the life of william carey-第5节

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'　she　replied；　'and　a　great　one；　I　think；　if　spared。'　　From　that　time　till　he　was　settled　at　Moulton　he　regularly　preached　once　a　month　at　Pury　with　much　acceptance。　　He　was　at　that　time　in　his　twentieth　year；　and　married。　　Our　parents　were　always　friendly　to　religion；　yet；　on　some　accounts；　we　should　rather　have　wished　him　to　go　from　home　than　come　home　to　preach。　　I　do　not　think　I　ever　heard　him；　though　my　younger　brother　and　my　sister；　I　think；　generally　did。　　Our　father　much　wished　to　hear　his　son；　if　he　could　do　it　unseen　by　him　or　any　one。　　It　was　not　long　before　an　opportunity　offered；　and　he　embraced　it。　　Though　he　was　a　man　that　never　discovered　any　partiality　for　the　abilities　of　his　children；　but　rather　sometimes　went　too　far　on　the　other　hand；　that　often　tended　a　little　to　discourage　them；　yet　we　were　convinced　that　he　approved　of　what　he　heard；　and　was　highly　gratified　by　it。〃

In　Hackleton　itself　his　expositions　of　Scripture　were　so　valued　that　the　people；　he　writes；　〃being　ignorant；　sometimes　applauded　to　my　great　injury。〃　　When　in　poverty；　so　deep　that　he　fasted　all　that　day　because　he　had　not　a　penny　to　buy　a　dinner；　he　attended　a　meeting　of　the　Association　of　Baptist　Churches　at　Olney；　not　far　off。　　There　he　first　met　with　his　lifelong　colleague；　the　future　secretary　of　the　mission；　Andrew　Fuller；　the　young　minister　of　Soham；　who　preached　on　being　men　in　understanding；　and　there　it　was　arranged　that　he　should　preach　regularly　to　a　small　congregation　at　Earls　Barton；　six　miles　from　Hackleton。　　His　new…born　humility　made　him　unable　to　refuse　the　duty；　which　he　discharged　for　more　than　three　years　while　filling　his　cobbler's　stall　at　Hackleton　all　the　week；　and　frequently　preaching　elsewhere　also。　　The　secret　of　his　power　which　drew　the　Northamptonshire　peasants　and　craftsmen　to　the　feet　of　their　fellow　was　this；　that　he　studied　the　portion　of　Scripture；　which　he　read　every　morning　at　his　private　devotions；　in　Hebrew；　Greek；　and　Latin。

This　was　Carey's　〃college。〃　　On　the　death　of　his　first　master；　when　he　was　eighteen；　he　had　transferred　his　apprenticeship　to　a　Mr。　T。　Old。　Hackleton　stands　on　the　high　road　from　Bedford　and　Olney　to　Northampton；　and　Thomas　Scott　was　in　the　habit　of　resting　at　Mr。　Old's　on　his　not　infrequent　walks　from　Olney；　where　he　had　succeeded　John　Newton。　　There　he　had　no　more　attentive　listener　or　intelligent　talker　than　the　new　journeyman；　who　had　been　more　influenced　by　his　preaching　at　Ravenstone　than　by　that　of　any　other　man。　　Forty　years　after；　just　before　Scott's　death；　Dr。　Ryland　gave　him　this　message　from　Carey：〃If　there　be　anything　of　the　work　of　God　in　my　soul；　I　owe　much　of　it　to　his　preaching　when　I　first　set　out　in　the　ways　of　the　Lord；〃　to　which　this　reply　was　sent：　〃I　am　surprised　as　well　as　gratified　at　your　message　from　Dr。　Carey。　　He　heard　me　preach　only　a　few　times；　and　that　as　far　as　I　know　in　my　rather　irregular　excursions；　though　I　often　conversed　and　prayed　in　his　presence；　and　endeavoured　to　answer　his　sensible　and　pertinent　inquiries　when　at　Hackleton。　　But　to　have　suggested　even　a　single　useful　hint　to　such　a　mind　as　his　must　be　considered　as　a　high　privilege　and　matter　of　gratitude。〃　　Scott　had　previously　written　this　more　detailed　account　of　his　intercourse　with　the　preaching　shoemaker；　whom　he　first　saw　when　he　called　on　Mr。　Old　to　tell　him　of　the　welfare　of　his　mother：

