I am now reading a book called "The Life of William Carey," a man that I had not known much about except that he is called the Father of Modern Missions. Much of the book contains Carey's journal entries and so far has been excellent. I thought I would share some excerpts from it that I have found especially encouraging. (most of this is my own paraphrasing except for direct quotes that are in quotation marks)
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While serving as a minister in England, but feeling strongly called to international missions, Carey said to his congregation "I am not my own, nor would I choose for myself. Let God employ me where he thinks fit, and give me patience and discretion to fill up my station to his honour and glory."
Later on he was discussing with fellow mission-minded friends Mr Fuller, Mr Sutcliff, and Mr Ryland what part of the world they should consider for a permanent mission station. "In what part of the heathen world do there seem to be the most promising openings?" Carey asked. His dear friend Mr Fuller said afterwards "We saw there was a gold mine in India, but it was as deep as the centre of the earth. Who will venture to explore it? 'I will venture to go down,' said Carey, 'but remember that you must hold the ropes.' We solemnly engaged to him to do so, nor while we live shall we desert him."
A short number of years afterward, William Carey was ready to leave England and begin his mission half way across the world. His father in particular had opposed his son's choice to go to the mission field. In a parting letter to his father Carey wrote "The importance of spending our time for God alone is the principal theme of the gospel...To be devoted like a sacrifice to holy uses is the great business of a Christian...I have set my hand to the plough." With that, he and his young family sailed for India to live out his perhaps most famous quote: "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God."
In Carey's journal he writes: "I hope that the multitudes of heathen in the world may hear the glorious words of truth. Africa is but a little way from England; Madagascar but a little way further; South America, and all the numerous and large islands in the Indian and Chinese seas, I hope will not be passed over. A large field opens on every side, and millions of perishing heathens, tormented in this life by idolatry, superstition, and ignorance, and exposed to eternal miseries in the world to come, are pleading; yea, all their miseries plead as soon as they are known, with every heart that loves God, and with all the churches of the living God. Oh, that many labourers may be thrust out into the vineyard of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that the gentiles may come to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Him!"
An entry written upon arrival in India reads: "I feel something of what Paul felt when he beheld Athens, and 'his spirit was stirred within him.' I see one of the finest countires in the world, full of industrious inhabitants; yet three fifths of it are uncultivated jungle, abandoned to wild beasts and serpents. If the gospel flourishes here, 'the wilderness will in every respect become a fruitful field...' These idolaters speak of 330,000,000 gods. Amidst innumerable idol temples we find none erected for the worship of the one living and true God."
At the forefront of his ministry in India, William Carey held fast to two principles. 1) A missionary must be one of the companions and equals of the people to whom he is sent; and 2) a missionary must as soon as possible become indigenous, self-supporting, self- propragating, alike by the labours of the mission and of the converts. To this end he worked steadily and fought against huge obstacles.
Two of the largest obstacles that he would encounter included the death of a son lost to dysentery, and the mental breakdown and mania of his wife that would remain with her for the rest of her life. In spite of all this Carey was able to say "I bless God that I feel a sweet resignation to His will," and he continued to press on in his work.
Another pair of obstacles arose in reaching the poorest of the poor Indians. The first being that the lowest caste systems spoke in broken dialects that were crude and difficult to learn. Carey wrote "They have no word for love, for repent, and a thousand other things." The second was that great, thick darkness prevailed among the customs of the people. Another journal account reads: "As I was returning from Calcutta I saw a woman burning herself with the corpse of her husband for the first time in my life...She was standing by a large pile of wood, on top of which lay the dead body of her husband...The crowd said that this was perfectly voluntary...I exhorted the woman not to throw away her life, to fear nothing, for no evil would follow her refusal to burn...But she in the most calm manner mounted the pile of wood, and danced on it with her hands extended to show her contempt of death, and prove to us that her dying was voluntary...then she lay down by the corpse and put one arm under its neck and the other over it, when a great quantity of dry leaves were heaped over them...fire was put to the pile, which immediately blazed very fiercely, owing to the dry materials...no sooner was the fire kindled than all the people set up a great shout of joy...it was impossible to have heard the woman had she groaned, or even cried aloud, on account of the mad noise of the people."
