continuing from localism and the police power I..the strategy, hence, is the abolition and destruction of the local police power in its every aspect. this is being done in several ways.
first, it is being done by insisting that we have a vast problem of crime which the police cannot cope with. this myth of the fearfulness of american criminality is unfortunately believed even by police 'experts'. thus, vollmer writes that 'nowhere in the civilized world will there be found a major crime condition as staggering in its proportions as that found in the u.s.'. statistics, here as elsewhere, are excellent liars.
the u.s., with its puritan background, has major and minor crimes on the statute books which do not exist elsewhere; it has better law enforcement, and it has better records, so that statistically its efficiency makes it look worse. moreover, except for certain major cities, most of the country has a good record of law enforcement and of a law abiding citizenry. regrettably, too, there is a high record of criminality on the part of certain minority groups, who now are seeking advancement, not through christian faith and character, but through legal impositions and privileges. very real problems of law enforcement do exist in every sector of the population, but the problem is not a technical one, calling for a substitute to local law enforcement, but a moral problem, cling for a christian renewal on the part of all the citizenry, including courts and police. the subversive strategy here is to assert that there is a problem of vast dimensions, that the local police are not competent to cope with it, and that new, centralized agencies must be created.
second, the subversion of the police is sought by agencies which, in the name of efficiency, would establish regional tie-ins for local civil government and for the police. the city and county managers are basically hostile to the local self sufficiency and independence of the police. the city and county managers are basically hostile to the local self-sufficiency and independence of the police. the managerial system is basically collectivist, elitist and hostile to localism. Civil Defense measures seek, in the name of emergency, to create a national control over the police; the desired controls would hamper local efficiency, but they would further totalitarian control and power.
third, the subversion of the police is sought by attacks on police integrity. certainly, corrupt police are a problem, but corruption is a moral problem in every area of life and is a general moral problem, not an occupational disease of the local police. a good case could be made for lower moral standards among the clergy. no group is without its moral problems. newspaper and television writers, often leftist in orientation, have done no small injustice to the police by a systematic impugning of the police forces and systems as a whole. collectivist psychologists and psychiatrists have added to the slander, so that the opinion is often bandied about that police mentality and criminal mentality are analogous. such vicious slanders have in some quarters become axioms of political faith.
fourth, to the insult of attacks of police reputation is added the injury of attacks on the police by means of provocative activity. lawless demonstrations today are an increasing instrument of social revolution, indicating a contempt of law and of the police...federal, and, in some areas, state authorities, have cooperated in the attack on police authority. thus the occupation by federal marshals of the campus of the university of mississippi on september 30, 1962 was a revolutionary act on the part of the u.s. department of justice against the local community and its police. a similar federal action occurred after the kennedy assassination. oswald was caught, not by federal agents, who were ostensibly in charge of security and controlled the entrances and exits of the various buildings, but by the local police. further investigation was taken out of local hands and placed in the questionable hands of a federal commisssion, headed by earl warren. there were complaints that neither oswald nor ruby could be tried in federal courts but had to face a local court. there were complaints also against the right of the citizenry to bear arms. thus, an assassination by a foreign agent was used by the federal government for an assault on the one effective agency, the local police and the local court!
fifth, various impediments are placed on the police. police review boards are created to establish a new authority over the police and to break the police-citizenry relationship. THE US SUPREME COURT, MEANWHILE, HAS BEEN STEADILY CURTAILING THE POLICE POWER, A LOCAL, CITIZEN'S POWER, while vastly augmenting federal, collectivist power and control. this is not an accidental development. an infamous example of this was the mallory case. arrested for a brutal rape, mallory confessed to the crime when questioned before his arraignment. no force or pressure had been applied. the conviction was nonetheless thrown out by the u.s. supreme court (mallory v. u.s.) by a unanimous decision of the ground that the police had no right to question him before arraignment. since it was now impossible to re-try him with any hope of conviction, a professedly guilty man went free. the court showed tenderness toward the rapist, but none towards the raped woman, and, by this decision and many, many others, circumscribed police work with such limitations as to make their work well nigh impossible. such impediments to police work are also to be found on the state level, to a lesser degree. both federal and state governments are seeking to usurp the police powers of the citizenry, of the city and of the county.
sixth, a low pay scale is used to demoralize the police. a city or county government which underpays and under staffs its police is usually knowingly trying to corrupt them and to control them. politicians are ready to increase bureau and agency personnel and pay, because this means an extension of their won power, but they balk, in the name of economy, at increasing the police force and pay, because a strong and independent force is a threat to corrupt politics. in some instances, police pay is kept so low that policemen must hold extra jobs after work, have their wives work, or accept graft, which means a surrender and subservience to the politicians and their cohorts. police pay should be high, in relationship to other local officials, so that police should be definitely the 'aristocracy' of civil employees. the issue with respect to police pay is a central one. by making the police an area of economy and limiting their force and effectiveness, corrupt politicians thereby weaken not only the police but the citizenry and subsidize themselves in corruption and criminals in criminality.
seventh, a major assault on the police comes, by indirection, from the mental health program. the prevailing psychiatric theory is that crime is a sickness, not a sin. the answer is not in law enforcement on the social level by the police, and conversion on the personal level through religious faith, but the answer is rather medical and psychological. the police, in this perspective, must give way to social workers and psychiatrists. an uncompromising attack on this perspective has been made by a psychiatist, thomas s. szasz, law, liberty and psychiatry, who denies the validity among other thing of the 'not guilty by reason of insanity' plea. the mental health program, however, is gaining ground, and a prison laboratory is currently demanded by university of california criminology, psychology, education, and sociology professors.
from all of this, it is apparent that the local police power is an extension of the citizens right of self-defense, and attacks on the police come from the same quarters as attacks on national military preparedness, on the right to bear arms (note the double demand, national and personal disarmament), on the liberties of the citizenry, and on the processes of criminal prosecution. those who call for a non-local law enforcement agency and 'larger territorial organization', also call for the registration of all inhabitants and a legal requirement that all carry registration cards in the name of efficiency. university departments of criminology are on the whole infected with such thinking and are statist and anti-police.
an attack on the local police is an attack on the right of self-defense. when the local police are destroyed, the totalitarian state will have arrived in full force. that great civilian army of local police, and a citizenry with police powers and the right to bear arms, is thus a major target of subversive activity, assault, legislation and propaganda.
as against this, it is good to note that the police are strengthening their local roots in many areas, instructing the citizenry in police powers, creating auxiliary police and sheriff's posses, all to further the efficacy and integrity of local law and order. more needs to be done, for the alienation of people and police from one another is disastrous to both.
note: when i recently heard, for the first time, the movement in new jersey (in the name of saving $) to give to localities, at this time, the voluntary option to disband their police and join in regional 'police' forces no longer under the control of local citizenry (who do they report to now?), i thought to share this read some time ago.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
1.22.2011 LOCALISM AND THE POLICE POWER
the following is found in the nature of the american system by rousas j. rushdoony..p. 158-168..words, more than anything else, are easily subverted. anyone can appropriate a word and apply it, ignorantly or willfully, in a context where a false sense is slipped in under the connotation of a standard meaning. no subverter of any calibre has ever neglected the ready tool of linguistics and semantics. a ready instance of the misuse of words is the word 'republic'. its meaning is important to many american conservatives; it is the designation of the u.s. which appears, for example, in the pledge of allegiance. but the word 'republic' has also been appropriated for a radically different meaning by the USSR. the various districts of the soviet state are called 'republics'.
no less an instance of perversion is the word 'police'. in the strict sense of the word, many countries lack a true police, and the USSR is one of them. americans, accustomed to regarding the police as the agencies of law and order, automatically apply that word to foreign orders. thus, charles foltz, jr., in the u.s. news and world report, speaks of soviet 'policemen'. properly speaking, there are no police in the soviet union, only political agents and the military power.
the arms of soviet power are, first, the communist party, which, by its network of informants. controls, and powers, is important in the execution of soviet decrees. second, there are the so-called secret police, a state controlled, centralized body of political agents, whose purpose is not police work but the maintenance of political power. third, there is the military power. the army, in barracks across the country, patrols the cities with little or no knowledge of police work. these are 'bolshevism's 3 pillars of strength'. a fourth arm, even more important, and even more unrelated to police work, is the communist security system, 'the system of the invisible government' of the USSR. the police as such do not exist in the USSR, and are an object of hatred by communists, a target for abolition. the communist goal is to supplant the local police with a national body of political agents.
it is important, therefore, to understand what the police are, and the nature of their functions. the principles of police operation are often formulated.
these are:
1. the first duty of the police is the prevention of crime
2. efficiency is to be judged by the absence of crime rather than by the # of arrests
3. police duties must be carried out impartially
4. punishment is not part of the police function but belongs to the courts and correctional institutions
5. the effort to save lives must be made even in the face of personal danger.
in this day and age, many are content to define things in terms of existing function rather than nature and meaning. to define the meaning of the police, let us examine their origin, purpose, and nature.
the word 'police' comes from the greek word polis, and the polis was the greek city-state. in size, it varied from a single city or port, to a city and its environs, so that it is best comparable to a modern city or country. police, in the true sense, are;
1. a locally controlled and hence decentralized agency which is unrelated to other police bodies of other cities or counties and lacking in any national federation or union. the police, properly, are city and county law enforcement men.
2. the police are not a military body, even if in uniform. they are civilians in every sense of the word, and their authority is a civilian authority.
3. the police are supported by the local property owners, whose agency they are, by means of a tax of property. the entire support of the police is local, and it is the property tax.
4. their orientation is accordingly local, and the protection of life and property is their essential task. they are thus essentially a non-political body.
5. the local orientation of the police means also no national responsibility. federal law is outside the jurisdiction of the police.
