the life of william carey-第30节

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〃Golook。　I　have　had　much　joy　in　thinking　of　God's　goodness　to　our　family。　　My　sisters　Onunda　and　Kesaree　wish　to　be　baptised；　and　to　come　into　the　church。　　If　I　can　believe　in　Kreest's　death；　and　keep　his　commands　till　death；　then　I　shall　be　saved。〃

Carey　was　not　only　founding　the　Church　of　North　India；　he　was　creating　a　new　society；　a　community；　which　has　its　healthy　roots　in　the　Christian　family。　　Krishna　Pal　had　come　over　with　his　household；　like　the　Philippian；　and　at　once　became　his　own　and　their　gooroo　or　priest。　　But　the　marriage　difficulty　was　early　forced　on　him　and　on　the　missionaries。　　The　first　shape　which　persecution　took　was　an　assault　on　his　eldest　daughter；　Golook；　who　was　carried　off　to　the　house　in　Calcutta　of　the　Hindoo　to　whom　in　infancy　she　had　been　betrothed；　or　married　according　to　Hindoo　law　enforced　by　the　Danish　and　British　courts。　　As　a　Christian　she　loathed　a　connection　which　was　both　idolatrous　and　polygamous。　　But　she　submitted　for　a　time；　continuing；　however；　secretly　to　pray　to　Christ　when　beaten　by　her　husband　for　openly　worshipping　Him；　and　refusing　to　eat　things　offered　to　the　idol。　　At　last　it　became　intolerable。　　She　fled　to　her　father；　was　baptised；　and　was　after　a　time　joined　by　her　penitent　husband。　　The　subject　of　what　was　to　be　done　with　converts　whose　wives　would　not　join　them　occupied　the　missionaries　in　discussion　every　Sunday　during　1803；　and　they　at　last　referred　it　to　Andrew　Fuller　and　the　committee。　　Practically　they　anticipated　the　Act　in　which　Sir　Henry　Maine　gave　relief　after　the　Scriptural　mode。　They　sent　the　husband　to　use　every　endeavour　to　induce　his　heathen　wife　to　join　him；　long　delay　or　refusal　they　counted　a　sufficient　ground　for　divorce；　and　they　allowed　him　to　marry　again。　　The　other　case；　which　still　troubles　the　native　churches；　of　the　duty　of　a　polygamous　Christian；　seems　to　have　been　solved　according　to　Dr。　Doddridge's　advice；　by　keeping　such　out　of　office　in　the　church；　and　pressing　on　the　conscience　of　all　the　teaching　of　our　Lord　in　Matthew　xix。；　and　of　Paul　in　1st　Corinthians　vii。

In　1802　Carey　drew　up　a　form　of　agreement　and　of　service　for　native　Christian　marriages　not　unlike　that　of　the　Church　of　England。　　The　simple　and　pleasing　ceremony　in　the　case　of　Syam　Dass　presented　a　contrast　to　the　prolonged；　expensive；　and　obscene　rites　of　the　Hindoos；　which　attracted　the　people。　　When；　the　year　after；　a　Christian　Brahman　was　united　to　a　daughter　of　Krishna　Pal；　in　the　presence　of　more　than　a　hundred　Hindoos；　the　unity　of　all　in　Christ　Jesus　was　still　more　marked：

