the life of william carey-第95章

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y　often　heard；　and　with　outstretched　hands　solemnly　blessed　him。　　A　contemporary　soon　after　wrote　thus　of　the　childlike　saint

〃'Thou'rt　in　our　heartwith　tresses　thin　and　grey；　　　　　And　eye　that　knew　the　Book　of　Life　so　well；　　　And　brow　serene；　as　thou　wert　wont　to　stray　　　　　Amidst　thy　flowerslike　Adam　ere　he　fell。'

〃The　result　of　the　conference　was　a　double　blessing；　for　Carey　could　speak　with　the　influence　at　once　of　a　scholar　who　had　created　the　best　college　at　that　time　in　the　country；　and　of　a　vernacularist　who　had　preached　to　the　people　for　half　a　century。　　The　young　Scotsman　left　his　presence　with　the　approval　of　the　one　authority　whose　opinion　was　best　worth　having。。。

〃Among　those　who　visited　him　in　his　last　illness　was　Alexander　Duff；　the　Scots　missionary。　　On　one　of　the　last　occasions　on　which　he　saw　himif　not　the　very　lasthe　spent　some　time　talking　chiefly　about　Carey's　missionary　life；　till　at　length　the　dying　man　whispered；　Pray。　Duff　knelt　down　and　prayed；　and　then　said　Good…bye。　　As　he　passed　from　the　room；　he　thought　he　heard　a　feeble　voice　pronouncing　his　name；　and；　turning；　he　found　that　he　was　recalled。　　He　stepped　back　accordingly；　and　this　is　what　he　heard；　spoken　with　a　gracious　solemnity：　'Mr。　Duff；　you　have　been　speaking　about　Dr。　Carey；　Dr。　Carey；　When　I　am　gone；　say　nothing　about　Dr。　Careyspeak　about　Dr。　Carey's　Saviour。'　　Duff　went　away　rebuked　and　awed；　with　a　lesson　in　his　heart　that　he　never　forgot。〃33

When　with　his　old　friends　he　dwelt　much　on　the　past。　　Writing　of　May　1832；　Dr。　Marshman　mentioned：　〃I　spent　an　hour　at　tea　with　dear　Brother　Carey　last　night；　now　seventy　and　nine　months。　　He　was　in　the　most　comfortable　state　of　health；　talking　over　his　first　feelings　respecting　India　and　the　heathen；　and　the　manner　in　which　God　kept　them　alive；　when　even　Fuller　could　not　yet　enter　into　them；　and　good　old　John　Ryland　（the　doctor's　father）　denounced　them　as　unscriptural。　　Had　these　feelings　died　away；　in　what　a　different　state　might　India　now　have　been！〃　　In　September　of　that　year；　when　burying　Mrs。　Ward；　he　seemed；　in　his　address　at　the　grave；　to　long　for　renewed　intercourse　with　the　friends　who　had　preceded　him　in　entering　into　the　joy　of　the　Lord。

On　Mr。　Leechman's　arrival　from　Scotland　to　be　his　colleague；　he　found　the　old　man　thus　vigorous　even　in　April　1833；　or　if　〃faint；　yet　pursuing〃：

〃Our　venerable　Dr。　Carey　is　in　excellent　health；　and　takes　his　turn　in　all　our　public　exercises。　　Just　forty　years　ago；　the　first　of　this　month；　he　administered　the　Lord's　Supper　to　the　church　at　Leicester；　and　started　on　the　morrow　to　embark　for　India。　　Through　this　long　period　of　honourable　toil　the　Lord　has　mercifully　preserved　him；　and　at　our　missionary　prayer　meeting；　held　on　the　first　of　this　month；　he　delivered　an　interesting　address　to　encourage　us　to　persevere　in　the　work　of　the　Lord。　We　have　also　a　private　monthly　prayer　meeting　held　in　Dr。　Carey's　study；　which　is　to　me　a　meeting　of　uncommon　interest。　　On　these　occasions　we　particularly　spread　before　the　Lord　our　public　and　private　trials；　both　those　which　come　upon　us　from　the　cause　of　Christ；　with　which　it　is　our　honour　and　privilege　to　be　connected；　and　those　also　which　we　as　individuals　are　called　to　bear。　　At　our　last　meeting　Dr。　Carey　read　part　of　the　history　of　Gideon；　and　commented　with　deep　feeling　on　the　encouragement　which　that　history　affords；　that　the　cause　of　God　can　be　carried　on　to　victory　and　triumph；　by　feeble　and　apparently　inefficient　means。〃