6. the police are not only supported by the local citizenry through a property tax, but THEIR SOURCE OF POWER AND AUTHORITY IS BY DELEGATION WITHOUT SURRENDER FROM THE LOCAL CITIZENRY.
men can elect a councilman or congressman and delegate to him the right to vote on their behalf; they do not possess and do not maintain a right to vote in those bodies for themselves; it is a privilege held as a member of the electorate in the person of the representative officer. but the citizenry (originally propertied citizenry) does not surrender its police power to the police. it is delegation without surrender. THE CITIZENRY RETAINS THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE, AS NEEDED, ITS POLICE POWER, THE RIGHT OF CITIZEN ARREST. this right, of course, is under the law, as is the official police arrest, in each case subject to legal fences designed to protect the right of the innocent and the orderly processes of law. TRUE POLICE POWER IS THUS IN THE CITIZENRY AND NOT IN THE STATE; IT IS DELEGATED, NOT SURRENDERED. this is the identifying mark of a true police, and the source of its offense to a totalitarian order.
7. the police are an aspect of THE LOCAL CITIZENRY'S SELF-GOVERNMENT and of THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE. attempts to destroy the police by destroying their purely local nature are thus veiled attacks on the right of self-defense.
totalitarian orders thus have no true police, and the united states represents the finest development of the police concept. in the USSR, there is no truly criminal law in the american sense, for law is not oriented to the defense of the citizenry from criminal activity, nor is it legal in orientation. criminal offenses are properly offenses against the state in the USSR, for all power and all 'rights' are concentrated in the hands of the state. in england, although the police, so-called, are under some local control, they are nationally paid and all under the british home office. there is thus no true police in england. criminal offenses, moreover, are not against persons but 'against the peace of our sovereign lady the queen, her crown and dignity'. ancient rome had no police and virtually no criminal law during much of its history, crimes being committed by slaves in the main, masters enforced their own discipline on their slaves. later, bread and circuses was, among other things, a substitute for the enforcement of law and order.
a slave state has no true criminal law, and no police. the slave population have no rights to be defended, and no police power, or right of self defense, to delegate. if all are slaves of the state, there is no police power but only state power. in a free society, the citizenry can establish a local police force, exercise their own police rights, and also create private police, patrol or detective agencies to further their right of self-defense. in the u.s., in origin and development a protestant feudal restoration, criminal and civil law are local, county law, and a true police exists, ie. a local force to enforce laws in defense of the citizenry. moreover, the citizenry have a further right, written into the u.s. constitution in amendment II: 'a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed'. attempts to infringe this right and other rights are linked also to the assault on the police power.
and with reason, for the local police, country and city, constitute a vast and competent civilian army in the u.s., each unit responsible only to its locality and without central control. THE MENACE OF Civil Defense IS THAT IT SEEKS IN EVERY AREA TO DESTROY LOCAL ORIENTATIONS IN THE NAME OF 'EMERGENCY'. THE LOCAL POLICE POSE A PROBLEM AND A THREAT TO A COMMUNIST (or any type of) TAKEOVER, IN THAT IT IS AN ARMY BEYOND THE REACH OF THE CENTRAL STATIST POWERS, IN THE STATES AND IN WASHINGTON. communist infiltration of the police has proved to be a failure on the whole for 2 main reasons. first, there is a radical conflict of perspective. the police have a local, decentralized perspective, while communists have a collectivistic and international outlook. it is difficult for them to adjust to the purely local orientation. second, police work is hard work, and communists want to indoctrinate and to control, not to work.
no less an instance of perversion is the word 'police'. in the strict sense of the word, many countries lack a true police, and the USSR is one of them. americans, accustomed to regarding the police as the agencies of law and order, automatically apply that word to foreign orders. thus, charles foltz, jr., in the u.s. news and world report, speaks of soviet 'policemen'. properly speaking, there are no police in the soviet union, only political agents and the military power.
the arms of soviet power are, first, the communist party, which, by its network of informants. controls, and powers, is important in the execution of soviet decrees. second, there are the so-called secret police, a state controlled, centralized body of political agents, whose purpose is not police work but the maintenance of political power. third, there is the military power. the army, in barracks across the country, patrols the cities with little or no knowledge of police work. these are 'bolshevism's 3 pillars of strength'. a fourth arm, even more important, and even more unrelated to police work, is the communist security system, 'the system of the invisible government' of the USSR. the police as such do not exist in the USSR, and are an object of hatred by communists, a target for abolition. the communist goal is to supplant the local police with a national body of political agents.
it is important, therefore, to understand what the police are, and the nature of their functions. the principles of police operation are often formulated.
these are:
1. the first duty of the police is the prevention of crime
2. efficiency is to be judged by the absence of crime rather than by the # of arrests
3. police duties must be carried out impartially
4. punishment is not part of the police function but belongs to the courts and correctional institutions
5. the effort to save lives must be made even in the face of personal danger.
in this day and age, many are content to define things in terms of existing function rather than nature and meaning. to define the meaning of the police, let us examine their origin, purpose, and nature.
the word 'police' comes from the greek word polis, and the polis was the greek city-state. in size, it varied from a single city or port, to a city and its environs, so that it is best comparable to a modern city or country. police, in the true sense, are;
1. a locally controlled and hence decentralized agency which is unrelated to other police bodies of other cities or counties and lacking in any national federation or union. the police, properly, are city and county law enforcement men.
2. the police are not a military body, even if in uniform. they are civilians in every sense of the word, and their authority is a civilian authority.
3. the police are supported by the local property owners, whose agency they are, by means of a tax of property. the entire support of the police is local, and it is the property tax.
4. their orientation is accordingly local, and the protection of life and property is their essential task. they are thus essentially a non-political body.
5. the local orientation of the police means also no national responsibility. federal law is outside the jurisdiction of the police.
6. the police are not only supported by the local citizenry through a property tax, but THEIR SOURCE OF POWER AND AUTHORITY IS BY DELEGATION WITHOUT SURRENDER FROM THE LOCAL CITIZENRY.
men can elect a councilman or congressman and delegate to him the right to vote on their behalf; they do not possess and do not maintain a right to vote in those bodies for themselves; it is a privilege held as a member of the electorate in the person of the representative officer. but the citizenry (originally propertied citizenry) does not surrender its police power to the police. it is delegation without surrender. THE CITIZENRY RETAINS THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE, AS NEEDED, ITS POLICE POWER, THE RIGHT OF CITIZEN ARREST. this right, of course, is under the law, as is the official police arrest, in each case subject to legal fences designed to protect the right of the innocent and the orderly processes of law. TRUE POLICE POWER IS THUS IN THE CITIZENRY AND NOT IN THE STATE; IT IS DELEGATED, NOT SURRENDERED. this is the identifying mark of a true police, and the source of its offense to a totalitarian order.
7. the police are an aspect of THE LOCAL CITIZENRY'S SELF-GOVERNMENT and of THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE. attempts to destroy the police by destroying their purely local nature are thus veiled attacks on the right of self-defense.
totalitarian orders thus have no true police, and the united states represents the finest development of the police concept. in the USSR, there is no truly criminal law in the american sense, for law is not oriented to the defense of the citizenry from criminal activity, nor is it legal in orientation. criminal offenses are properly offenses against the state in the USSR, for all power and all 'rights' are concentrated in the hands of the state. in england, although the police, so-called, are under some local control, they are nationally paid and all under the british home office. there is thus no true police in england. criminal offenses, moreover, are not against persons but 'against the peace of our sovereign lady the queen, her crown and dignity'. ancient rome had no police and virtually no criminal law during much of its history, crimes being committed by slaves in the main, masters enforced their own discipline on their slaves. later, bread and circuses was, among other things, a substitute for the enforcement of law and order.
a slave state has no true criminal law, and no police. the slave population have no rights to be defended, and no police power, or right of self defense, to delegate. if all are slaves of the state, there is no police power but only state power. in a free society, the citizenry can establish a local police force, exercise their own police rights, and also create private police, patrol or detective agencies to further their right of self-defense. in the u.s., in origin and development a protestant feudal restoration, criminal and civil law are local, county law, and a true police exists, ie. a local force to enforce laws in defense of the citizenry. moreover, the citizenry have a further right, written into the u.s. constitution in amendment II: 'a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed'. attempts to infringe this right and other rights are linked also to the assault on the police power.
and with reason, for the local police, country and city, constitute a vast and competent civilian army in the u.s., each unit responsible only to its locality and without central control. THE MENACE OF Civil Defense IS THAT IT SEEKS IN EVERY AREA TO DESTROY LOCAL ORIENTATIONS IN THE NAME OF 'EMERGENCY'. THE LOCAL POLICE POSE A PROBLEM AND A THREAT TO A COMMUNIST (or any type of) TAKEOVER, IN THAT IT IS AN ARMY BEYOND THE REACH OF THE CENTRAL STATIST POWERS, IN THE STATES AND IN WASHINGTON. communist infiltration of the police has proved to be a failure on the whole for 2 main reasons. first, there is a radical conflict of perspective. the police have a local, decentralized perspective, while communists have a collectivistic and international outlook. it is difficult for them to adjust to the purely local orientation. second, police work is hard work, and communists want to indoctrinate and to control, not to work.
