inviting theme; but perhaps enough has been said to indicate both to the young missionary and to the reader at home that the missionary's intellectual life is important, and that for his own sake, for the better performance of his work and for the increase of the world's knowledge, he should not neglect it. X THE MISSIONARY'S SPIRITUAL LIFE T HIS is the most vital element in the missionary's He is supposed to be "God's man, in God's place, doing God's work, in God's way and for God's glory." If, therefore, he is to be in any true sense a missionary at all, he must be a man of deep and strong spiritual life. Of the missionary as of the poet, "the words of Milton are true in all times and were never truer than in this: He who would write heroic poems must make his whole life a heroic poem.' If he cannot first so make his life, then let him hasten from this arena; for neither its lofty glories nor its fearful perils are fit for him." This is because "the missionary himself is the great factor in evangelization. His deep underlying convictions have more to do in evangelization than the mere methods adopted. In fact, his convictions determine the methods and policy, not in their mere external form and nomenclature, but in their inner principles and their daily outworking." 2 Spirituality is necessary to the missionary's own happiness as well as to the success of his work. Matthew Henry once said that the gospel ministry is a noble calling, but a wretched trade. This is preeminently true of missionary life. No man can be happy or largely useful in it unless he is inspired by considerations which render him, like Paul, comparatively indifferent to merely physical and temporal conditions. Some may deem it strange that it is advisable to counsel the 1 Carlyle, "Essay on Burns," p. 68. The Rev. S. A. Moffett, D. D. missionary to guard his spiritual life, since the very fact that he is a missionary is supposed to mean that he has one of more than ordinary vigour. This is true, in a measure. The boards realize that if a man does not have spirituality at home, he is not likely to develop it abroad. A sea voyage does not change the character, nor is residence in a heathen land favourable to grace. The boards, therefore, will not accept candidates who do not give evidence of a real Christian experience. But no initial experience can carry one through life, least of all on the foreign field. Like the manna sent to the Israelites of old, the soul's food must be gathered fresh day by day. Unceasing effort is necessary. In the spiritual realm as in the physical, things do not grow of themselves; they must be vigilantly watched and diligently cultivated. These cautions are the more necessary because the knowledge that one is a spiritual guide to others involves subtle dangers to himself, particularly on the foreign field. At home, the missionary probably did not realize to what an extent he was dependent upon others for spiritual stimulus. There were always meetings that he could attend, and when the fires of devotion burned low, it was easy to find some gathering of God's chosen, in conference with whom the flames were easily made to burn more brightly. On the foreign field these opportunities are fewer and perhaps wholly non-existent. The first experience, too, is often a blow to pride. "You are a graduate of college and seminary, let us say, and feel that after years of preparation you are at last equipped for your life work. Perhaps you have had some experience in the pastorate or in a school, and have grown accustomed to deference. But you find yourself now again in the place of a beginner. Your past record counts for nothing. Your opinions, based on experience with men and things at home, may have been valuable there, but here you find no one greatly impressed with them. Add to this the fact that until you make some progress in the language, you have almost no outlet for your pent up energies, and you have a situation that is unexpected, bewildering and rather painful. How easy to feel envious and even a little spiteful! Another danger is the temptation to a secular life. The missionary has to do with other things than the direct preaching of the gospel. The erection of buildings, the superintendence of schools and hospitals and printing presses, the keeping of mission and station accounts, and kindred duties, often require much time. Missionaries sometimes chafe under this "secular" work. "I came to ——— as a missionary," laments one; "but I have degenerated into a mere business man, a large proportion of whose time has been spent in carrying on two business enterprises, the dispensary and the press. Perhaps we might call each a business success; but as mission work they are not satisfying." Occasionally, missionaries, like the disciples of old, complain that "it is not fit that we should forsake the word of God and serve tables." So they ask the board to send out a layman "whom we may appoint over this business," that we may "continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word." " Some one, however, must do these "secular" things, for missionary work necessarily involves them. Why should any missionary regard himself as exempt from such duties? Can he not do them as well as others? The pastor of a church at home often feels that if he could only devote his whole energy to sermons and to personal work with the impenitent, what wonderful things for God he could do; but he finds that he must give a great deal of time to duties that are quite different in character. The temptation is strong for all of us to think that we could accomplish great things if we were only free from entangling cares. Such notions are apt to be partly imaginary and partly selfish. As a matter of fact, those who are so situated that 'Mrs. Wm. Baird, Korea. Acts 6: 2-4. they have freedom for big things seldom achieve them. If God felt that a missionary could do more for Him in some other way than in the usual missionary lines, He would probably bring about the opportunity. There is a significant lesson in the sequel to the disciples' complaint. The big things that they were going to do when they could "continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word "were never done by most of them; but Stephen, one of the men who was set apart to "serve tables," promptly developed such extraordinary spiritual usefulness that the whole twelve fell into the background and were not heard of again until martyrdom had ended Stephen's life. Even then, the man who stood forth to do the mightiest things for God was not one of the twelve but the new convert, Paul. This is in line with our observation to-day. Some of the most useful missionaries are men who perform the "secular" duties of the mission, or who are physicians in charge of hospitals, or teachers in charge of schools. Everywhere, life is largely made up of little things, and the measure of one's influence is the fidelity with which the little things are done. Huxley well said that the test of character and the evidence of ability and trustworthiness is the doing of the thing that ought to be done, when it ought to be done, as it ought to be done, whether you like to do it or not. It is unfortunate when a man fancies himself above any necessary work, or when he imagines that the performance of anything that ought to be done will lower his spiritual vitality. In the words of Mrs. Browning: " let us be content, in work, |