Carey's　successor；　Mack；　wrote　thus　to　Christopher　Anderson　ten　months　later：

〃SERAMPORE；　31st　January　1834。Our　venerable　father；　Dr。　Carey；　is　yet　continued　to　us；　but　in　the　same　state　in　which　he　has　been　for　the　last　three　months　or　so。　　He　is　quite　incapable　of　work；　and　very　weak。　　He　can　walk　but　a　few　yards　at　a　time；　and　spends　the　day　in　reading　for　profit　and　entertainment；　and　in　occasionally　nodding　and　sleeping。　　He　is　perfectly　tranquil　in　mind。　　His　imagination　does　not　soar　much　in　vivid　anticipations　of　glory；　and　it　never　disquiets　him　with　restless　misgivings　respecting　his　inheritance　in　God。　To　him　it　is　everything　that　the　gospel　is　true；　and　he　believes　it；　and；　as　he　says；　if　he　can　say　he　knows　anything；　he　knows　that　he　believes　it。　　When　his　attention　is　turned　to　his　dismissal　from　earth；　or　his　hope　of　glory；　his　emotions　are　tender　and　sweet。　　They　are　also　very　simple；　and　express　themselves　in　a　few　brief　and　pithy　sentences。　　His　interest　in　all　the　affairs　of　the　mission　is　unabated；　and　although　he　can　no　longer　join　us　either　in　deliberation　or　associated　prayer；　he　must　be　informed　of　all　that　occurs；　and　his　heart　is　wholly　with　us　in　whatever　we　do。　　I　do　not　conceive　it　possible　that　he　can　survive　the　ensuing　hot　season；　but　he　may；　and　the　Lord　will　do　in　this　as　in　all　other　things　what　is　best。

〃When　our　necessities　were　coming　to　their　climax　I　concluded　that　I　must　leave　Serampore　in　order　to　find　food　to　eat；　and　I　fixed　upon　Cherra…poonjee　as　my　future　residence。　　I　proposed　establishing　a　first…class　school　there；　and　then　with　some　warmth　of　imagination　I　began　anticipating　a　sort　of　second　edition　of　Serampore　up　in　the　Khasia　hills；　to　be　a　centre　of　diffusing　light　in　the　western　provinces。　　I　became　really　somewhat　enamoured　of　the　phantom　of　my　imagination；　but　it　was　not　to　be。　　The　brethren　here　would　not　see　it　as　I　did。〃

This　last　sketch；　by　Mr。　Gogerly；　whom　the　London　Missionary　Society　had　sent　out　in　1819；　brings　us　still　nearer　the　end：

〃At　this　time　I　paid　him　my　last　visit。　　He　was　seated　near　his　desk；　in　the　study；　dressed　in　his　usual　neat　attire；　his　eyes　were　closed；　and　his　hands　clasped　together。　　On　his　desk　was　the　proof…sheet　of　the　last　chapter　of　the　New　Testament；　which　he　had　revised　a　few　days　before。　　His　appearance；　as　he　sat　there；　with　the　few　white　locks　which　adorned　his　venerable　brow；　and　his　placid　colourless　face；　filled　me　with　a　kind　of　awe；　for　he　appeared　as　then　listening　to　the　Master's　summons；　and　as　waiting　to　depart。　　I　sat；　in　his　presence；　for　about　half　an　hour；　and　not　one　word　was　uttered；　for　I　feared　to　break　that　solemn　silence；　and　call　back　to　earth　the　soul　that　seemed　almost　in　heaven。　　At　last；　however；　I　spoke；　and　well　do　I　remember　the　identical　words　that　passed　between　us；　though　more　than　thirty…six　years　have　elapsed　since　then。　　I　said；　'My　dear　friend；　you　evidently　are　standing　on　the　borders　of　the　eternal　world；　do　not　think　it　wrong；　then；　if　I　ask；　What　are　your　feelings　in　the　immediate　prospect　of　death？'　　The　question　roused　him　from　his　apparent　stupor；　and　opening　his　languid　eyes；　he　earnestly　replied；　'As　far　as　my　personal　salvation　is　concerned；　I　have　not　the　shadow　of　a　doubt；　I　know　in　Whom　I　have　believed；　and　am　persuaded　that　He　is　able　to　keep　that　which　I　have　committed　unto　Him　against　that　day；　but　when　I　think　that　I　am　about　to　appear　in　the　presence　of　a　holy　God；　and　remember　all　my　sins　and　manifold　imperfectionsI　tremble。'　　He　could　say　no　more。　The　tears　trickled　down　his　cheeks；　and　after　a　while　he　relapsed　into　the　same　state　of　silence　from　which　I　had　aroused　him。

〃Deeply　solemn　was　that　interview；　and　important　the　lesson　I　then　received。　　Here　was　one　of　the　most　holy　and　harmless　men　whom　I　ever　knewwho　had　lived　above　the　breath　of　calumny　for　upwards　of　forty　years；　surrounded　by　and　in　close　intimacy　with　many；　both　Europeans　and　natives；　who　would　have　rejoiced　to　have　witnessed　any　inconsistency　in　his　conduct；　but　who　were　constrained　to　admire　his　integrity　and　Christian　characterwhilst　thus　convinced　of　the　certainty　of　his　salvation；　through　the　merits　of　that　Saviour　whom　he　had　preached；　yet　so　impressed　with　the　exceeding　sinfulness　of　sin；　that　he　trembled　at　the　thought　of　appearing　before　a　holy　God！　A　few　days　after　this　event；　Dr。　Carey　retired　to　his　bed；　from　which　he　never　rose。〃

So　long　before　this　as　17th　March　1802；　Carey　had　thus　described　himself　to　Dr。　Ryland：〃A　year　or　more　ago　you；　or　some　other　of　my　dear　friends；　mentioned　an　intention　of　publishing　a　volume　of　sermons　as　a　testimony　of　mutual　Christian　love；　and　wished　me　to　send　a　sermon　or　two　for　that　purpose。　　I　have　seri