the causeway where they came on fhore; to which houfe our people were conducted by Raa Kook, to wait the king's coming, he having dispatched a meffenger to notify the Captain's arrival. [To be continued.] The CHARACTER of a true MISSIONARY, in a Funeral Oration, on FRANCIS XAVIER, Tranflated from the French of Monfieur ESPRIT FLECHIER, Bishop of Nimes. [By Henry Moore.] LUKE xiv. 23. And the Lord faid to the fervant, go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my houfe may be filled. IT T appears that God, in his gracious difpenfations in order to beflow his favours, or to facilitate the execution of the eternal defigns of his love, has always employed two kinds of men to be minifters of his mercy, or his power. Thus when he would eftablish his law, and call to himself a peculiar people, he chofe Mofes to be his legiflator, and Aaron to make known his will. He gave to the firft the conduct of Ifrael, and to the fecond the charge of remonftrating with Pharaoh. So alfo when he would found his church in the latter day, He gave fome apoftles, and fome prophets, and fome evangelifts, and fome paftors, and teachers, for the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Chrift. Some of thefe he appointed to govern his church, and to have the miniftry of the circumcifion; whilft others, like Paul, were to declare the name of Jefus to people, and kings, even to the ends of the earth. Thus alfo when God in thefe laft days would correct the lukewarmness and impiety in his church, and call the new world world to the knowledge of his truth: he chole for this great work, * Ignatius and Xavier. He gave to the one the spirit and wisdom of a Patriarch, to the other the courage and zeal of an Apoftle. By the one he formed that order which has in every place, by its wifdom and discipline, so mightily ftrengthened his church. By the other he has called thofe idolatrous nations, in which his name was not known, and where till then no way was made for his gospel; and has made the old and the new world one in his beloved Son. All the earth was thus divided between these two great men. Their charity could only be thus limited; and to give scope to their zeal, it was needful to affign to each a world! But we fhall this day confine our ideas to Xavier. Let us then confider this Apoftle of God. Let us follow him through his mighty labours, asking of God to partake of the light and love, which he bestowed upon his fervant, that we may speak worthily of fuch a character. There is nothing so contrary to the spirit of God, as for a man to thrust himself into the miniftry of the word, or the government of the church; as there is nothing fo dangerous as the duties to which men are called therein. But there is nothing fo noble, or fo truly great as to be called into it by God, fuftained in its duties, and at laft crowned by his hand. This is the glory of that faithful labourer of whom I speak. You will fee in my discourse, and in his vocation, 1. A work which God commands. 3. An enterprize which God bleffes. "Go!" Behold his miffion! "Compel them to come in!" Behold his labour!" That my houfe may be filled." Behold his fuccefs! This thall be the fubject of my difcourfe. Many hope that Ignatius was a good man: though the Society he formed became fo wicked: he was a Nobleman, and a Commander in the Spanish army but all allow Xavier to have been a good man. 3 A 2 When When God, to whom belongs the work of the falvation of men, would reveal his righteoufnefs and truth unto the earth, he makes an election of mercy. And in forming the inftruments capable of declaring his will, he makes an election of miniftry. As it is the word of God by which men are called, as faith cometh by hearing, the vocation of the one fuppofes the miffion of the others. Thus he fhews his power in converting nations by the feeble voice of man; and his goodness in giving to his fervants fuch an exercife of the talents committed to their trust. Thus when the fulnefs of time was come that he would open a new world to his gofpel, he railed up Xavier for fo difficult an enterprize. He gave him qualities fuited to his work. An elevated mind, a courageous fpirit, a gentleness that was proof against every provocation, and patience that never was wearied in well doing. He gave him knowledge to op pofe, and convince gainfayers. Zeal and charity to furmount difficulties, and to fuffer all the perfecutions which Jefus Chrift declares his followers fhall meet with. In a word, he gave him the knowledge and the spirit of an apostle. There are three things which meet in an apoftolick minifter. He must be chofen; he must be proved; he must love the labour, and fear the honour of his employment. He must be chofen, that he may be