1

particularly as far as relates to India; | for Israel, David, in the midst of

for although his family and his immediate colleagues in the work of God, feel the sense of their loss increased by all that recollection of his worth as a man, a christian, a husband, a father, a colleague and brother, which the space of nearly twenty-four years, spent in perhaps the greatest degree of social happiness capable of being enjoyed on carth, must continually furnish; our brother was not a man who confined his regard for the cause of God to one denomination. He loved all who loved the Redeemer, and sought to promote his cause. Hence his death is a public loss to religion; and those particularly whose spiritual good he laboured to promote, and whose hands he laboured to strengthen by his preaching, his prayers, and his extensive correspondence, whether they be in India, Europe, or America, cannot but feel this bereavement.

grief, perhaps never exceeded, "bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow," to prepare them for future action, and exhorted the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had already distinguished themselves by their activity and energy, to strengthen their hands, and be valiant, because of the affliction which had then overwhelmed Israel.-When Hur, and Aaron, and even Moses, were called to rest from their labours, the command of God himself to Israel was, to go forward in their way, to be " strong and very courageous" amidst the overwhelming grief which must have filled their minds at being thus deprived of all those who had gone in and out before them for so many years;—and his promise was, that in thus doing he would be with them, cause them to overcome their enemies, and possess the promised land.

also, when Stephen was prematurely In the beginning of the Gospel, removed in the midst of his high career of usefulness; a man *"*fall of faith and of the Holy Ghost," who so preached the Gospel that his fiercest adversaries were not able to resist "the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake;" how deeply must the loss of such a man have been felt by all who loved the cause of God, then so much in its infancy. We do not find, however, that while they so feelingly "made great lamentation over him," the disciples and brethren had the least idea of lying down in despondency. On the contrary, they took courage, and

But while we thus mourn the loss of our beloved brother, and cherish the most tender affection for his memory, it becomes us to beware of sinning against God under this dispensation. It becomes us to recollect that every thing which rendered him so dear to us and such a blessing to the cause of God, arose wholly from the grace of God so richly manifested in him. This grace still remains an inexhaustible fountain. While we mourn his loss in the deepest manner, therefore, to suffer our hearts to sink in despondency, as though the Great Redeemer did not still live to carry on his own work, who is the Sovereign" went every where preaching the Head of his Church, and from whom come not only every gift intended for the use of his cause, and all that diligence and love which may enable a man possessing such, to labour even more abundantly than others, but the blessing which must render these gifts and this labour effectual, and without which even a Paul might plant, and an Apollos water wholly in vain,—would be to sin against God, and to act contrary to the examples left us on divine record. When Saul, and above all Jonathan, was removed, by whom the Lord had done such great things VOL. XVI.

Gospel;" and respecting some of them it is expressly recorded, no doubt for our encouragement, that "the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.”* when, a year or two after this, And James, one of the three disciples so eminently distinguished by our Lord during his life, and so justly esteemed one of the "pillars" of the infant apostolic church, was prematurely

See Acts xi. 21.

D

breathe, in so imperceptible a manner, however, that we for some moments were scarcely aware that his happy spirit had left its tenement of || clay. Dr. Carey had returned about an hour previously. His step-son, Mr. John Fountain, to whom he had ever been the father, and Mr. B. W. Marshman, had arrived from Calcutta to see him, six or seven hours before his departure; but he was too far gone fully to recognize them.

Thus in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and the twenty-fourth of his Missionary labours at Serampore, departed one of the most faithful, disinterested, and arduous labourers in the vineyard of his Glorious Redeemer, that India has ever seen. To enlarge on his character here would be quite superfluous; it is too well known to those who enjoyed the happiness of his acquaintance, for words to add any thing to the impression it has left on the mind. The next day, the news of his departure having been sent early to Calcutta, the Rev. Messrs. E. Carey, James Hill, Adam, Schmid, and Jetter, arrived from thence to pay the last testimony of respect to his memory, together with Messrs. Penney, Lindeman, Pearce, Kerr, Ricketts, and various other friends. At five the corpse was conveyed to the Mission burying-ground in a hearse, the body together with the coffin being so heavy, that it was feared our native brethren and the friends around would not have been able to convey it, as the distance was nearly a mile. All of them attended the funeral, however, with the servants of the printing-office, the paper-mill, &c. to all of whom our deceased brother was like a father. The various gentlemen in Serempore and its neighbourhood were also present, and a number from Barrackpore on the opposite side of the river. Previously to moving the corpse from the house, the Rev. E. Carey engaged in prayer; at the grave the Rev. James Hill gave out the 84th Hymn in the Selection, "Jesus thy blood and righteousness;" after which Dr. Carey addressed the congregation on this afflicting and awful providence, both in English and Bengalee;

and Dr. Marshman concluded in prayer.

