the life of william carey-第87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！



Carey's　last　will　and　testament　begins：　〃I　utterly　disclaim　all　or　any　right　or　title　to　the　premises　at　Serampore；　called　the　mission　premises；　and　every　part　and　parcel　thereof；　and　do　hereby　declare　that　I　never　had；　or　supposed　myself　to　have；　any　such　right　or　title。　　I　give　and　bequeath　to　the　College　of　Serampore　the　whole　of　my　museum；　consisting　of　minerals；　shells；　corals；　insects；　and　other　natural　curiosities；　and　a　Hortus　Siccus；　also　the　folio　edition　of　Hortus　Woburnensis；　which　was　presented　to　me　by　Lord　Hastings；　Taylor's　Hebrew　Concordance；　my　collection　of　Bibles　in　foreign　languages；　and　all　my　books　in　the　Italian　and　German　languages。〃　　His　widow；　Grace；　who　survived　him　a　short　time；　had　the　little　capital　that　was　hers　before　her　marriage　to　him；　and　he　desired　that　she　would　choose　from　his　library　whatever　English　books　she　valued。　　His　youngest　son；　Jonathan；　was　not　in　want　of　money。　　He　had　paid　Felix　and　William　Rs。　1500　each　in　his　lifetime。　In　order　to　leave　a　like　sum　to　Jabez；　he　thus　provided：　〃From　the　failure　of　funds　to　carry　my　former　intentions　into　effect；　I　direct　that　my　library　be　sold。〃　　In　dying　as　in　living　he　is　the　samejust　to　others　because　self…devoted　to　Him　to　whom　he　thus　formally　willed　himself；　〃On　Thy　kind　arms　I　fall。〃

The　Indian　journals　rang　with　the　praises　of　the　missionary　whose　childlike　humility　and　sincerity；　patriotism　and　learning；　had　long　made　India　proud　of　him。　　After　giving　himself；　William　Carey　had　died　so　poor　that　his　books　had　to　be　sold　to　provide　？87　10s。　for　one　of　his　sons。　　One　writer　asserted　that　this　man　had　contributed　〃sixteen　lakhs　of　rupees〃　to　the　cause　of　Christ　while　connected　with　the　Serampore　Mission；　and　the　statement　was　everywhere　repeated。　　Dr。　Marshman　thereupon　published　the　actual　facts；　〃as　no　one　would　have　felt　greater　abhorrence　of　such　an　attempt　to　impose　on　the　Christian　public　than　Dr。　Carey　himself；　had　he　been　living。〃　At　a　time　when　the　old　Sicca　Rupee　was　worth　half　a　crown；　Carey　received；　in　the　thirty…four　and　a　half　years　of　his　residence　at　Serampore；　from　the　date　of　his　appointment　to　the　College　of　Fort　William；　？5；000。35　Of　this　he　spent　？500　on　his　Botanic　Garden　in　that　period。　　If　accuracy　is　of　any　value　in　such　a　question；　which　has　little　more　than　a　curious　biographical　interest；　then　we　must　add　the　seven　years　previous　to　1801；　and　we　shall　find　that　the　shoemaker　of　Hackleton　received　in　all　for　himself　and　his　family　？00　from　the　Society　which　he　called　into　existence；　and　which　sent　him　forth；　while　he　spent　on　the　Christianisation　and　civilisation　of　India　？625　received　as　a　manufacturer　of　indigo；　and　？5；000　as　Professor　of　Sanskrit；　Bengali；　and　Marathi；　and　Bengali　Translator　to　Government；　or　？6；625　in　all。

