“If I become a Christian,” asked one of the natives standing by, “how shall I be maintained?” A justifiable question in India where the profession of the faith meant so much loss. Schwartz replied, “Work and pray,” handing to the man the open Gospel of St. Matthew in Tamil, and the words upon which his eyes lighted were from the sixth chapter and verses thirty-one to thirty-three: “Take no thought, saying, what shall we eat and what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek, for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” About this time he received tidings of serious reverses which had befallen his home at Sonnenburg. A disastrous fire which had broken out in the little town had burnt down his father’s house and in his letter of the 8th October, 1753, he expresses his desire to help all he can. Although so far away he is anxious to sustain his father in these new difficulties. “I have been thinking,” he writes, “of some means of performing my duty as a son, in sending home some little assistance. I have a watch given me in England and request that you will sell it to some watchmaker and send the proceeds to my father.” The capacity which Schwartz displayed and his increasing influence amongst the converts as well as upon the natives who gathered to listen to his message so impressed the brethren of the mission that they gladly handed over to him the oversight of the branches and schools south of the river Cavery. This entailed upon him a good deal of travelling, and on one occasion he went with his colleague, Mr. Kohlhoff, to visit Cuddalore. The journey had to be made on foot, and when they rested their time was occupied in reading the Hebrew Psalms to each other and whenever opportunity offered they preached the Gospel to the crowds which gathered round. In some cases the message was not well received, as when their boatmen who were taking them across the Coleroon refused to hear what they had to say about Christianity. But pulling up by a wood the party got out of the boat and soon found a number of Hindus, Mohammedans and a Roman Catholic native to whom they preached, and the Romanist afterwards spoke to them in private, asking for advice and instruction. It was then the practice to punish a man guilty of stealing by cutting off a limb and one of these mutilated robbers came to Schwartz and begged for a plaster to heal the wound where his foot had been amputated. This help was given him, but while his bodily pain was being treated he was directed to the great Physician who was alone able to save his soul. One man said, as a tract was offered him, “We follow our rulers.” “Then,” replied the missionary, “follow God, He is the Supreme Ruler of us all.”