,,missionary ,,annals4 7,a ,,series47 ,,life ,,of ,,henry ,,martyn1 ,,missionary ,,to ,,india ,,and ,,persia1 #agha to #ahab ,,abridged ,,from ,,the ,,memoir4 ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,sarah ,j4 ,,rhea4 ,,chicago3 ,,woman',s ,,presbyterian ,,board ,,of ,,foreign ,,missions ,,of ,,the ,,northwest1 ,room #dh1 ,mc,cormick ,block4 ,,copyright1 #ahhh1 ,,by ,,woman',s ,,presbyterian ,,board ,,of ,,missions ,,of ,,the ,,northwest4 ,,contents4 ,,page4 ,,education ,,and ,,preparation1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #e ,,life ,,in ,,india1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #ac ,,life ,,in ,,persia1 ,,and ,,death1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bi ,i hold in my hand an album adorned with pictures of missionaries1 my brethren and sisters1 the ambassadors of the ,king4 ,on one of the first pages is the tomb of ,henry ,martyn1 given me by ,dr4 ,van ,lennep1 who had just visited the sacred spot and described it vividly4 ,when ,i turn the pages of my album and come to this1 ,i pause with reverence and the overflowings of deep and tender emotion1 and my mind adds other pictures1 both terrestrial and celestial1 to the one upon the page4 ,my own missionary life as the companion of him whom ,dr4 ,perkins called the later ,henry ,martyn1 was spent in ,henry ,martyn's ,persia4 ,they were alike ,i think in many things1 these two ,persian evangelists1 and also in their deaths4 ,when they passed out of the ,tabriz gate1 journeying homeward after a course of illness in the fated city1 for each it was a quick ascent1 a painful translation1 to the heavenly city with abundant entrance and the ,master's well done--in heaven2 and on earth1 a foreign grave taking possession for ,christ1 as the ,nestorians reverently say1 with white stones still speaking out4 ,s4 ,j4 ,r4 ,,education ,,and ,,preparation4 ,henry ,martyn was born in ,england on the south-western coast of ,truro1 ,february #ah1 #agha4 ,his father1 ,mr4 ,john ,martyn1 worked in the mines4 ,he was not educated but was very fond of learning4 ,the miners were in the habit of working and resting alternately every four hours4 ,mr4 ,john ,martyn spent many of his rest intervals in study1 and so by diligence and education raised himself to a higher position1 and became a clerk in the office of a merchant in ,truro4 ,when ,henry was seven years old1 he went to school to ,dr4 ,cardew4 ,from his earliest years all who knew him considered him a very interesting and promising child4 ,dr4 ,cardew says his proficiency in the classics exceeded that of his schoolfellows2 he was of a lively1 cheerful temper and seemed to learn without application1 almost by intuition4 ,but he was not robust1 and loving books better than sport1 and having a peculiar tenderness and inoffensiveness of spirit1 he was often abused by rude and coarse boys in the school4 ,a friendship which he formed at this time with a boy older than himself was the source of great comfort and advantage to him1 and was kept up throughout his whole life4 ,this friend often protected him from the bullies of the play-ground4 ,at this school1 under excellent tuition1 ,henry remained until fourteen years old1 when he was induced to offer himself as a candidate for a vacant scholarship at ,corpus ,christi ,college1 ,oxford4 ,young as he was1 he went there alone1 and acquitted himself so well1 though strongly and ably opposed by competitors1 that in the opinion of some of the examiners he ought to have been elected4 ,how often is the hand of ,god seen in frustrating our fondest designs6 ,speaking of this disappointment he afterwards wrote3 ,had ,i remained and become a member of the university at that time1 as ,i should have done in case of success1 the profligate acquaintances ,i had there would have introduced me to scenes of debauchery1 in which ,i must in all probability1 from my extreme youth1 have sunk forever4 ,he continued after this with ,dr ,cardew till #agig1 and then joined his school friend at ,cambridge at ,st4 ,john's ,college4 ,here he obtained a place in the first class at the public examination in ,december1 a circumstance which1 joined to the extreme desire he had to gratify his father1 encouraged and excited him to study with increased alacrity1 and as the fruit of this application1 at the next public examination in the summer he reached the second station in the first class1 a point of elevation which flattered his pride not a little4 ,at this time he appeared in the eye of the world most amiable and commendable1 outwardly moral1 unwearied in application1 and exhibited marks of no ordinary talent4 ,one exception to this statement is to be found in an irritability of temper arising perhaps from the treatment he had received at school4 ,on one occasion in sudden anger1 he threw a knife at the head of another boy1 which providentially missed him and was left trembling in the wall2 but it was a narrow escape1 and might have proved fatal4 ,though not a ,christian at this time1 he was under two strong influences for good1 one from his religious friend in college1 the other from his sister in ,cornwall1 a ,christian of a meek1 heavenly and affectionate spirit4 ,he paid a visit to his home in the summer of #agii1 carrying with him no small degree of academical honor4 ,it may be well supposed that to a sister such as we have described1 her brother's spiritual welfare would be a most serious and anxious concern2 and that she often conversed with him on the subject of religion we know from his own declaration4 ,the first result of her tender exhortations and earnest endeavors was very discouraging2 a violent conflict took place in her brother's mind between his conviction of the truth of what she urged1 and his love of the world2 and for the present1 the latter prevailed4 ,yet1 sisters similarly circumstanced may learn from this case1 not merely their duty1 but also1 from the final result1 the success they may anticipate in the faithful discharge of it4 ,at the examination at ,christmas1 #agii1 he writes3 ,i was first1 and the account of it pleased my father prodigiously1 who1 ,i was told1 was in great health and spirits4 ,what1 then1 was my consternation when in ,january ,i received an account of his death6 ,most poignant were his sufferings under this affliction1 which led him to ,god for comfort in prayer and ,bible study4 ,he says3 ,i began with the ,acts1 and found myself insensibly led to inquire more attentively into the doctrines of the ,apostles4 ,writing to his sister1 having announced shortly and with much simplicity that his name stood first upon the list at the college examination of the summer of #ahjj1 he says3 ,what a blessing it is for me that ,i have such a sister as you1 my dear ,s41 who have been so instrumental in keeping me in the right way4 ,after the death of our father you know ,i was extremely low spirited1 and like most other people began to consider seriously without any particular determination1 that invisible world to which he was gone and to which ,i must one day go4 ,soon ,i began to attend more diligently to the words of our ,savior in the ,new ,testament1 and to devour them with delight1 when the offers of mercy and forgiveness were made so freely2 ,i supplicated to be made partaker of the covenant of grace with eagerness and hope1 and thanks be to the ever-blessed ,trinity for not leaving me without comfort6 ,how cheering to his sister it must have been to receive at a moment of deep sorrow such a communication as this6 ,how salutary to his own mind to have possessed so near a relation to whom he could thus freely open the workings of his heart4 ,at this time he also received great benefit from attendance on the faithful ministry of ,rev4 ,charles ,simeon1 under whose pastoral instructions he himself declares that he gradually acquired more knowledge in divine things4 ,with this excellent man he had the most friendly and unreserved intercourse4 ,mr4 ,martyn received his first impressions of the transcendent excellence of the ,christian ministry of ,mr4 ,simeon1 from which it was but a short step to choose this calling for his own1 for until now he had intended to devote himself to the law chiefly1 he confesses1 because he could not consent to be poor for ,christ's sake4 ,in ,january1 #ahja1 the highest academical honor1 that of senior wrangler1 was awarded to him before the completion of his twentieth year4 ,his description of his feelings on this occasion is remarkable3 ,i obtained my highest wishes1 but was surprised to find that ,i had grasped a shadow4 ,so impossible it is for earthly distinction to fill and satisfy the mind4 ,in ,march1 #ahjb1 after another rigid examination1 ,mr4 ,martyn was chosen ,fellow of ,st4 ,johns1 a situation honorable to the society and gratifying to himself4 ,soon after he obtained first prize for best ,latin prose composition over many competitors of classical celebrity1 and this was the more remarkable1 as his studies had been almost entirely in mathematics4 ,henry ,martyn's attention was called to the great cause of ,foreign ,missions by some remarks of ,rev4 ,mr4 ,simeon on the work of ,carey in ,india1 but more particularly by reading the memoir of ,david ,brainerd1 who preached with apostolic zeal and success to the ,north ,american ,indians1 and who finished a course of self-denying labors for his ,redeemer with unspeakable joy at the early age of thirty-two4 ,henry ,martyn's soul was filled with