as the Pilgrims of New England did,
institutions of learning among themselves, where children and youth
might receive a suitable education.

Unless some arrangement of this kind can be made, the trials of
missionaries must remain unrelieved and unmitigated. And even with such
an arrangement, the trial would be only in part removed. Even then the
children of foreign laborers would by no means receive all the
advantages of a Christian land, neither would they be shielded from all
the evils of a heathen community. But it is worthy of thought, whether
by such an arrangement they would not be so far shielded, and possess
advantages to such an amount, as to change the preponderance of
argument.

Then, in addition to this or some similar arrangement, should not
Christians _be more liberal in affording means and facilities for
education, and expect of missionaries to devote to their children more
of their time_?

I have now brought before your minds the greatest of all missionary
trials; and yet I urge many of you, ministers and laymen, and urge you
considerately and solemnly too, to enter the work. I have not hesitated
to state freely the whole difficulty, for I am in no wise unwilling that
you should count the cost. And I would say with Gideon, "Whosoever is
fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early." God desires no
faint-hearted men in his service. He desires men that shrink from no
self-denial for his sake. For after their trials are over--and they will
be but short[*]--he wishes to crown them with glory, and place them at
his own right hand as partners of his throne. He will place no
unbelieving, faint-hearted men there. He will place none there who are
not "worthy of him." And remember that he said, "He that loveth son or
daughter more than me, is not worthy of me."

[Footnote *: The author, soon after writing this appeal, was called to
enter into the joy of his Lord.]

* * * * *

In looking at the embarrassment of missionaries in regard to their
children, a thought something like this is apt to arise: missionaries
are by profession a class of self-denying persons, and this trial is
only in consistency with the life they have chosen. Now, where in the
Bible do you find, that a spirit of self-denial and of consecration is
enjoined peculiarly upon missionaries more than upon others? Where do
you find it intimated, that a missionary spirit is a thing superadded to
Christian