"I pray God that he may pour into my soul, in rich abundance, the daily washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, my brother, are radical qualifications in a minister, and in a missionary. Oh that you and I may be blessed with large measures of them! Let us keep in sight, my brother, our obligations to God our Saviour, who has redeemed us from the lowest hell; the short term of service; and the ineffably glorious reward of grace, in the kingdom of heaven; and, animated by the prospect, let us 'spend and be spent' for the sake of our Lord Jesus. Beloved, I wish that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. Pray God to make me a good man and a good missionary."
And again, May 30:—
"Attend, my dear brother, very particularly, to the state of your own soul. Instead of saying, pray much, as I was just about to say, be very careful that your prayers be spiritual—from the heart: live by faith on Jesus Christ. I would add, I mean examine yourself much on this point; for there is much danger of our—those of us whose concern it is constantly to attend to religious matters—I say there is much danger of our doing things, praying, and exhorting, and reading, &c., as matters of course, without entering into them spiritually and seriously. Allow me to say—not because I am your master, but because I love you—study gravity, humility, and benevolence of deportment. Consider we profess to be the messengers of Jesus Christ to the children of God, and to sinful, guilty man: let us always be grave and serious. You and
I are young, and know but little; let us be humble, considering others better than ourselves. We are the followers of Christ, and therefore should wish well to all, ever pleasing them for their good to edification."
After spending about fifteen months at Gosport, he came to London, to obtain some knowledge of medicine, and to study the elements of astronomy at the Observatory, Greenwich; from a misapprehension that these, especially the last, would be essential to his success in China. But however much they tended to expand his own mind, they were subsequently found almost superfluous in practice: nevertheless, another object was obtained by his residence for nearly eighteen months in the metropolis. An amiable Chinese was found willing to reside with him, to assist him a little in the acquisition of the language, and in transcribing a Chinese Harmony of the Gospels in the British Museum, and a Latino-Chinese Dictionary, borrowed from the Royal Society, both composed by some unknown Roman Catholic missionaries. It was with reference to him, while employed on the former, that an eminent individual afterwards remarked, that he then little thought, as he passed through the Museum, that that stripling sitting at the table transcribing an unknown tongue, would one day translate the Scriptures into Chinese! Well may we exclaim, "Who hath despised the day of small things?"—"Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
When the time of his departure from his native shores drew nigh, as I was then at the University of Glasgow, he thus took his affectionate leave of me by letter, January, 1807—
"The period, my dear brother, has new arrived when I must bid an affectionate, and perhaps a last farewell. On Thursday evening I was solemnly ordained to the ministry of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ among the heathen. The service was at Swallow Street. Rev. John Townsend opened by prayer and reading the Scriptures. Rev. G. Burder asked the questions. Mr. Waugh offered up the ordination prayer. Mr. Nicol gave a charge, and Mr. Buck closed the service by prayer. It was a very solemn and impressive opportunity. Messrs. Gordon and Lee were ordained with me. We proceed on the 24th inst. in the Remittance, Captain Law, to New York; from thence they take a ship to India, in all probability to Madras; whilst I alone, in another vessel, sail for Canton. If permitted, I intend to reside there; if not, I shall probably return to Malacca. Such, at present, my dear ——, are my external circumstances and prospects. With regard to success, I am not sanguine, nor am I depressed. I hope—I believe I may safely take the comfort of our Lord's words, 'Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world;' and, with this persuasion, what have I to fear? If Christ be with me, who can be against me? Let me, my brother, have occasionally an interest in your fervent prayers. Pray that I may not think it hard, if I fare as well as my Master! Farewell, my dear young brother; the God of peace be with you! My love to my dear brother Hooper."
Thus inspired, he departed for China, instructed by the Directors to learn its difficult language, and, if possible, compose a dictionary of it, and, above all, to translate the Scriptures into a language understood by a third part of the human race; and counselled by a beautiful letter, officially signed, but evidently composed by my venerable father, Dr. Waugh. At New York he was very kindly received, and obtained a letter of introduction from Mr. Maddison, then secretary of state, to the American consul at Canton, which proved highly beneficial to him there.
He reached China, Sept. 4, 1807, after a speedy but rough passage and, being a perfect stranger, he landed at Macao,
with the mate of the ship, who left him next day. He was soon known to be a missionary, and became the object of suspicion to the Roman Catholic clergy there. During that season at Canton, he lived in a cellar, in the most retired manner, and laboured incessantly at the language, with very little success, compared with what his subsequent efforts attained; for he then had only an ignoramus for his tutor. But hear himself from Canton, Sept. 14th, addressed to my own beloved mother:—