holy emulation1 and after deep consideration and fervent prayer he was at length fixed in a resolution to imitate his example4 ,nor let it be conceived that he could adopt this resolution without the severest conflict in his mind1 for he was endued with the truest sensibility of heart1 and was susceptible of the warmest and tenderest attachments4 ,no one could exceed him in love for his country1 or in affection for his friends1 and few could surpass him in an exquisite relish for the various and refined enjoyments of a social and literary life4 ,how then could it fail of being a moment of extreme anguish when he came to the deliberate resolution of leaving forever all he held dear upon earth8 ,but he was fully satisfied that the glory of that ,savior who loved him and gave ,himself for him would be promoted by his going forth to preach to the heathen4 ,he considered their pitiable and perilous condition2 he thought on the value of their immortal souls2 he remembered the last solemn injunction of his ,lord1 ,go teach all nations1--an injunction never revoked1 and commensurate with that most encouraging promise1 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4 ,actuated by these motives1 he offered himself as a missionary to the society for ,missions1 and from that time stood prepared with childlike simplicity and unshaken constancy to go to any part of the world whither it might be deemed expedient to send him4 ,in the early part of #ahjd1 ,mr4 ,martyn's plans of becoming a missionary were dampened by the loss of his slender patrimony1 and as his sister was also involved in the calamity1 it appeared hardly justifiable for him to go away4 ,after some delay his friends obtained for him the position of chaplain to the ,east ,india ,company1 and so the obstacles which detained him were removed4 ,the time of the delay was spent in zealous service for his divine ,master4 ,he was associated with ,rev4 ,mr4 ,simeon as curate and preached with great zeal and unction1 often to very large audiences1 and sometimes with such unsparing denunciation of common sins as to awaken opposition4 ,he considered it his duty to rebuke iniquity1 and on one occasion severely reproved a student for shocking levity1--reading a play with some young ladies while their father lay dying4 ,he feared the result of this might be estrangement from his friend1 but prayed earnestly that it might lead to his awakening4 ,this prayer was answered1 and afterwards this very friend became his beloved associate in missionary work in ,india4 ,in very early youth ,mr4 ,martyn became fondly attached to a young lady named ,lydia ,grenfell4 ,she considered herself his superior in social position4 ,the memoirs all speak of her as estimable1 and we infer from the little that is said that she somewhat indifferently accepted ,henry ,martyn's homage1 but she did not wholeheartedly and generously respond4 ,what a contrast to the beloved and devoted ,harriet ,newell1 who was not afraid to risk all for ,christ1 and counted not her life dear even unto the death6 ,it was ,miss ,grenfell's greatest honor that ,henry ,martyn would have made her his wife1 but she declined the honor1 and yet gave him encouragement1 for their correspondence only ended with his life1 and his very last writing was a letter to her4 ,he begged her with all the eloquence of a lonely and devoted heart to come out to him after he had gone to ,india1 arranging every detail for her comfort with thoughtful tenderness1 and urging and encouraging her and lavishing upon her an affection that would have crowned and enriched her life4 ,we are left to infer from the history that she did love him in her way1 but if she had shared his consecration and gone with him and taken care of him1 and cheered and comforted him1 and made for him a happy restful home1 as some missionary wives have done in self-denying foreign fields1 what a blessing she might have been1 and her life1 how fruitful1 and her memory1 how fragrant6 ,as it was1 she has this distinction1 that she was ,henry ,martyn's disappointment and trial and discipline4 ,no one less tender and sensitive than ,henry ,martyn can appreciate all he suffered on this account2 but he made it1 like all the other great sorrows of his life1 a cross on which to be crucified with ,christ4 ,he writes to his dear sister ,s43 ,when ,i sometimes offer up supplications with strong crying to ,god to bring down my spirit into the dust ,i endeavor calmly to contemplate the infinite majesty of the most high ,god and my own meanness and wickedness1 or else ,i quietly tell the ,lord1 who knows the heart1 ,i would give ,him all the glory of everything if ,i could4 ,but the most effectual way ,i have ever found is to lead away my thoughts from myself and my own concerns by praying for all my friends1 for the church1 the world1 the nation1 and especially by beseeching that ,god would glorify ,his own great name by converting all nations to the obedience of faith1 also by praying that he would put more abundant honor on those ,christians whom he seems to have honored especially1 and whom we see to be manifestly our superiors4 ,in spite of ,henry ,martyn's beautiful humility1 honor after honor was heaped upon him by his admiring and appreciative ,alma ,mater4 ,three times he was chosen examiner1 and discharged the duties of this office with great care and faithfulness4 ,as the time approaches for his parting from all he holds dear1 especially the beloved ,l41 our hearts go out to him in irrepressible sympathy4 ,he writes1 parted with ,l4 forever in this life with a sort of uncertain pain which ,i know will increase to greater violence4 ,and these forebodings were but too soon realized4 ,for many succeeding days his mental agony was extreme1 yet he could speak to ,god as one who knew the great conflict within him4 ,yet while the waves and billows are going over him he writes from these depths1 ,i never had so clear a conviction of my call as at the present4 ,never did ,i see so much the exceeding excellency and glory and sweetness of the work1 nor had so much the favorable testimony of my own conscience1 nor perceived so plainly the smile of ,god4 ,blessed be ,god1 ,i feel myself to be ,his minister4 ,this thought which ,i can hardly describe came in the morning after reading ,brainerd4 ,i wish for no service but the service of ,god1 to labor for souls on earth and to do ,his will in heaven4 ,,life ,,in ,,india4 ,on the #agth of ,july1 #ahje1 the ,union ,east ,indiaman conveying ,mr4 ,martyn sailed from ,portsmouth4 ,mr4 ,martyn says3 ,though it was what ,i had been anxiously looking forward to so long1 yet the consideration of being parted forever from my friends1 almost overcame me4 ,my feelings were those of a man who should suddenly be told that every friend he had in the world was dead4 ,though suffering much in mind and body throughout the long and tedious voyage of nine months1 ,mr4 ,martyn seeks no selfish ease4 ,he preaches1 reads and labors assiduously with officers1 passengers and crew1 and shuns not to declare the whole counsel of ,god1 even the unpalatable doctrine of the future punishment of the wicked4 ,he says3 ,the threats and opposition of these men made me willing to set before them the truths they hated1 yet ,i had no species of hesitation about doing it4 ,they said they would not come if so much hell was preached1 but ,i took for my text1 ',the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget ,god4' ,the officers were all behind my back in order to have an opportunity of retiring in case of dislike4 ,h41 as soon as he heard the text1 went back and said he would hear no more about hell2 so he employed himself in feeding the geese4 ,however1 ,god ,i trust blessed the sermon to the good of many2 some of the cadets and many of the soldiers were in tears4 ,i felt an ardor and vehemence in some parts which are unusual with me4 ,after service walked the deck with ,mrs4 ----2 she spoke with so much simplicity and amiable humility that ,i was full of joy and admiration to ,god for a sheep brought home to ,his fold4 ,in the afternoon went below intending to read to them at the hatchway1 but there was not one of them1 so ,i could get nothing to do among the poor soldiers4 ,what a picture revealing ,henry ,martyn's character6--the contrasting attributes of sternness and gentleness1 his martyrlike determination to do his whole duty at any cost to himself from suffering and insult1 the keen shrinking of a nature so refined and sensitive from coarseness and abuse1 undeviating yet uncompromising1 bringing to our thoughts the ,divine ,exemplar4 ,i pass by the incidents of the voyage1 including mutiny1 sickness and death1 romantic stay at ,st4 ,salvador1 battles at the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 etc41 eloquently and vividly recorded4 ,the ,friday preceding his arrival in ,india he spends in praying that ,god would no longer delay exerting his power in the conversion of the eastern nations4 ,i felt emboldened he says1 to employ the most familiar petitions by ,is4 xii4 #f1 #g1 ',keep not silence2 give him no rest1' etc4 ,blessed be ,god for those words6 ,they are like a cordial to my spirits1 because if the ,lord is not pleased by me or during my lifetime to call the ,gentiles1 yet ,he is not offended at my being urgent with ,him that the kingdom of ,god may come4 ,april #ba1 #ahjf1 the nine months' journey is complete1 and they land at ,madras4 ,mr4 ,martyn gives first