Friday, January 21, 2011
1.21.2011 FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
taken from the nature of the american system by rousas j. rushdoony 1965, p148f there is no question that andrew jackson, in his 'veto message' of july 10,1832, believed that the bank of the united states was a conspiracy against the people, "unauthorized by the constitution, subversive of the rights of the states, and dangerous to the liberties of the people". wealthy and powerful americans and foreigners were in league against the people behind the facade of the bank. jackson could tolerate no evil as necessary; "there are no necessary evils in government. its evils exist only in its abuses". the civil war saw the banking powers working on both sides to effect a control of $. in the century following the civil war, many powerful fortunes were established, and more than a few writers have ascribed great powers to them. there is no lack of truth, in the main, in such studies, but the heart of the matter lies elsewhere. industry, transportation, news and other centers of power rest today on the foundation of finance capitalism and are accordingly predominantly subservient to the financial powers. hildreth long ago observed the source of the danger:
"a bank whether great or small, naturally and necessarily falls under the influence and control of a few individuals. if there is but one great bank, bank acomadations will be limited, for the most part, to the friends, favorites, proteges and toad-eaters of the few great capitalists who will usurp its management; and the monopoly of banking will tend necessarily to produce a monopoly of business, - for those possess a monopoly of business who enjoy a monopoly of the means necessary to carry it on."
and this has happened. through central banking, nations and people are delivered into bondage to international finance.
the federal reserve system was created ostensibly to remedy the finacial situation. attacks had been made on 'the $ trust", and a very inadequate and faulty investigation made of it by the pujo committee of congress, its results reported by louis d. brandeis in other people's $, and how the bankers use it (1913). with the federal reserve act, the very evils criticized were quickly enthroned so that it could be said, 'banking, as it is conducted today, is actually a conspiracy operating against society". one current schoare has titled his work the federal reserve conspiracy. what is the conspiracy involved in $ today? the clue is in a statement made by governor marriner eccles of the federal reserve board before the house banking and currency committee: "debt is the basis for the creation of $". not too long before america's entry into world war II, eccles said, "if there were no debts in our $ system, there would be no $". as far back as 1935, before the major expansion of debt $, it was noted "that more than 95% of all the nation's $ is based upon its debt instead of its wealth".
this is a difficult concept for most people to realize; they are used to thinking of $ as wealth, not as a permanent debt, if not an outright sale into slavery of their country and its future into the hands of $ lenders. the federal reserve system is a $ trust. the federal reserve system issues paper $ which the united states of america, on the face thereof guarantees, not the federal reserve itself. when the u.s. needs $ , it issues bonds for the needed amount to the federal reserve system, which then issues to the u.s. government the equivalent amount in new currency printed by the u.s. bureau of engraving and printing. at no cost to itself, the federal system issues or creates $ against which the people must pay interest on bonds, and every expansion of currency is an expansion of debt. on the other hand, when the federal reserve system wants new currency, it simply calls for it from the bureau of engraving and secures it debt free . this fantastic system, common to most nations, is a form of slavery without manumission. few protests have been made against the federal reserve system by persons in power, and such protests have been peripheral to the main issue.
let us examine some of the implications of eccles' statements, ie. "debt is the basis for the creation of $..if there were no debts in our $ system, there would be no $". when the u.s. federal government wants $, a hundred million dollars, for example, it prints and turns over interest-bearing bonds for that amount to the federal reserve system, which then creates $ by simply asking the u.s. bureau of engraving to print up a hundred million dollars.
3 things are immediately created, as it were, out of nothing: first, a hundred million dollars in paper $, and, second, a debt for those interest-bearing bonds which well take more than that hundred million to satisfy! but, third, $, the measure and medium of wealth, now represents not wealth but debt, and the existence of most paper currency represents an almost irredeemable debt and mortgage against the entire country. $ THAT IS ITSELF DEBT CANNOT RETIRE DEBT, because it represents, every day it is in existence, an increasing interest debt against the country above and beyond its face value. although it is sometimes said, of the national debt, that 'we owe it to ourselves", in actuality we borrow from those in our midst who are provident to destroy the wealth and assets they possess. thus, although politicians may promise a balanced budget, they are likely to gain more power by increasing debt, for in a debt-free country, the citizenry is strong and the civil government is limited.
in a debt-ridden country, taxes increase, liberties decrease, and the civil government, increasingly less responsive to the will of the citizenry, increases its own power over the people even as it vastly enlarges the power of the invisible government over all. all in all, it is clear that debt is the road to total slavery, and the christian, both as a person and in his organized society, must recognize the truth of scripture when it orders, 'owe no man anything, but to love one another' romans 13.8.
bad as this situation is, the bretton woods, 1944, agreement establishing an INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND compounded the evil. the fund is exempt from law and taxation by any government, national or international, and it cannot be the object of any legal proceedings without its permission.
the result is a $ making and $ controlling agency whose powers are steadily coming closer to total power. in 1963, it was proposed by j. r. cuthbertson, economist of lazard boros. and co., london merchant bankers, that, before the price of gold be raised, all nations transfer by bookkeeping their gold to the international monetary fund. "they would receive credit notes in exchange". at "zero hour", all nations would devalue their currencies in terms of gold. if gold were advanced 50%, from $35 an ounce to $52.50, "the IMF would thuhave an immense 50% bookkeeping profit on the transaction". the nations would have of course, a 50% loss financially and a greater loss of self-government to a purely private agency. the IMF is a profit making instittution. it binds member nations to gold and the dollar, both of which are firmly controlled, in the name of monetary unity.
how shall we evaluate these things? it is possible , and many have done it, to begin naming the international political heads, some known and others unknown, who are involved at the heart of these things, but this is an exercise in futility. it has been done for more than a century, and before that in many an era, without any appreciable effect. knowledge is important, but it is not knowledge which saves men, and the public announcement of all the relevant names would in no wise alter the situation in any basic respect. the issue is theological.
in this respect, the fish committee report on communism in 1931 was moving in the right direction when it defined communism as first of all characterized by and advocating a hatred of God and all forms of religion. (note: i don't believe this may be true for i have seen in print that the communists in russia actually encouraged islam within their country.) communism must be defined first of all in relationship to God: it is a religious movement, the politico-economic form of the religion of humanity. this is true of both the marxist and fabian branches.
similarly, the federal reserve system and the IMF rest on the same rejection of orthodox christianity. any directorate can control. although a very small minority, when majorities are without faith and direction. orthodox christians were once such a minority, a threat to rome and its eventual successor. more than the guilt of conspirators, however, which is very real, the helplessness of the christian west is a confession of its own sin and shame.
behind the "$ trust" are, first, the theorists, and second, politicians without faith or courage, and, third, people who will not live in terms of the biblical laws with respect to debt. as we have noted, conspiracies are present on various sides and among differing racial and religious groups, but the basic conspiracy is against God and his Christ, and in some degree includes us all. it includes the clergy, who will not teach the biblcal facts concerning usury, and the laity, who often work to keep the clergy poor and in debt to make them 'spiritually minded and subservient. it includes all who sell their future to men by debt, for debt places one under man's sovereignty otherwise than God's word permits, and not in willing and godly service but as a slave. man must be in service to man only under God.
the biblical law concerning usury or interest and debt is, in its main points, clear-cut. debt is only to be contracted in emergencies, and no man, family or people can mortgage its future. the maximum life of debt was 6 years therefore, all debts being cancel ed on the seventh or sabbatical years (ex. 23.10f, lev. 25.1f cf deut. 15.6-11, 28.12, 44) security of certain sorts for loans could be asked of fellow-believers (deut. 24.6, 17, job 24.3), but not interest (ex. 22.25). unbelievers, living by another law, were not to be bound by this law, and interest could be exacted from them (lev. 25. 36-7, deut. 23.19-20). thus, at best, only a severely limited usury was permitted. with the reformation, some calvinists held to no usury under any circumstances, with others continuing to affirm a strictly limited usury. certainly, the christian was enjoined by paul to pay all due taxes and live debt free. (rom. 13.6-10).
a truly christian order, therefore, means not only a severely limited order with respect to time limits on debt, but also severely restricted with respect to usury. it cannot be one of debt $ and of a debt economy. bonds must thus be seen as clearly unlawful to the orthodox christian, and to his institutions for they involve a philosophy of debt, and of continuing debt, for bonds are not generally retired when due.
indeed bonds are the mainstay of debt $. some bonds are perpetual, the most conspicuous example being the british 'consols', or the british government's 2.5% consolidated stock, of which some $765 million including the consol 4%'s are in existence. bonds commonly are continued past their due date, the issuing governmental agencies rarely having the funds to retire them. in any case, bonds are a central aspect of a debt economy, the mainstay of $ lenders, and a death knell to the liberties of a people. no '$ trust' can be destroyed merely by exposure or by knowledge of its existence. it can be rapidly destroyed as people take seriously their faith in its every aspect and submit themselves to the sovereignty of God and His work.
most fundamentalist christians are thoroughly modernist in their radical disregard of much of scripture, including its teaching concerning debt and usury, and in their limitation of its authority to matters of salvation and certain limited areas of personal and social morality. there is no preaching against the installment plan, bonds, debt $, long term debts, unbiblical usury, and many related matters. for even a limited segment of evangelical christianity to adhere to these principles would have a shattering effect on any '$ trust'. the present debt economy will sooner or later collapse, destroying with it all institutions built thereon. a new and debt free economy must even now be inaugurated in the healthy segments of society, lest chaos follow.
the cardinal of chile, in the mystery of freemasonry unveiled, cited several kinds of international orders, including the monetary powers, as the quiet powers working towards a tyrannical society. the CRITICAL issue, however, is NOT to be located in these INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACIES, BUT in MAN'S TRANSGRESSION. THE RESULTS OF HIS SIN LIE 'crouching at the door', THREATENING TO MASTER HIM UNLESS HE MASTERS THEM BY HIS OWN SUBMISSION TO GOD. "if you do right, will there not be a lifting up"? (gen. 4.7, berkeley version). to regard the solution as merely the identification, denunciation and punishment of the '$ trust' is to evade the fact of the centrality of the religious issue, the requirement that man live by the whole counsel of God. nothing can absolve man of this responsibility.
note: the goal for every individual is local, independent, self-sufficient, self-governing, agrarian, fountain of blessing to others and above all, bondservant of Jesus Christ. as my weekly food bill this year has come down to about $40 a week (from about $47 last year)... as i eat more from the garden... i am deeply impressed that, if i am not to go to prison, the goal is the one stated above. i am now at the point of beginning to think about making the foods i still buy with the ultimate goal being to spend no $ .. either for food or anything else. no debt. no $. any item felt 'absolutely necessary' but difficult to make could be obtained by barter. Jesus is my unemployment compensation, medicare, medicaid, social security, death benefit, health insurance, etc. and when Jesus wants me, i'm ready! until then, Lord help me,...not one cent from government or any one else...only hilarious giving to the needy one...
