CHAP. X.

His missionary Tour to Digah and Buxar-his Settlement at Monghyr-his Trip to Berhampore—his Labours at his Station -his Visit to Mirzapore, and subsequent Engagements at Home --his Sickness, and Means used for his Recovery-his gradual Decline and Death.

THEY are declared to be noble souls, who after being well acquainted with the sweets and bitters connected with the object of their pursuit, are not deterred from it by any danger. Such was Mr. C. Though removed a second time almost from one end of Hindoostan to the other, he still pursued his course, testifying to both Hindoos and Mussulmans, "repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." which he wrote to his friend Mr. Simmons of Wigan, after his arrival at Serampore, will shew in what light be viewed his troubles, and that he lost nothing of his missionary spirit and zeal for the glory of God, by all the disappointments he met with, or by all the persecution and affliction which he suffered.

me.

A letter

"I most sincerely thank you for your kind remembrance of Your very kind and interesting letter came to hand about a week ago. I have frequently thought of writing to you since I have been in India, and have more than once inquired after you. It afforded me great pleasure to hear from your son James* at Dr. Ryland's. God has been gracious to you in giving you this comfort: may he still add to your joy, in causing his grace to work effectually in all your children, that they may walk in the truth! It is a long time since I saw you

* Κρατιστοι δ' αν την ψυχήν δικαίως κριθείεν, οί τα τε δεινα και ήδεα σαφέστατα γιγνώσκοντες, και δια ταύτα μη αποτρεπομενοι εκ των κινδύνων. Thucyd.

+ He was then educating for the ministry, under the care of the Rev. Dr. Ryland of Bristol, and is now the pastor of the Baptist church at Olney, formerly under the care of the Rev. J. Sutcliff, one of the carliest and most devoted friends of the Baptist Mission in England.

last: : many sore distresses have come upon me, many things have tried me, many changes have awaited me; but in all God has not forsaken me. You will see that I am at Serampore again. Things are in this country hostile to the progress of Christianity; but the hearts of kings are in the hands of Jehovah, and therefore we will not fear. I trust that my way will be made plain. It is one comfort, that however I may be removed about, I am still in my work; and I may say, the more engaged in it by these events. Were I permitted to sit down in one place, it would be more agreeable in some respects, but not in all things. Indeed, a journey is to me a grand campaign. I am now pretty busily engaged in making preparations for another journey, by getting Scriptures and tracts prepared. Application has been made to Government for my removal to Hindoostan, but no reply has been received as yet: when it is the will of the Lord, he will move the hearts of the rulers to consider the matter. I do not feel very anxious about this, because I consider myself in the hands of God. The work will meet with opposition. It is next to impossible for it to go on without it. The prince of the power of the air, the spirit which now works in the children of disobedience,' influences his party, heightens their prejudices, perverts their principles, strengthens their enmity, and rouses them up to the most strenuous exertions on his part; hence authors, reviewers, commons, senators, rulers, and kings, unite in shewing their dislike to the cause of God and of his Messiah. Be it so; we know who will prevail. Truth will triumph, and the kingdom of Christ rule over all the kingdoms of the earth. Europeans in India are very averse to the spread of the gospel, especially the higher classes. Yet, blessed be the God of mercy, things are in an improving state; there are some who have a hearty good will to Zion: they are scattered abroad in the country here and there, but all, if collected together, would make a goodly number who fear the Lord, and think upon his name. Several are stirred up to support native schools, and thus the knowledge of Christianity is daily increasing. Indeed we have much cause to be encouraged, from the state of things in India, notwithstanding some things are distressing, and much to be deplored. At present I see

no great success among the natives but I have no doubt the work is going on among them. There are many who have forsaken idolatry from Christian instruction, who as yet have not professed Christianity. From these it is to be hoped that some will be converted, who will, from their enlarged conception of things, become eminently successful in disseminating divine truth. As for myself, when I go out, I always find people willing to hear; and am frequently fixed in a place five hours together in preaching, teaching, exhorting, and confuting. In this work I find health of body and comfort of mind, and the joy experienced is often very great. I have not to write of men converted, of churches formed; for my work is that of a pioneer, which is very necessary to the army, though it affords not an article of praise in the warrior's dispatches. Pray for me, that I may be found faithful unto death, and in the end of all obtain a crown of life. I am now busy in getting my translation of the Gospels through the press. The whole of the N. T. is translated, and part of the Old; but the work is now much hindered, which I much regret. This is a work in which I greatly delight, and I hope to see it completed in the languages of Hindoostan.