〃Apr。　4；　1803。This　morning　early　we　went　to　attend　the　wedding　of　Krishna　Prosad　with　Onunda；　Krishna's　second　daughter。　　Krishna　gave　him　a　piece　of　ground　adjoining　his　dwelling；　to　build　him　a　house；　and　we　lent　Prosad　fifty　rupees　for　that　purpose；　which　he　is　to　return　monthly；　out　of　his　wages。　　We　therefore　had　a　meeting　for　prayer　in　this　new　house；　and　many　neighbours　were　present。　　Five　hymns　were　sung：　brother　Carey　and　Marshman　prayed　in　Bengali。　After　this　we　went　under　an　open　shed　close　to　the　house；　where　chairs　and　mats　were　provided：　here　friends　and　neighbours　sat　all　around。　　Brother　Carey　sat　at　a　table；　and　after　a　short　introduction；　in　which　he　explained　the　nature　of　marriage；　and　noticed　the　impropriety　of　the　Hindoo　customs　in　this　respect；　he　read　2　Cor。　vi。　14…18；　and　also　the　account　of　the　marriage　at　Cana。　Then　he　read　the　printed　marriage　agreement；　at　the　close　of　which　Krishna　Prosad　and　Onunda；　with　joined　hands；　one　after　the　other；　promised　love；　faithfulness；　obedience；　etc。　　They　then　signed　the　agreement；　and　brethren　Carey；　Marshman；　Ward；　Chamberlain；　Ram　Roteen；　etc。；　signed　as　witnesses。　　The　whole　was　closed　with　prayer　by　brother　Ward。　Everything　was　conducted　with　the　greatest　decorum；　and　it　was　almost　impossible　not　to　have　been　pleased。　　We　returned　home　to　breakfast；　and　sent　the　new…married　couple　some　sugar…candy；　plantains；　and　raisins；　the　first　and　last　of　these　articles　had　been　made　a　present　of　to　us；　and　the　plantains　were　the　produce　of　the　mission　garden。　　In　the　evening　we　attended　the　monthly　prayer…meeting。

〃Apr。　5。This　evening　we　all　went　to　supper　at　Krishna's；　and　sat　under　the　shade　where　the　marriage　ceremony　had　been　performed。　Tables；　knives　and　forks；　glasses；　etc。；　having　been　taken　from　our　house；　we　had　a　number　of　Bengali　plain　dishes；　consisting　of　curry；　fried　fish；　vegetables；　etc。；　and　I　fancy　most　of　us　ate　heartily。　This　is　the　first　instance　of　our　eating　at　the　house　of　our　native　brethren。　　At　this　table　we　all　sat　with　the　greatest　cheerfulness；　and　some　of　the　neighbours　looked　on　with　a　kind　of　amazement。　　It　was　a　new　and　very　singular　sight　in　this　land　where　clean　and　unclean　is　so　much　regarded。　　We　should　have　gone　in　the　daytime；　but　were　prevented　by　the　heat　and　want　of　leisure。　　We　began　this　wedding　supper　with　singing；　and　concluded　with　prayer：　between　ten　and　eleven　we　returned　home　with　joy。　　This　was　a　glorious　triumph　over　the　caste！　　A　Brahman　married　to　a　soodra；　in　the　Christian　way：　Englishmen　eating　with　the　married　couple　and　their　friends；　at　the　same　table；　and　at　a　native　house。　　Allowing　the　Hindoo　chronology　to　be　true；　there　has　not　been　such　a　sight　in　Bengal　these　millions　of　years！〃

In　the　same　year　the　approaching　death　of　Gokool　led　the　missionaries　to　purchase　the　acre　of　ground；　near　the　present　railway　station；　in　which　lies　the　dust　of　themselves　and　their　converts；　and　of　a　child　of　the　Judsons；　till　the　Resurrection。　Often　did　Carey　officiate　at　the　burial　of　Europeans　in　the　Danish　cemetery。　　Previous　to　his　time　the　only　service　there　consisted　in　the　Government　secretary　dropping　a　handful　of　earth　on　the　coffin。　In　the　native　God's…acre；　as　in　the　Communion　of　the　Lord's　Table；　and　in　the　simple　rites　which　accompanied　the　burial　of　the　dead　in　Christ；　the　heathen　saw　the　one　lofty　platform　of　loving　self…sacrifice　to　which　the　Cross　raises　all　its　children：

