manner, and for such mean ends and purposes. The Mutchee Obeetar, or fish incarnation, said I, was to become the rudder of a boat, and preserve a family in a great flood; and the wild hog incarnation was to kill a giant, and draw up the earth out of the sea when it was sinking; but this, God who created it could have accomplished without any such interposition. I then observed how miserable they were, whose religion only respected the body, and whose shastras could point out no salvation for the sinner. I then spoke of the way of life by Christ, his substitution in our place, suffering in the sinner's stead, and the like. 'At another place I preached from Christ being a blessing, sent to bless in turning every one from his iniquities. I observed the superiority of the gospel to all other writings, and Christ to all pretended saviours in that point; that believing on Christ was universally accompanied with turning from iniquity; and that their worship must be false, for they made images and offerings to them, and were abundant in their worship, but, said I, there is not a man of you yet turned from his iniquity. There are among you liars, thieves, whoremongers, and men filled with deceit.* And as you were last year so you are this, not any more holy; nor can you ever be so, till you throw off your wicked worship and wicked practices, and embrace the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These are all sins for which the Hindus are notorious; and there is not a company of ten men, I believe, to be fallen in with, but you might safely say the above words to. All the good that can with justice be said of them is, they are not so furious as many other heathens. S "This is the method of preaching that I use among them; nothing of this kind affronts them; many wish to hear; many, however, abhor the thoughts of the gospel. The Brahmuns fear to lose their gain; the higher castes, their honour; and the poor tremble at the vengeance of their debtas. Thus we have been unsuccessful. 'I sometimes preach twice a week, sometimes twice a day, as opportunity presents itself; and the translation of the word of God is my every day's work. 'I must now conclude, having scarcely ever written so long a letter in my life, and retaining to this day an aversion to writing which always did, and I fear always will, attend me. 'I am glad the mission to Africa is intended. God make it prosperous! Think of Thibet, Pegu, and the astonishingly large part of Hindusthan to the west and to the north. Thibet is near us; we could correspond with a mission at Pegu, or any part of the Rohillas country; Oude, Kashmeer, Khabool, &c., though very far from us : but I know your zeal; may God give you resources equal to it! 'I long to know more of the state of the churches. My accounts in every letter are lamentably deficient. I have to write to twenty correspondents; and though this is a country in which scarcely any new scenes appear, but all is the same dull round of stupidity and superstition from day to day, yet I am expected to say much about this wonderful country and people. Yet all my friends who live in the midst of bustle say nothing almost about it! I am not concerned about politics; I see the Calcutta papers, and I think that as the people of Europe have fallen out, so they must fall in. But the religious state of the world is very important, and the aspects of the political world towards prophecy and the church of God, I wish to be more and more acquainted with. 'With my warmest wishes for your prosperity, as individuals, as ministers, as members of the churches, and as a society, 'I remain, very affectionately yours, About this time the Baptist Missionary Society sent two missionaries to Sierra Leone; but one of them falling ill, and being compelled to return home, and the other, through some interference in local disputes, being advised to leave the settlement, the society thenceforward concentrated their strength on the continent of India. The following extract of a letter from Mr. Thomas, it is presumed, will not prove uninteresting. It shows how esteem, and even harmony and affection, may exist between persons united in the faith of great principles, and in the promotion of an important work, in connexion with much and even painful diversity of individual taste and temperament. 'You see in Mr. Carey and myself some differences in taste, manners, &c.; and there are many differences between us which you do not see. Do not be alarmed, for our very noses are not alike, but our hearts are one we may differ in faces, but not in hearts. One heart, one soul, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. There may be one Lord, one faith, and two baptisms; but this is like a house on fire at one corner. I admire the grace of God, for knitting together different people like brother Carey and myself; for we never differ but we agree to differ, and in things respecting which it is no matter whether we differ or not. We often fall into one another's opinions, always delighted to see each other, and we love each other fervently. This information, though you have had it before, I consider far from uninteresting. 'We often lay our heads together, and form large plans, for all we produce such little executions; but we have difficulties you know nothing of. Sore troubles; implacable enemies; jealous eyes over us; and a variety of opinions formed on our conduct and designs. Some think we intend at bottom to turn this part of the world upside down, as missionaries; others think we have quite forsaken the mission, and gone after filthy lucre, in the way of Balaam : some think us wise, others think us foolish; some sober, others mad and all these contrary opinions have their use, perhaps. On this paragraph, I could fill a ream of paper. 'I will tell you of one of our difficulties. The people hereabouts speak a mixed language, part Persian, part Bengali, and part Hindusthani, or the Moor language; so that we do not understand them, nor they us, half so well as though we were nearer Calcutta ; but wherever we meet with Brahmuns, the case is different. The majority of the people here are not Hindus, but Mahommedans. Good night.' 'Jan. 13, 1796. 'Government has required of every individual European, who is not in the company's service, to give in their names, places of abode, time of arrival in this country, and occupation; in order, if permitted to stay, to enter into covenant, and find two securities for the due performance of it, in £2000 each, or in some cases, £500 each. What would have become of us, by this time, I know not, if we had not been engaged in the indigo line. This matter is, however, reckoned highly improper and oppressive on the part of the company, and some persons have refused to comply with it altogether; particularly Mr. Fairleigh, in Calcutta, a man of very large property, who told them they might send him home if they dared. But these great words cannot be uttered out of little mouths. If you should, at any time, be a long while without hearing from us, never suspect us of neglecting to write, for in these times many letters fall short of their destination; and it does not appear, by your letter, that you have received all the letters we have sent you; and we are sure we have not received all you have sent us. I was going to say, I should be sorry if the Society had any body belonging to it |