〃When　I　went　into　the　cottage　I　was　soon　recognised；　and　Mr。　Old　came　in；　with　a　sensible…looking　lad　in　his　working…dress。　　I　at　first　rather　wondered　to　see　him　enter；　as　he　seemed　young；　being；　I　believe；　little　of　his　age。　　We；　however；　entered　into　very　interesting　conversation；　especially　respecting　my　parishioner；　their　relative；　and　the　excellent　state　of　her　mind；　and　the　wonder　of　divine　grace　in　the　conversion　of　one　who　had　been　so　very　many　years　considered　as　a　self…righteous　Pharisee。　　I　believe　I　endeavoured　to　show　that　the　term　was　often　improperly　applied　to　conscientious　but　ignorant　inquirers；　who　are　far　from　self…satisfied；　and　who；　when　the　Gospel　is　set　before　them；　find　the　thing　which　they　had　long　been　groping　after。　　However　that　may　be；　I　observed　the　lad　who　entered　with　Mr。　Old　riveted　in　attention　with　every　mark　and　symptom　of　intelligence　and　feeling；　saying　little；　but　modestly　asking　now　and　then　an　appropriate　question。　　I　took　occasion；　before　I　went　forward；　to　inquire　after　him；　and　found　that；　young　as　he　was；　he　was　a　member　of　the　church　at　Hackleton；　and　looked　upon　as　a　very　consistent　and　promising　character。　　I　lived　at　Olney　till　the　end　of　1785；　and　in　the　course　of　that　time　I　called　perhaps　two　or　three　times　each　year　at　Mr。　Old's；　and　was　each　time　more　and　more　struck　with　the　youth's　conduct；　though　I　said　little；　but；　before　I　left　Olney；　Mr。　Carey　was　out　of　his　engagement　with　Mr。　Old。　I　found　also　that　he　was　sent　out　as　a　probationary　preacher；　and　preached　at　Moulton；　and　I　said　to　all　to　whom　I　had　access；　that　he　would；　if　I　could　judge；　prove　no　ordinary　man。　　Yet；　though　I　often　met　both　old　Mr。　Ryland；　the　present　Dr。　Ryland；　Mr。　Hall；　Mr。　Fuller；　and　knew　almost　every　step　taken　in　forming　your　Missionary　Society；　and　though　I　sometimes　preached　very　near　Moulton；　it　so　happened　that　I　do　not　recollect　having　met　with　him　any　more；　till　he　came　to　my　house　in　London　with　Mr。　Thomas；　to　desire　me　to　use　what　little　influence　I　had　with　Charles　Grant；　Esq。；　to　procure　them　licence　to　go　in　the　Company's　ships　as　missionaries　to　the　British　settlements　in　India；　perhaps　in　1792。　　My　little　influence　was　of　no　avail。　　What　I　said　of　Mr。　Carey　so　far　satisfied　Mr。　Grant　that　he　said；　if　Mr。　Carey　was　going　alone；　or　with　one　equally　to　be　depended　on　along　with　him；　he　would　not　oppose　him；　but　his　strong　disapprobation　of　Mr。　T。；　on　what　ground　I　knew　not；　induced　his　negative。　　I　believe　Mr。　Old　died　soon　after　I　left　Olney；　if　not　just　before；　and　his　shop；　which　was　a　little　building　apart　from　the　house；　was　suffered　to　go　to　decay。　　While　in　this　state　I　several　times　passed　it；　and　said　to　my　sons　and　others　with　me；　that　is　Mr。　Carey's　college。〃

