William Carey: Father of Modern Missions...William Carey: Father of Modern Missions. F. Deaville...
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-----books in review- William Carey: Father of Modern Missions Reviewed by Desmond Ford William Carey: Father of Modern Missions. F. Deaville Walker. Moody Press, Chicago. Illinois, 1980, 125 pages. Do you read biographies? If not, you've missed one of the greatest aids to successful living. Fools read ·only for information, but the wise read for inspiration as well. My spiritual horizons widened a hundred fold when over a period of a decade (in the 1950's) I read biographies of Luther, Calvin. Brainerd. Hudson Taylor, Judson. Moody. Spurgeon. Whitefield. Wesley. and many other worthies. In the treasure trove of the accounts of other lives one learns how God deals with men and movements. It becomes apparent that trouble and perplexity are the norm and not the exception. and that God usually leads a man through hell first before he can use him to lead others to heaven. Carey was born into a world of less than 800.000.000 - four times the population of Christ's day but only a sixth of our own, England itself had 8,000,000 people and Carey's own village only 800 inhabitants. It was a world in which slavery. press- gangs. toll-gates, and highwaymen were familiar. But of chief importance is the fact that it was a world where the church was asleep neglecting the command of the Great Commis- sion. Paralyzed by extreme Calvanistic views. most Christians left the conversion of the heathen to God himself. Carey's parents were weavers but in their home was a Bible. At six he could read, and by twelve he was on the way to becoming a linguist. At seven he contracted a skin disease which made sunshine intolerable to him and then later came a fever which left his scalp as bald as a nut. Thus instead of working outdoors he was forced to choose an indoor occupation. A fellow apprentice helped him to see that true religion was not just a profession of a creed but a heart relationship with Christ. Soon he was preaching. even walking twenty to thirty miles of a Sunday to fulfill that privilege. Convinced of baptism by immersion he had become a Baptist. The shoemaker-preacher never worked at his last without a book before him. Also on his bench was a leather globe indicating where the great masses of the unevangelized dwelled. While school-teaching part-time he was often known to weep during a geography lesson as he pointed to those countries where Christ was not named. At the age of thirty Carey wrote his famous Enquiry challenging Christians to search their consciences as to whether they could claim the promise of Christ's perpetual presence without fulfilling the missionary command which accompanied it. When asked to preach to a gathering of Baptist preachers he chose as his text Isaiah 54:2.3, His sermon divisions were: 1. Attempt great things for God. 2. Expect great things from God. This was appropriate for a man used to making things in pairs! Thus the first English missionary society was formed with a tiny knot of enthusiasts contributing the equivalent of fifty dollars towards the evangelization of the world. "I will go down into the heathen pit if you will hold the ropes" said Carey to his friends. They promised to be faithful till death. And they were. At the age of thirty-two, in the year 1793. William Carey and his wife and four children set sail for India accompanied by Dr. John Thomas and Dorothy Carey's sister. Such a bald comment does nothing to make plain the innumerable difficulties they had first to surmount. Not the least of these was the reluctance of William's wife to accompany him. A soft-hearted loving woman. she could neither read nor write. She had never been outside the village of her birth. And the departure date found her with a newly born baby boy. For five months the little Danish vessel (for English ships were prohibited by the East India Company to carry such mission- aries) tossed on the broad waters. Then came years of trauma - prolonged, exhausting labor. opposition. disappointment, severe illness, After seven such years the first Indian convert was baptized. Only one hundred yards or so away Dorothy Carey lay confined to a tiny room. Her illness - insanity. The strange constant trials of the foreign Indian world had proved too much for that gentle soul. Nearby, in another room, Carey's fellow missionary, Thomas, was in a similar state. Next day they took him. but not Dorothy. to the Calcutta asylum. William cared tenderly for his wife till her death seven years later. We remember that Joseph was sent as a missionary to Egypt where after years he saved one Egyptian and then later millions in a famine stricken world. So it was also with Carey and his successors. At the famous missionary center of Serampore the Bible or large sections of it was translated into over thirty- five languages so that for the first time a large percentage of the world could read God's Word in its own tongues. Also he set up the greatest botanical gardens in Asia. Only one talent he claimed - the ability to plod. But among many other characteristics of this great Christian was humility. As a dying man he said to one of his visitors: "Mr. Duffl You have been speaking about Dr. Carey, Dr. Carey; when I am gone. say nothing about Dr. Carey - speak about Dr. Carey's Saviour." The epitaph he chose to accompany the dates of his birth and death was a single line. "A wretched. poor and helpless worm, on Thy kind arms I fall." 0 9
Transcript of William Carey: Father of Modern Missions...William Carey: Father of Modern Missions. F. Deaville...