fupported by the neceffity of obedience, and not by the vanity of his mind. He must be proved, that he may not walk in ftrait paths, or on the brink of precipices which he has not viewed. He must love the labour, and fear the honour that he may not abuse his power, be betrayed into finful compliances, and foften his meffage through defire, or fear. It was not curiofity that Thele difpofitions met in Xavier. made him vifit diftant provinces, to renounce occafionally the name of Jelus. It was not an unquiet mind which made him undertake fo long and dangerous voyages. The spirit of the world has often mixed itself thus in the work of God. Men would would fignalize themfelves by fomething extraordinary. Weary of duties, too auftere and regular, they throw off the yoke of obedience under the pretence of exercifing a more extensive charity. Thus they quit without pain their country, their parents, and their friends, in order to acquire a greater liberty; and feek a falfe repofe, in doing their own will, though accompanied with the pains, and fatigues of the gofpel miniftry. Xavier had no fuch thoughts. He truly weighed the work in which he had engaged. His obedience was to God, and his charity univerfal. Behold him traverfing Italy and Spain, paffing near his paternal feat with pious indifference, not counting any part of the earth as his country, but that to which the will of God had called him! Infenfible to the prayers and tears of his parents who regard him as a victim defined to death, dragging his chains to the ends of the earth, there to be confumed as a facrifice! Behold him in the vessel with the map of the Indies spread before his eyes, in which he traced his future fpiritual conquefts, and by which he animated his zeal. What motive could he have but obedience to God in an enterprize in which all was difficult and nothing appeared honourable. With fo great ability both by nature and grace, he goes to preach the gofpel to the, ignorant and barbarous. The most celebrated univerfity of the world acknowledged his learning, and judged him worthy of the first offices in the church. The cities of Italy had felt the power of his doctrine, and refounded with the praifes of his eloquence: and yet, behold, he goes to abide among the ignorant and the favage, and humbles himself to their loweft offices, in order to their infruction and falvation. Where fhall we fee fuch felf-denial in this day? What vanity reigns even in those who seem to ferve the cause of Christ! They feem to direct their efforts to the eftablishment of their own reputation, and to fpeak of God feems not to delight them, unless it caufes themfelves to be spoken of. They leek a large a large theatre for their reputation and glory; ambition and avarice are gratified under the pretext of capacity and utility, which are often found to be but imaginary. Xavier knew better the importance of the falvation of fouls. He believed eloquence and knowledge of letters, human and divine, well employed in the converfion of the poor. Although he had excited the admiration of the Court of Portugal, by the fublimity and ftrength of his preaching, yet he could not believe himself called to preach to the learned, and polite, but rather to the humble and the bafe. He preached the truth in the Hamlets and the l'ineyards, with as great fatisfaction as in Lifbon, or even Rome; and inftructed a foldier, or a failor with greater pleasure than the rich or great. Can we wonder then that fuch a miniftry should be fruitful? He had received his miffion, and he had proved his ftrength. There are two things to be lamented in those who enter into the facred miniftry, and which hinder the glory and the progrefs of the gospel. Some by too great a timidity become inactive, fearing to apply themselves to the good of the fouls of others, and excufing themselves from this labour by the care which they profefs to take of their own. Thus they fail in the principal grace of charity, and often fink into floth. Others by a contrary extreme, indifcreet, and often led by ambition or intereft, engage rafhly in the fervice of the church, and having neither fufficient piety or wifdom, they lofe their own fouls while they ftrive to gain others. Xavier was aware of these dangerous extremes. He had true zeal, and therefore did not give himfelf up to idle contemplation. And this zeal was according to knowledge; it was accompanied with the wifdom from above. He had begun in Europe both to do and to fuffer all that he could be called to in his oriental miffion. His penitence and mortification was in the highest degree of chriftian severity. He reduced his body, not barely to fervitude but to death. Nor let worldly wildom cenfure rafhly the excefs of this noble |