the life of william carey-第5章

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A　Calvinist　of　the　broad　missionary　type　of　Paul；　Carey　somewhat　suddenly；　according　to　his　own　account；　became　a　Baptist。　〃I　do　not　recollect　having　read　anything　on　the　subject　till　I　applied　to　Mr。　Ryland；　senior；　to　baptise　me。　　He　lent　me　a　pamphlet；　and　turned　me　over　to　his　son；〃　who　thus　told　the　story　when　the　Baptist　Missionary　Society　held　its　first　public　meeting　in　London：〃October　5th；　1783：　I　baptised　in　the　river　Nen；　a　little　beyond　Dr。　Doddridge's　meeting…house　at　Northampton；　a　poor　journeyman　shoemaker；　little　thinking　that　before　nine　years　had　elapsed；　he　would　prove　the　first　instrument　of　forming　a　society　for　sending　missionaries　from　England　to　preach　the　gospel　to　the　heathen。　　Such；　however；　as　the　event　has　proved；　was　the　purpose　of　the　Most　High；　who　selected　for　this　work　not　the　son　of　one　of　our　most　learned　ministers；　nor　of　one　of　the　most　opulent　of　our　dissenting　gentlemen；　but　the　son　of　a　parish　clerk。〃

The　spot　may　still　be　visited　at　the　foot　of　the　hill；　where　the　Nen　fed　the　moat　of　the　old　castle；　in　which　many　a　Parliament　sat　from　the　days　of　King　John。　The　text　of　that　morning's　sermon　happened　to　be　the　Lord's　saying；　〃Many　first　shall　be　last；　and　the　last　first；〃　which　asserts　His　absolute　sovereignty　in　choosing　and　in　rewarding　His　missionaries；　and　introduces　the　parable　of　the　labourers　in　the　vineyard。　　As　Carey　wrote　in　the　fulness　of　his　fame；　that　the　evangelical　doctrines　continued　to　be　the　choice　of　his　heart；　so　he　never　wavered　in　his　preference　for　the　Baptist　division　of　the　Christian　host。　　But　from　the　first　he　enjoyed　the　friendship　of　Scott　and　Newton；　and　of　his　neighbour　Mr。　Robinson　of　St。　Mary's；　Leicester；　and　we　shall　see　him　in　India　the　centre　of　the　Episcopal　and　Presbyterian　chaplains　and　missionaries　from　Martyn　Wilson　to　Lacroix　and　Duff。　His　controversial　spirit　died　with　the　youthful　conceit　and　self…righteousness　of　which　it　is　so　often　the　birth。　　When　at　eighteen　he　learned　to　know　himself；　he　became　for　ever　humble。　　A　zeal　like　that　of　his　new…found　Master　took　its　place；　and　all　the　energy　of　his　nature；　every　moment　of　his　time；　was　directed　to　setting　Him　forth。

In　his　monthly　visits　to　the　father…house　at　Paulerspury　the　new　man　in　him　could　not　be　hid。　　His　sister　gives　us　a　vivid　sketch　of　the　lad；　whose　going　over　to　the　dissenters　was　resented　by　the　formal　and　stern　clerk；　and　whose　evangelicalism　was　a　reproach　to　the　others。

〃At　this　time　he　was　increasingly　thoughtful；　and　very　was　jealous　for　the　Lord　of　Hosts。　　Like　Gideon；　he　seemed　for　throwing　down　all　the　altars　of　Baal　in　one　night。　　When　he　came　home　we　used　to　wonder　at　the　change。　　We　knew　that　before　he　was　rather　inclined　to　persecute　the　faith　he　now　seemed　to　wish　to　propagate。　　At　first；　perhaps；　his　zeal　exceeded　the　bounds　of　prudence；　but　he　felt　the　importance　of　things　we　were　strangers　to；　and　his　natural　disposition　was　to　pursue　earnestly　what　he　undertook；　so　that　it　was　not　to　be　wondered　at；　though　we　wondered　at　the　change。　　He　stood　alone　in　his　father's　house　for　some　years。　　After　a　time　he　asked　permission　to　have　family　prayer　when　he　came　home　to　see　us；　a　favour　which　he　very　readily　had　granted。　　Often　have　I　felt　my　pride　rise　while　he　was　engaged　in　prayer；　at　the　mention　of　those　words　in　Isaiah；　'that　all　our　righteousness　was　like　filthy　rags。'　I　did　not　think　he　thought　his　so；　but　looked　on　me　and　the　family　as　filthy；　not　himself　and　his　party。　　Oh；　what　pride　is　in　the　human　heart！　　Nothing　but　my　love　to　my　brother　would　have　kept　me　from　showing　my　resentment。〃

〃A　few　of　the　friends　of　religion　wished　our　brother　to　exercise　his　gifts　by　speaking　to　a　few　friends　in　a　house　licensed　at　Pury；　which　he　did　with　great　acceptance。　　The　next　morning　a　neighbour　of　ours；　a　very　pious　woman；　came　in　to　congratulate　my　mother　on　the　occasion；　and　to　speak　of　the　Lord's　goodness　in　calling　her　son；　and　my　brother；　two　such　near　neighbours；　to　the　same　noble　calling。　My　mother　replied；　'What；　do　you　think　he　will　be　a　preacher？'　'Yes；'　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　o