mporaries
advanced--their distance from us, their barbarism, the danger of being
killed by them, the difficulty of procuring the necessaries of life,
the unintelligibleness of their languages. These his loving heart and
Bible knowledge enable him skilfully to turn in favour of the cause he
pleads. The whole section is essential to an appreciation of Carey's
motives, difficulties, and plans:--

"FIRST, As to their distance from us, whatever objections might have
been made on that account before the invention of the mariner's
compass, nothing can be alleged for it with any colour of plausibility
in the present age. Men can now sail with as much certainty through
the Great South Sea as they can through the Mediterranean or any lesser
sea. Yea, and providence seems in a manner to invite us to the trial,
as there are to our knowledge trading companies, whose commerce lies in
many of the places where these barbarians dwell. At one time or other
ships are sent to visit places of more recent discovery, and to explore
parts the most unknown; and every fresh account of their ignorance or
cruelty should call forth our pity, and excite us to concur with
providence in seeking their eternal good. Scripture likewise seems to
point out this method, 'Surely the Isles shall wait for me; the ships
of Tarshish first, to bring my sons from far, their silver and their
gold with them, unto the name of the Lord, thy God.'--Isai. lx. 9. This
seems to imply that in the time of the glorious increase of the church,
in the latter days (of which the whole chapter is undoubtedly a
prophecy), commerce shall subserve the spread of the gospel. The ships
of Tarshish were trading vessels, which made voyages for traffic to
various parts; thus much therefore must be meant by it, that
navigation, especially that which is commercial, shall be one great
mean of carrying on the work of God; and perhaps it may imply that
there shall be a very considerable appropriation of wealth to that
purpose.

"SECONDLY, As to their uncivilised and barbarous way of living, this
can be no objection to any, except those whose love of ease renders
them unwilling to expose themselves to inconveniences for the good of
others. It was no objection to the apostles and their successors, who
went among the barbarous Germans and Gauls, and still more barbarous
Britons! They did not wait for the ancient inhabitants of these
countries to be civilised before they could be christ