"a bank whether great or small, naturally and necessarily falls under the influence and control of a few individuals. if there is but one great bank, bank acomadations will be limited, for the most part, to the friends, favorites, proteges and toad-eaters of the few great capitalists who will usurp its management; and the monopoly of banking will tend necessarily to produce a monopoly of business, - for those possess a monopoly of business who enjoy a monopoly of the means necessary to carry it on."
and this has happened. through central banking, nations and people are delivered into bondage to international finance.
the federal reserve system was created ostensibly to remedy the finacial situation. attacks had been made on 'the $ trust", and a very inadequate and faulty investigation made of it by the pujo committee of congress, its results reported by louis d. brandeis in other people's $, and how the bankers use it (1913). with the federal reserve act, the very evils criticized were quickly enthroned so that it could be said, 'banking, as it is conducted today, is actually a conspiracy operating against society". one current schoare has titled his work the federal reserve conspiracy. what is the conspiracy involved in $ today? the clue is in a statement made by governor marriner eccles of the federal reserve board before the house banking and currency committee: "debt is the basis for the creation of $". not too long before america's entry into world war II, eccles said, "if there were no debts in our $ system, there would be no $". as far back as 1935, before the major expansion of debt $, it was noted "that more than 95% of all the nation's $ is based upon its debt instead of its wealth".
this is a difficult concept for most people to realize; they are used to thinking of $ as wealth, not as a permanent debt, if not an outright sale into slavery of their country and its future into the hands of $ lenders. the federal reserve system is a $ trust. the federal reserve system issues paper $ which the united states of america, on the face thereof guarantees, not the federal reserve itself. when the u.s. needs $ , it issues bonds for the needed amount to the federal reserve system, which then issues to the u.s. government the equivalent amount in new currency printed by the u.s. bureau of engraving and printing. at no cost to itself, the federal system issues or creates $ against which the people must pay interest on bonds, and every expansion of currency is an expansion of debt. on the other hand, when the federal reserve system wants new currency, it simply calls for it from the bureau of engraving and secures it debt free . this fantastic system, common to most nations, is a form of slavery without manumission. few protests have been made against the federal reserve system by persons in power, and such protests have been peripheral to the main issue.
let us examine some of the implications of eccles' statements, ie. "debt is the basis for the creation of $..if there were no debts in our $ system, there would be no $". when the u.s. federal government wants $, a hundred million dollars, for example, it prints and turns over interest-bearing bonds for that amount to the federal reserve system, which then creates $ by simply asking the u.s. bureau of engraving to print up a hundred million dollars.
3 things are immediately created, as it were, out of nothing: first, a hundred million dollars in paper $, and, second, a debt for those interest-bearing bonds which well take more than that hundred million to satisfy! but, third, $, the measure and medium of wealth, now represents not wealth but debt, and the existence of most paper currency represents an almost irredeemable debt and mortgage against the entire country. $ THAT IS ITSELF DEBT CANNOT RETIRE DEBT, because it represents, every day it is in existence, an increasing interest debt against the country above and beyond its face value. although it is sometimes said, of the national debt, that 'we owe it to ourselves", in actuality we borrow from those in our midst who are provident to destroy the wealth and assets they possess. thus, although politicians may promise a balanced budget, they are likely to gain more power by increasing debt, for in a debt-free country, the citizenry is strong and the civil government is limited.
in a debt-ridden country, taxes increase, liberties decrease, and the civil government, increasingly less responsive to the will of the citizenry, increases its own power over the people even as it vastly enlarges the power of the invisible government over all. all in all, it is clear that debt is the road to total slavery, and the christian, both as a person and in his organized society, must recognize the truth of scripture when it orders, 'owe no man anything, but to love one another' romans 13.8.
bad as this situation is, the bretton woods, 1944, agreement establishing an INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND compounded the evil. the fund is exempt from law and taxation by any government, national or international, and it cannot be the object of any legal proceedings without its permission.
the result is a $ making and $ controlling agency whose powers are steadily coming closer to total power. in 1963, it was proposed by j. r. cuthbertson, economist of lazard boros. and co., london merchant bankers, that, before the price of gold be raised, all nations transfer by bookkeeping their gold to the international monetary fund. "they would receive credit notes in exchange". at "zero hour", all nations would devalue their currencies in terms of gold. if gold were advanced 50%, from $35 an ounce to $52.50, "the IMF would thuhave an immense 50% bookkeeping profit on the transaction". the nations would have of course, a 50% loss financially and a greater loss of self-government to a purely private agency. the IMF is a profit making instittution. it binds member nations to gold and the dollar, both of which are firmly controlled, in the name of monetary unity.
how shall we evaluate these things? it is possible , and many have done it, to begin naming the international political heads, some known and others unknown, who are involved at the heart of these things, but this is an exercise in futility. it has been done for more than a century, and before that in many an era, without any appreciable effect. knowledge is important, but it is not knowledge which saves men, and the public announcement of all the relevant names would in no wise alter the situation in any basic respect. the issue is theological.
in this respect, the fish committee report on communism in 1931 was moving in the right direction when it defined communism as first of all characterized by and advocating a hatred of God and all forms of religion. (note: i don't believe this may be true for i have seen in print that the communists in russia actually encouraged islam within their country.) communism must be defined first of all in relationship to God: it is a religious movement, the politico-economic form of the religion of humanity. this is true of both the marxist and fabian branches.
similarly, the federal reserve system and the IMF rest on the same rejection of orthodox christianity. any directorate can control. although a very small minority, when majorities are without faith and direction. orthodox christians were once such a minority, a threat to rome and its eventual successor. more than the guilt of conspirators, however, which is very real, the helplessness of the christian west is a confession of its own sin and shame.
behind the "$ trust" are, first, the theorists, and second, politicians without faith or courage, and, third, people who will not live in terms of the biblical laws with respect to debt. as we have noted, conspiracies are present on various sides and among differing racial and religious groups, but the basic conspiracy is against God and his Christ, and in some degree includes us all. it includes the clergy, who will not teach the biblcal facts concerning usury, and the laity, who often work to keep the clergy poor and in debt to make them 'spiritually minded and subservient. it includes all who sell their future to men by debt, for debt places one under man's sovereignty otherwise than God's word permits, and not in willing and godly service but as a slave. man must be in service to man only under God.
the biblical law concerning usury or interest and debt is, in its main points, clear-cut. debt is only to be contracted in emergencies, and no man, family or people can mortgage its future. the maximum life of debt was 6 years therefore, all debts being cancel ed on the seventh or sabbatical years (ex. 23.10f, lev. 25.1f cf deut. 15.6-11, 28.12, 44) security of certain sorts for loans could be asked of fellow-believers (deut. 24.6, 17, job 24.3), but not interest (ex. 22.25). unbelievers, living by another law, were not to be bound by this law, and interest could be exacted from them (lev. 25. 36-7, deut. 23.19-20). thus, at best, only a severely limited usury was permitted. with the reformation, some calvinists held to no usury under any circumstances, with others continuing to affirm a strictly limited usury. certainly, the christian was enjoined by paul to pay all due taxes and live debt free. (rom. 13.6-10).
a truly christian order, therefore, means not only a severely limited order with respect to time limits on debt, but also severely restricted with respect to usury. it cannot be one of debt $ and of a debt economy. bonds must thus be seen as clearly unlawful to the orthodox christian, and to his institutions for they involve a philosophy of debt, and of continuing debt, for bonds are not generally retired when due.
indeed bonds are the mainstay of debt $. some bonds are perpetual, the most conspicuous example being the british 'consols', or the british government's 2.5% consolidated stock, of which some $765 million including the consol 4%'s are in existence. bonds commonly are continued past their due date, the issuing governmental agencies rarely having the funds to retire them. in any case, bonds are a central aspect of a debt economy, the mainstay of $ lenders, and a death knell to the liberties of a people. no '$ trust' can be destroyed merely by exposure or by knowledge of its existence. it can be rapidly destroyed as people take seriously their faith in its every aspect and submit themselves to the sovereignty of God and His work.
most fundamentalist christians are thoroughly modernist in their radical disregard of much of scripture, including its teaching concerning debt and usury, and in their limitation of its authority to matters of salvation and certain limited areas of personal and social morality. there is no preaching against the installment plan, bonds, debt $, long term debts, unbiblical usury, and many related matters. for even a limited segment of evangelical christianity to adhere to these principles would have a shattering effect on any '$ trust'. the present debt economy will sooner or later collapse, destroying with it all institutions built thereon. a new and debt free economy must even now be inaugurated in the healthy segments of society, lest chaos follow.
the cardinal of chile, in the mystery of freemasonry unveiled, cited several kinds of international orders, including the monetary powers, as the quiet powers working towards a tyrannical society. the CRITICAL issue, however, is NOT to be located in these INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACIES, BUT in MAN'S TRANSGRESSION. THE RESULTS OF HIS SIN LIE 'crouching at the door', THREATENING TO MASTER HIM UNLESS HE MASTERS THEM BY HIS OWN SUBMISSION TO GOD. "if you do right, will there not be a lifting up"? (gen. 4.7, berkeley version). to regard the solution as merely the identification, denunciation and punishment of the '$ trust' is to evade the fact of the centrality of the religious issue, the requirement that man live by the whole counsel of God. nothing can absolve man of this responsibility.
note: the goal for every individual is local, independent, self-sufficient, self-governing, agrarian, fountain of blessing to others and above all, bondservant of Jesus Christ. as my weekly food bill this year has come down to about $40 a week (from about $47 last year)... as i eat more from the garden... i am deeply impressed that, if i am not to go to prison, the goal is the one stated above. i am now at the point of beginning to think about making the foods i still buy with the ultimate goal being to spend no $ .. either for food or anything else. no debt. no $. any item felt 'absolutely necessary' but difficult to make could be obtained by barter. Jesus is my unemployment compensation, medicare, medicaid, social security, death benefit, health insurance, etc. and when Jesus wants me, i'm ready! until then, Lord help me,...not one cent from government or any one else...only hilarious giving to the needy one...
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
1.18.2010 WILLIAM CAREY'S JOURNAL V 2.23.1795
2.23.1795 i felt some encouragement through this day, arising from the circumstance of the people coming yesterday for instruction, and was enabled to plead with God for them; i long for their deliverance from their miserable state on 2 accounts, principally because i see God daily dishonoured, and them drowned in sensuality, ignorance and superstition, and likewise because i think that news of the conversion of some of them would much encourage the society, and excite them to double their efforts in other places for the propagation of the glorious gospel.
