born and educated there. Nor do we intend to controvert this opinion, for the best of all reasons, that we believe it correct. Let it be encouraged; and let the schools, and colleges, and theological seminaries in the west, be filled with godly youth, whose hearts burn with love to Christ and his work, and whose habits are congenial with the climate and customs of the country where they are to labor and die. But look at the number of schools of all these descriptions, and count the students of all grades in them. And "what are they among so many?" Shall we now fold our hands, sit still, and say, they have begun to creep, we will now leave them to go alone? Because some dozen churches or more may now be supplied yearly from their own institutions, shall we leave the whole land to suffer a famine of hearing the word of the Lord? There is a loud and incessant call for ministers for the west, on the east. We do not mean, merely, that eastern churches must aid in supporting ministers there; they must also furnish the men.

To recur to our leading proposition, the object to be accomplished is, the general diffusion of benevolent principles of action. Now, how shall this be done? Shall essays be written, and tracts and periodicals and other books be published at the east, and distributed among them. This is well. Let it be done. Much good, doubtless, is effected by these means. Yet, after our western brethren have read our best, most animated, and most descriptive publications, on the subject of any particular branch of benevolent effort, we know that we speak the feelings of western christians when we say, that they will hail with eager pleasure the minister who is a scribe well instructed, by practice, in these holy labors. When their hearts have been warmed by reading accounts of what has been done, they long that some man should guide them, who is acquainted with the process, in order that they may know how to do the work to the best advantage themselves. If eastern ministers remain on their side of the mountains, and western ministers confine themselves to their native plains, the benefit of mutual interchange of views, and feelings, and practice, will be lost. On the whole, although we cordially concur in the sentiment, that western ministers must, as fast and as much as practicable, be trained on the ground; we, nevertheless, believe, that even if the west were fully competent to supply themselves with a ministry, it would be highly beneficial,-nay, necessary to the greatest amount of good, that occasional changes should be made from the east to the west, from the west to the east. We could speak of several instances in former and later years, in which the visits of ministers from the far west have had an important and salutary effect upon those of our eastern churches which were favored with their presence; so that, not only souls are rejoicing in hope through their word, but eastern

ministers have received lessons of practical wisdom, which will probably exert a happy influence on all their subsequent labors. The same benefit has been derived to the western churches, and in a larger degree, from the more numerous visits of eastern ministers. What we wish, therefore, is, that the experience of the east may, in like manner, be conveyed to the west, by personal ministerial efforts, and diffused over the land.

But here we would enter our caveat against the practice of sending any sort of minister who may happen to feel inclined to go. Let us not be understood to insinuate, that those who have been sent to the west are usually inferior men. Some of them, we know, yea, many of them, will stand a fair comparison in point of talents, learning, piety and activity, with any equal number of men in the ministerial office. The western churches have reason to be, and we believe are, thankful to God and to their benevolent brethren, for the precious evidence which they have thus furnished of christian love. But we assuredly think, and mean to say it, that, considering all the circumstances of difficulty, and the importance of the case, none but picked men should be sent out as missionaries or agents into that broad field. Picked, we mean, on account of their fitness for the station, and not for any showy qualities, which will lose both their gloss and strength after a few testings.

Missionaries there should be emphatically pious, devoted, disinterested; men of enlarged views; whose motto is "Jesus Christ and him crucified;" whose sole object is to win souls to Jesus. Any inferior motive mingling, will spoil them and mar the work. It must be borne in mind, that the object is to raise the standard of piety and benevolence. The spirit of piety and self-denial should characterize the missionary who is to do this; and he must have courage and fortitude enough to struggle on, and to bear with apostolic meekness and constancy.

His qualifications should by no means be as low as mediocrity. Of eloquence, much might be said; but we can only remark, that a ready utterance and animated delivery are essential to success in a western speaker. Strength of intellect, quickness of perception, clearness in conceiving and exhibiting truth, are qualities which will there be called into requisition perpetually.

The western missionary ought to be a thoroughly educated man. And here we protest against the notion, that the man who has gone through the usual recitations of the regular academic and college and theological classes, in an honorable manner, has of course a finished education. If this is all,-if it is finished at the college or the seminary,-let him not try the west. We have seen men who had spent their lifetime in study, had gone through the circle of the sciences, and gained the highest college honors, VOL. VI.

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laboring in the same field with others who were destitute of all literary advantages, except such as could be obtained through their native tongue; we have seen them side by side, exhibiting by their efforts the extent of their acquirements, and have been convinced that the latter were the best educated men. As far as they had gone, they had learned, and knew the use of what they had acquired; while the former seemed to have studied much, but never to have learned any thing. From such uneducated men, whether of the college or the common school, we desire the church to be, in a general way at least, delivered.

We shall not be understood in these remarks, as undervaluing literature. The uniform tendency of this work is a pledge of our attachment to the halls of science; and the complete and thorough preparation in them, of those who are called to the work of the ministry. Indeed, we echo the sentiments of some of those ministers who, from the urgency of the case, have been introduced into the sacred office without a thorough literary course. It is their language to young men aspiring to the ministerial office,-"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.' Let him who would escape a thousand pangs, known only to sensitive minds who find themselves unfurnished for a contest with learned opposers, ply himself in the task of thorough preparation, or refrain from engaging unprepared in an enterprise too mighty for him. In almost every case, the impracticability of obtaining an education, should be taken as an indication of Providence of some other field of usefulness." He who has to meet the papist, the philosophic infidel, of all grades, the subtle speculations of Campbell and Stone, with all the vagaries of learned and ignorant opposers, should have various acquirements. He needs, in short, to know all that they know, and much more.

