the life of william carey-第39节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


in　in　the　evening；　as　soon　as　the　sun　was　sufficiently　low。　　She　thus　spent　daily　nearly　three　hours　in　the　open　air。　　It　was　probably　this　vigorous　and　regular　course　which；　as　the　means；　carried　her　beyond　the　age　of　threescore　years　（twenty…one　of　them　spent　in　India）；　notwithstanding　the　weakness　of　her　constitution。〃

It　is　a　pretty　picture；　the　delicate　invalid　lady；　drawn　along　the　mall　morning　and　evening；　to　enjoy　the　river　breeze；　on　her　way　to　and　from　the　schools　and　homes　of　the　natives。　　But　her　highest　service　was；　after　all；　to　her　husband；　who　was　doing　a　work　for　India　and　for　humanity；　equalled　by　few；　if　any。　　When；　on　one　occasion；　they　were　separated　for　a　time　while　she　sought　for　health　at　Monghyr；　she　wrote　to　him　the　tenderest　yet　most　courtly　love…letters。

〃MY　DEAREST　LOVE；I　felt　very　much　in　parting　with　thee；　and　feel　much　in　being　so　far　from　thee。。。I　am　sure　thou　wilt　be　happy　and　thankful　on　account　of　my　voice；　which　is　daily　getting　better；　and　thy　pleasure　greatly　adds　to　mine　own。

〃I　hope　you　will　not　think　I　am　writing　too　often；　I　rather　trust　you　will　be　glad　to　hear　of　me。。。Though　my　journey　is　very　pleasant；　and　the　good　state　of　my　health；　the　freshness　of　the　air；　and　the　variety　of　objects　enliven　my　spirits；　yet　I　cannot　help　longing　for　you。　　Pray；　my　love；　take　care　of　your　health　that　I　may　have　the　joy　to　find　you　well。

〃I　thank　thee　most　affectionately；　my　dearest　love；　for　thy　kind　letter。　　Though　the　journey　is　very　useful　to　me；　I　cannot　help　feeling　much　to　be　so　distant　from　you；　but　I　am　much　with　you　in　my　thoughts。。。The　Lord　be　blessed　for　the　kind　protection　He　has　given　to　His　cause　in　a　time　of　need。　　May　He　still　protect　and　guide　and　bless　His　dear　cause；　and　give　us　all　hearts　growing　in　love　and　zeal。。。I　felt　very　much　affected　in　parting　with　thee。　　I　see　plainly　it　would　not　do　to　go　far　from　you；　my　heart　cleaves　to　you。　I　need　not　say　（for　I　hope　you　know　my　heart　is　not　insensible）　how　much　I　feel　your　kindness　in　not　minding　any　expense　for　the　recovery　of　my　health。　　You　will　rejoice　to　hear　me　talk　in　my　old　way；　and　not　in　that　whispering　manner。

〃I　find　so　much　pleasure　in　writing　to　you；　my　love；　that　I　cannot　help　doing　it。　　I　was　nearly　disconcerted　by　Mrs。laughing　at　my　writing　so　often；　but　then；　I　thought；　I　feel　so　much　pleasure　in　receiving　your　letters　that　I　may　hope　you　do　the　same。　　I　thank　thee；　my　love；　for　thy　kind　letter。　　I　need　not　say　that　the　serious　part　of　it　was　welcome　to　me；　and　the　more　as　I　am　deprived　of　all　religious　intercourse。。。I　shall　greatly　rejoice；　my　love；　in　seeing　thee　again；　but　take　care　of　your　health　that　I　may　find　you　well。　I　need　not　say　how　much　you　are　in　my　thoughts　day　and　night。〃

His　narrative　of　their　intercourse；　written　after　her　death；　lets　in　a　flood　of　light　on　his　home　life：

