第 84 节
作者:
垃圾王 更新:2021-02-24 22:52 字数:9322
Nor was it in India alone that the venerable saint found such causes of satisfaction。 He lived long enough to thank God for the emancipation of the slaves by the English people; for which he had prayed daily for fifty years。
We have many sketches of the Father of English Missions in his later years by young contemporaries who; on their first arrival in Bengal; sought him out。 In 1824 Mr。 Leslie; an Edinburgh student; who became in India the first of Baptist preachers; and was the means of the conversion of Henry Havelock who married Dr。 Marshman's youngest daughter; wrote thus of Carey after the third great illness of his Indian life:
〃Dr。 Carey; who has been very ill; is quite recovered; and bids fair to live many years; and as for Dr。 Marshman; he has never known ill…health is; during the whole period of his residence in India。 They are both active to a degree which you would think impossible in such a country。 Dr。 Carey is a very equable and cheerful old man; in countenance very like the engraving of him with his pundit; though not so robust as he appears to be there。 Next to his translations Botany is his grand study。 He has collected every plant and tree in his garden that will possibly grow in India; and is so scientific withal that he calls everything by its classical name。 If; therefore; I should at any time blunder out the word Geranium; he would say Pelargonium; and perhaps accuse me of ignorance; or blame me for vulgarity。 We had the pleasure of hearing him preach from Rom。 vii。 13; when he gave us an excellent sermon。 In manner he is very animated; and in style very methodical。 Indeed he carries method into everything he does; classification is his grand hobby; and wherever anything can be classified; there you find Dr。 Carey; not only does he classify and arrange the roots of plants and words; but visit his dwelling and you find he has fitted up and classified shelves full of minerals; stones; shells; etc。; and cages full of birds。 He is of very easy access; and great familiarity。 His attachments are strong; and extend not merely to persons but places。 About a year ago; so much of the house in which he had lived ever since he had been at Serampore; fell down so that he had to leave it; at which he wept bitterly。 One morning at breakfast; he was relating to us an anecdote of the generosity of the late excellent John Thornton; at the remembrance of whom the big tear filled his eye。 Though it is an affecting sight to see the venerable man weep; yet it is a sight which greatly interests you; as there is a manliness in his tearssomething far removed from the crying of a child。〃
The house in which for the last ten years he lived; and where he died; was the only one of two or three; planned for the new professors of the college; that was completed。 Compared with the adjoining college it was erected with such severe simplicity that it was said to have been designed for angels rather than for men。 Carey's room and library looked towards the river with the breadth of the college garden between。 On the other side; in the upper verandah; in the morning he worked at his desk almost to the last; and in the evening towards sunset he talked with his visitors。 In 1826 the London Missionary Society sent out to Calcutta the first of its deputations。 Dr。 Carey sent his boat for them; and in the absence of her husband in England; Mrs。 Marshman entertained the guests。 They wrote:
〃We found Dr。 Carey in his study; and we were both pleased and struck with his primitive; and we may say; apostolical appearance。 He is short of stature; his hair white; his countenance equally bland and benevolent in feature and expression。 Two Hindoo men were sitting by; engaged in painting some small subjects in natural history; of which the doctor; a man of pure taste and highly intellectual cast of feeling; irrespective of his more learned pursuits; has a choice collection; both in specimens and pictorial representations。 Botany is a favourite study with him; and his garden is curiously enriched with rarities。〃
Of all the visits paid to Carey none are now so interesting to the historian of the Church of India; as those of the youth who succeeded him as he had succeeded Schwartz。 Alexander Duff was twenty…four years of age when; in 1830; full of hesitation as to carrying out his own plans in opposition to the experience of all the missionaries he had consulted; he received from Carey alone the most earnest encouragement to pursue in Calcutta the Christian college policy so well begun in the less central settlement of Serampore。 We have elsewhere32 told the story:
〃Landing at the college ghaut one sweltering July day; the still ruddy highlander strode up to the flight of steps that leads to the finest modern building in Asia。 Turning to the left; he sought the study of Carey in the house'built for angels;' said one; so simple is itwhere the greatest of missionary scholars was still working for India。 There he beheld what seemed to be a little yellow old man in a white jacket; who tottered up to the visitor of whom he had already 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 gos