impressions and description of the natives1 ending in these words3 ,in general1 one thought naturally occurred3 the conversion of their poor souls4 ,i am willing1 ,i trust1 through grace1 to pass my life among them if by any means these poor people may be brought to ,god4 ,the sight of men1 women and children1 all idolaters1 makes me shudder as if in the dominions of the prince of darkness4 ,hearing the hymn1 ',before ,jehovah's awful throne1' it excited a train of affecting thoughts in my mind4 ,wide as the world is thy command4 ,therefore it is easy for ,thee to spread abroad ,thy holy name4 ,but oh1 how gross the darkness here6 ,the veil of the covering cast over all nations seems thicker here2 the friends of darkness seem to sit in sullen repose in this land4 ,what surprises me is the change of views ,i have here from what ,i had in ,england4 ,there my heart expanded with hope and joy at the prospect of the speedy conversion of the heathen2 but here the sight of the apparent impossibility requires a strong faith to support the spirits4 ,ah1 how vividly this describes missionary experiences6 ,after great peril from storm and illness1 passing up the ,hoogly from ,madras1 ,mr4 ,martyn arrived at ,calcutta1 ,may #ad4 ,in this city for years had been a band of ,english ,christians faithfully praying for the coming of the kingdom in that dark land1 and into the home of one of these1 ,rev4 ,david ,brown1 was ,mr4 ,martyn received with much affection4 ,a pagoda in one end of the yard on the river bank was fitted up for him1 and the place where once devils were worshiped now became a ,christian oratory4 ,the first experience here was of severe illness from acclimating fever1 from which he was kindly nursed into convalescence4 ,he then applied himself earnestly to the study of the ,hindoostanee1 having engaged a ,brahmin as a teacher4 ,here he witnessed with horror the cruel and debasing rites of heathenism4 ,the blaze of a funeral pile caused him one day to hasten to the rescue of a burning widow who was consumed before his eyes4 ,and in a dark wood he heard the sound of cymbals and drums calling the poor natives to the worship of devils1 and saw them prostrate with their foreheads to the ground before a black image in a pagoda surrounded with burning lights--a sight which he contemplated with overwhelming compassion1 shivering as if standing in the neighborhood of hell4 ,mr4 ,martyn's plain and pungent preaching was a great offense to some of the easy-going formalists of the ,english church at ,calcutta1 and some of the ministry attacked him bitterly from their pulpits1 declaring1 for instance1 that to affirm repentance to be the gift of ,god and to teach that nature is wholly corrupt1 is to drive men to despair1 and that to suppose the righteousness of ,christ sufficient to justify is to make it unnecessary to have any of our own4 ,though compelled to listen to such downright heresies1 to hear himself described as knowing neither what he said nor whereof he affirmed1 and as aiming only to gratify self sufficiency1 pride and uncharitableness1--,i rejoiced1 said this meek and holy man1 to receive the ,lord's supper afterwards2--as the solemnities of that blessed ordinance sweetly tended to soothe any asperity of mind1 and ,i think that ,i administered the cup to ---- and ---- with sincere good will4 ,september #ac1 #ahjf1 ,mr4 ,martyn received his appointment to ,singapore4 ,a farewell meeting of great interest was held in his pagoda1 followed by a tender parting from the family who had been so kind to him1 and two fellow laborers who1 following his bright example1 had just come out from ,england4 ,the voyage to ,singapore was performed in a budgero1 a small boat with a cabin1 in which he studied and translated and prayed while making the seventeen or eighteen miles a day of the six-weeks' journey4 ,at night the boat was fastened to the shore4 ,his journal record of these days is very interesting and very characteristic4 ,he says3 ,october #bg4 ,arrived at ,berhampore4 ,in the evening walked out to the hospital in which there were #aej ,european soldiers sick4 ,i was talking to a man said to be dying1 when a surgeon entered4 ,i went up and made some apology for entering the hospital4 ,it was my old school-fellow and townsman1 ----4 ,the remainder of the evening he spent with me in my budgero4 ,october #bh4 ,rose very early and was at the hospital at daylight4 ,waited there a long time wandering up and down the wards in hopes of inducing the men to get up and assemble1 but it was in vain4 ,i left three books with them and went away amidst the sneers and titters of the common soldiers4 ,certainly it is one of the greatest crosses ,i am called to bear to take pains to make people hear me4 ,it is such a struggle between a sense of propriety and modesty on the one hand1 and a sense of duty on the other1 that ,i find nothing equal to it4 ,i could force my way anywhere1 in order to introduce a brother minister2 but for myself1 ,i act with hesitation and pain4 ,walking out into a village where the boat stopped for the night ,i found the worshipers of ,kali by the sound of their drums and cymbals4 ,invited by the ,brahmins to walk in ,i entered and asked a few questions about the idol4 ,the ,brahmin who spoke bad ,hindoostanee disputed with great heat1 and his tongue ran faster than ,i could follow1 and the people1 about one hundred1 shouted applause4 ,i continued my questions and among other things asked if what ,i had heard of ,vishnu and ,brahma was true1 which he confessed4 ,i forbore to press him with the consequences1 which he seemed to feel2 and then ,i told him what was my belief4 ,the man grew quite mild and said it was chula bat 7good words71 and asked me seriously at last what ,i thought1 ',was idol worship true or false8' ,i felt it a matter of thankfulness that ,i could make known the truth of ,god though a stammerer and that ,i had declared it in the presence of the devil4 ,and this also ,i learnt1 that the power of gentleness is irresistible4 ,i never was more astonished than at the change in deportment of this hot-headed ,brahmin4444 ,came to on the eastern bank below a village called ,ahgadup4 ,wherever ,i walked the women fled at the sight of me4 ,some men were sitting under the shed dedicated to their goddess2 a lamp was burning in her place4 ,a conversation soon began1 but there was no one who could speak ,hindoostanee4 ,i could only speak by the medium of my ,mussulman1 ,musalchee4 ,they said that they only did as others did1 and that if they were wrong then all ,bengal was wrong4 ,i felt love for their souls1 and longed for utterance to declare unto these poor simple people the holy gospel4 ,i think that when my mouth is opened ,i shall preach to them day and night4 ,october #ca4 ,my ,moonshee said1 ',how can you prove this book 7the gospel71 to be the word of ,god8' ,i took him to walk with me on the shore that we might discuss the matter1 and the result of our conversation was that ,i discovered that the ,mussulmen allow the gospel to be in general the command of ,god1 though the words of it are not ,his as the words of the ,koran are1 and contend that the actual words of ,god given to ,jesus were burnt by the ,jews2 that they also admit the ,new ,testament to have been in force till the coming of ,mohammed4 ,when ,i quoted some passages which proved the ,christian dispensation to be the final one1 he allowed it to be inconsistent with the divinity of the ,koran1 but said1 ',then those words of the gospel must be false4' ,the man argued and asked his questions seemingly in earnest1 and another new impression was left upon my mind1 namely1 that these men are not fools and that all ingenuity and clearness of reasoning are not confined to ,england and ,europe4 ,i seem to feel that these descendants of ,ham are as dear to ,god as the haughty sons of ,japheth2 ,i feel1 too1 more at home with the ,scriptures than ever2 everything ,i see gives light to1 and receives it from1 the ,scriptures4 ,i seem transported back to the ancient times of the ,israelites and the ,apostles4 ,my spirit felt composed after the dispute by simply looking to ,god as one who had engaged to support ,his own cause2 and ,i saw it to be my part to pursue my way through the wilderness of this world1 looking only to that redemption which daily draweth nigh4 ,how should this consideration quell the tumult of anger and impatience when ,i cannot convince men 'the government is on ,his shoulders8' ,jesus is able to bear the weight of it2 therefore we need not be oppressed with care or fear1 but a missionary is apt to fancy himself an ,atlas4 ,november #b4 ,walking on shore met a large party4 ,i asked if any of them could read4 ,one young man who seemed superior in rank to the rest1 said he could1 and accordingly read some of the only ,nagree tract that ,i had4 ,i then addressed myself boldly to them and told them of the gospel4 ,when speaking of the inefficacy of the religious practices of the ,hindoos ,i mentioned as an example the repetition of the name of ,ram4 ,the young man assented to this and said1 'of what use is it8' ,as he seemed to be of a pensive turn and said this with marks of disgust1 ,i gave him a ,nagree ,testament1 the first ,i have given4 ,may ,god's blessing go along with it and cause the eyes of the multitudes to be opened4 ,the men said they should be glad to receive tracts1 so ,i sent them back a considerable number4 ,the idea of printing the