appreciate fully its truth
and its weighty import, it is necessary to live in the midst of a
heathen people, and actually to witness the great variety and amount of
labor which must be put forth, in order to elevate and improve them. The
work of raising up a people from barbarism to Christianity is not only
an immense work, but emphatically a _various_ work--a work which
requires a great diversity both of means and of laborers. The minister
of the Gospel must perform a prominent part, but he must not be expected
to labor alone. His unaided efforts are altogether insufficient for the
task.

There is special need of other laborers, since the number of ministers
among the heathen is likely to be so small; but the need would exist,
even though the number of ministers were very much increased. Labors
analogous, both in respect to measure and variety, to those bestowed
upon a Christian congregation, must be expended on a congregation of
heathen. In Christian countries, a thousand important labors are
performed by intelligent and praying men and women in the church, as
direct aid to the minister in his arduous work; and a thousand offices
are performed by schoolmasters, physicians, lawyers, merchants, farmers,
mechanics and artisans, which, though in most cases not aimed directly
at the salvation of men, are, notwithstanding, most intimately connected
with the world's improvement and renovation. But while ministers at home
are assisted in their work, shall the missionary abroad receive little
or no help in his direct labors? And in respect to all improvements in
society indirectly connected with his main work, must the task of
introducing them and of urging them on, devolve entirely on him alone?
Why should not the various means of civilizing and improving society at
home, be brought to exert their influence upon the heathen abroad? Why
should not the aid enjoyed by the minister in Christian lands, from
intelligent members of his church, be afforded to the missionary among
the heathen? How, indeed, shall the world be converted, unless there be
a going forth to heathen lands from among all classes of Christians?

But I fear that these remarks are too general to be distinctly
understood. To make my meaning, then, a little more clear, I will
suppose a case.

A missionary goes forth to a barbarous nation, and locates himself in a
village of four thousand souls. He learns the language of the people,
and soon succeeds in giving t