2.24,25 i think one of the greatest blessings upon earth is christian society, for if one becomes somewhat dull, conversation serves to enliven his spirits and to prompt him on in godliness; i have but little to this help, and to my sorrow often fall, when i have not one at hand to lift me up again. i think my peevishness, fretfulness, and impatience is astonishing. o that the grace of God might but be in me and abound.
february and march: this season, it is a considerable work, and requires much care and attention.
3.1 felt my mind somewhat set upon the things of God, and had some real pleasure in the public exercises which were engaged in, in my house this day. i felt a concern for the gospel, and its spread in other parts, and for the churches, and ministers of my acquaintance; was in hopes that my last week's congregation would have come today, but was disappointed. i went out however to a market at about 2 miles distance ..and preached to the people there, who were very attentive, and promised to come for further instruction the day after tomorrow, i hope some good may be done soon.
3.9,10 much to complain of, such another dead soul i think scarcely exists in the world. i can only compare myself to one banished from all his friends and wandering in an irksome solitude.
3. 12-14 much to do in the world, and almost all my time taken up therein, have had a few serious solitary reflections, but want that tenderness of conscience, and that peace of conscience which i have experienced in time past; mine is a lonesome life indeed. o that my soul my be quickened in divine things.
3.15 a miserable day. i did not suspect that my soul was so absorpt in the world as i find it to be. if i try to pray, some thing relative to the compleating of our works starts up and my thoughts are all carnal, and confused. i have been very unhappy and would not have to manage all the business of so great a concern again for another person of the world, but it is my own carnal spirit that is to be blamed. this is the station which God has i great mercy put me int, and has thus preserved and provided for my family. ..i went out to preach to the natives, found very few, tried to discourse to them, but my soul was overwhelmed with depression, and i left them after some time. by the way i tried to pour out my soul in prayer to God, but was ready to sink under the burden of my own soul..
3. 23,29 ..spiritual conversation is a great and invaluable blessing..
4.11-2 on the last of these days preached twice to the natives, had a large assembly in the morning about 200 and in the evening about 500. munshi first read to them a part of the gospel of matthew, and i afterwards preached to them, upon the necessity of repentance and faith, and of copying after the example of Christ - they heard with considerable attention, and i felt some sweet freedom in pressing them to come to Christ. afterwards had some meditation on the effect of the fear of God on my soul, and saw plainly that i was restrained from much evil thereby, not merely as if i was hindered from action by bonds put upon me but, by its operation upon my will, and exciting me to fear doing that which God disapproves of -
5.9 i have added nothing to these memoirs since the 19th april. now i observe that for the last 3 sabbaths my soul has been much comforted in seeing so large a congregation, and more especially as many who are not our own workmen attend from the parts adjacent, whose attendance must by wholly disinterested. i therefore now rejoice in seeing a regular congregation of from 2 to 600 people, of all descriptions, mussulmen, brahmans and other classed of hindus, and which i look upon as a favourable token from God - i this day attempted to preach to them more regularly from a passage of the word of God, luke 4.18 'the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, etc. - in which i endeavored to prove the miserable state of unconverted men, as spiritually poor, as bound by a sinful disposition, and by pernicious customs, and false expectations of happiness, from false, and idolatrous worship in which i took occasion to observe that both in the shastras and koran, there were many good observations and rules, and which ought to be attended to, but that one thing, they could not inform us of ..how God can forgive sin, consistent with his justice, and save sinners in a way in which justice and mercy could harmonize. i told them that their books were like a loaf of malignant poison, which made the whole so poisonous that whoever sould eat of it would die, so i observed that their writings contained much good instruction mixed with deadly poison.
i appealed to them whether any of their idols could give rain (a blessing much wanted now) or whether they could do them any service at all; when an old mussulman answered aloud 'no they have no power at all' and in this he included the mussulman's (peers) or spirits of their saints, as well as the heathen idols. i observed that the caste was a strong chain by which they were bound, and afterwards spoke of the suitableness and glory of the gospel which proposed an infinitely great sacrifice for infinite guilt, and a fee salvation for poor, and perishing sinners. in the afternoon i enlarged upon the same subject, felt my own soul warmed with the opportunity and hope for good, - of late God has given me greater concern for the salvation of the heathen, and i have been enabled to make it a more important request at the throne of grace - blessed by God have at last received letters and other articles from our friends in england. i rejoice to hear of the welfare of zion, bless God that leicester people go on well - o may they increase more and more. letters from dear brethren fuller, morris, pearce, and rippon, but why not from others, i am grieved for carleton church, poor brother west! i am grieved for england. a residence there with propriety is extremely difficult. bless God we have no such spies of informers here, we are in peace, and sit under our vines and fig trees..
6.14 (last journal entry) i have had very sore trials in my own family from a quarter which i forbear to mention, have greater need for faith and patience than ever i had and i bless God that i have not been altogether without supplies of these graces from God, tho alas i have much to complain of from within..we concerted means to get all the old hindu professors together, having it now in our power to furnish them with some employment. ..we spent wednesday 26 - in prayer, and..we all engaged in supplication for the revival of godliness in our own souls and the prosperity of the work among the natives. i am from that day seized with a dysentery which continued near a week with dreadful violence - but then i recovered, through abundant mercy. that day of prayer was a good day to our souls. we concerted measures for forming a baptist church, and tomorrow morning i going to moypal for the purpose of our organizing the same - through divine mercy our congregation of natives is very promising; we have rather fewer people now owing to this being their seeds time, the rains being just now setting in - i hope for , and expect the blessing of God among us. tho it is painful to preach among careless heathens, yet i feel preaching the gospel to be the element of my soul; had much seriousness to day in addressing them from the words of paul. 'come out from among them and be separate and touch not the unclean thing and i will receive you etc.' and i thought the people behaved seriously. the foundation also goes on, genesis is finished, and exodus to the 33rd chap. i have also for the purpose iof exercising myself in the language begun translating the gospel of john; which munshi afterwards corrects; and mr. thomas has begun the gospel by luke. o Lord send now prosperity.
the above writer, who is said to have spoken - ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD, EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD, ended being involved in not only having a hand in translating (parts of) the bible into about 40 languages, but also authored many language grammars and other helps in a number of these. oh Lord may You help me have this same faith and spirit...not for any particular 'attainment' but that i may simply be moved and brought to the same degree of commitment to serve You however You please.
i hope, by the grace of God, to go thru these noting some of the many things i have been benefited by to the end that this benefit might become not solely intellectual but may become fruitful to living a life more pleasing to You
2.24,25 i think one of the greatest blessings upon earth is christian society, for if one becomes somewhat dull, conversation serves to enliven his spirits and to prompt him on in godliness; i have but little to this help, and to my sorrow often fall, when i have not one at hand to lift me up again. i think my peevishness, fretfulness, and impatience is astonishing. o that the grace of God might but be in me and abound.
february and march: this season, it is a considerable work, and requires much care and attention.
3.1 felt my mind somewhat set upon the things of God, and had some real pleasure in the public exercises which were engaged in, in my house this day. i felt a concern for the gospel, and its spread in other parts, and for the churches, and ministers of my acquaintance; was in hopes that my last week's congregation would have come today, but was disappointed. i went out however to a market at about 2 miles distance ..and preached to the people there, who were very attentive, and promised to come for further instruction the day after tomorrow, i hope some good may be done soon.
3.9,10 much to complain of, such another dead soul i think scarcely exists in the world. i can only compare myself to one banished from all his friends and wandering in an irksome solitude.
3. 12-14 much to do in the world, and almost all my time taken up therein, have had a few serious solitary reflections, but want that tenderness of conscience, and that peace of conscience which i have experienced in time past; mine is a lonesome life indeed. o that my soul my be quickened in divine things.
3.15 a miserable day. i did not suspect that my soul was so absorpt in the world as i find it to be. if i try to pray, some thing relative to the compleating of our works starts up and my thoughts are all carnal, and confused. i have been very unhappy and would not have to manage all the business of so great a concern again for another person of the world, but it is my own carnal spirit that is to be blamed. this is the station which God has i great mercy put me int, and has thus preserved and provided for my family. ..i went out to preach to the natives, found very few, tried to discourse to them, but my soul was overwhelmed with depression, and i left them after some time. by the way i tried to pour out my soul in prayer to God, but was ready to sink under the burden of my own soul..
3. 23,29 ..spiritual conversation is a great and invaluable blessing..
4.11-2 on the last of these days preached twice to the natives, had a large assembly in the morning about 200 and in the evening about 500. munshi first read to them a part of the gospel of matthew, and i afterwards preached to them, upon the necessity of repentance and faith, and of copying after the example of Christ - they heard with considerable attention, and i felt some sweet freedom in pressing them to come to Christ. afterwards had some meditation on the effect of the fear of God on my soul, and saw plainly that i was restrained from much evil thereby, not merely as if i was hindered from action by bonds put upon me but, by its operation upon my will, and exciting me to fear doing that which God disapproves of -
5.9 i have added nothing to these memoirs since the 19th april. now i observe that for the last 3 sabbaths my soul has been much comforted in seeing so large a congregation, and more especially as many who are not our own workmen attend from the parts adjacent, whose attendance must by wholly disinterested. i therefore now rejoice in seeing a regular congregation of from 2 to 600 people, of all descriptions, mussulmen, brahmans and other classed of hindus, and which i look upon as a favourable token from God - i this day attempted to preach to them more regularly from a passage of the word of God, luke 4.18 'the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, etc. - in which i endeavored to prove the miserable state of unconverted men, as spiritually poor, as bound by a sinful disposition, and by pernicious customs, and false expectations of happiness, from false, and idolatrous worship in which i took occasion to observe that both in the shastras and koran, there were many good observations and rules, and which ought to be attended to, but that one thing, they could not inform us of ..how God can forgive sin, consistent with his justice, and save sinners in a way in which justice and mercy could harmonize. i told them that their books were like a loaf of malignant poison, which made the whole so poisonous that whoever sould eat of it would die, so i observed that their writings contained much good instruction mixed with deadly poison.
i appealed to them whether any of their idols could give rain (a blessing much wanted now) or whether they could do them any service at all; when an old mussulman answered aloud 'no they have no power at all' and in this he included the mussulman's (peers) or spirits of their saints, as well as the heathen idols. i observed that the caste was a strong chain by which they were bound, and afterwards spoke of the suitableness and glory of the gospel which proposed an infinitely great sacrifice for infinite guilt, and a fee salvation for poor, and perishing sinners. in the afternoon i enlarged upon the same subject, felt my own soul warmed with the opportunity and hope for good, - of late God has given me greater concern for the salvation of the heathen, and i have been enabled to make it a more important request at the throne of grace - blessed by God have at last received letters and other articles from our friends in england. i rejoice to hear of the welfare of zion, bless God that leicester people go on well - o may they increase more and more. letters from dear brethren fuller, morris, pearce, and rippon, but why not from others, i am grieved for carleton church, poor brother west! i am grieved for england. a residence there with propriety is extremely difficult. bless God we have no such spies of informers here, we are in peace, and sit under our vines and fig trees..