parables in proper order with a short explanation to each1 for the purpose of distribution and as school books1 suggested itself to me to-night and delighted me prodigiously4444 ,a ,mussulman1 when he received one of the tracts and found what it was1 was greatly alarmed1 and after many awkward apologies1 returned it1 saying that 'a man who had his legs in two different boats1 was in danger of sinking between them4' ,established at ,singapore1 ,mr4 ,martyn began upon three different lines of work1 establishing schools1 attaining readiness in ,hindoostanee so as to preach the gospel in that language1 and translating the ,scriptures and religious books4 ,to his great discouragement he was informed by the ,pundit that every four miles the language changed1 so that a book in the dialect of one district would be unintelligible to the people of another4 ,being advised to learn ,sanscrit1 he took up this language with great zeal4 ,the commencement of ,mr4 ,martyn's ministry amongst the ,europeans of ,singapore was not of such a kind as to either gratify or encourage him4 ,at first he read prayers to the soldiers at the barracks from the drumhead1 and as there were no seats provided1 was desired to omit the sermon4 ,afterwards more decent arrangements being made1 the families came in2 but taking offense at his evangelical plainness1 they asked that he should desist from extempore preaching4 ,these ,european members of his flock were jealous and angry at his constant efforts for the salvation of the heathen natives4 ,they thought it much beneath the dignity of an ,english chaplain to care for these degraded souls4 ,some of ,mr4 ,martyn's duties as chaplain were exceedingly onerous4 ,on several occasions he was summoned to distant places involving long and dangerous journeys to perform a marriage ceremony4 ,on these journeys he suffered severely1 and they were a great draft upon his very delicate health2 always weak and languid1 and often alarmingly disordered4 ,yet through all he continued to labor incessantly4 ,every ,sabbath he held at least four services3 at #g for ,europeans2 at #b for ,hindoos1 about two hundred in attendance2 in the afternoon at the hospital2 in the evening in his own room for the soldiers4 ,in his household were two natives who assisted in his studies and translations1 the ,moonshee and the ,pundit1 with whom he held long disputes and with whom he labored daily1 though unsuccessfully1 to bring them to faith in ,christ4 ,he says1 translating the epistle of ,st4 ,john with the ,moonshee1 ,i asked him what he thought of those passages which so strongly express the doctrines of the ,trinity and of the divinity of ,christ4 ,he said he never would believe it1 because the ,koran declared it sinful to say that ,god had any ,son4 ,i told him that he ought to pray that ,god would teach him what the truth really is4 ,he said he had no occasion on this subject1 as the word of ,god was express4 ,i asked him whether some doubt ought not to arise in his mind whether the ,koran is the word of ,god4 ,he grew angry1 and ,i felt hurt and vexed4 ,i should have done better to have left the words of the chapter with him without saying anything4 ,i went also too far with the ,pundit in arguing against his superstition1 for he also grew angry4 ,if any qualification seems necessary to a missionary in ,india it is wisdom--operating in the regulation of the temper and the due improvement of opportunities4 ,mr4 ,martyn needed the heavenly gift of wisdom also in the management of his native schools1 five or six of which were supported by himself in ,singapore4 ,little by little he succeeded in introducing as a text-book a part of the ,bible--his own translation of the sermon on the ,mount and the ,parables4 ,he was called to do more and more of this work of translating the ,scriptures1 and was persuaded by the ,rev4 ,david ,brown not only to continue the ,hindoostanee1 but to superintend the translation of the ,scriptures into ,persian4 ,he engaged in it at once with zeal4 ,he writes3 ,the time fled imperceptibly while so delightfully engaged in the translations2 the days seemed to have passed like a moment4 ,what do ,i not owe to the ,lord for permitting me to take part in a translation of ,his word8 ,never did ,i see such wonder and wisdom and love in the blessed ,book as since ,i have been obliged to study every expression4 ,employed a good while at night in considering a difficult passage1 and being much enlightened respecting it1 ,i went to bed full of astonishment at the wonder of ,god's ,word4 ,never before did ,i see anything of the beauty of the language and the importance of the thoughts as ,i do now4 ,what a source of perpetual delight have ,i in the precious ,word of ,god6 ,this ecstasy of enthusiasm in most successful and congenial labor was suddenly dashed by a great wave of sorrow which came to ,mr4 ,martyn in the news of the death of his eldest sister4 ,to missionaries in foreign lands such news is especially bitter1 and to recover from such a shock and sense of irreparable loss seems almost impossible4 ,the mind1 unsatisfied with details of the sad event1 is left in shadow which deepens into heavy gloom4 ,mr4 ,martyn was all alone and felt it keenly and inexpressibly4 ,some of his most intimate and sympathetic friends at this time1 realizing how it was not good for him to be alone1 encouraged him to renew his matrimonial offer to his ever beloved ,l4 ,after her refusal he says1 ,the ,lord sanctify this1 and since this last desire of my heart is also withheld may ,i turn away forever from the world and henceforth live forgetful of all but ,god4 ,with ,thee1 ,o my ,god1 is no disappointment4 ,i shall never have to regret that ,i have loved ,thee too well4 ,thou hast said1 'delight thyself in the ,lord1 and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart4' ,could sweeter words than these be expressed in any language6 ,could greater depths of submission or heights of consecration be attained6 ,they deserve to be recorded on imperishable marble or blazoned on the sky in sight of all1 and received as the confession of every ,christian heart1 to the honor and praise of ,him who gave such glorious victory to this tried soldier of the cross4 ,providentially for ,mr4 ,martyn's comfort his thoughts were much occupied after this by the arrival of his coadjutors in the work of translation1 one of these1 ,mirza of ,benares1 well known in ,india as an eminent ,hindoostanee scholar2 the other ,sabat the ,arabian1 since but too well known both in ,india and ,england by his rejection of that faith which he then appeared to profess in sincerity and faith4 ,in the latter of these ,mr4 ,martyn confidently trusted that he had found a ,christian brother with respect to the reality of his belief in ,christianity1 although ,mr4 ,martyn immediately discovered in him an unsubdued ,arab spirit1 and witnessed with pain many deflections from that temper and conduct which he himself so eminently exemplified2 yet1 he could not but believe all things and hope all things1 even while he continued to suffer much from him1 and for a length of time1 with unparalleled forbearance and kindness4 ,sabat's temper was a continual trial and mortification4 ,the very first ,sabbath in ,singapore1 imagining he was not treated with sufficient dignity1 he left the church before service in great anger4 ,often in the midst of the translation he would come to a sudden stop and refuse to go on for the most trivial reasons1 sometimes for fear that ,mirza who would review the work might have part of the honor4 ,about this time ,mr4 ,martyn was much bereaved by the removal of a family with whom he had lived in intimate terms of ,christian intercourse4 ,this separation affected him the more sensibly because it was not in every family at that station that he met with a kind and cordial reception4 ,he says1 ,i called on one of the ,singapore families1 and felt my pride rise at the uncivil manner in which ,i was received4 ,i was disposed at first to determine never to visit the house again1 but ,i remembered the words1 'overcome evil with good4' ,in the month of ,march1 #ahjh1 the ,new ,testament in ,hindoostanee was completed4 ,he says1 ,i have read and corrected the manuscript till my eyes ache2 such a week of labor ,i believe ,i have never passed4 ,the heat is terrible1 often at #ih degrees1 the nights insupportable4 ,we next hear of ,mr4 ,martyn suffering from severe illness with fever and vertigo1 and pained with the thought of leaving the ,persian gospels unfinished6 ,so unselfish1 so full of zeal6 ,again at work1 mercury at #ajb degrees4 ,arabic now employs my few moments of leisure4 ,in consequence of reading the ,koran with ,sabat audibly1 and drinking no wine1 the slander has gone forth that the ,singapore ,padre has turned ,mussulman4 ,june #fth4 ,to-day we have completed the ,persian of ,st4 ,matthew4 ,sabat desired me to kneel down to bless ,god for the happy event1 and we joined in praise of the ,father of lights4 ,it is a superb performance in every respect1 with elegance enough to attract the careless and please the fastidious2 it contains enough of ,eternal ,life to save the reader's soul4444 ,my services on the ,lord's day always leave me with a pain in the chest1 and such a great degree of general relaxation1 that ,i seldom recover it till ,tuesday4 ,the society still meet every night at my quarters1 and though we have lost many by death1 others are raised up in their