“May I never forget the good I have received at the hands of God; and may the remembrance of His great and unmerited kindness strengthen me to do His will, and to walk in the way of His commandments! I know indeed from experience that after God has comforted the heart with the assurance of His grace and pardoning love, there will be also found readiness and strength faithfully to discharge our general and relative duties. May a merciful God glorify Christ in my soul, as my adorable Mediator and Redeemer, that I may taste and see how gracious He is. I was much troubled and even somewhat impeded in the discharge of my duty by a dry cough in January and February last, which always greatly increased whenever I attempted to remain for any length of time in the open air, during the presence of northerly winds, on which account an opportunity of taking a voyage to Ceylon was particularly welcome to me. When I reflect how God has condescended to humble and purify me by means of an illness with which I was visited at Colombo, I am constrained to praise Him in silence! ‘All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,’ even when it would seem as if He had visited us no longer and contrary to the assurance which His word contains. I have reason to think that the seed of the word sown at Colombo has been productive, in some instances, of real and lasting good. The Commanding Officer at Galle, a member of the Reformed Church, appeared much affected and said to the Lutherans, ‘I suppose you would be glad to receive a similar visit once a year.’ And on my taking leave he thanked me most feelingly for the edification he had received and begged me to come again. The word of God being so scarce in this island I assure you that the divine service was conducted in a very solemn and edifying manner. Indeed my inmost soul was moved by it.” CHAPTER VI. A GLIMPSE OF THE MAN HIMSELF. The time occupied by a missionary in mastering the language of the people to whom he ministers is always well spent. To some this task presents difficulties which make the process arduous and prolonged, to others, happy in a natural facility for learning another tongue, success is more easily and quickly achieved. There is no doubt that Schwartz had very remarkable linguistic capacities. To him one language more or less did not seem to matter; we have seen how he was fully at home with Tamil, and he discovered that as Persian was the language of the Mohammedans’ Court he ought to know it, and that Hindustani would also be of service in speaking in the presence of the Nabobs and high Indian officials, so he must learn that too. So on his way he had a word for everybody, the door of opportunity was the tongue of the people, and each in his own language heard the word of God. Whatever the station or caste, it was just the same, their questions were respectfully answered, and they felt that in this missionary a friend was speaking to them and also one who knew more than they.