The next Lord's-day week, the 16th March, Dr. Carey preached a funeral sermon for our deceased brother, at the Lall-Bazar Chapel in Calcutta, from Prov. x. 7, The memory of the just is blessed," to the largest congregation ever seen at the chapel. Many friends of religion, and multitudes drawn by personal esteem, taking this opportunity of testifying their respect for his memory. On Wednesday evening, the 19th, Dr. Marshman preached a funeral sermon for our beloved brother, in the Mission Chapel, Serampore, at which were present the Governor, his Excellency Col. Krefting, and nearly every European inhabitant of Serampore, both Danish and English, with a number from Ishera and Barrackpore. As he had fixed on no passage of scripture himself, Dr. M. took this declaration of the apostle's as expressing the language of our deceased brother's inmost soul; "By the grace of God I am what I am." At the request of the Rev. James Hill, Dr. Marshman, on the next Lord's-day, March 23rd, preached a funeral sermon for him from the same text to a congregation of perhaps six hundred, at the Union Chapel, the pulpit and desk of which were hung with black as a testimony of esteem. In this discourse a few particulars were given respecting our deceased brother; with whom and Mrs. Ward, the preacher and Mrs. Marshman had come from England in the summer of 1799, and whom he had therefore known in the most intimate manner for early twentyfour years. As the Rev. Mr. Hill and others have strongly requested it, should the pressure of business admit of its being prepared for the press, the sermon with these particulars, may possibly appear in the course of two or three months.

In reviewing this sudden and afflictive providence, various reflections crowd on the mind. The first are, those of almost indescribable distress at the loss sustained, not only by the denomination to which our brother belonged, but by the church and the cause of God at large

particularly as far as relates to India; for although his family and his immediate colleagues in the work of God, feel the sense of their loss increased by all that recollection of his worth as a man, a christian, a husband, a father, a colleague and brother, which the space of nearly twenty-four years, spent in perhaps the greatest degree of social happiness capable of being enjoyed on carth, must continually furnish; our brother was not a man who confined his regard for the cause of God to one denomination. He loved all who loved the Redeemer, and sought | to promote his cause. Hence his death is a public loss to religion; and those particularly whose spiritual good he laboured to promote, and whose hands he laboured to strengthen by his preaching, his prayers, and his extensive correspondence, whether they be in India, Europe, or America, cannot but feel this bereavement.

for Israel, David, in the midst of grief, perhaps never exceeded, "bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow," to prepare them for future action, and exhorted the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had already distinguished themselves by their activity and energy, to strengthen their hands, and be valiant, because of the affliction which had then overwhelmed Israel.-When Hur, and Aaron, and even Moses, were called to rest from their labours, the command of God himself to Israel was, to go forward in their way, to be“ strong and very courageous" amidst the overwhelming grief which must have filled their minds at being thus deprived of all those who had gone in and out before them for so many years;-and his promise was, that in thus doing he would be with them, cause them to overcome their enemies, and possess the promised land.