room4 ,one officer1 a lieutenant1 is also given to me1 and he is not only a brother beloved1 but a constant companion and nurse2 so you must feel no apprehension that ,i should be left alone in sickness4 ,in ,april1 #ahji1 ,mr4 ,martyn removes from ,dinapore to ,cawnpore4 ,here he met friendship and hospitality4 ,we quote from the graceful pen of ,mrs4 ,sherwood3 ,the month of ,april in the upper provinces of ,hindoostan is one of the most dreadful months for traveling throughout the year2 indeed1 no ,european at that time can remove from place to place1 but at the risk of his life4 ,but ,mr4 ,martyn had that anxiety to begin the work which his heavenly ,father had given him to do1 that notwithstanding the violent heat1 he traveled from ,chunar to ,cawnpore1 the space of about four hundred miles4 ,at that time as ,i well remember1 the air was as hot and dry as that which ,i have sometimes felt near the mouth of a large oven1 no friendly cloud or verdant carpet of grass to relieve the eye from the strong glare of the rays of the sun pouring on the sandy plains of the ,ganges4 ,thus ,mr4 ,martyn traveled1 journeying night and day1 and arrived at ,cawnpore in such a state that he fainted away as soon as he entered the house4 ,when we charged him with the rashness of hazarding his life in this manner1 he always pleaded his anxiety to get to the great work4 ,he remained with us ten days1 suffering considerably at times from fever and pain in the chest4 ,mr4 ,martyn's removal from ,dinapore to ,cawnpore was to him in many respects a very unpleasant arrangement4 ,he was several hundred miles farther distant from ,calcutta and more widely separated than before from his friend ,mr4 ,corrie4 ,he had new acquaintances to form at his new abode1 and after having with much difficulty procured the erection of a church at ,dinapore he was transported to a spot where none of the conveniences1 much less the decencies and solemnities of public worship1 were visible4 ,we find him soon after he arrived there preaching to a thousand soldiers drawn up in a hollow square1 when the heat was so great1 although the sun had not risen1 that many actually dropped down1 unable to support it4 ,yet ,mr4 ,martyn's labors were not abated4 ,every ,sabbath at dawn were prayers and sermon with the regiment1 and again at eleven at the house of the general of the station4 ,in the afternoon he preached to a crowd of poor natives1 five1 to eight hundred1 rude1 noisy1 wretched beggars1 for whose souls he felt a tender care4 ,again in the evening1 the best of the day1 he had a meeting with the more devout of his flock4 ,these ministrations so earnestly performed were most exhausting1 yet he knew not how to forego them2 at this time1 too1 from ,england came the sad and sudden news of the death of his sister1 the one who had led him to ,christ4 ,the alarming state of his health made some change necessary1 and ,mr4 ,martyn was urged to leave ,india and make trial of a sea voyage4 ,his ,persian ,new ,testament had been criticised as unfit for general circulation1 being written in a style too learned and exalted for the comprehension of the common people4 ,he was advised to visit ,persia and there revise his work and also complete his version in ,arabic1 almost finished4 ,mr4 ,brown1 his devoted friend1 and the ,calcutta agent of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 thus writes3 ,can ,i then bring myself to cut the string and let you go8 ,i confess ,i could not if your bodily frame were strong1 and promised to last for half a century4 ,but as you burn with the intenseness and rapid blaze of heated phosphorus1 why should we not make the most of you8 ,your flame may last as long and perhaps longer in ,arabia1 than in ,india4 ,where should the ,phoenix build her odoriferous nest1 but in the land prophetically called 'the blessed8' and where shall we ever expect1 but from that country1 the true ,comforter to come to the nations of the ,east8 ,i contemplate your ,new ,testament springing up1 as it were1 from dust and ashes1 but beautiful as the wings of a dove covered with silver1 and his feathers like yellow gold4 ,his farewell services at ,cawnpore were very tender and affecting1 both with his great audience of natives and ,englishmen4 ,of the latter1 ,mrs4 ,sherwood says3 ,he began in a weak and faint voice1 being at that time in a very bad state of health2 but1 gathering strength as he proceeded1 he seemed as one inspired from on high4 ,never was an audience more affected4 ,the next day this holy and heavenly man left ,cawnpore and the society of many who sincerely loved and admired him4 ,stopping to visit the friends in ,calcutta1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,thomason says3 ,this bright and lovely jewel first gratified our eyes on ,saturday last4 ,he is on his way to ,arabia1 where he is going in pursuit of health and knowledge4 ,you know his genius1 and what gigantic strides he takes in everything4 ,he has some great plan in his mind1 of which ,i am no competent judge2 but as far as ,i do understand it1 the object is far too grand for one short life1 and much beyond his feeble and exhausted frame4 ,feeble it is1 indeed2 how fallen and changed6 ,his complaint lies in his lungs and appears to be an incipient consumption4 ,but let us hope the sea air may revive him1 and that change may do him essential service and continue his life many years4 ,in all other respects he is exactly the same as he was2 he shines in all the dignity of love1 and seems to carry about him such a heavenly majesty as impresses the mind beyond description4 ,but if he talks much1 though in a low voice1 he sinks1 and you are reminded of his being dust and ashes4 ,though so infirm1 ,mr4 ,martyn preached every ,sabbath of his visit1 and his last sermon on the anniversary of the ,calcutta ,bible ,society was afterwards printed and entitled ,christian ,india1 or an appeal on behalf of nine hundred thousand ,christians in ,india who want the ,bible4 ,,life ,,in ,,persia4 ,from this time a change comes over ,mr4 ,martyn's varied life4 ,we have seen him the successful candidate for academical distinctions--the faithful and laborious pastor--the self-denying and devoted missionary--the indefatigable translator--the preacher of the gospel to the heathen2 we are now called to admire in him the courageous spirit of the ,christian confessor4 ,he says1 on his voyage towards ,persia3 ,all down the ,bay of ,bengal ,i could do nothing but sit listless1 viewing the wide waste of water1 a sight that would have been beautiful had ,i been well4 ,in my ,hebrew researches ,i scarcely ever felt so discouraged4 ,all the knowledge ,i thought ,i had acquired became uncertain1 and consequently ,i was unhappy4 ,it was in vain that ,i reflected that thousands live and die happy without such knowledge as ,i am in search of4 ,proposed family prayer every night in the cabin--no objection was made4 ,february #ah1 anchored off ,bombay4 ,this day ,i finished the thirtieth year of my unprofitable life1 the age at which ,david ,brainerd finished his course4 ,i am now at the age at which the ,savior of men began his ministry1 and at which ,john the ,baptist called a nation to repentance4 ,hitherto ,i have made my youth and insignificance an excuse for sloth and imbecility1 now let me have a character and act boldly for ,god4 ,march #e4 ,feerog1 a ,parsee who is considered the most learned man here1 called to converse about religion4 ,he spoke ,persian and seemed familiar with ,arabic4 ,he began by saying that no one religion had more evidences of its truth than another1 for that all the miracles of the respective founders depended upon tradition4 ,this ,i denied4 ,he acknowledged that the writer of the ,zendavesta was not cotemporary with ,zoroaster4 ,after disputing and raising objections he was left without an answer1 but continued to cavil4 ',why' said he1 'did the ,magi see the star in the ,east and none else8 from what part of the ,east did they come8 and how was it possible that their king should come to ,jerusalem in seven days8' ,the last piece of information he had from the ,armenians4 ,i asked him whether he had any thoughts of changing his religion4 ,he replied with a contemptuous smile1 ',no1 every man is safe in his own religion4' ,i asked him1 ',what sinners must do to obtain pardon8' ',repent1' said he4 ,i asked1 ',would repentance satisfy a creditor or a judge8' ',why1 is it not said in the gospel1' rejoined he1 'that we must repent8' ,i replied1 ',it cannot be proved from the gospel that repentance alone is sufficient1 or good works1 or both4' ',where then is the glory of salvation8' he said2 ,i replied1 ',in the atonement of ,christ4' ',all this' said he1 ',i know1 but so the ,mohammedans say1 that ,hosyn was an atonement for the sins of men4' ,he then began to criticise the translations he saw on the table4 ,april #bc4 ,moscat1 ,arabia4 ,went on shore and met the ,vizier4 ,his ,african slave argued with me for ,mohammed and did not know how to let me go1 he was so interested in the business4 ,april #be4 ,gave him an ,arabic copy of the gospel1 which he at once began to read1 and carried it off as a great prize1 which ,i hope he will find it to be4 ,bushire1 ,persia4 ,called on the governor1 a ,persian ,khan4 ,he was very particular in his attentions4 ,seated me on his own seat and then sat by my side4 ,after the usual salutations and inquiries the calean 7pipe71 was introduced1 then coffee in