〃Oct。　7。Our　dear　friend　Gokool　is　gone：　he　departed　at　two　this　morning。　　At　twelve　he　called　the　brethren　around　him　to　sing　and　pray；　was　perfectly　sensible；　resigned；　and　tranquil。　　Some　of　the　neighbours　had　been　persuading　him　the　day　before　to　employ　a　native　doctor；　he　however　refused；　saying　he　would　have　no　physician　but　Jesus　Christ。　　On　their　saying；　How　is　it　that　you　who　have　turned　to　Christ　should　be　thus　afflicted？　　He　replied；　My　affliction　is　on　account　of　my　sins；　my　Lord　does　all　things　well！　　Observing　Komal　weep　（who　had　been　a　most　affectionate　wife）；　he　said；　Why　do　you　weep　for　me？　　Only　pray；　etc。　　From　the　beginning　of　his　illness　he　had　little　hope　of　recovery；　yet　he　never　murmured；　nor　appeared　at　all　anxious　for　medicine。　　His　answer　constantly　was；　〃I　am　in　my　Lord's　hands；　I　want　no　other　physician！'　　His　patience　throughout　was　astonishing：　I　never　heard　him　say　once　that　his　pain　was　great。　His　tranquil　and　happy　end　has　made　a　deep　impression　on　our　friends：　they　say　one　to　another；　'May　my　mind　be　as　Gokool's　was！'　When　we　consider；　too；　that　this　very　man　grew　shy　of　us　three　years　ago；　because　we　opposed　his　notion　that　believers　would　never　die；　the　grace　now　bestowed　upon　him　appears　the　more　remarkable。　Knowing　the　horror　the　Hindoos　have　for　a　dead　body；　and　how　unwilling　they　are　to　contribute　any　way　to　its　interment；　I　had　the　coffin　made　at　our　house　the　preceding　day；　by　carpenters　whom　we　employ。　　They　would　not；　however；　carry　it　to　the　house。　　The　difficulty　now　was；　to　carry　him　to　the　grave。　　The　usual　mode　of　Europeans　is　to　hire　a　set　of　men　（Portuguese）；　who　live　by　it。　　But　besides　that　our　friends　could　never　constantly　sustain　that　expense；　I　wished　exceedingly　to　convince　them　of　the　propriety　of　doing　that　last　kind　office　for　a　brother　themselves。　　But　as　Krishna　had　been　ill　again　the　night　before；　and　two　of　our　brethren　were　absent　with　brother　Ward；　we　could　only　muster　three　persons。　I　evidently　saw　the　only　way　to　supply　the　deficiency；　and　brother　Carey　being　from　home；　I　sounded　Felix　and　William；　and　we　determined　to　make　the　trial；　and　at　five　in　the　afternoon　repaired　to　the　house。　　Thither　were　assembled　all　our　Hindoo　brethren　and　sisters；　with　a　crowd　of　natives　that　filled　the　yard；　and　lined　the　street。　　We　brought　the　remains　of　our　dear　brother　out；　whose　coffin　Krishna　had　covered　within　and　without　with　white　muslin　at　his　own　expense；　then；　in　the　midst　of　the　silent　and　astonished　multitude；　we　improved　the　solemn　moment　by　singing　a　hymn　of　Krishna's；　the　chorus　of　which　is　'Salvation　by　the　death　of　Christ。'　　Bhairub　the　brahm鄋；　Peroo　the　mussulman；　Felix　and　I　took　up　the　coffin；　and；　with　the　assistance　of　Krishna　and　William；　conveyed　it　to　its　long　home：　depositing　it　in　the　grave；　we　sung　two　appropriate　hymns。　　After　this；　as　the　crowd　was　accumulating；　I　endeavoured　to　show　the　grounds　of　our　joyful　hope　even　in　death；　referring　to　the　deceased　for　a　proof　of　its　efficacy：　told　them　that　indeed　he　had　been　a　great　sinner；　as　they　all　knew；　and　for　that　reason　could　find　no　way　of　salvation　among　them；　but　when　he　heard　of　Jesus　Christ；　he　received　him　as　a　suitable　and　all…sufficient　Saviour；　put　his　trust　in　him；　and