ttention to that which so occupied His own as to be His meat and
drink, He said, 'Lift up your eyes and look upon the fields (of souls
to be gathered in), for they are white already to harvest.' After so
many centuries have elapsed and so many fields full of this harvest
have been lost for want of labourers to gather it in, shall we not at
last reflect seriously on our duty? Hindostan requires ten thousand
ministers of the Gospel, at the lowest calculation, China as many, and
you may easily calculate for the rest of the world. I trust that many
will eventually be raised up here, but be that as it may the demands
for missionaries are pressing to a degree seldom realised. England has
done much, but not the hundredth part of what she is bound to do. In
so great a want of ministers ought not every church to turn its
attention chiefly to the raising up and maturing of spiritual gifts
with the express design of sending them abroad? Should not this be a
specific matter of prayer, and is there not reason to labour hard to
infuse this spirit into the churches?

"A mission into Siam would be comparatively easy of introduction and
support on account of its vicinity to Prince of Wales Island, from
which vessels can often go in a few hours. A mission to Pegu and
another to Arakan would not be difficult of introduction, they being
both within the Burman dominions, Missions to Assam and Nepal should be
speedily tried. Brother Robinson is going to Bhootan. I do not know
anything about the facility with which missions could be introduced
into Cochin China, Cambodia, and Laos, but were the trial made I
believe difficulties would remove. It is also very desirable that the
Burman mission should be strengthened. There is no full liberty of
conscience, and several stations might be occupied; even the borders of
China might be visited from that country if an easier entrance into the
heart of the country could not be found. I have not mentioned Sumatra,
Java, the Moluccas, the Philippines, or Japan, but all these countries
must be supplied with missionaries. This is a very imperfect sketch of
the wants of Asia only, without including the Mahometan countries; but
Africa and South America call as loudly for help, and the greatest part
of Europe must also be holpen by the Protestant churches, being nearly
as destitute of real godliness as any heathen country on the earth.
What a pressing call, then, is here for labourers in the spiritua