china cups placed within silver ones1 then calean1 then some rose-water syrup1 then calean4 ,observing the windows of stained glass1 ,i began to question him about the art of coloring glass1 observing that the modern ,europeans were inferior to the ancient in the manufacture of the article4 ,he expressed his surprise that ,europeans1 who were so skillful in making watches1 should fail in any handicraft work4 ,i could not help recollecting the ,emperor of ,china's sarcastic remark on the ,europeans and their arts1 and therefore dropped the subject4 ,on his calean--,i called it hookah at first1 but he did not understand me--,i noticed several little paintings of the ,virgin and child1 and asked him whether such things were not unlawful among ,mohammedans4 ,he answered very coolly ',yes1' as much as to say1 ',what then8' ,i lamented that the ,eastern ,christians should use such things in their churches4 ,he repeated the words of a good man who was found fault with for having an image before him while at prayer1 ',god is nearer to me than that image1 so that ,i do not see it4' ,this man1 ,i afterwards found1 is like most of the other grandees of the ,east1 a murderer4 ,on the #cjth of ,may1 our ,persian dresses were ready1 and we set out for ,shiraz4 ,the ,persian dress consists of first1 stockings and shoes in one2 next1 a pair of large blue trousers1 or else a pair of huge red boots2 then the shirt1 then the tunic1 and above it the coat1 both of chintz1 and a great coat4 ,i have here described my own dress1 most of which ,i have on at this moment4 ,on the head is worn an enormous cone made of the skin of the black ,tartar sheep with the wool on4 ,if to this description of my dress ,i add that my beard and mustachios have been suffered to vegetate undisturbed ever since ,i left ,india2 that ,i am sitting on a ,persian carpet1 in a room without tables or chairs1 and that ,i bury my hand in the pillar 7rice71 without waiting for spoon or plate1 you will give me credit for being already an accomplished ,oriental4 ,at ten o'clock on the #cjth our califa began to move4 ,it consisted chiefly of mules with a few horses4 ,i wished to have a mule1 but the muleteer favored me with his own pony2 this animal had a bell fastened to its neck4 ,to add solemnity to the scene1 a ,bombay trumpeter who was going to join the embassy was directed to blow a blast as we moved off the ground2 but whether it was that the trumpeter was not an adept in the science or that his instrument was out of order1 the crazy sounds that saluted our ears had a ludicrous effect4 ,at last1 after some jostling1 mutual recriminations and recalcitrating of the steeds1 we each found our places and moved out of the gate of the city in good order4 ,the residents accompanied us a little way1 and then left us to pursue our journey over the plain4 ,it was a fine moonlight night1 the scene new and perfectly oriental1 and nothing prevented me from indulging my own reflections4 ,as the night advanced the califa grew quiet2 on a sudden one of the muleteers began to sing1 and sang in a voice so plaintive that it was impossible not to have one's attention arrested4 ,every voice was hushed4 ,these were the words translated3 ,think not that e'er my heart could dwell ,contented far from thee1 ,how can the fresh-caught nightingale ,enjoy tranquility8 ,oh1 then forsake thy friend for naught ,that slanderous tongues can say1 ,the heart that fixeth where it ought ,no power can rend away4 ,thus far our journey was agreeable4 ,now for miseries4 ,at sunrise we came to our ground at ,ahmedu1 six parasangs1 and pitched our little tent under a tree2 it was the only shelter we could get4 ,at first the heat was not greater than we had felt in ,india1 but it soon became so intense as to be quite alarming4 ,when the thermometer was above #aab degrees1 fever heat1 ,i began to lose my strength fast2 at last it became quite intolerable4 ,i wrapped myself up in a blanket and all the warm covering ,i could get to defend myself from the external air1 by which means the moisture was kept a little longer upon the body1 and not so speedily evaporated as when the skin was exposed4 ,one of my companions followed my example and found the benefit of it4 ,but the thermometer still rising1 and the moisture of the body being quite exhausted1 ,i grew restless and thought ,i should have lost my senses4 ,the thermometer at last stood at #abf degrees4 ,in this state ,i composed myself and concluded that1 though ,i might hold out but a day or two1 death was inevitable4 ,captain ---- continued to tell the hour and heights of the thermometer1 and with pleasure we heard of it sinking to #abj degrees1 #aah degrees1 etc4 ,at last the fierce sun retired and ,i crept out more dead than alive4 ,the next day we secured some comfort from a large wet towel wrapped about the head and body4 ,at sunset1 rising to go out1 a scorpion fell upon my clothes4 ,the night before we found a black scorpion in our tent1 that made us uneasy1 so we got no sleep4 ,june #i ,mr4 ,martyn arrived at ,shiraz1 the celebrated seat of ,persian literature1 and at once began work upon his translation with the efficient help of ,mirza ,seid ,ali ,khan4 ,in this work he had many interruptions1 being himself an object of attention and curiosity4 ,he received many calls1 and unwilling to lose any opportunity of benefiting the inhabitants of ,shiraz1 was never inaccessible to them4 ,he says1 ,june #ag1 in the evening1 ,seid ,ali came with two ,moollahs1 and with them ,i had a very long and temperate discussion4 ,one of them read the beginning of ,john in ,arabic and inquired very particularly into our opinions respecting the person of ,christ1 and when he was informed that we did not consider ,his human nature eternal nor ,his mother divine1 seemed quite satisfied1 and remarked to the others1 'how much misapprehension is removed when people come to an explanation4' ,june #bb4 ,the ,prince's secretary called to talk about ,soofeeism4 ,they believe they know not what4 ,he thought to excite my wonder by telling me that ,i and every created being was ,god4 ,june #bf4 ,two young men from the college came1 full of zeal and logic1 to try me with hard questions such as1 whether being be but one or two8 ,what is the state and form of disembodied spirits8 and other foolish and unlearned questions ministering strife4 ,at last1 one of them discovered the true cause of his coming by asking me bluntly to bring a proof of the religion of ,christ4 ,you allow the divine mission of ,christ1 said ,i1 why need ,i prove it8 ,not being able to draw me into an argument they said what they wished to say1 namely1 that ,i had no other proof for the miracles of ,christ than they had for those of ,mohammed1 which is tradition4 ',softly' ,i said1 ',you will be pleased to observe a difference between your books and ours1 when by tradition we have reached our several books1 our narrators were eye witnesses2 yours are not1 nor nearly so4' ,in the evening ,seid ,ali asked me the cause of evil4 ,i said ,i knew nothing about it4 ,he thought he could tell me1 so ,i let him reason on till he soon found he knew as little about the matter as myself4 ,he wanted to prove that there was no real difference between good and evil2 that it was only apparent4 ,i observed that the difference1 if only apparent1 was the cause of a great deal of misery4 ,june #cj1 ,sunday4 ,preached to the ,ambassador's suite on the ',faithful ,saying4' ,in the evening baptized his child4 ,zachariah told me this morning that ,i was the town talk4 ,indeed ,shiraz was stirred to its depth by the presence of ,mr4 ,martyn during the whole year of his stay4 ,men of every kind1 especially the learned and zealous1 came singly and in groups almost every day to argue and dispute against ,christ4 ,now it was a party of ,armenians1 now learned ,jews1 now a prince1 now a general1 now the very ,moojtuhid himself1 the professor of ,mohammedan law4 ,this great dignitary invited ,mr4 ,martyn to his house1 where for hours he talked on and on1 defending his ,prophet and showing his learning2 he was greatly annoyed at any difference of opinion1 and decided it was quite useless for ,mohammedans and ,christians to argue together1 as they had different languages and different histories4 ,but fearing ,mr4 ,martyn's influence he was stirred to write a defense of his faith1 which was said to surpass all former treatises on ,islam4 ,he concludes it in these words1 addressed to ,mr4 ,martyn3 ,oh1 thou that art wise6 consider with the eye of justice1 since thou hast no excuse to offer to ,god4 ,thou hast wished to see the truth of miracles4 ,we desire you to look at the great ,koran3 that is an everlasting miracle4 ,mr4 ,martyn replied1 showing why men are bound to reject ,mohammedanism2 that ,mohammed was foretold by no prophet1 worked no miracles1 spread his religion by means merely human1 appeals to man's lowest and sensual nature1 that he was ambitious for himself and family1 that the ,koran is full of absurdities and contradictions1 that it contains a method of salvation wholly inefficacious1 sadly contrasting with the divine atonement of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,prince's nephew1 hearing of the attack on ,mohammed1 said1 the proper answer to it is the sword4 ,mr4 ,martyn writes1 ,february #h3 ,this is my birthday1 on which ,i complete my thirty-first year4 ,the ,persian ,new ,testament has been begun and finished in it4 ,such a painful