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the life of william carey-第39章

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e married couple and their friends; at the same table; and at a native house。  Allowing the Hindoo chronology to be true; there has not been such a sight in Bengal these millions of years!〃

In the same year the approaching death of Gokool led the missionaries to purchase the acre of ground; near the present railway station; in which lies the dust of themselves and their converts; and of a child of the Judsons; till the Resurrection。 Often did Carey officiate at the burial of Europeans in the Danish cemetery。  Previous to his time the only service there consisted in the Government secretary dropping a handful of earth on the coffin。 In the native God's…acre; as in the Communion of the Lord's Table; and in the simple rites which accompanied the burial of the dead in Christ; the heathen saw the one lofty platform of loving self…sacrifice to which the Cross raises all its children:

〃Oct。 7。Our dear friend Gokool is gone: he departed at two this morning。  At twelve he called the brethren around him to sing and pray; was perfectly sensible; resigned; and tranquil。  Some of the neighbours had been persuading him the day before to employ a native doctor; he however refused; saying he would have no physician but Jesus Christ。  On their saying; How is it that you who have turned to Christ should be thus afflicted?  He replied; My affliction is on account of my sins; my Lord does all things well!  Observing Komal weep (who had been a most affectionate wife); he said; Why do you weep for me?  Only pray; etc。  From the beginning of his illness he had little hope of recovery; yet he never murmured; nor appeared at all anxious for medicine。  His answer constantly was; 〃I am in my Lord's hands; I want no other physician!'  His patience throughout was astonishing: I never heard him say once that his pain was great。 His tranquil and happy end has made a deep impression on our friends: they say one to another; 'May my mind be as Gokool's was!' When we consider; too; that this very man grew shy of us three years ago; because we opposed his notion that believers would never die; the grace now bestowed upon him appears the more remarkable。 Knowing the horror the Hindoos have for a dead body; and how unwilling they are to contribute any way to its interment; I had the coffin made at our house the preceding day; by carpenters whom we employ。  They would not; however; carry it to the house。  The difficulty now was; to carry him to the grave。  The usual mode of Europeans is to hire a set of men (Portuguese); who live by it。  But besides that our friends could never constantly sustain that expense; I wished exceedingly to convince them of the propriety of doing that last kind office for a brother themselves。  But as Krishna had been ill again the night before; and two of our brethren were absent with brother Ward; we could only muster three persons。 I evidently saw the only way to supply the deficiency; and brother Carey being from home; I sounded Felix and William; and we determined to make the trial; and at five in the afternoon repaired to the house。  Thither were assembled all our Hindoo brethren and sisters; with a crowd of natives that filled the yard; and lined the street。  We brought the remains of our dear brother out; whose coffin Krishna had covered within and without with white muslin at his own expense; then; in the midst of the silent and astonished multitude; we improved the solemn moment by singing a hymn of Krishna's; the chorus of which is 'Salvation by the death of Christ。'  Bhairub the brahm鄋; Peroo the mussulman; Felix and I took up the coffin; and; with the assistance of Krishna and William; conveyed it to its long home: depositing it in the grave; we sung two appropriate hymns。  After this; as the crowd was accumulating; I endeavoured to show the grounds of our joyful hope even in death; referring to the deceased for a proof of its efficacy: told them that indeed he had been a great sinner; as they all knew; and for that reason could find no way of salvation among them; but when he heard of Jesus Christ; he received him as a suitable and all…sufficient Saviour; put his trust in him; and died full of tranquil hope。  After begging them to consider their own state; we prayed; sung Moorad's hymn; and distributed papers。  The concourse of people was great; perhaps 500: they seemed much struck with the novelty of the scene; and with the love and regard Christians manifest to each other; even in death; so different from their throwing their friends; half dead and half living; into the river; or burning their body; with perhaps a solitary attendant。〃

Preaching; teaching; and Bible translating were from the first Carey's three missionary methods; and in all he led the missionaries who have till the present followed him with a success which he never hesitated to expect; as one of the 〃great things〃 from God。 His work for the education of the people of India; especially in their own vernacular and classical languages; was second only to that which gave them a literature sacred and pure。  Up to 1794; when at Mudnabati he opened the first primary school worthy of the name in all India at his own cost; and daily superintended it; there had been only one attempt to improve upon the indigenous schools; which taught the children of the trading castes only to keep rude accounts; or upon the tols in which the Brahmans instructed their disciples for one…half the year; while for the other half they lived by begging。  That attempt was made by Schwartz at Combaconum; the priestly Oxford of South India; where the wars with Tipoo soon put an end to a scheme supported by both the Raja of Tanjore and the British Government。  When Carey moved to Serampore and found associated with him teachers so accomplished and enthusiastic as Marshman and his wife; education was not long in taking its place in the crusade which was then fully organised for the conversion of Southern and Eastern Asia。 At Madras; too; Bell had stumbled upon the system of 〃mutual instruction〃 which he had learned from the easy methods of the indigenous schoolmaster; and which he and Lancaster taught England to apply to the clamant wants of the country; and to improve into the monitorial; pupil…teacher and grant…in…aid systems。  Carey had all the native schools of the mission 〃conducted upon Lancaster's plan。〃

In Serampore; and in every new station as it was formed; a free school was opened。  We have seen how the first educated convert; Petumber; was made schoolmaster。  So early as October 1800 we find Carey writing home:〃The children in our Bengali free school; about fifty; are mostly very young。  Yet we are endeavouring to instil into their minds Divine truth; as fast as their understandings ripen。  Some natives have complained that we are poisoning the minds even of their very children。〃  The first attempt to induce the boys to write out the catechism in Bengali resulted; as did Duff's to get them to read aloud the Sermon on the Mount thirty years after; in a protest that their caste was in danger。  But the true principles of toleration and discipline were at once explained〃that the children will never be compelled to do anything that will make them lose caste; that though we abho
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