the life of william carey-第46章
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House ＇at Serampore＇； attended by most of the family。 Mr。 Brown commenced with the hymn； 'Come； gracious Spirit； heavenly dove！' A divine influence seemed to attend us； and most delightful were my sensations。 The circumstance of so many being engaged in spreading the glad tidings of salvation；the temple of an idol converted to the purpose of Christian worship； and the Divine presence felt among us；filled me with joy unspeakable。 After the marriage service of the Church of England； Mr。 Brown gave out 'the Wedding Hymn'； and after signing certificates of the marriage we adjourned to the house； where Mr。 Brown had provided supper。 Two hymns given out by Mr。 Marshman were felt very powerfully。 He is a most lively； sanguine missionary； his conversation made my heart burn within me； and I find desires of spreading the Gospel growing stronger daily； and my zeal in the cause more ardent。。。I went to the Mission House； and supped at the same table with about fifty native converts。 The triumph of the Cross was most evident in breaking down their prejudices； and uniting them with those who formerly were an abomination in their eyes。 After supper they sang a Bengali hymn； many of them with tears of joy； and they concluded with prayer in Bengali； with evident earnestness and emotion。 My own feelings were too big for utterance。 O may the time be hastened when every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ； to the glory of God the Father！
〃On Friday evening ＇Oct。 10th＇； we had a meeting in the pagoda； at which almost all the missionaries； some of their wives； and Captain Wickes attended； with a view to commend Martyn to the favour and protection of God in his work。 The Divine presence was with us。 I felt more than it would have been proper to express。 Mr。 Brown commenced with a hymn and prayer； Mr。 Des Granges succeeded him； with much devotion and sweetness of expression： Mr。 Marshman followed； and dwelt particularly on the promising appearance of things； and； with much humility； pleaded God's promises for the enlargement of Zion； with many petitions for Mr。 Brown and his family。 The service was concluded by Mr。 Carey； who was earnest in prayer for Mr。 Brown： the petition that 'having laboured for many years without encouragement or support； in the evening it might be light；' seemed much to affect his own mind； and greatly impressed us all。 Afterwards we supped together at Mr。 Brown's。。。
〃13th Oct。I came to Serampore to dinner。 Had a pleasant sail up the river： the time passed agreeably in conversation。 In the evening a fire was kindled on the opposite bank； and we soon perceived that it was a funeral pile； on which the wife was burning with the dead body of her husband。 It was too dark to distinguish the miserable victim。。。On going out to walk with Martyn to the pagoda； the noise so unnatural； and so little calculated to excite joy； raised in my mind an awful sense of the presence and influence of evil spirits。〃
Corrie married the daughter of Mrs。 Ellerton； who knew Serampore and Carey well。 It was Mr。 Ellerton who； when an indigo…planter at Malda； opened the first Bengali school； and made the first attempt at translating the Bible into that vernacular。 His young wife； early made a widow； witnessed accidentally the duel in which Warren Hastings shot Philip Francis。 She was an occasional visitor at Aldeen； and took part in the pagoda services。 Fifty years afterwards； not long before her death at eighty…seven； Bishop Wilson； whose guest she was； wrote of her： 〃She made me take her to Henry Martyn's pagoda。 She remembers the neighbourhood； and Gharetty Ghat and House in Sir Eyre Coote's time （1783）。 The ancient Governor of Chinsurah and his fat Dutch wife are still in her mind。 When she visited him with her first husband （she was then sixteen） the old Dutchman cried out； 'Oh； if you would find me such a nice little wife I would give you ten thousand rupees。'〃
It was in Martyn's pagoda that Claudius Buchanan first broached his plan of an ecclesiastical establishment for India； and invited the discussion of it by Carey and his colleagues。 Such a scheme came naturally from one who was the grandson of a Presbyterian elder of the Church of Scotland； converted in the Whitefield revival at Cambuslang。 It had been suggested first by Bishop Porteous when he reviewed the Company's acquisitions in Asia。 It was encouraged by Lord Wellesley； who was scandalised on his arrival in India by the godlessness of the civil servants and the absence of practically any provision for the Christian worship and instruction of its officers and soldiers； who were all their lives without religion； not a tenth of them ever returning home。 Carey thus wrote； at Ryland's request； of the proposal； which resulted in the arrival in Calcutta of Bishop Middleton and Dr。 Bryce in 1814：〃I have no opinion of Dr。 Buchanan's scheme for a religious establishment here； nor could I from memory point out what is exceptionable in his memoir。 All his representations must be taken with some grains of allowance。〃 When； in the Aldeen discussions； Dr。 Buchanan told Marshman that the temple lands would eventually answer for the established churches and the Brahmans' lands for the chaplains； the stout Nonconformist replied with emphasis； 〃You will never obtain them。〃 We may all accept the conversion of the idol shrine into a place of prayeras Gregory I。 taught Augustine of Canterbury to transform heathen temples into Christian churchesas presaging the time when the vast temple and mosque endowments will be devoted by the people themselves to their own moral if not spiritual good through education； both religious and secular。
The change wrought in seventeen years by Carey and such associates as these on society in Bengal； both rich and poor； became marked by the year 1810。 We find him writing of it thus：〃When I arrived I knew of no person who cared about the Gospel except Mr。 Brown； Mr。 Udny； Mr。 Creighton； Mr。 Grant； and Mr。 Brown an indigo…planter； besides Brother Thomas and myself。 There might be more； and probably were； though unknown to me。 There are now in India thirty…two ministers of the Gospel。 Indeed； the Lord is doing great things for Calcutta； and though infidelity abounds； yet religion is the theme of conversation or dispute in almost every house。 A few weeks ago （October 1810）； I called upon one of the Judges to take breakfast with him； and going rather abruptly upstairs； as I had been accustomed to do； I found the family just going to engage in morning worship。 I was of course asked to engage in prayer； which I did。 I afterwards told him that I had scarcely witnessed anything since I had been in Calcutta which gave me more pleasure than what I had seen that morning。 The change in this family was an effect of Mr。 Thomason's ministry。。。About ten days ago I had a conversation with one of the Judges of the Supreme Court； Sir John Boyd； upon religious subjects。 Indeed there is now scarcely a place where you can pay a visit without having an opportunity of saying something about true religion。〃
Carey's friendly intercourse； by person and letter； was not confined to those who were aggressively Christian or to Christian and ecclesiastical questions。 As we shall soon see； his literary and scientific pursuits led him to constant and familiar converse with scholars like Colebrooke and Leyden； with savants like Roxburgh； the astronomer Bentley； and Dr。 Hare； with publicists like Sir James Mackintosh and Robert Hall； with such travellers and administrators as Manning； the friend of Charles Lamb； and Raffles。
In Great Britain the name of William Carey had； by 1812； become familiar as a household word in all evangelical circles。 The men who had known him in the days before 1793 were few and old； were soon to pass away for ever。 The new generation had fed their Christian zeal on his achievements； and had learned to look on him； in spite of all his humility which only inflamed that zeal； as the pioneer； the father； the founder of foreign missions； English； Scottish； and American。 They had never seen him； they were not likely to see him in the flesh。 The desire for a portrait of him became irresistible。 The burning of the press； to be hereafter descri