In the beginning of the Gospel, But while we thus mourn the loss of also, when Stephen was prematurely our beloved brother, and cherish the removed in the midst of his high most tender affection for his memocareer of usefulness; a man "full ry, it becomes us to beware of sin- of faith and of the Holy Ghost," ning against God under this dispen- who so preached the Gospel that his sation. It becomes us to recollect fiercest adversaries were not able to that every thing which rendered resist" the wisdom and the Spirit him so dear to us and such a bless- by which he spake;" how deeply ing to the cause of God, arose must the loss of such a man have wholly from the grace of God so been felt by all who loved the cause richly manifested in him. This of God, then so much in its infancy. grace still remains an inexhaustible We do not find, however, that while fountain. While we mourn bis loss they so feelingly "made great lain the deepest manner, therefore, to mentation over him," the disciples suffer our hearts to sink in despon- and brethren had the least idea of dency, as though the Great Re- lying down in despondency. On deemer did not still live to carry on the contrary, they took courage, and his own work, who is the Sovereign" went every where preaching the Head of his Church, and from whom Gospel;" and respecting some of come not only every gift intended them it is expressly recorded, no for the use of his cause, and all that doubt for our encouragement, that diligence and love which may ena- "the hand of the Lord was with ble a man possessing such, to la- them, and a great number believed bour even more abundantly than and turned to the Lord.”* others, but the blessing which must when, a year or two after this, render these gifts and this labour James, one of the three disciples so effectual, and without which even a eminently distinguished by our Lord Paul might plant, and an Apollos during his life, and so justly esteemwater wholly in vain,—would be to ed one of the "pillars" of the infant sin against God, and to act contrary apostolic church, was prematurely to the examples left us on divine record. When Saul, and above all Jonathan, was removed, by whom the Lord had done such great things

VOL. XVI.

See Acts xi. 21.

And

cut of by the sword, Peter also be- | preacher among all the four brethren ing seized and put in prison, we do who came out together.-And, to not find that this had any other effect complete the measure of affliction, on the minds of the other brethren, the next October Mr. Thomas himthan that of causing them to make self, who had laid the foundation of prayer to God without ceasing for the Mission in Bengal, and had Peter, and no doubt for the cause come out with brother Carey seven of God in general, that it might not years before, was taken away, at an suffer by these afflictions. And by age two years below that of our far the greatest extension of the now deceased brother. At that criGospel was granted after this period. tical period, that four of the only Unworthy as we are, we are still en- seven Missionaries then in this part gaged in the same cause, and every of India should be removed, and degree of blessing must flow from among them both the youngest and the same source; and seeing we the oldest, the ablest and the most serve him who is " Jesus Christ, the active, was indeed overwhelming, same yesterday, to-day, and for had we looked merely to human aid. ever," we ought to renew our trust Yet nearly all that has been done in in his mercy and his almighty power, this part of India has been the fruit and to abound more and more in of the divine blessing since, expeprayer and in the work of the Lord,rienced on humble and persevering knowing that he will never fail nor forsake those who trust in him.

effort, accompanied with constant prayer. Surely, then, in every afin-fliction and bereavement we ought to look directly and wholly to Him with whom is the residue of the Spirit-who cannot be unmindful of his cause or of his promise-and who has declared that all nations shall be blessed in the Redeemer→ and that He, Jehovah, will accomplish this glorious work in his own time.

The brethren at Serampore, deed, have been thus called to renew their trust in God while wading through the depths of affliction, even from the beginning of their course. We do not here allude merely to the fire at Serampore eleven years ago, in which our dear brother now deceased was himself almost miraculously preserved, and which threatened to overwhelm us, but which, through the divine mercy, was succeeded by the divine blessing to a greater extent than had ever been experienced at Serampore before. We rather allude to the repeated afflictions we were called to sustain twenty-two years ago, when so many of our Missionary brethren were in succession carried to the grave in the very infancy of the cause here. Within eighteen days after our landing at Serampore, Mr. Grant was carried off in a fever; the four brethren and sisters having arrived on the 13th of October, 1799, and he being removed on the 31st. The succeeding July Mr. Fountain was removed by a bowel complaint, within four years after his arrival in the country, and just as he had become ready in the language. The next July beheld Mr. Brunsdon carried off in a liver complaint; scarcely twenty-six years of age, and the most forward in the language, as well as the ablest English

The human mind, however, which is continually prone to run to the extremes either of presumption or despondency, is ever apt to misinterpret the dealings of God with his church. Thus, when any of the servants of God are taken away peculiarly fitted for some particular work in their day and generation, we are ready to sink in despondency, and to exclaim, "Such and such an eminent servant of God is taken away, and how can the loss be repaired?-how can the cause of God now go forward?" We forget that these servants of God, thus peculiarly gifted, were raised up to do a certain work; and that if they are now called to rest, the precise work no more remains to be done for which Divine Wisdom thus raised them up, and endued them with peculiar talents. Thus divine wisdom has suffered no disappointment; for these have fulfilled the work they were intended to accomplish, and have now entered into