〃During　the　thirteen　years　of　her　union　with　Dr。　Carey；　they　had　enjoyed　the　most　entire　oneness　of　mind；　never　having　a　single　circumstance　which　either　of　them　wished　to　conceal　from　the　other。　Her　solicitude　for　her　husband's　health　and　comfort　was　unceasing。　They　prayed　and　conversed　together　on　those　things　which　form　the　life　of　personal　religion；　without　the　least　reserve；　and　enjoyed　a　degree　of　conjugal　happiness　while　thus　continued　to　each　other；　which　can　only　arise　from　a　union　of　mind　grounded　on　real　religion。　On　the　whole；　her　lot　in　India　was　altogether　a　scene　of　mercy。　Here　she　was　found　of　the　Saviour；　gradually　ripened　for　glory；　and　after　having　her　life　prolonged　beyond　the　expectation　of　herself　and　all　who　knew　her；　she　was　released　from　this　mortal　state　almost　without　the　consciousness　of　pain；　and；　as　we　most　assuredly　believe；　had　'an　abundant　entrance　ministered　unto　her　into　the　kingdom　of　our　Lord　and　Saviour　Jesus　Christ。'〃

When；　on　24th　June　1809；　Carey　announced　at　the　dinner　table　that　he　had　that　morning　finished　the　Bengali　translation　of　the　whole　Bible；　and　he　was　asked　how　much　more　he　thought　of　doing；　he　answered：　〃The　work　I　have　allotted　to　myself；　in　translating；　will　take　me　about　twenty　years。〃　　But　he　had　kept　the　bow　too　long　and　too　tightly　bent；　and　it　threatened　to　snap。　　That　evening　he　was　seized　with　bilious　fever；　and　on　the　eighteenth　day　thereafter　his　life　was　despaired　of。　〃The　goodness　of　God　is　eminently　conspicuous　in　raising　up　our　beloved　brother　Carey；〃　wrote　Marshman。　〃God　has　raised　him　up　again　and　restored　him　to　his　labours；　may　he　live　to　accomplish　all　that　is　in　his　heart；〃　wrote　Rowe。　He　was　at　once　at　his　desk　again；　in　college　and　in　his　study。　〃I　am　this　day　forty…eight　years　old；〃　he　wrote　to　Ryland　on　the　17th　August；　and　sent　him　the　following　letters；　every　line　of　which　reveals　the　inner　soul　of　the　writer：

〃CALCUTTA；　16th　August　1809。I　did　not　expect；　about　a　month　ago；　ever　to　write　to　you　again。　　I　was　then　ill　of　a　severe　fever；　and　for　a　week　together　scarcely　any　hopes　were　entertained　of　my　life。　One　or　two　days　I　was　supposed　to　be　dying；　but　the　Lord　has　graciously　restored　me；　may　it　be　that　I　may　live　more　than　ever　to　His　glory。　　Whilst　I　was　ill　I　had　scarcely　any　such　thing　as　thought　belonging　to　me；　but；　excepting　seasons　of　delirium；　seemed　to　be　nearly　stupid；　perhaps　some　of　this　arose　from　the　weak　state　to　which　I　was　reduced；　which　was　so　great　that　Dr。　Hare；　one　of　the　most　eminent　physicians　in　Calcutta；　who　was　consulted　about　it；　apprehended　more　danger　from　that　than　from　the　fever。　　I；　however；　had　scarcely　a　thought　of　death　or　eternity；　or　of　life；　or　anything　belonging　thereto。　　In　my　delirium；　greatest　part　of　which　I　perfectly　remember；　I　was　busily　employed　in　carrying　a　commission　from　God　to　all　the　princes　and　governments　in　the　world；　requiring　them　instantly　to　abolish　every　political　establishment　of　religion；　and　to　sell　the　parish　and　other　churches　to　the　first　body　of　Christians　that　would　purchase　them。　　Also　to　declare　war　infamous；　to　esteem　all　military　officers　as　men　who　had　sold　themselves　to　destroy　the　human　race；　to　extend　this　to　all　those　dead　men　called　heroes；　defenders　of　their　country；　meritorious　officers；　etc。13　I　was　attended　by　angels　in　all　my　excursions；　and　was　universally　successful。　　A　few　princes　in　Germany　were　refractory；　but　my　attendants　struck　them　dead　instantly。　　I　pronounced　the　doom　of　Rome　to　the　Pope；　and　soon　afterwards　all　the　territory　about　Rome；　the　March　of　Ancona；　the　great　city　and　all　its　riches　sank　into　that　vast　bed　of　burning　lava　which　heats　Nero's　bath。　　These　two　considerations　were　the　delirious　wanderings　of　the　mind；　but　I　hope　to　feel　their　force；　to　pray　and　strive　for　their　accomplishment　to　the　end　of　my　life。　　But　it　is　now　time　to　attend　to　something　not　merely　ideal。