But, after all, we insist that the learning of the schools merely is insufficient; and he who has this only, is not qualified for the field which we have now under consideration. Human character is a study too often neglected by the mere student; the adaptation of means to the end; the easiest and best methods of accomplishing objects; the fitness of time, place and circumstance; the removal of prejudice, and the way to avoid exciting it :-these, with many other things pertaining to the tactics of christian warfare, are equally necessary to qualify the minister, and especially the western missionary, for his responsible and arduous work. Like Paul, and not like the Jesuits, he must become all things to all men, that he may by any means save some.

With regard to colleges and other seminaries, we suppose that it is sufficiently obvious to the reflecting part of the community,

that no permanent benefit can be bestowed on the west,-none which will qualify them for the great united enterprise of benevolence, without such institutions, of sufficient rank and in sufficient numbers, to scatter the light of science and literature throughout the country. Ministers, and bibles, and tracts, and sabbathschools, cannot do the work without them. "Add to virtue, knowledge," said Peter. If it be important, then, to disseminate knowledge in connection with, or rather as one of the christian graces, the question arises, How is this to be done? We answer, mainly by the liberality of eastern christians and philanthropists. We have furnished the evidence, that the west is not prepared to effect it. Without such a combined effort as we have shown to be out of the question for them, it cannot be done. None of our readers will turn their eyes, we presume, to legislative aid. Politicians can crush a literary institution most dexterously; they have Do skill to sustain one. To say nothing of those which ought to be added to the number of existing institutions, we feel authorized to assert, that scarcely one of these can be continued without vigorous efforts and liberal benefactions on the eastern side of the mountains. We could point to some, evincing the vigor of a Hercules,--but Hercules in the cradle; and our hearts ache to think of the possibility of their discontinuance. But do any of our own colleges support their instructors by the mere tuition fees? Is it not a fact, that not only the entire cost of the buildings, libraries, philosophical apparatus, etc., but even a large portion of the salaries of the professors is derived entirely from benefactions, or some other source than tuition fees. In the eastern colleges, the rich educate their sons; yet even in them, the terms are too low to support the institution. In the west, there are few indeed who can afford the lowest sum required at the east. But the object is, to spread the facilities of education. The capital employed, therefore, must be greater in proportion to the receipts than elsewhere. The west cannot furnish the capital. The question then is, Shall their colleges be closed, and the youth remain uneducated? We leave it to the churches and people to answer. And we would remind them, that the children thus thrown back into the night of ignorance, are likely hereafter to rule the children of those to whom he appeal is made.

Of lay christians we shall say but little, having already extended our remarks to an unexpected length. Thousands of these brethren and sisters, we have no doubt, ought to be preparing to go up and possess the land, in the name of, and for the Lord of hosts. They could contribute to the general welfare to an indefinite amount; and the word of the Lord is sufficient security, that if they act in his name, and by his command, they will lose nothing.

We could mention facts which have come to our knowledge, sufficient to encourage the meek, patient, courageous soldier of the cross. What has been achieved is only an earnest of what might be done.

But who shall do this? Shall any one? We would not say a word to deter any who choose, from emigrating to a new, and fertile, and interesting part of the country. But if called upon to select, we would say, that those who are wanted there are of a peculiar description. They should be peculiar in the degree and combination of piety, devotedness, sound sense, good information, self-denial and industry. And in self-denial we would especially include a willingness,-nay, a determination,-to yield their own prejudices in favor of the prejudices of others. One thing is indispensable to their success in doing good; and that is, that they studiously avoid all affectation of superior intelligence. Instances could be named, not a few, in which men of excellent intentions, and really capable, have defeated their own intentions, and marred their success, by a display of acquirements beyond the necessity of the case. None of us like to have our neighbors feel, that they know more than we do; while at the same time we may have no difficulty in acknowledging the fact ourselves, provided they do not seem to claim it of us. There are sectional prejudices also, which are real obstacles in the way. These must be removed, or at least mitigated, before any important benefit can be conferred. Shall these be aggravated, then, and rendered incurable by exciting personal prejudice in addition? We could insist largely on this point, for it is of vast importance. But let the good sense and piety of our friends who are called to engage in the enterprise, have free exercise. Let them ply the task of schooling their prejudices and their self-importance, and so come down to the point from which they may hope to rise to usefulness. We will just hint, only, that while they "go about doing good," it is unnecessary to tell every one whom they meet, that this is their employment.

If the inquiry be made, shall men go in colonies, or singly? We answer, let them go as Providence directs. Have a general plan, but subject to indefinite variation. Abraham went out, not knowing whither. In a sense, let our lay missionaries do likewise. Go "to the land that I shall show thee."

In conclusion, we call upon those who have forsaken all and followed Christ in heart, to reflect upon the foregoing statements and reasonings, pray over them, ask direction of God, and follow the directions which He may give.