Throughout the two years of his sojourn he kept constantly in view the great object of his life. To gain efficiency for this, he gave more attention to the working of Christianity among men and in institutions, than to the study of books. His mind has been directed more to religion as expressed in practical life, than as speculative thought embodied in theology. He came to study man under a civilization, institutions, race, literature, and religion, wholly unlike those where he had lived, and the course he pursued was better fitted to make him a missionary than a scholar. The chief of his studies was the New Testament. To the Gospels he gave a more systematic reading than to anything else. But even here he manifested the same intellectual features which universally characterized him. He was more careful to get at the thought of the writer than to dwell on the minute distinctions of textual philology. His Oriental mind aided him in his Scripture studies, and he vividly apprehended the local allusions and the general costume of the thought in the New Testament. To this study of the New Testament he added that of the evidences of Christianity. His time did not permit him to enter upon this subject as fully as was desirable. Beside these he took a rapid survey of portions of ecclesiastical history, enough perhaps to give him an idea of the relation which the history of the Church holds to the vital truths of the Gospel. These, together with writing, were the chief subjects of study. As one of the most important parts of his future labors would be that of a translator, much of his study had reference to this. He never wrote what are called compositions,--never had assigned him set themes. His mind was so enriched with new impressions, and his feelings were so aroused by ever-varying scenes, that he never was at loss for a subject. His mind was full, and in his writing he gave utterance to some existing thought or emotion. To have adopted any other method would have endangered the quaintness, vigor, and natural freshness of his style. When we remember that he has spoken English but a little more than two years, the mastery he has gained over our language, and his power of expressing his thoughts will be evident to every reader of his book.