THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER. 



To the Missionary, and the directors of 

 Bible and Missionary Societies, a minute and 

 comprehensive knowledge of the science, and 

 of all the facts connected with it, is essentially 

 requisite ; without which they would often grope 

 in the dark, and spend their money in vain, and 

 &quot;their labour for that which doth not profit.&quot; 

 They must be intimately acquainted with the 

 extensive field of operation which lies before 

 them, and with the physical, the moral, and the 

 political state of the different tribes to which 

 they intend to send the message of salvation ; 

 otherwise their exertions will be made at ran 

 dom, and their schemes be conducted without 

 judgment or discrimination. To attempt to 

 direct the movements of Missionary Societies, 

 without an intimate knowledge of this subject, 

 is as foolish and absurd as it would be for a land 

 surveyor to lay down plans for the improvement 

 of a gentleman s estate, before he had surveyed 

 the premises, and made himself acquainted with 

 the objects upon them, in their various aspects, 

 positions, and bearings. If all those who direct 

 and support the operations of such societies, 

 were familiarly acquainted with the different 

 fields for missionary exertions, and with the 

 peculiar state and character of the diversified 

 tribes of the heathen world, so far as they are 

 known, injudicious schemes might be frustrated 

 before they are carried into effect, and the funds 

 of such institutions preserved from being wasted 

 to no purpose. In this view, it is the duty of 

 every Christian, to mark the progress and re 

 sults of the various geographical expeditions 

 which are now going forward in quest of disco 

 veries, in connexion with the moral and political 

 movements which are presently agiiating the 

 nations: for every navigator who ploughs the 

 ocean in search of new islands and continents, 

 and every traveller who explores the interior of 

 unknown countries, should be considered as so 

 many pioneers, sent beforehand, by Divine Pro 

 vidence, to prepare the way for the labours of 

 the missionary, and for the combined exertions 

 of Christian benevolence.* 



* On this subject the author feels great pleasure 

 in referring his readers to a small volume, lately 

 published, by James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers, enti 

 tled, &quot; Hints on Missions,&quot; a work which deserves 

 the attentive perusal, both of the philosopher, the 

 politician, and the Christian, and particularly of the 

 directors of Missionary Societies; and which is 

 characterized by a spirit of enlightened philanthro 

 py and a condensation of thought, which has sel 

 dom been equalled in the discussion of such topics. 

 It concentrates, as it were, into a focus, the light 

 which has been reflected from hundreds of volumes ; 

 and the original hints it suggests claim the serious 

 consideration of the superintendents of missionary 

 schemes ; without an attention to some of which, 

 the beneficial effects resulting from such undertak 

 ings will te few and unimportant. Should this note 

 happen to strike the eye of the worthy author, it is 

 submitted, with all due deference, whether a more 

 extensive circulation of the substance of this vo 

 lume, in a less expensive form, and with a few mo 

 difications, to bring it within the range of thought 



But even to every private Christian, geography 

 is an interesting branch of study, without some 

 knowledge of which his prayers and his Christian 

 sympathies cannot be judiciously and extensively 

 directed. We occasionally hear the ministers of 

 religion, at the commencement of public worship, 

 on the first day of the week, imploring the Di 

 vine blessing on their brethren throughout the 

 Christian church, who are commencing the same 

 exercises ; and at the close of worship in the 

 afternoon, that the same blessing may seal the 

 instructions which have been delivered in all the 

 churches of the saints ; as if all the public reli 

 gious services of the universal church were, at 

 that moment, drawing to a close. This is all 

 very well, so far as it goes: the expression of 

 such benevolent wishes is highly becoming, and 

 congenial to the spirit of Christianity. But 

 a very slight acquaintance with geographical 

 science will teach us, that, when we in this 

 country are commencing the religious services 

 of the first day of the week, our Christian bre 

 thren in the East Indies, who live under a very 

 different meridian, have finished theirs ; those 

 in Russia, Poland, Greece, Palestine, and on 

 the banks of the Caspian sea, have performed 

 one-half of their public religious worship and 

 instructions; and those in New Holland and 

 Van Dieman s Land have retired to rest, at the 

 close of their Sabbath. On the other hand, our 

 friends in the West India islands and in Ame 

 rica, at the close of our worship, are only about 

 to commence the public instructions of the Chris 

 tian Sabbath. If, then, it be submitted, that 

 our prayers, in certain cases, ought to be specific, 

 to have a reference to the particular cases and 

 relations of certain classes of individuals, there 

 can be no valid reason assigned, why they 

 should not have a reference to the geographical 

 positions of the different portions of the Chris 

 tian church, as well as to those who live on or 

 near our own meridian : that, for example, in 

 the beginning of our public devotions, we might 

 implore that the blessing of God may accom 

 pany the instructions which have been delivered 

 in the eastern parts of the world ; and at the 

 close of worship, that the same agency may di 

 rect in the exercises of those in the western 

 hemisphere, who are about to enter on the sa 

 cred services of that day. On the same princi 

 ple, we may perceive the absurdity of those 

 &quot; concerts ^ for prayer in different places at the 



possessed by general readers, would not have a ten 

 dency to promote its benevolent objects. 



+ The author does not seem to mean, that it is ab 

 surd for Christians in every part of the earth to 

 assemble on the same day in their respective places 

 of devotion, to pray for a universal extension of 

 Christianity. This objection would lie with equal 

 weight against the Sabbath. His only objection 

 appears to be against the supposition, that Chris 

 tians, meeting in different parts of the earth at the 

 same hour of the day, are praying in all place! I 

 the same moment. American Editor. 