Later in his journal he writes: "The conversion of the heathen is the object which above all others I wish to pursue...All my hope is in, and all my comfort arises from, God...When I first left England my hope of the conversion of the heathen was very strong; but, among so many obstacles, it would entirely die away unless upheld by God."
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While serving as a minister in England, but feeling strongly called to international missions, Carey said to his congregation "I am not my own, nor would I choose for myself. Let God employ me where he thinks fit, and give me patience and discretion to fill up my station to his honour and glory."
Later on he was discussing with fellow mission-minded friends Mr Fuller, Mr Sutcliff, and Mr Ryland what part of the world they should consider for a permanent mission station. "In what part of the heathen world do there seem to be the most promising openings?" Carey asked. His dear friend Mr Fuller said afterwards "We saw there was a gold mine in India, but it was as deep as the centre of the earth. Who will venture to explore it? 'I will venture to go down,' said Carey, 'but remember that you must hold the ropes.' We solemnly engaged to him to do so, nor while we live shall we desert him."
A short number of years afterward, William Carey was ready to leave England and begin his mission half way across the world. His father in particular had opposed his son's choice to go to the mission field. In a parting letter to his father Carey wrote "The importance of spending our time for God alone is the principal theme of the gospel...To be devoted like a sacrifice to holy uses is the great business of a Christian...I have set my hand to the plough." With that, he and his young family sailed for India to live out his perhaps most famous quote: "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God."
In Carey's journal he writes: "I hope that the multitudes of heathen in the world may hear the glorious words of truth. Africa is but a little way from England; Madagascar but a little way further; South America, and all the numerous and large islands in the Indian and Chinese seas, I hope will not be passed over. A large field opens on every side, and millions of perishing heathens, tormented in this life by idolatry, superstition, and ignorance, and exposed to eternal miseries in the world to come, are pleading; yea, all their miseries plead as soon as they are known, with every heart that loves God, and with all the churches of the living God. Oh, that many labourers may be thrust out into the vineyard of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that the gentiles may come to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Him!"
An entry written upon arrival in India reads: "I feel something of what Paul felt when he beheld Athens, and 'his spirit was stirred within him.' I see one of the finest countires in the world, full of industrious inhabitants; yet three fifths of it are uncultivated jungle, abandoned to wild beasts and serpents. If the gospel flourishes here, 'the wilderness will in every respect become a fruitful field...' These idolaters speak of 330,000,000 gods. Amidst innumerable idol temples we find none erected for the worship of the one living and true God."
At the forefront of his ministry in India, William Carey held fast to two principles. 1) A missionary must be one of the companions and equals of the people to whom he is sent; and 2) a missionary must as soon as possible become indigenous, self-supporting, self- propragating, alike by the labours of the mission and of the converts. To this end he worked steadily and fought against huge obstacles.
Two of the largest obstacles that he would encounter included the death of a son lost to dysentery, and the mental breakdown and mania of his wife that would remain with her for the rest of her life. In spite of all this Carey was able to say "I bless God that I feel a sweet resignation to His will," and he continued to press on in his work.
Another pair of obstacles arose in reaching the poorest of the poor Indians. The first being that the lowest caste systems spoke in broken dialects that were crude and difficult to learn. Carey wrote "They have no word for love, for repent, and a thousand other things." The second was that great, thick darkness prevailed among the customs of the people. Another journal account reads: "As I was returning from Calcutta I saw a woman burning herself with the corpse of her husband for the first time in my life...She was standing by a large pile of wood, on top of which lay the dead body of her husband...The crowd said that this was perfectly voluntary...I exhorted the woman not to throw away her life, to fear nothing, for no evil would follow her refusal to burn...But she in the most calm manner mounted the pile of wood, and danced on it with her hands extended to show her contempt of death, and prove to us that her dying was voluntary...then she lay down by the corpse and put one arm under its neck and the other over it, when a great quantity of dry leaves were heaped over them...fire was put to the pile, which immediately blazed very fiercely, owing to the dry materials...no sooner was the fire kindled than all the people set up a great shout of joy...it was impossible to have heard the woman had she groaned, or even cried aloud, on account of the mad noise of the people."
Later in his journal he writes: "The conversion of the heathen is the object which above all others I wish to pursue...All my hope is in, and all my comfort arises from, God...When I first left England my hope of the conversion of the heathen was very strong; but, among so many obstacles, it would entirely die away unless upheld by God."
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