year ,i never passed1 owing to the privations ,i have been called to1 on the one hand1 and the spectacle before me of human depravity on the other4 ,but ,i hope ,i have not come to this seat of ,satan in vain4 ,the ,word of ,god has found its way into ,persia1 and it is not in ,satan's power to oppose its progress if the ,lord hath sent it4 ,the ,psalms in ,persian was finished by the middle of ,march4 ,on the #bc;d ,mr4 ,martyn writes3 ,i called on the ,vizier4 ,in the court where he received me1 ,mirza ,ibraheem was lecturing4 ,finding myself so near my old and respectable antagonist1 ,i expressed a wish to see him1 on which ,jaffier ,ali ,khan went up to ascertain if my visit would be agreeable4 ,the master consented1 but some of the disciples demurred4 ,at last1 one of them1 observing that by the blessing of ,god on the master's conversation ,i might possibly be converted1 it was agreed that ,i should be invited to ascend4 ,then it became a question where ,i ought to sit4 ,below all would not be respectful to a stranger1 but above all the ,moollahs could not be tolerated4 ,i entered and was surprised at the numbers4 ,the room was lined with ,moollahs on both sides and at the top4 ,i was about to sit down on the floor but was beckoned to an empty place near the top1 opposite to the master1 who1 after the usual compliments1 without further ceremony1 asked me1 ',what we meant by calling ,christ1 ,god8' ,war being thus unequivocally declared1 ,i had nothing to do but stand upon the defensive4 ,mirza ,ibraheem argued temperately enough2 but of the rest1 some were very violent and clamorous4 ,the former asked 'if ,christ had ever called himself ,god--was he the ,creator or a creature8' ,i replied1 ',the ,creator4' ,the ,moollahs looked at one another4 ,such a confession had never before been heard among the ,mohammedan doctors4 ,one ,moollah wanted to controvert some of my illustrations by interrogating me about the personality of ,christ4 ,to all his questions ,i replied by requesting the same information respecting his own person4 ,to another1 who was rather contemptuous and violent1 ,i said ',if you do not approve of our doctrine1 will you be so good as to say what ,god is1 according to you1 that ,i may worship a proper object8' ,one said1 'the author of the universe4' ',i can form no idea from these words1' said ,i1 'but of a workman at work upon a vast number of materials4 ,is that a correct notion8' ,another said1 ',one who came of himself into being4' ',so then he came1' ,i replied1 'out of one place into another1 and before he came he was not4 ,is this an abstract and refined notion8' ,after this no one asked me any more questions1 and for fear the dispute should be renewed ,jaffier ,ali ,khan carried me away4 ,when we think of the bigotry and intolerance of these people and of ,mr4 ,martyn's unflinching courage single-handed and alone1 declaring the truth and preaching ,christ1 exposed to the greatest personal danger1 contempt and insult1 but unabashed1 he stands before the world during his ,shiraz residence as one of the bravest and grandest heroes that has ever lived4 ,such a spectacle is thrilling and sublime4 ,god was with him to protect him and to inspire his magnificent confessions4 ,a figure-head in history6 ,a sight for angels and for men6 ,faithful found ,among the faithless1 faithful only he1 ,unshaken1 unseduced1 unterrified1 ,his loyalty he kept1 his zeal1 his love4 ,and ,god was with him to cheer and comfort1 and we rejoice to know that some of the scenes of his life in ,shiraz were quiet and restful4 ,at one time a tent was pitched for him in a garden in the suburbs of the city4 ,living amidst clusters of grapes by the side of a clear stream and frequently sitting under the shade of an orange tree1 which ,jaffier ,ali ,khan delighted to point out to visitors1 until the day of his own departure1 he passed many a tranquil hour1 and enjoyed many a ,sabbath of holy rest and divine refreshment4 ,he says3 ,passed some days at ,jaffier ,ali ,khan's garden with ,mirza ,seid ,ali1 ,aga ,baba1 ,sheikh ,abul ,hassam1 reading at their request the ,old ,testament histories4 ,their attention to the word and their love and respect for me seemed to increase as the time for my departure approached4 ,aga ,baba1 who had been reading ,st4 ,matthew1 related very circumstantially to the company the particulars of the death of ,christ4 ,the bed of roses on which we sat and the notes of the nightingales warbling around us1 were not so sweet to me as this discourse from the ,persian4 ,the plain of ,shiraz is covered with ancient ruins1 and contains the tombs of the poets ,zaadi and ,hafiz4 ,a vision of the bright ,shiraz1 of ,persian bards the theme2 ,the vine with bunches laden hangs o'er the crystal stream2 ,the nightingale all day her notes in rosy thicket trills1 ,and the brooding heat-mist faintly lies along the distant hills4 ,about the plain are scattered wide in many a crumbling heap1 ,the fanes of other days1 and tombs where ,iran's poets sleep2 ,and in the midst1 like burnished gems1 in noonday light repose ,the minarets of bright ,shiraz1--the ,city of the ,rose4 ,one group beside the river bank in rapt discourse are seen1 ,where hangs the golden orange on its boughs of purest green2 ,their words are sweet and low1 and their looks are lit with joy1 ,some holy blessing seems to rest on them and their employ4 ,the pale-faced ,frank among them sits2 what brought him from afar8 ,nor bears he bales of merchandise1 nor teaches skill in war2 ,one pearl alone he brings with him--the ,book of life and death1-- ,one warfare only teaches he1--to fight the fight of faith4 ,and ,iran's sons are round him1 and one with solemn tone ,tells how the ,lord of ,glory was rejected by his own2 ,tells from the wondrous gospel of the trial and the doom1-- ,the words divine of love and might1--the scourge1 the cross1 the tomb4 ,far sweeter to the stranger's ear these eastern accents sound1 ,than music of the nightingale that fills the air around2 ,lovelier than balmiest odors sent from gardens of the rose1 ,the fragrance from the contrite soul and chastened lip that flows4 ,the nightingales have ceased to sing1 the roses' leaves are shed1 ,the ,frank's pale face in ,tocat's field hath mouldered with the dead2 ,alone and all unfriended midst his ,master's work he fell1 ,with none to bathe his fevered brow1 with none his tale to tell4 ,but still those sweet and solemn tones about him sound in bliss1 ,and fragrance from those flowers of ,god forevermore is his2 ,for his the meed1 by grace1 of those who rich in zeal and love1 ,turn many unto righteousness1 and shine as stars above4 #ahea4 --,,henry ,,alford4 ,on the #bdth of ,may1 after a year's residence1 ,mr4 ,martyn left ,shiraz1 bearing his precious translation to be presented to the ,shah4 ,the journey was an occasion of disappointment1 exposure and suffering4 ,arrived at the ,shah's camp he says3 ,june #abth1 attended the ,vizier's levee1 when there was a most intemperate and clamorous controversy kept up for an hour or two1 eight or ten on one side1 and ,i on the other4 ,amongst them were two ,moollahs1 the most ignorant of any ,i have met in ,persia or ,india4 ,it would be impossible to enumerate all the absurd things they said4 ,their vulgarity in interrupting me in the middle of a speech1 their utter ignorance of the nature of an argument1 their impudent assertions about the law and the gospel1 neither of which they had ever seen in their lives1 moved my indignation4 ,the ,vizier said1 ',you had better say1 ,god is ,god and ,mohammed is the prophet of ,god4' ,i said1 ',god is ,god1' but added1 instead of ',mohammed is the prophet of ,god1' ',jesus is the ,son of ,god4' ,they had no sooner heard this1 which ,i had avoided bringing forward till then1 than they all exclaimed in contempt and anger1 ',he is neither born nor begets1' and rose up as if they would have torn me in pieces4 ,one of them said1 ',what will you say when your tongue is burnt out for this blasphemy8' ,my book which ,i had brought1 expecting to present it to the king1 lay before ,mirza ,shufi4 ,as they all rose up after him to go1 some to the king1 and some away1 ,i was afraid they would trample upon the book2 so ,i went in among them to take it up1 and wrapped it in a towel before them1 while they looked at it and me with supreme contempt4 ,thus ,i walked away alone to my tent to pass the rest of the day in heat and dirt4 ,what have ,i done1 thought ,i1 to merit all this scorn8 ,nothing1 ,i trust1 but bearing testimony to ,jesus4 ,i thought over these things in prayer and found the peace which ,christ hath promised4 ,to complete the trials of the day a messenger came from the ,vizier in the evening to say that it was the custom of the king not to see any ,englishman unless presented by the ambassador or accredited by a letter from him1 and that ,i must therefore wait till the king reached ,sultania1 where the ambassador would be4 ,traveling toward ,tabriz he writes1 ,june #bb3 ,met with the usual insulting treatment at the caravansarai when the king's servant had got possession of a good room built for the reception of the better order of guests2 they seemed to delight in the opportunity of humbling a ,european--all along the road when the king is expected the people are patiently waiting as for some dreadful disaster2 plague1 pestilence or famine are nothing to the misery of being subject to the violence and extortion of this