6.14 (last journal entry) i have had very sore trials in my own family from a quarter which i forbear to mention, have greater need for faith and patience than ever i had and i bless God that i have not been altogether without supplies of these graces from God, tho alas i have much to complain of from within..we concerted means to get all the old hindu professors together, having it now in our power to furnish them with some employment. ..we spent wednesday 26 - in prayer, and..we all engaged in supplication for the revival of godliness in our own souls and the prosperity of the work among the natives. i am from that day seized with a dysentery which continued near a week with dreadful violence - but then i recovered, through abundant mercy. that day of prayer was a good day to our souls. we concerted measures for forming a baptist church, and tomorrow morning i going to moypal for the purpose of our organizing the same - through divine mercy our congregation of natives is very promising; we have rather fewer people now owing to this being their seeds time, the rains being just now setting in - i hope for , and expect the blessing of God among us. tho it is painful to preach among careless heathens, yet i feel preaching the gospel to be the element of my soul; had much seriousness to day in addressing them from the words of paul. 'come out from among them and be separate and touch not the unclean thing and i will receive you etc.' and i thought the people behaved seriously. the foundation also goes on, genesis is finished, and exodus to the 33rd chap. i have also for the purpose iof exercising myself in the language begun translating the gospel of john; which munshi afterwards corrects; and mr. thomas has begun the gospel by luke. o Lord send now prosperity.
the above writer, who is said to have spoken - ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD, EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD, ended being involved in not only having a hand in translating (parts of) the bible into about 40 languages, but also authored many language grammars and other helps in a number of these. oh Lord may You help me have this same faith and spirit...not for any particular 'attainment' but that i may simply be moved and brought to the same degree of commitment to serve You however You please.
i hope, by the grace of God, to go thru these noting some of the many things i have been benefited by to the end that this benefit might become not solely intellectual but may become fruitful to living a life more pleasing to You
Saturday, January 15, 2011
1.15,2011 CAREY'S JOURNAL IV 1.1.2011
1.1-15 this time have had bitters (of a family kind) mingled with my soul. much cause complain of want of spirituality, and really have not had time to write my diary, having between 4 and 500 mens labour to direct - on the Lord's days i have preached to the natives in the surrounding villages, and i hope not without some good effect. the mussulmen of one village having appeared much struck with the word, and promised to cast off their superstition; past Lord's day they continued in the same resolution were joined in it by several others who had not heart the word before..
1.16 had much to struggle with outwardly, and inwardly have great reason to complain that there are not more and stronger struggles. o that i was but more in the Spirit of Christ this would make sin a burden to me, and earthly things light, but i am a poor unfeeling, ungrateful wretch towards God; and much under the deception of living to myself, yet i know that this is diametrically opposite to the Spirit of Christ.
1.22 i have continual reason to complain on account of the barrenness of my soul towards God, surely no one who has received such uncommon favours, can be so ungrateful as myself. i have need of more spiritual life, and a more evangelical turn of mind. i want true faith, and in a great degree and i have great need of an aptness, or readiness to teach; indeed i always was very defective in this and now i need more of this spirit than ever i did in my life; i have often thought;, on this very account that i never was fit for the gospel ministry, but how much less fit for the work of a missionary among the heathens. o may God give me his Holy Spirit to furnish me for every good work.
1.23 still barren, o if i did but see and feel anything, better feel the severest pangs of Spirit on this side of hell, than live from one day to another in this most wretched unfeeling state; if i felt the weight of sin; shame for it, resolution against it, or anything else it would be much better than the miserable state that i now am in, 'o Lord i beseech thee deliver my soul'.
1.24 i can only look upon myself as a poor barren idle soul. i feel nothing scarce, i scarcely do any thing. i fear the world has laid hold of my heart; i need a humble spirit and an activity of mind to which now i am almost a total stranger.
1.25 i bless God for some little revival of soul and pleasure in the work of god. this was the day for the worship of sorosaudi (sarasvati?), the patroness of literature, one was prepared near the place where i live; and in the morning was enabled to speak feelingly to 2 or 3 people about the sinfulness of idolatry; and was determined to go and preach to them in the evening when the offering would be at height;
i accordingly went, and after asking what that thing was; the brahman who attended the offering said it was God;
i said pray did that make men or men make that. he confessed that it was made by men,
i then asked him how many gods there were; he said one;
i enquired who made the world, he said birmmha (brahma?)
i asked whether he was god; he said yes
then said i there may be a lack or 100.000 gods at this rate; he then said that he did according to his faith; and that the shastra commanded this.
i enquired what shastra? he said the bee accoran,
i said that shastra is only a sanskrit grammar, and commands no such thing;
have you read it? he acknowledged that he had not;
then said i , you can have no faith about the matter for faith is believing some words, but this thing cannot speak; and the shastra you have never read; he then said that it was the custom of the country;
said i, are all the customs of this country good?
and said i, it is common custom in this country to tell lies, so that you will not find one man in a 1000 but make lying his constant practice,
is this a good custom?
is whoredom a good custom? he was quite stunned with this; but presently said that his ancestors had always done so;
i enquired whether there were an heaven and an hell. he said yes;
then said i how do you know but they are gone to hell? he enquired why God sent the shastras if they were not to be observed.
i answered how do you know that God sent the hindu shastras, did he send the mussulmen's koran also? he answered that God had created both hindus and mussulmen, and had given them different ways to life.
i said then God could neither be wise nor unchangeable to do so, and that all such foolish worship was unworthy of either God or men.
i then took an opportunity of pointing out the justice of God, and the gospel way of salvation by Christ, and then interested the people to cast away those fooleries and seek pardon through the blood of Christ;
for said i. you see your brahman is dumb, he can say nothing; if he can defend his cause let him speak now, but you can hear that he cannot tell whether this thing is God, or man, or woman or tyger or jackall-
i felt a sweetness, and a great affection for them in my own soul, and was enabled to speak from the heart, and God assisted me much, so that i spoke in bengali for near half an hour without intermission, so as to be understood, and much more than ever before, blessed be God for this assistance; o that i may see the good fruit of it and that God may bless it for their eternal good; a
as to the people they care just as much for their idol, as carnal men in england do for Christ at christmas, a good feast, and a holiday is all in all with them both..
1.26 had some longing of soul for the conversion of the poor natives, and an opportunity of discoursing to some of them upon the danger of their state, and the evil of their practices, but was in my own soul barren, and had little communion with God; consequently but little of the enjoyment of true godliness.
1.27 some little enjoyment in prayer; i feel it a blessed thing to feel the plague of my own heart, and my spiritual wants in any measure, than it is a pleasing tho a melting and sorrowful enjoyment to pour out the soul to God. o that i had this spirit of prayer at all times but alas. i soon loose all that is good.
1.28 much engaged in writing having begun to write europe letters, but having received none. i feel that hope deferred makes the heart sick; however i am so fully satisfied with the firmness of their friendship that i feel a sweet pleasure in writing to them, tho rather of a forlorn kind, and having nothing but myself to write about feel the awkwardness of being an egotist. i feel a social spirit tho barred from society.
2.2 had a miserable day, sorely harassed from without, and very cold and dead in my soul. i could bear all outward trials if i had but more of the spirit of God.
2.4 i don't love to be always complaining - yet i always complain. i believe my fault is this - magnifying every trouble and forgetting the multitude of mercies that i am daily loaded with..
2.6 i sometimes walk in my garden and try to pray to God, and if i pray at all, it is in the solitude of a walk; i thought my soul a little drawn out to day, but soon gross darkness returned; spoke a word or 2 to a mohammedan upon the things of God, but i feel as bad as they.
2.7 o that this day could be consigned to oblivion, what a mixture of impatience, carelessness, forgetfulness of God, pride, and peevishness have i felt this day - God forgive me
2.8..went to a village called maddabatty to preach to the natives, but found very few. i felt much for them, but had not the freedom i wished; yet i know God can bless a weak attempt..
2.9-14 i cannot say anything this week except proclaim my own shame, i think that it is a wonder indeed that the goodness of god endureth yet daily..
2.15 this day had some little reviving. preached in the evening to a pretty large assembly of the natives, but when i told them of the immortality of the soul they said they had never heard of that before this day. they told me they wanted instruction and desired me to instruct them upon the Lord's days
2.16 had some little continuance of yesterday's frame - i ardently wish for the conversion of the heathens, and long for more frequent opportunities of addressing them, but their poverty requires them to labour from sunrise to sunset - i have opportunities of privately instructing them very frequently. o may i never want an heart.
2.17 i have to complain of abundance of pride; which i find it necessary to oppose, (and the more as my wife is always blaming me for putting myself on a level with the natives) i have much to conflict with on this score both without and within. i need the united prayers of all the people of God, and o that i had but the spirit to pray more for myself.
2.19 have reason to be thankful for any degree of enjoyment of God. my soul is so much swallowed up in its own indolence and stupidity that i have scarcely any enjoyment of divine things or sense of my own necessities, but from day to day the state of my soul is exceeding forlorn but to day i felt rather more inclined to God and heavenly things, all this light however was only like the peeping out of the sun for a minute or 2 in very rainy weather and soon i felt my gloom return.
