After he had left the church, as he was going home, he burst into tears, and exclaimed, “Mother, I mean to be a missionary to the heathen;” and so far as I know, he has never talked about being any thing else since.  And I hope that many of you will never talk about being any thing else than missionaries to the heathen.

I am acquainted with a little girl in Ohio, who has resolved to become a missionary.  She is a niece of Mr. Campbell, late missionary to Africa.  She was not quite four years old when I saw her.  When she was eighteen months of age, she saw the picture of a heathen mother throwing her child into the mouth of a crocodile She was deeply impressed with the sight.  When she was two and a half years old, she resolved to be a missionary, and follow her uncle to Africa.  From this resolution she has never drawn hack.  When I was at her father’s house, she was asked if she would not go to India.  She replied, that she would not go to India, but to Africa.  She was asked why she wished to go to Africa.  “To teach the heathen,” was her answer.  “Why should you teach the heathen?” “Because they worship idols.”  Her mother told me, that ever since she began to get money, she has contributed to the missionary cause; and this money has generally, if not always, been earned by some act of self-denial on her part.  I hope that many of you will feel just as this little girl felt, and do just as she did.

When I was in America, I used continually, when preaching, to ask the dear children whether they would not become missionaries.  I used also to beg them to write down what I had asked them.  Many complied with my request.  While I was at the Avon Springs, one of the daughters of a physician there, not only wrote it down, but gave me what she had written.  The following is a copy of what she wrote,

     August 18, 1844.

    Dr. Scudder requested me to come to India to help him when I am
    grown.

    S. P. S.

    Avon Springs

Could I raise my voice loud enough to reach America, I would beg of you to write down the following sentence:  Dr. Scudder asks me, to-day, whether I will not hereafter become a missionary to the heathen.  Perhaps you will write it down immediately.

Now, my dear boys, if you will come out to India, or go to Burmah or China, to tell the heathen of the Saviour, you may, with the blessing of God, do as much good as Swartz and Carey, and others have done.  And if you, my dear girls, will do the same, you also may do much good.  This will appear from what I am going to tell you about a little girl in Ceylon.  This little girl belonged to the boarding-school at Oodooville.  She early gave her heart to the Saviour, and joined the church when she was thirteen years old.  I should like to know if there are any of you who have not followed her example.  If so, this is not right.  My dear children, it is not right.  Shall this little girl, in a heathen land, a land filled with idols, give her heart to Christ; and you, in a Christian land, a land of Sabbaths, and Sabbath-schools, and Bibles, not give your hearts to him?  This is not right.  You know that it is not right.