This　cobbler's　shed　which　was　Carey's　college　has　been　since　restored；　but　two　of　the　original　walls　still　stand；　forming　the　corner　in　which　he　sat；　opposite　the　window　that　looks　out　into　the　garden　he　carefully　kept。　　Here；　when　his　second　master　died；　Carey　succeeded　to　the　business；　charging　himself　with　the　care　of　the　widow；　and　marrying　the　widow's　sister；　Dorothy　or　Dolly　Placket。　He　was　only　twenty　when　he　took　upon　himself　such　burdens；　in　the　neighbouring　church　of　Piddington；　a　village　to　which　he　afterwards　moved　his　shop。　　Never　had　minister；　missionary；　or　scholar　a　less　sympathetic　mate；　due　largely　to　that　latent　mental　disease　which　in　India　carried　her　off；　but　for　more　than　twenty　years　the　husband　showed　her　loving　reverence。　　As　we　stand　in　the　Hackleton　shed；　over　which　Carey　placed　the　rude　signboard　prepared　by　his　own　hands；　and　now　in　the　library　of　Regent's　Park　College；　〃Second　Hand　Shoes　Bought　and；〃2　we　can　realise　the　low　estate　to　which　Carey　fell；　even　below　his　father's　loom　and　schoolhouse；　and　from　which　he　was　called　to　become　the　apostle　of　North　India　as　Schwartz　was　of　the　South。

How　was　this　shed　his　college？　　We　have　seen　that　he　brought　with　him　from　his　native　village　an　amount　of　information；　habits　of　observation；　and　a　knowledge　of　books　unusual　in　rustics　of　that　day；　and　even　of　the　present　time。　　At　twelve　he　made　his　first　acquaintance　with　a　language　other　than　his　own；　when　he　mastered　the　short　grammar　in　Dyche's　Latine　Vocabulary；　and　committed　nearly　the　whole　book　to　memory。　　When　urging　him　to　take　the　preaching　at　Barton；　Mr。　Sutcliff　of　Olney　gave　him　Ruddiman's　Latin　Grammar。　The　one　alleviation　of　his　lot　under　the　coarse　but　upright　Nichols　was　found　in　his　master's　small　library。　　There　he　began　to　study　Greek。　　In　a　New　Testament　commentary　he　found　Greek　words；　which　he　carefully　transcribed　and　kept　until　he　should　next　visit　home；　where　a　youth　whom　dissipation　had　reduced　from　college　to　weaving　explained　both　the　words　and　their　terminations　to　him。　　All　that　he　wanted　was　such　beginnings。　　Hebrew　he　seems　to　have　learned　by　the　aid　of　the　neighbouring　ministers；　borrowing　books　from　them；　and　questioning　them　〃pertinently；〃　as　he　did　Scott。3　At　the　end　of　Hopkins's　Three　Sermons　on　the　Effects　of　Sin　on　the　Universe；　preached　in　1759；　he　had　made　this　entry　on　9th　August　1787〃Gulielm。　Careius　perlegit。〃　　He　starved　himself　to　purchase　a　few　books　at　the　sale　which　attended　Dr。　Ryland's　removal　from　Northampton　to　Bristol。　　In　an　old　woman's　cottage　he　found　a　Dutch　quarto；　and　from　that　he　so　taught　himself　the　language　that　in　1789　he　translated　for　Ryland　a　discourse　on　the　Gospel　Offer　sent　to　him　by　the　evangelical　Dr。　Erskine　of　Edinburgh。　　The　manuscript　is　in　an　extremely　small　character；　unlike　what　might　have　been　expected　from　one　who　had　wrought　with　his　hands　for　eight　years。　　French　he　acquired；　sufficiently　for　literary　purposes；　in　three　weeks　from　the　French　version　of　Ditton　on　the　Resurrection；　which　he　purchased　for　a　few　coppers。　　He　had　the　linguistic　gift　which　soon　after　made　the　young　car