2.22 ..in the afternoon i was much cheered by a considerable number of natives coming for instruction and i endeavored to discourse with them about divine things,
i told them that all men were sinners against God.
and that God was strictly just, and of purer eyes than to approve of sin.
i endeavored to press this point, and to ask how they could possibly be saved if this was the case.
i tried to explain to them the nature of heaven and hell, and told them that except our sins were pardoned we must go to hell.
(they said that would be like the prisoners in dinajpur jail - i said , no, for in prison only the body could be afflicted, but in hell, the soul; that in a year or two a prisoner would be released but never freed from hell, that death would release them fro prison, but in hell they would never die;)
i then told them how God sent his son, to save sinners, that he came to save them fro sin, and that he died in sinner's stead, and that whosoever believed on him would obtain everlasting life, and would become holy. they said they were all pleased with this; but wished to know what sin and holiness are.
i told them that there were sins of the heart, the tongue, and the actions, but as a fountain cast out its waters, so all sin had its source from the heart; and that
not to think of God,
not to wish to do his will,
not to regard his word;
and also pride, covetousness, envy etc were great sins, and that
evil and abusive language was very sinful, that
not to be strictly upright in their dealings, was very sinful;
i told them that God was under no obligation to save any man, and
that it was no use to make offerings to God to obtain pardon of sin, for God had no need of goats kids, sheep, etc, for all these are his at all times, and that
if God forgave them it must be from his own will
but that he was willing to save for the sake of Jesus Christ.
after this part of the 5th chapter of matthew was read by munshi, and explained to them, and they went away, promising to return next Lord's day - and my spirits were much revived.
1.16 had much to struggle with outwardly, and inwardly have great reason to complain that there are not more and stronger struggles. o that i was but more in the Spirit of Christ this would make sin a burden to me, and earthly things light, but i am a poor unfeeling, ungrateful wretch towards God; and much under the deception of living to myself, yet i know that this is diametrically opposite to the Spirit of Christ.
1.22 i have continual reason to complain on account of the barrenness of my soul towards God, surely no one who has received such uncommon favours, can be so ungrateful as myself. i have need of more spiritual life, and a more evangelical turn of mind. i want true faith, and in a great degree and i have great need of an aptness, or readiness to teach; indeed i always was very defective in this and now i need more of this spirit than ever i did in my life; i have often thought;, on this very account that i never was fit for the gospel ministry, but how much less fit for the work of a missionary among the heathens. o may God give me his Holy Spirit to furnish me for every good work.
1.23 still barren, o if i did but see and feel anything, better feel the severest pangs of Spirit on this side of hell, than live from one day to another in this most wretched unfeeling state; if i felt the weight of sin; shame for it, resolution against it, or anything else it would be much better than the miserable state that i now am in, 'o Lord i beseech thee deliver my soul'.
1.24 i can only look upon myself as a poor barren idle soul. i feel nothing scarce, i scarcely do any thing. i fear the world has laid hold of my heart; i need a humble spirit and an activity of mind to which now i am almost a total stranger.
1.25 i bless God for some little revival of soul and pleasure in the work of god. this was the day for the worship of sorosaudi (sarasvati?), the patroness of literature, one was prepared near the place where i live; and in the morning was enabled to speak feelingly to 2 or 3 people about the sinfulness of idolatry; and was determined to go and preach to them in the evening when the offering would be at height;
i accordingly went, and after asking what that thing was; the brahman who attended the offering said it was God;
i said pray did that make men or men make that. he confessed that it was made by men,
i then asked him how many gods there were; he said one;
i enquired who made the world, he said birmmha (brahma?)
i asked whether he was god; he said yes
then said i there may be a lack or 100.000 gods at this rate; he then said that he did according to his faith; and that the shastra commanded this.
i enquired what shastra? he said the bee accoran,
i said that shastra is only a sanskrit grammar, and commands no such thing;
have you read it? he acknowledged that he had not;
then said i , you can have no faith about the matter for faith is believing some words, but this thing cannot speak; and the shastra you have never read; he then said that it was the custom of the country;
said i, are all the customs of this country good?
and said i, it is common custom in this country to tell lies, so that you will not find one man in a 1000 but make lying his constant practice,
is this a good custom?
is whoredom a good custom? he was quite stunned with this; but presently said that his ancestors had always done so;
i enquired whether there were an heaven and an hell. he said yes;
then said i how do you know but they are gone to hell? he enquired why God sent the shastras if they were not to be observed.
i answered how do you know that God sent the hindu shastras, did he send the mussulmen's koran also? he answered that God had created both hindus and mussulmen, and had given them different ways to life.
i said then God could neither be wise nor unchangeable to do so, and that all such foolish worship was unworthy of either God or men.
i then took an opportunity of pointing out the justice of God, and the gospel way of salvation by Christ, and then interested the people to cast away those fooleries and seek pardon through the blood of Christ;
for said i. you see your brahman is dumb, he can say nothing; if he can defend his cause let him speak now, but you can hear that he cannot tell whether this thing is God, or man, or woman or tyger or jackall-
i felt a sweetness, and a great affection for them in my own soul, and was enabled to speak from the heart, and God assisted me much, so that i spoke in bengali for near half an hour without intermission, so as to be understood, and much more than ever before, blessed be God for this assistance; o that i may see the good fruit of it and that God may bless it for their eternal good; a
as to the people they care just as much for their idol, as carnal men in england do for Christ at christmas, a good feast, and a holiday is all in all with them both..
1.26 had some longing of soul for the conversion of the poor natives, and an opportunity of discoursing to some of them upon the danger of their state, and the evil of their practices, but was in my own soul barren, and had little communion with God; consequently but little of the enjoyment of true godliness.
1.27 some little enjoyment in prayer; i feel it a blessed thing to feel the plague of my own heart, and my spiritual wants in any measure, than it is a pleasing tho a melting and sorrowful enjoyment to pour out the soul to God. o that i had this spirit of prayer at all times but alas. i soon loose all that is good.
1.28 much engaged in writing having begun to write europe letters, but having received none. i feel that hope deferred makes the heart sick; however i am so fully satisfied with the firmness of their friendship that i feel a sweet pleasure in writing to them, tho rather of a forlorn kind, and having nothing but myself to write about feel the awkwardness of being an egotist. i feel a social spirit tho barred from society.
2.2 had a miserable day, sorely harassed from without, and very cold and dead in my soul. i could bear all outward trials if i had but more of the spirit of God.
2.4 i don't love to be always complaining - yet i always complain. i believe my fault is this - magnifying every trouble and forgetting the multitude of mercies that i am daily loaded with..
2.6 i sometimes walk in my garden and try to pray to God, and if i pray at all, it is in the solitude of a walk; i thought my soul a little drawn out to day, but soon gross darkness returned; spoke a word or 2 to a mohammedan upon the things of God, but i feel as bad as they.
2.7 o that this day could be consigned to oblivion, what a mixture of impatience, carelessness, forgetfulness of God, pride, and peevishness have i felt this day - God forgive me
2.8..went to a village called maddabatty to preach to the natives, but found very few. i felt much for them, but had not the freedom i wished; yet i know God can bless a weak attempt..
2.9-14 i cannot say anything this week except proclaim my own shame, i think that it is a wonder indeed that the goodness of god endureth yet daily..
2.15 this day had some little reviving. preached in the evening to a pretty large assembly of the natives, but when i told them of the immortality of the soul they said they had never heard of that before this day. they told me they wanted instruction and desired me to instruct them upon the Lord's days
2.16 had some little continuance of yesterday's frame - i ardently wish for the conversion of the heathens, and long for more frequent opportunities of addressing them, but their poverty requires them to labour from sunrise to sunset - i have opportunities of privately instructing them very frequently. o may i never want an heart.
2.17 i have to complain of abundance of pride; which i find it necessary to oppose, (and the more as my wife is always blaming me for putting myself on a level with the natives) i have much to conflict with on this score both without and within. i need the united prayers of all the people of God, and o that i had but the spirit to pray more for myself.
2.19 have reason to be thankful for any degree of enjoyment of God. my soul is so much swallowed up in its own indolence and stupidity that i have scarcely any enjoyment of divine things or sense of my own necessities, but from day to day the state of my soul is exceeding forlorn but to day i felt rather more inclined to God and heavenly things, all this light however was only like the peeping out of the sun for a minute or 2 in very rainy weather and soon i felt my gloom return.
2.22 ..in the afternoon i was much cheered by a considerable number of natives coming for instruction and i endeavored to discourse with them about divine things,
i told them that all men were sinners against God.
and that God was strictly just, and of purer eyes than to approve of sin.
i endeavored to press this point, and to ask how they could possibly be saved if this was the case.
i tried to explain to them the nature of heaven and hell, and told them that except our sins were pardoned we must go to hell.
(they said that would be like the prisoners in dinajpur jail - i said , no, for in prison only the body could be afflicted, but in hell, the soul; that in a year or two a prisoner would be released but never freed from hell, that death would release them fro prison, but in hell they would never die;)
i then told them how God sent his son, to save sinners, that he came to save them fro sin, and that he died in sinner's stead, and that whosoever believed on him would obtain everlasting life, and would become holy. they said they were all pleased with this; but wished to know what sin and holiness are.
i told them that there were sins of the heart, the tongue, and the actions, but as a fountain cast out its waters, so all sin had its source from the heart; and that
not to think of God,
not to wish to do his will,
not to regard his word;
and also pride, covetousness, envy etc were great sins, and that
evil and abusive language was very sinful, that
not to be strictly upright in their dealings, was very sinful;
i told them that God was under no obligation to save any man, and
that it was no use to make offerings to God to obtain pardon of sin, for God had no need of goats kids, sheep, etc, for all these are his at all times, and that
if God forgave them it must be from his own will
but that he was willing to save for the sake of Jesus Christ.
after this part of the 5th chapter of matthew was read by munshi, and explained to them, and they went away, promising to return next Lord's day - and my spirits were much revived.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
1.12.2011 WILLIAM CAREY'S JOURNAL III 6.30.1794
6.30 ..spent the day in reading and prayer; found some sweet devotedness to God towards evening..found myself desirous of being entirely devoted to God and disposed of by him just as he pleases; i felt likewise much concern for the success of the gospel among the heathens..