〃The　state　of　the　world　occupied　my　thoughts　more　and　more；　I　mean　as　it　relates　to　the　spread　of　the　Gospel。　　The　harvest　truly　is　great；　and　labourers　bear　scarcely　any　proportion　thereto。　　I　was　forcibly　struck　this　morning　with　reading　our　Lord's　reply　to　His　disciples；　John　iv。　　When　He　had　told　them　that　He　had　meat　to　eat　the　world　knew　not　of；　and　that　His　meat　was　to　do　the　will　of　His　Father　and　to　finish　His　work；　He　said；　'Say　not　ye　there　are　three　months　and　then　cometh　harvest？'　　He　by　this　plainly　intended　to　call　their　attention　to　the　conduct　of　men　when　harvest　was　approaching；　for　that　being　the　season　upon　which　all　the　hopes　of　men　hang　for　temporal　supplies；　they　provide　men　and　measures　in　time　for　securing　it。　　Afterwards　directing　their　attention　to　that　which　so　occupied　His　own　as　to　be　His　meat　and　drink；　He　said；　'Lift　up　your　eyes　and　look　upon　the　fields　（of　souls　to　be　gathered　in）；　for　they　are　white　already　to　harvest。'　　After　so　many　centuries　have　elapsed　and　so　many　fields　full　of　this　harvest　have　been　lost　for　want　of　labourers　to　gather　it　in；　shall　we　not　at　last　reflect　seriously　on　our　duty？　　Hindostan　requires　ten　thousand　ministers　of　the　Gospel；　at　the　lowest　calculation；　China　as　many；　and　you　may　easily　calculate　for　the　rest　of　the　world。　　I　trust　that　many　will　eventually　be　raised　up　here；　but　be　that　as　it　may　the　demands　for　missionaries　are　pressing　to　a　degree　seldom　realised。　　England　has　done　much；　but　not　the　hundredth　part　of　what　she　is　bound　to　do。　　In　so　great　a　want　of　ministers　ought　not　every　church　to　turn　its　attention　chiefly　to　the　raising　up　and　maturing　of　spiritual　gifts　with　the　express　design　of　sending　them　abroad？　Should　not　this　be　a　specific　matter　of　prayer；　and　is　there　not　reason　to　labour　hard　to　infuse　this　spirit　into　the　churches？

〃A　mission　into　Siam　would　be　comparatively　easy　of　introduction　and　support　on　account　of　its　vicinity　to　Prince　of　Wales　Island；　from　which　vessels　can　often　go　in　a　few　hours。　　A　mission　to　Pegu　and　another　to　Arakan　would　not　be　difficult　of　introduction；　they　being　both　within　the　Burman　dominions；　Missions　to　Assam　and　Nepal　should　be　speedily　tried。　　Brother　Robinson　is　going　to　Bhootan。　　I　do　not　know　anything　about　the　facility　with　which　missions　could　be　introduced　into　Cochin　China；　Cambodia；　and　Laos；　but　were　the　trial　made　I　believe　difficulties　would　remove。　　It　is　also　very　desirable　that　the　Burman　mission　should　be　strengthene