Having received intelligence of the fatal illness of his only sister, the last tie to earthly objects seems to have been broken. “What is there now,” he exclaimed, “that I should wish to live for? O what a barren desert, what a howling wilderness, does this world appear! But for the service of God and his church, and the preparation of my own soul, I do not know that I would wish to live another day.” It was this sister who first attempted to draw his attention to religion: and how must he now have looked back upon the day, when, as he confessed, the sound of the gospel from her lips was grating to his ear!
FOOTNOTES:
[6] Or Nabob, the name of an office.
CHAPTER IX.
Mr. Martyn had been accustomed to give alms to a number of the poor natives; and to avoid the frequent interruption of his studies, which their calls occasioned, he fixed a time for them to come to his door. As a great number of wretched beings was thus collected, he determined to embrace the opportunity of attempting to preach to them. Of his first address to them he has left this account:
“I told them, after requesting their attention, that I gave with pleasure the alms I could afford, but wished to give them something better, namely, eternal riches, or the knowledge of God, which was to be had from God’s word; and then producing a Hindoostanee translation of Genesis, read the first verse, and explained it word by word. In the beginning, when there was nothing, no heaven, no earth, but only God, he created without help, for his own pleasure.—But who is God? One so great, so good, so wise, so mighty, that none can know him as he ought to know: but yet we must know that he knows us. When we rise up, or sit down, or go out, he is always with us.—He created heaven and earth; therefore every thing in heaven—sun, moon, and stars. Therefore how should the sun be God, or the moon be God? He created every thing on earth; therefore Ganges also: therefore how should Ganges be God? Neither are they like God. If a shoemaker make a pair of shoes, are the shoes like him? If a man make an image, the image is not like man, his maker. Infer secondly, if God made the heavens and the earth for you, and made the meat also for you, will he not also feed you? Know also, that he that made heaven and earth can destroy them;—and will do it; therefore fear God, who is so great; and love God, who is so good.”
“I bless God,” said Mr. Martyn, “for helping me, beyond my expectation. Yet still my corrupt heart looks forward to the next attempt with some dread.”
On the Sunday after this, he preached to at least five hundred of this class.
“I did not,” he remarks, “succeed so well as before; I suppose because I had more confidence in myself, and less in the Lord. I fear they did not understand me well; but the few sentences that were clear, they applauded. Speaking to them of the sea and rivers, I spoke to them again of the Ganges, that it was no more than other rivers. God loved the Hindoos,—but he loved other people too; and whatever river, or water, or other good thing he gave the Hindoos, he gave other people also: for all are alike before God. Ganges therefore, is not to be worshipped; because, so far from being a God, it is not better than other rivers. In speaking of the earth and moon, ‘as a candle in the house, so is the sun,’ I said, ‘in the heavens.’ But would I worship a candle in my hand? These were nice points; I felt as if treading on tender ground, and was almost disposed to blame myself for imprudence. I thought, that amidst the silence these remarks produced, I heard hisses and groans: but a few Mohammedans applauded.”