay; and then ho would hear his children re¬
peat their hymns or read to . him tho word of
Cod j or lie would talk.lo them of the goodness
of their heavenly Father. And at Macao, out-
sido tho city walla, in tho English burial ground,
under the shadow of flowering trees, is his
grave.
More than forty years ago, a gentleman who
ofien visited the British Museum, used generally
to obscrve-thcre a young man, poring over some
strange looking manuscripts, and seeming very
deeply engaged in study. At last he went up to
him, and ventured to ask him wlrat stiango lan¬
guage it was, in which lie appeared so much in-
icrcsted. -“It. is tho Chinese," said tho young
man. "The Chinese! ,l)o you understand
it! ” asked the gentleman. "I am trying to un¬
derstand it,'1 lie replied | "bill it is unspeakably
difficult.” " And what is it that you arc think¬
ing to gain,” said tho other, “ in trying to learn
n language which is allowed to bo the most
dilliciilt of any, ami which it is thought by many
that no -European can ever master!" "Time
will show vvliat will crime of it,” said the youth.
" All lean say is, 1 feel an earnest desire to ac¬
quire this language; and if zeal and patience can
master it, I will," The gentleman turned away,
almost ready to -feel pity that such industry
should be wasted on an object which could never
be attained. Hut he was mistaken. The labor
was not thrown away. That young man was
Robert Morrison; and twenty years afterwards
ho stood on tlio platform of tho Missionary Soci¬
ety, and presented to the Dircctois a copy of the
whole Bible translated into tho Chinese lan¬
guage, ilm work of himself and his friend Dr.
Milne. The gentleman who had seen him at
the British Museum was on the platform at the
samo time, and then related tho story.
Di. Morrison was once a poor liny living at
Newcastle, and apprenticed to his father, who
was a maker of lasts-for shoes and boots. There
is still preserved the journal that lie Ice; t when
lie was quite young, anil wot king with, his fa¬
ther. Ho put down in it how many hours he
slept, and at what hour lie rose, and what Looks
ho read,- and if ho had been diligent at his trade.
You sec ho feared God, and was anxious reserve
him entirely. Every Monday evening lie met
some other youths like. himself for prayer in his
father's workshop. Although very busy, yet he
found timo for visiting the poor and tho sick.
Even when at work, he had his Bible open be¬
fore him, that 'he might meditate upon its pre¬
cious words, While his hands were busy. He
wrote essays, 'too, on various subjects, for his
own mental improvement. Such a boy was
sure to grow up a useful man.
And when God in his goodness opened a way
for him to go to China, who can tell the difficul¬
ties lie met with, or describe the persevercnce he
showed in petting through them? Jlis zeal was
so great that ho resolved at once to lay aside his
English habit* altogether, and to live like 'the
Chinese, lie suffered his nails to grow long like
birds' claws, and iet his hair grow long behind
that it might bo made into a tail. He used chop
sticks for dinner, till it became as easy to him to
handle them
аз
re handle a knife and fork. He
walked about-with a Chinese frock on, and .with
thick Chinese shoes. Afterwards he found that
this did not raise him in the opinion of the na¬
tives. They rather looked upon him with suspi¬
cion and wonder, because he did not do
аз
other
foreigners did. So he -left off these -strange
ways; but it was very plain that be was willing
to do anything, however disagreeable, if his
great wotk (Could but be advanced by it. Day
afiei day, and week afier week, did he shut him¬
self up in his "go down,” (two rooms on the
ground floor,) and there give himself entirely to
tho study of the Chinese language. Nor when
night came did his task cease. His coarse err.!;,
enware lamp supplied him with light, whilst a
large book, set upon its edge, leaned against it,
and kept the flame from being blown out by the
wind. You see Morrison did not care for com¬
fort. An easy life was not.lhelife for him. He
lived-for a great end ; aye, and lie gained his end.
He did a mighty wotk, and tho millions of Chi¬
na will revere hie name some day.