-----books in review-
William Carey: Father of Modern MissionsReviewed by Desmond Ford
William Carey: Father of ModernMissions. F. Deaville Walker.Moody Press, Chicago. Illinois,1980, 125 pages.
Do you read biographies? If not,you've missed one of the greatestaids to successful living. Foolsread ·only for information, but thewise read for inspiration as well.
My spiritual horizons widened ahundred fold when over a periodof a decade (in the 1950's) I readbiographies of Luther, Calvin.Brainerd. Hudson Taylor, Judson.Moody. Spurgeon. Whitefield.Wesley. and many other worthies.In the treasure trove of theaccounts of other lives one learnshow God deals with men andmovements. It becomes apparentthat trouble and perplexity arethe norm and not the exception.and that God usually leads a manthrough hell first before he canuse him to lead others to heaven.
Carey was born into a world ofless than 800.000.000 - fourtimes the population of Christ'sday but only a sixth of our own,England itself had 8,000,000people and Carey's own villageonly 800 inhabitants. It was aworld in which slavery. press-gangs. toll-gates, andhighwaymen were familiar. But ofchief importance is the fact thatit was a world where the churchwas asleep neglecting thecommand of the Great Commis-sion. Paralyzed by extremeCalvanistic views. most Christiansleft the conversion of the heathento God himself.
Carey's parents were weaversbut in their home was a Bible. Atsix he could read, and by twelvehe was on the way to becoming alinguist. At seven he contracted askin disease which made sunshineintolerable to him and then latercame a fever which left his scalpas bald as a nut. Thus instead ofworking outdoors he was forcedto choose an indoor occupation. Afellow apprentice helped him tosee that true religion was not justa profession of a creed but aheart relationship with Christ.
Soon he was preaching. evenwalking twenty to thirty miles ofa Sunday to fulfill that privilege.Convinced of baptism byimmersion he had become aBaptist.
The shoemaker-preacher neverworked at his last without a bookbefore him. Also on his bench wasa leather globe indicating wherethe great masses of theunevangelized dwelled. Whileschool-teaching part-time he wasoften known to weep during ageography lesson as he pointed tothose countries where Christ wasnot named.
At the age of thirty Careywrote his famous Enquirychallenging Christians to searchtheir consciences as to whetherthey could claim the promise ofChrist's perpetual presencewithout fulfilling the missionarycommand which accompanied it.When asked to preach to agathering of Baptist preachers hechose as his text Isaiah 54:2.3, Hissermon divisions were:
1. Attempt great things forGod.
2. Expect great things fromGod.This was appropriate for a manused to making things in pairs!
Thus the first Englishmissionary society was formedwith a tiny knot of enthusiastscontributing the equivalent offifty dollars towards theevangelization of the world. "I willgo down into the heathen pit ifyou will hold the ropes" saidCarey to his friends. Theypromised to be faithful till death.And they were.
At the age of thirty-two, in theyear 1793. William Carey and hiswife and four children set sail forIndia accompanied by Dr. JohnThomas and Dorothy Carey'ssister. Such a bald comment doesnothing to make plain theinnumerable difficulties they hadfirst to surmount. Not the leastof these was the reluctance ofWilliam's wife to accompany him.A soft-hearted loving woman. shecould neither read nor write. She
had never been outside the villageof her birth. And the departuredate found her with a newly bornbaby boy.
For five months the littleDanish vessel (for English shipswere prohibited by the East IndiaCompany to carry such mission-aries) tossed on the broad waters.
Then came years of trauma -prolonged, exhausting labor.opposition. disappointment,severe illness, After seven suchyears the first Indian convert wasbaptized. Only one hundred yardsor so away Dorothy Carey layconfined to a tiny room. Herillness - insanity. The strangeconstant trials of the foreignIndian world had proved too muchfor that gentle soul. Nearby, inanother room, Carey's fellowmissionary, Thomas, was in asimilar state. Next day they tookhim. but not Dorothy. to theCalcutta asylum. William caredtenderly for his wife till her deathseven years later.
We remember that Joseph wassent as a missionary to Egyptwhere after years he saved oneEgyptian and then later millions ina famine stricken world. So it wasalso with Carey and hissuccessors. At the famousmissionary center of Seramporethe Bible or large sections of itwas translated into over thirty-five languages so that for thefirst time a large percentage ofthe world could read God's Wordin its own tongues.
Also he set up the greatestbotanical gardens in Asia. Onlyone talent he claimed - theability to plod. But among manyother characteristics of this greatChristian was humility. As a dyingman he said to one of his visitors:"Mr. Duffl You have beenspeaking about Dr. Carey, Dr.Carey; when I am gone. saynothing about Dr. Carey - speakabout Dr. Carey's Saviour." Theepitaph he chose to accompanythe dates of his birth and deathwas a single line. "A wretched.poor and helpless worm, on Thykind arms I fall." 0
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