〃It　is　possible；〃　wrote　Dr。　Marshman；　〃that　if；　instead　of　thus　living　to　God　and　his　cause　with　his　brethren　at　Serampore；　Dr。　Carey　had；　like　the　other　professors　in　the　college；　lived　in　Calcutta　wholly　for　himself　and　his　family；　he　might　have　laid　by　for　them　a　lakh　of　rupees　in　the　thirty　years　he　was　employed　by　Government；　and　had　he　been　very　parsimonious；　possibly　a　lakh　and　a　half。　　But　who　that　contrasts　the　pleasures　of　such　a　life　with　those　Dr。　Carey　enjoyed　in　promoting　with　his　own　funds　every　plan　likely　to　plant　Christianity　among　the　natives　around　him；　without　having　to　consult　any　one　in　thus　doing；　but　his　two　brethren　of　one　heart　with　him；　who　contributed　as　much　as　himself　to　the　Redeemer's　cause；　and　the　fruit　of　which　he　saw　before　his　death　in　Twenty…six　Gospel　Churches　planted　in　India　within　a　surface　of　about　eight　hundred　miles；　and　above　Forty　labouring　brethren　raised　up　on　the　spot　amidst　themwould　not　prefer　the　latter？　　What　must　have　been　the　feelings　on　a　deathbed　of　a　man　who　had　lived　wholly　to　himself；　compared　with　the　joyous　tranquillity　which　filled　Carey's　soul　in　the　prospect　of　entering　into　the　joy　of　his　Lord；　and　above　all　with　what　he　felt　when；　a　few　days　before　his　decease；　he　said　to　his　companion　in　labour　for　thirty…four　years：　'I　have　no　fears；　I　have　no　doubts；　I　have　not　a　wish　left　unsatisfied。'〃

In　the　Danish　Church　of　Serampore；　and　in　the　Mission　Chapel；　and　afterwards　in　the　Union　Chapel　of　Calcutta；　Dr。　Marshman　and　Mr。　Mack　preached　sermons　on　William　Carey。　　These　and　the　discourse　delivered　in　Charlotte　Chapel；　Edinburgh；　on　the　30th　of　November；　by　Christopher　Anderson；　were　the　only　materials　from　which　a　just　estimate　of　Carey　and　his　work　could　be　formed　for　the　next　quarter　of　a　century。　　All；　and　especially　the　last；　were　as　worthy　of　their　theme　as　閘oges　pronounced　in　such　circumstances　could　be。　　Marshman　spoke　from　the　text　chosen　by　Carey　himself　a　few　weeks　before　his　death　as　containing　the　foundation　of　his　hope　and　the　source　of　his　calm　and　tranquil　assurance〃For　by　grace　are　ye　saved。〃　　Mack　found　his　inspiration　again；　as　he　had　done　in　the　Bengali　village；　in　Paul's　words〃David；　after　he　had　served　his　own　generation；　by　the　will　of　God　fell　on　sleep。〃　　The　Edinburgh　preacher　turned　to　the　message　of　Isaiah　wherewith　Carey　used　to　comfort　himself　in　his　early　loneliness；　and　which　the　Revised　Version　renders〃Look　unto　Abraham　your　father；　for　when　he　was　but　one　I　called　him　and　I　blessed　him　and　made　him　many。〃　　And　in　Bombay　the　young　contemporary　missionary　who　most　nearly　resembled　Carey　in　personal　saintliness；　scholarship；　and　self…devotion；　John　Wilson；　thus　wrote：

〃Dr。　Carey；　the　first　of　living　missionaries；　the　most　honoured　and　the　most　successful　since　the　time　of　the　Apostles；　has　closed　his　long　and　influential　career。　　Indeed　his　spirit；　his　life；　and　his　labours；　were　truly　apostolic。。。The　Spirit　of　God　which　was　in　him　led　him　forward　from　strength　to　strength；　supported　him　under　privation；　enabled　him　to　overcome　in　a　fight　that　seemed　without　hope。　　Like　the　beloved　disciple；　whom　he　resembled　in　simplicity　of　mind；　and　in　seeking　to　draw　sinners　to　Christ　altogether　by　the　cords　of　love；　he　outlived　his　trials　to　enjoy　a　peaceful　and　honoured　old　age；　to　know　that　his　Master's　cause　was　prospering；　and　that　his　own　name　was　named　with　reverence　and　blessing　in　every　country　where　a　Christian　dwelt。　　Perhaps　no　man　ever　exerted　a　greater　influence　for　good　on　a　great　cause。　　Who　that　saw　him；　poor　and　in　seats　of　learning　uneducated；　embark　on　such　an　enterprise；　could　ever　dream　that；　in　little　more　than　forty　years；　Christendom　should　be　animated　with　the　same　spirit；　thousands　forsake　all　to　follow　his　example；　and　that　the　Word　of　Life　should　be　translated　into　almost　every　language　and　preached　in　almost　every　corner　of　the　earth？〃