How glad he woitld be, if he were alive now,
to sec what free entrance is given to missionaties
into China, compared with what they could gain
in his days! When'he was living, no foreigner
might set his fool in-the country, except at Can¬
ton and Macao; and -even there, they were sub¬
ject to continual troubles. When he first went
to live at Macao, lie thought i: the safest plan
not to stir nut of his house for some months for
fear of attracting notice, and when at last his
health 'began to suffer so much that he was
obliged to -go out into the air, the first time he
did su was on a moonlight night, under the pro¬
tection of two Chinese. On Sundays, all he
could do was to preacli the word of God to
about half a dozen people, with the doors fast
tarred, llis printing press was often stopped, and
it was a .great wonder that lie could manage to
keep in tho country at all. In those days, it was
against the law of the land for the Christian re¬
ligion tn be taught in it. Now the law is al¬
tered." But Dr. Morrison is not here to rejoice
in the new state of. tilings, lie labored early in
the dark night, and before the morning dawned,
ho entered into rest. Ho laid tho foundation,
upon which others are now building.— Miss. Rep.
A Model of [lie Missionary Character.
“Let -us look at the great missionary of the
Christian church — the
зрозОс
of the Gentiles.
It is admitted, indeed, that lit) had been specially
designated to the office; but, by this circum¬
stance, lie is so far from- ceasing to bo an exam¬
ple, that the head of the- church may bo regarded
as saying, " For this purpose, partly, have I
called and employed him, ami placed
Ыз
history
on record, that my people may possess in him a
model nf tho missionary character for all succeed¬
ing limes." It is admitted, also, that Christians
generally, and even Christian ministers, are not
called re tho literal imitation of his missionary
career. At the same time, it is meant that they
should more than admire it— that they should im
bibe andimitatc its entire arpirit. The same prin
ciple of loyalty to Christ and !o«e to man they
must possess; and from that same principle must
they rise superior to selfish indulgence, and be
atlo to appeal to their self-sacrificing piety that
for them " re livo is Christ.”
k' The apostle could do this ; and it was the
sole secret of his heroic devotedness and mis-
sjhnary enterprise. In the ear of the selfish and
the worldly, tho language doubtless sounds .ex¬
travagant and absurd. In the car of God, and
indeed of every enlightened being, it is only the
language of sobriety and wisdom. It was dic¬
tated by no mere momentary impulse of zeal, but
was the result of a sober calculation frequently
repeated, and of enlightened principle gradually
matured. There was a time when, in common
with the -world,. he regarded life as superlatively
valuable; but he now. looked on it as compara¬
tively insignificant, for lie had found an object of
unspeakably greater importance. Others might
copy the example of their fellow-men, but he had
risen to the high and holy ambition of copying
the example of incarnate |«rfection, of God mani¬
fest in the fieah. Others might waste, their pre¬
cious time in ease, and sloth, and worldly indul¬
gence; but, ‘he aspired to enter into the counsels
of heaven, to become a co-worker together with
God, and instrumentally to mingle in the opera¬
tions of almighty love in renewing and blessing
a .world of apostate hut immortal beings. Otheis
might content themselves wiih theipraise of men,
with the good opinion of creatures perishing like
themsolves; but he aspired to the high distinction
of pleasing God — of being received and wel¬
comed into the ptesence of tho Supreme, with the
sentence, "Well done, good and faithful ser¬
vant.” Others might be satisfied with their own
personal salvafipn— but feeling that he had a Sa-
vioirr-for the world, he panted to go every wheie,
claiming that world forChrist— panted to “ pre¬
sent every man perfect in Christ Jesus”—" tra¬
vailed in birth” fur tbc regeneration of tho hu¬
man race.
Hence tho secret of his self-denial— “1 am
made all things to all mer,, if by any means I
might save some." Hence, too, the spring of his
Christian zeal — "If by any means I may provoke
to emulation them who are my flesh, and might
save some nf them." This was the reason of his
prudence and vigilance—" I please all men in all
things, not seeking mine own profit, but the piofit
of many, that they may be saved." And hence,
too, his joy in suffering—" It is fur your conso¬
lation and salvation."
ТЫз
was the object at
which ho aimed, and which filled the whole
sphere of his vision ; comparatively speaking, he
saw nothing *’*• Ease might offer him indul¬
gence; we 1 ...iglit display bet bribes; pleas¬
ure might exmbit her charms ; but these had lost
their power to tempt ; to him they .had become
objects of supremo indifference. Persecution
might bring out and spread in his path's fearful
array of scourges, and chains, and axes— all the
instruments and apparatus of toiture and death.
But he looked at the cross, and beholding the
Son nf God suspoaded there, bo aimed himself
“ likowisc with tlio same mind.” He looked
around ; and he saw the assembled church of
Christ urging him, for the glory of the cross, for
tho sake of perishing humanity, to go forward.