"You will wish to have a long letter, but I must beg you to be content with a short one. The weather is now very hot,

You are likely to hear of

We

and I have many letters to write. me from other quarters. I have written a journal of my proceedings to brother Ivimey, which contains forty pages. are all, (two sisters excepted,) in very good health. A few days ago brother Yates arrived in good health. We are now here in a group, waiting to be separated by the time this reaches you. I hope to be moved about again, and possibly pressing into Hindoostan, whether I trust my way will be directed, through the good hand of God upon me."

From this letter it will be perceived, his intention was to itinerate in different parts of the country, till such time as he could ascertain what spot would be most eligible for him to fix upon as a station. He staid at Serampore a few months, during which time, though he was busilly engaged in making preparations for a journey, he did not forget his favourite employment of preaching to the natives, as the compiler of these Memoirs can testify.

While thus engaged, he made an application to Government for permission to reside at Mirzapore; but it was not success ful: it was stated, however, that he had permission to settle in the lower provinces, and he was required to point out to the consideration of Government the district in which he wished to reside. On this occasion he says, in a letter to a friend :— "The will of my Master be done: where he sees fit to place me, must be best. Monghyr, from what I know of it, will be much to my mind, though I should certainly prefer the western provinces.' When all things were prepared, he proceeded once more up the river towards Hindoostan, on the 20th Sept. 1815.

The paragraph which we insert from a private letter to a friend, contains a review of his journey to Berhampore.—“ It is a month to-day since we left Serampore; during this period I have been pretty actively engaged in the work, which has so fully employed me, that I have done nothing else, not even written a letter till we reached this place. I have abundant reason to bless God for his goodness to me, in affording strength equal to his demand. In the way, upwards of forty places have been visited with the word of salvation: four or five thousand tracts, and about one thousand Gospels have been sent abroad, to give testimony of the Saviour to the people for the time to come. Great has been the attention of the people in almost all places, and very eagerly have they taken the books. God is working wonderfully in disposing them to attend to the things spoken, and to read the tracts and books and from this we may hope, and we must pray, that he will work a far greater work to the honour of his name, even the conversion and complete salvation of many of these deluded, perishing heathen. I never had a more delightful campaign. A few more days will close what I have to do in Bengal for the present.

From Chandney he addressed a letter to Serampore, containing a general description of his journey from Berhampore.- "I just drop you a line, to let you know where we We reached Chandney on Tuesday, and expect to leave this to-morrow morning. We have been moved slowly hitherto, but I intend to be at Digah very soon. I have been

are.

"Digah, January 1816.

"I came to Digah, hoping that I might perform a service which is lacking from the brethren here. They are not perfectly acquainted with the language, and hence cannot be expected to do much among the natives. I thought, from my knowledge of the Hindoostanee, that I might do something: whether I shall or not, I cannot say. Two native brethren from Bengal are supported here, who are useful in their way. One of these is my friend and brother Brindabun, whom I baptized at Rehoboth ten years ago. On my arrival, I found that they had picked up some of the wanderers, whom they were directing to the Lamb of God; and about a week ago, I had the pleasure to baptize four of these persons, who had some time been waiting to be baptized: they made a very satisfactory profession of their faith in the crucified Jesus. I send you an extract for my journal.

“Jan. 3rd.—We assembled this evening to hear four natives declare what God had done for their souls, Their declaration was very interesting and encouraging. One of these persons is a native of Bhurutpore, a town beyond Agra. He was on his way so far for Jugunnath, but here divine mercy shone upon him he was picked up by the native brethren from the way side. Another is a native of Joypore, which is still further beyond Agra. He was arrested by divine grace on his return from Jugunnath, by meeting with the brethren Brindabun and Kureem. Two others were Byraggees from those parts of the country; one of them was a Gooroo, who had made many disciples. He had been under a conviction of his sins for some time before he heard of Jesus and his salvation. He told us, that he had, from the pressure of his sins upon his conscience, been accustomed to go out into the fields, and call upon God to shew him the way of salvation. Upon which he declared, that, at a certain time, he saw, in a vision, a form much like a European, which told him to go to the Europeans, from whom he would learn the true way to obtain safety. This wrought so much upon his mind, that he told his disciples what he had seen and heard, and that he had determined to act accordingly. Many of them endeavoured to dissuade him from his purpose, but he invited his disciples to