As　the　Founder　and　Father　of　Modern　Missions；　the　character　and　career　of　William　Carey　are　being　revealed　every　year　in　the　progress；　and　as　yet；　the　purity　of　the　expansion　of　the　Church　and　of　the　English…speaking　races　in　the　two…thirds　of　the　world　which　are　still　outside　of　Christendom。　　The　？3：2：6　of　Kettering　became　？00；000　before　he　died；　and　is　now　？；000；000　a　year。　　The　one　ordained　English　missionary　is　now　a　band　of　20；000　men　and　women　sent　out　by　558　agencies　of　the　Reformed　Churches。　　The　solitary　converts；　each　with　no　influence　on　his　people；　or　country；　or　generation；　are　now　a　community　of　3；000；000　in　India　alone；　and　in　all　the　lands　outside　of　Christendom　5；000；000；　of　whom　80；000　are　missionaries　to　their　own　countrymen；　and　many　are　leaders　of　the　native　communities。　　Since　the　first　edition　of　the　Bengali　New　Testament　appeared　at　the　beginning　of　the　century　250；000；000　of　copies　of　the　Holy　Scriptures　have　been　printed；　of　which　one　half　are　in　370　of　the　non…English　tongues　of　the　world。　　The　Bengali　School　of　Mudnabati；　the　Christian　College　of　Serampore；　have　set　in　motion　educational　forces　that　are　bringing　nations　to　the　birth；　are　passing　under　Bible　instruction　every　day　more　than　a　million　boys　and　girls；　young　men　and　maidens　of　the　dark　races　of　mankind。

The　seventh　Earl　of　Shaftesbury；　the　greatest　and　most　practical　Evangelical　of　the　nineteenth　century　after　William　Wilberforce；　wrote　thus　in　his　Journal　of　the　class　whom　Carey　headed　in　the　eighteenth；　and　whom　Wordsworth　commemorated　as

　　　〃Not　sedentary　all；　there　are　who　roam　　　　　To　scatter　seeds　of　Life　on　barbarous　shores。〃

1847。　〃Aug。　30thRYDE。Reading　Missionary　Enterprises　by　Williams。。。Zeal；　devotion；　joy；　simplicity　of　heart；　faith；　love；　and　we　here　have　barely　affection　enough　to　thank　God　that　such　deeds　have　been　done。　　Talk　of　'doing　good'　and　being　'useful　in　one's　generation；'　why；　these　admirable　men　performed　more　in　one　month　than　I　or　many　others　shall　perform　in　a　whole　life！〃

The　eloquent　Dr。　Richard　Winter　Hamilton；　reflecting　that　sacrifice　to　heroes　is　reserved　until　after　sunset；　recalled　William　Carey；　eight　years　after　his　death；　as　〃wielding　a　power　to　which　all　difficulties　yielded；　but　that　power　noiseless　as　a　law　of　nature；　great　in　conception　as　well　as　in　performance；　profound　as　those　deep　combinations　of　language　in　which　the　Indian　philosophy　and　polytheism　hide　themselves；　but　gentle　as　the　flower　which　in　his　brief　recreation　he　loved　to　train；　awful　as　the　sage；　simple　as　the　child；　speaking　thro