He listened, and heaid the whole creation groan¬
ing to be delivered. He looked above, and ho
saw "a great cloud-of witnesses” bending with
intense interest from tlnjir blessed seals; and bo
yond and above them all, he saw tho throne of
tho Lamb, and him that sal on it, and in his hand
a glorious crown of life ; and he saw that it was
extended rewards him ; and thus sustained, he
could point to all tho instruments of toiture, and
exclaim, " None of these things move me, neither
count 1 my life dear unto myself, so that 1 might
finish my emir
в
with joy, and the ministry which 'I
I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify ofilio
gospel of the grace of Cod.” And thus impel¬
led, again and again he led the van of the army
of the -cross, stotmed the .very strongholds of
ididatry and sin, proclaimed the name uf his sove¬
reign Lord "wheie Satan's seat” was, planted
the standard of lie cross in the' very citadel of
the foe, till his progress from place to place was
to be, traced, not -indeed by blood — or if su, by no
blood but his own— for ho was covered with tho
scare of the Christian conflict— but with the fall
of idol temples, the plantation of Christian
churches, the.trophies of ransomed human souls,
and with the -song of the Christian warrior, ex¬
ulting, “.Now thanks be unto God, who always
causeth
цз
to triumph in every place." And
yet, in all -this heroic devotedness and self-con¬
suming zeal, was he-oxceeding .his obligations —
doing any thing more .than carrying out princi¬
ples to their legitimate application — living to
Christ! Did he ever.utter a word which implied
that he considered himself an exception to what
others should be ! — that no one .was bound to be
so zealous fur Christ as he was— that a lower
standard of benevolence was .sufficicnt.for them 1
On the contrary, how humbly did heaecount him¬
self loss than the least of all saints; .how uni¬
formly did he speak of .himself only as-one of a
number constrained and .borne onwards iby the
love of Christ, and how.earnestly did he -say to
all, " Be ye followers of me, even aslalso am
of Christ.” — Harris.
An Appeal to Rich Men.
Dr. Yale in “ The Divine Method of raising
charitable contribrtions,” when speaking ref , his
people, says,-" We are not rich. If we were, ’I
fear that we Should feel able to give much less
than we do; .for riches tend to strengthen the
hold on money, contract the heart, and harden it
against the reties of -lhe needy.” Again, he
savs, “J ,am sorry to say, that as some of my
people approximate towards wealth they contrib¬
ute less in -preportiorrto-lbeir ability than they
did before— less than .some whoso ability does
not equal theirs.” And are these things so!
Is this the deception— the curse of riches! My
brethren, has God given you wealth 1 And are
you among the number who are adding field re
field, or merchandise to merchandise, while the
claims of Christ upon your properly are unheed¬
ed, disregarded ! If so, allow me to reason with
you for a moment, for your riches havo -well nigh
eaten you up. You will acknowledge, I pre¬
sume, that riches, as well as your health and
other comforts, come from above— that these are
all the allotments uf your heavenly Father. A
large poition of the world’s goods which he lias
put into your hands lie. might have distributed
among many individuals — individuals who "oc¬
cupy the medium between want and abundance,”
and who are generally the most liberal in their
contributions. "Such,” says tlio venerable fa-
therfrom whom I have already quoted, “are our
contributors, with very few exceptions." Now
if God lias put into your hands what he might
have put into the.hands of the m.iny to whom 1
have alluded, he of” course requires that .you
should give just as much of this property as they
in the aggregate would give, bad he put it into
their hands. There i3 no way (other things
being equj|)-of evading this conclusion. To set
the point now before us is a somewhat clear
light, suppose that in connection with the church
to which you belong there are men Of rather
small means— men who feel that they .must live
for a dying .world, men w;ho givo largely for ire
salvation, and yet who iiavq all tho comforts of
life. You perhaps were once in their situation,
and it may be, that you then gave as much as
they give; but. trow you give less in proportion to
your ability than you did before. When your
income was a thousand dollars, perhaps you gave
one hundred of this sum for benevolent objects
n general. If so, when, your income became
five thousand, you should have given at least fivo
hundred , or when your incorpa became ten thou¬
sand, you should have given one thousand; or
when it bccamo fifty thousand, jyou should have