rabble soldiery4 ,june #bf4 ,have eaten nothing now for two days4 ,my mind much disordered from headache and giddiness2--but my heart is with ,christ and ,his saints4 ,june #bg4 ,passed the third day in the same exhausted state1 my head tortured with shocking pains1 such as1 together with the horror ,i felt at being exposed to the sun1 showed me plainly to what to ascribe my sickness4 ,thus in great illness and suffering ,mr4 ,martyn reached ,tabriz1 and was nursed through a fever of two months' continuance at the ambassador's residence4 ,this defeated his plan of presenting the ,persian ,new ,testament to the king--but it was afterwards done by ,sir ,gore ,ouseley himself1 and publicly received the royal approbation1 and still later was printed in ,st4 ,petersburg4 ,on leaving ,cawnpore1 ,mr4 ,martyn had intended returning to ,england1 but had willingly remained in ,persia to finish the translation1 which being now disposed of1 he reverted to his original intention1 and set out on his last fatal journey towards ,constantinople1 ,september #b4 ,his journal is filled with expressions of gratitude for restored health1 delight in the scenery of ,tabriz1 descriptions of the country and the journey1 the ,araxes river1 the hoary peaks of ,ararat1 the governor's palace1 the ancient ,armenian church and monastery at ,ech-,miazin1 where he received great kindness from the ,patriarch and the monks4 ,he was profoundly impressed with the view from an elevated table-land looking out upon ,persia1 ,russia and ,turkey--a ,pisgah vision1 which excites in later missionaries a strong desire for ,christian conquest4 ,describes ,cars and ,erzroom4 ,september #bi1 left ,erzroom4 ,was attacked with fever and ague4 ,september #cj4 ,took nothing all day but tea2 headache and loss of appetite depressed my spirits1 yet my soul rests in ,him who is as anchor of the soul1 sure and steadfast1 which1 not seen1 keeps me fast4 ,october #a4 ,marched over a mountainous tract2 we were out from seven in the morning till eight at night4 ,after sitting a little by the fire ,i was near fainting from sickness4 ,my depression of spirits led me to the throne of grace as a sinful abject worm4 ,when ,i thought of myself and my transgressions1 ,i could find no text so cheering as1 ',my ways are not as your ways4' ,from the men who accompanied ,sir ,wm4 ,ouseley to ,constantinople ,i learned that the plague was raging at ,constantinople and thousands dying every day4 ,one of the ,persians had died of it4 ,they added that the inhabitants of ,tocat were flying from their town from the same cause4 ,thus ,i am passing into imminent danger4 ,o ,lord thy will be done6 ,living or dying1 remember me4 ,october #b4 ,lodged in the stables of the post-house4 ,as soon as it began to grow a little cold1 the ague came on and then the fever1 after which ,i had a sleep1 which let me know too plainly the disorder of my frame4 ,in the night ,hossan sent to summon me away1 but ,i was quite unable to move4 ,finding me still in bed at the dawn he began to storm furiously at my detaining him so long1 but ,i quietly let him spend his ire1 ate my breakfast composedly1 and set out at eight4 ,he seemed determined to make up for the delay1 for we flew over hill and dale to ,sherean1 where we changed horses4 ,from thence we traveled all the rest of the day and all night4 ,it rained most of the time4 ,after sunset the ague came on again1 which in my wet state was very trying4 ,i hardly know how to keep my life in me4 ,about that time there was a village at hand1 but ,hassan had no mercy4 ,the night was pitchy dark1 so that ,i could not see the road under my horse's feet4 ,however1 ,god being mercifully pleased to alleviate my bodily suffering1 ,i went on contentedly to the munzil 7stopping-place74 ,after sleeping three or four hours ,hassan hurried me away1 and galloped furiously toward a village1 which he said was four hours distant1 which was all ,i could undertake in my present state2 but village after village did he pass1 till night coming on1 and no signs of another1 ,i suspected he was carrying me on to the munzil2 so ,i got off my horse and sat upon the ground and told him ,i neither could nor would go any farther4 ,he stormed1 but ,i was immovable1 till a light1 appearing at a distance1 ,i mounted my horse and made toward it1 leaving him to follow or not as he pleased4 ,he brought in the party1 but would not exert himself to get a place for me4 ,they brought me to an open verandah1 but ,sergius told them ,i wanted a place in which to be alone4 ,this seemed very offensive to them1 'and why must he be alone'8 they asked1 ascribing this desire of mine to pride1 ,i suppose4 ,tempted at last by money they brought me to a stable room1 and ,hassan and a number of others planted themselves there with me4 ,my fever here increased to a violent degree1 the heat in my eyes and forehead was so great that the fire almost made me frantic4 ,i entreated that it might be put out or that ,i might be carried out of doors4 ,neither was attended to2 my servant1 who from my sitting in that strange way on the ground1 believed me delirious1 was deaf to all ,i said4 ,at last ,i pushed my head in among the luggage and lodged it on the damp ground and slept4 ,october #e4 ,preserving mercy made me see the light of another morning4 ,the sleep had refreshed me but ,i was feeble and shaken1 yet the merciless ,hassan hurried me off4 ,i was pretty well lodged and felt tolerably well till a little after sunset1 when the ague came on with a violence ,i had never before experienced4 ,i felt as if in a palsy1 my teeth chattering1 and my whole frame violently shaken4 ,aga ,hosyn and another ,persian on their way here from ,constantinople1 came hastily to render me assistance if they could4 ,these ,persians appear quite brotherly after the ,turks4 ,while they pitied me1 ,hassan sat in perfect indifference1 ruminating on the further delay this was likely to occasion4 ,the cold fit after continuing two or three hours was followed by a fever1 which lasted the whole night and prevented sleep4 ,october #f4 ,no horses were to be had1 and ,i had an unexpected repose4 ,sat in the orchard and thought with sweet comfort and peace of my ,god3 in solitude my companion1 friend and comforter4 ,oh1 when shall time give place to eternity--when shall appear that new heaven and earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness6 ,there1 there shall in no wise enter in anything that defileth2 none of that wickedness which has made men worse than wild beasts1 none of those corruptions which add still more to the miseries of humanity1 shall be seen or heard of any more4 ,here abruptly closes the journal1 with pantings for the glory and the purity of ,immanuel's land1 into which he was admitted by a blessed translation1 released from all the sufferings of life on ,october #af1 #ahab1 at ,tocat1 ,turkey4 ,the manner of his death is not known1 whether it resulted from the sickness described1 or from the plague1 then raging4 ,whether ,hassan was cruel and driving to the last1 whether all his heartless ,turkish attendants deserted him or not in his hour of final agony1 we cannot tell4 ,no relative or friend was there1 no tender voice of sympathy1 no woman's soothing hand1 no alleviations from medicine4 ,even the commonest decencies and necessities of civilized life were lacking4 ,earth gave nothing to ,henry ,martyn in his mortal need1 but we are sure heavenly consolations were unstinted4 ,jesus can make a dying bed ,feel soft as downy pillows are4 ,and ,jesus was there6 ,and ,henry ,martyn was satisfied1 and is forever satisfied6 ,precious in the sight of the ,lord is the death of his saints4 ,and the most priceless legacy of the blood-bought and commissioned church is the memory of a life1 so gifted1 so unselfish1 so consecrated4 ,it is wanting in no element of moral heroism4 ,our souls confess its grandeur4 ,the contemplation lifts us into a higher atmosphere than that of mammon1 and self1 and earth4 ,we rejoice to see a crown so rare1 so fair1 so precious1 laid at the feet of ,jesus1 the ,king4 ,he is worthy4 ,and we long to see the youth of our land and the church inspired by ,henry ,martyn's example1 as he was inspired by ,david ,brainerd's4 ,and so we would have the apostolic succession continued till the millennium1 of such as shall not count their lives dear for the testimony of the gospel4 ,it is said that after ,mr4 ,martyn's death one of his earliest and most devoted friends1 the ,rev4 ,charles ,simeon1 used always to keep his picture before him in his study for help and inspiration4 ,move where he would through the apartment1 it seemed to keep its eyes upon him1 and ever to say to him1 ',be earnest1 be earnest2 don't trifle1 don't trifle1' and the good ,simeon would gently bow to the speaking picture1 and with a smile1 reply1 ',yes1 ,i will2 ,i will be in earnest1 ,i will not trifle2 for souls are perishing and ,jesus is to be glorified4' ,would that ,henry ,martyn's life might bring such a message to every heart1 and awaken in every one a similar response4 ,,missionary ,,annals4 ,price per vol41 cloth #cj;c41 paper #ah;c4 ,i4 ,,memoir ,,of ,,robert ,,moffat ,,by ,,mrs4 ,m4 ,l4 ,,wilder4 ,,ii4 ,,life ,,of ,,adoniram ,,judson ,,by ,,miss ,,julia ,h4 ,,johnston4 ,,iii4 ,,woman ,,and ,,the ,,gospel ,,in ,,persia ,,by ,,rev4 ,,thomas ,,laurie1 ,d4,d4 ,,iv4 ,,life ,,of ,,rev4 ,,justin ,,perkins1 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