missionary. But they fail to understand it; and the missionary's power
with them is very largely impaired by the manifestation of this evil
spirit. Even if impatience were ever, anywhere, a virtue, in India it is
always an unmixed evil and should be guarded against. The warning is the
more needed because the tropical climate itself is a very bad irritant to
the nervous system. Among the Hindus patience is regarded the supreme
virtue of God and of man; and it should adorn every missionary who seeks
to be their leader.

Humility also is a grace which needs much cultivation by the missionary.
He has constant temptation to pride. The sin of masterfulness is naturally
his besetting sin; for his influence over his people and his control in
the direction of his work gradually grow sweet to him and develop, if he
is not very careful, into an imperiousness of will which is neither
pleasant to those who come in contact with him, nor consistent with the
golden grace of humility, nor in any sense pleasing to God.

Love--that essence of divine character--needs preeminent guarding,
encouragement and development on the part of the missionary. There is so
much that is unlovely and unlovable all about him, so little to attract
and draw out his tender emotions that he needs to drink freely from the
fountain of love above; or he will degenerate very easily into a hard,
cold, unsympathetic, cynical missionary--a frame of mind which will utterly
disqualify him for any joy or power in his work. One of the best
missionaries I have known used to pray very frequently--"O Lord, save me
from the sin of despising this people." It is a prayer which every
missionary may find it necessary to offer frequently. True Christian love
is none the less necessary, yea the more necessary on the mission field,
because the missionary lives among people who are not kindred in blood to
himself.

Then he needs also a large gift of faith and of hope. The smallness of the
Christian Church in the midst of a dense mass of heathenism; the apparent
inadequacy of earthly means to convert that great people to Christ; the
slowness of progress and the fewness of results--all these tend to depress
and discourage the worker. And he needs to offer for himself, as for his
people, the prayer which Elisha offered in behalf of the young man,--"O
Lord, I pray thee open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the
eyes of the young man and he saw and behold the mountain was