7.1-3..i have been on these evenings much drawn out in prayer..at present i know not of any success, since i have been here. many say that the gospel is the word of truth, but they abound so much in flattery and encomium which are mere words of course; that little can be said respecting their sincerity - the very common sins of lying and avarice are so universal also that no european who has not witnessed it, can form any idea of their various appearances; they will stoop to any thing whatsoever to get a few cowries and lie on every occasion..
7.4 rather more flat and dead, perhaps owing to the excessive heat..i was necessitated to be out in it from morning till evening giving necessary directions; felt very much fatigued indeed and had no spirits left in the evening - and in prayer was very barren.
7.6 very flat and carnal today; endeavored to attend to something like public worship, but was almost alone. i had appointed to attempt the instruction of the laborers today, but they had all made some appointment to go to their families..
7.7 busy all day, but rather more inclined to contemplate spiritual things; this evening were enabled to plead a little with God for the heathens, but it was so flat, and destitute of strong crying and tears that it scarcely deserves the name of prayer..
7.8..very shockingly lifeless all the day in the things of God.
7.9-8.4 ..we saw a basket hung in a tree in which an infant had been exposed; the skull remained the rest having been devoured by ants...
8.16-24 nothing worth recording passed, i feel too much sameness to be spiritual - if i was in a more spiritual frame, the holy war would be carried on in my soul with greater vigour, and the fresh discoveries of sin would cause new hopes, new fear, and new struggles, but when i am at ease, tis like a calm at sea, where there is a contrary current. i not only get no ground but am insensibly carried back.
..the workmen who have built the works came to me and said that, as i was to begin making indigo tomorrow, it was much their wish that i would make an offering to kali the goddess of destruction, that i might have success in the work; the kali is the most devil-like figure that can be thought of; she stands upon a dead man, her girdle is strung with small figures of human skulls, like beads upon a bracelet, she has 4 arms, and her tongue hangs out of her mouth below her chin; and in short a more horrible figure can scarcely be conceived; i took the opportunity of remonstrating with them upon the wickedness and folly of idolatry and set my face as much as possible against their making any offering at all, and told them that i would rather lose my life than sacrifice to their idol; that God was much displeased with them for their idolatry, and exhorted them to leave it and turn to the true God; but i had the mortification of seeing the next day that they had been offering a kid, yet i doubt not but i shall soon see some of these people brot from darkness to the marvelous light of the gospel.
8.25..had some sweet wrestling and freedom with God in prayer; these seasons are but of short duration, but they are little foretastes of heaven - o may God continue them long, and frequently thus visit my soul.
8.28-30 nothing of any importance except to my shame, a prevalence of carnality, negligence , and spiritual deadness; no heart for private duties, indeed everything seems to be going to decay in my soul, and i almost despair of being any use to the heathen at all.
9.1 - 10.11 during this time i have had a heavy and long affliction; having been taken with a violent fever, one of the paroxysms continued for 26 hours without intermission when providentially mr. udney came to visit us, not knowing that i was ill, and brought a bottle of bark with him; this was a great providence, as i was growing worse every day. but the use of this medicine by the blessing of God recovered me; but in about 10 days i relapsed agin, and the fever was amended with a violent vomiting and a dysentery; and even now i am very ill. my thomas says with some of the very worst symptoms.
on the last of these days it pleased God to remove by death my youngest child but one, a fine engaging boy of rather more than 5 years of age; he had been seized with a fever and was recovering, but relapsed and a violent dysentery carried him off; on the same day we were obliged to bury him, which was an exceeding difficult thing; i could induce no person to make a coffin; tho 2 carpenters are constantly employed by us, at the works; 4 mussulmen, to keep each other in countenance dug a grave; but tho we had between 2 and 300 labourers employed, no man would carry him to the grave; we sent 7 or 8 miles to get a person to do that office, and i concluded that i and my wife would do it ourselves, when at last our own (servant)..and a boy who had lost cast, were prevailed upon to carry the corpse; and secure the grave from the jackalls, -
this was not owing to any disrespect in the natives towards us, but only to the cursed caste; the hindus burn their dead, or throw them into the rivers to be devoured by birds, and fishes, and the mussulmen inhume their dead, but this is only done by their nearest relations, and so much do they abhor every thing belonging to a corpse, that the bamboos on which they carry their dead to the water, or the grave, are never touched, or burnt, but stand in the place and rot; and if they only tread upon a grave, they are polluted,and never fail to wash after it.
during this affliction my frames were various; at some seasons i enjoyed sweet seasons of self examination, and prayer as i lay upon my bed; many hours together i sweetly spent in contemplating subjects for preaching, and in musing over discourses in bengali; and when my animal spirits were somewhat raised by thefever, i found myself able to reason, and discourse in bengali for some hours together, and words and phrases occurred much more readily than when i was in health;
when my dear child was ill, i was enabled to attend upon him night and day, (tho very dangerously ill myself) without much fatigue; and now i bless God that i feel a sweet resignation to the will of God; i know that he has wise ends to answer in all that he does, and that what he does is best; and if his great, and wise designs are accomplished, what does it signify if a poor worm feels a little inconveniency, and pain, who deserves hell for his sins.
10.13 this day every disagreeable circumstance turned up; tho the mussulmen have no cast, yet they have imperceptibly adopted the hindu's notions about a caste, and look upon themselves as a distinct one, in consequence of this they will neith eat nor drink with any but mussulmen; in consequence of the 4 men above mentioned digging the grave for my poor child, the mundul (that is the principal person in the village, who rents immediately under the rajah, and lets lands, and houses to the other people in the place;) forbid every person in the village to eat, drink, or smoke tobacco with them and their families, so that they were supposed to have lost caste.
the poor men came to me full of distress, and told their story; mr. thomas being with me, we sent for the principal mussulmen in the neighborhood and enquired whether they though thses men had done anything amiss; and they all said no. then we sent 2 hirearrahs to call the mundul who had forbid the people to have any intercourse with them; but with secret orders to bring him by force if he refused to come; he soon came however, and then said that they had done no fault, and that he would smoke but not eat with them: as we know it to be a piece of spite and a trick to get $ we therefore placed 2 guards over him, and told him that he must either eat and drink with the men, before the men of his own village, or stay here till we had sent 4 men to kinajpur to the judge, about the matter. he stuck out however till about dinner time, when being hungry he thought fit to alter his terms; and of his own accord wrote and signed a paper purporting that the men were innocent and he a guilty person; he then went away and gave them a dinner, and eat and drank with them in the presence of the people of the village, and persons whom we had sent to witness to it; thus ended this troublesome affair, which might also have proved a very expensive one, if it had not ended thus; i feel these things, but blessed be God, i am resigned to his will, and that makes me easy under all.
10.14-20 very ill and scarce able to crawl about, but supported thro all by the upholding hand of a gracious God - mr. udney having for some time past designed to settle me in a more healthy spot, this having proved remarkably unhealthy, had projected a journey towards tibet for me and mr. thomas. this was designed in part for my health, and in part to seek for a more eligible spot for new works; accordingly i set out (the 20th) in mr udney's pinnace with my family up the tanguan river, but so weak and poorly that i could scarcely hold up my head; i felt however secret drawings of soul after God, and a desire to be directed by him in all things.
10.23 proceeded on our journey but very weak; yet was something recovered; my frame far from being spiritual.
10.26 kept the sabbath at sadamahl had a pleasant morning but very unfeeling and barren the remaining part of the day, o what a wilderness is my experience. sometimes when i should most expect light, love and the image of God to abound in me; i feel dead, barren, and dark - and onthe contrary, sometimes light arises when darkness was most expected.10.31 ..this has been a somewhat more profitable day than many heretofore. i feel that God is my portion, and when i feel that i desire no other; o that he would give me grace to live to his glory, and spend my strength in his service; and if i could but always view his excellency, and all sufficiency, then his work must be delightful and pleasant, and all suffering for his sake easy.
11.3,4 ..(carey expresses the continuing difficulty he has in understanding and making himself understood)..the thread of the discourse is broken, and rendered unintelligible to me in a great measure - may God give me wisdom and aspiritof application till all these difficulties are overcome.
11.23..in the afternoon tried to preach to the people who were with me, but could not even fix their attention. they seemed shockingly unconcerned, and were all the time going about upon the objects about them; was grieved with their inattention; yet felt a pleasure that i had addressed them upon the great concerns of another world; besides i know that God can bless that which we are most wretched in delivering, and which is the weakest attempt.
11.24-30 during these days i had some sweet seasons of prayer to, and wrestling with God; having no one to speak to, and many hours in which no business could be done, i found myself quite retired, and my soul often drawn out; i was enabled to be instant for the success of my ministry among the heathen, for the success of my colleague; and for all my dear friends in england, who be very near my heart, especially the church at leicester, and the baptist society; i was much engaged for many of them by name, and was affected much with what might be their probable situations, both spiritual and temporal; (carey, i believe was still to have received a letter from home after some 18 months since he left england) o that these seasons might continue, but they soon decay and alas! i have to mourn the most barren of souls..
12.19-20 ..my mind as full of wretchedness as i can think of but principally from outward causes, which are like a shower of the fiery darts of the enemy..
7.1-3..i have been on these evenings much drawn out in prayer..at present i know not of any success, since i have been here. many say that the gospel is the word of truth, but they abound so much in flattery and encomium which are mere words of course; that little can be said respecting their sincerity - the very common sins of lying and avarice are so universal also that no european who has not witnessed it, can form any idea of their various appearances; they will stoop to any thing whatsoever to get a few cowries and lie on every occasion..
7.4 rather more flat and dead, perhaps owing to the excessive heat..i was necessitated to be out in it from morning till evening giving necessary directions; felt very much fatigued indeed and had no spirits left in the evening - and in prayer was very barren.
7.6 very flat and carnal today; endeavored to attend to something like public worship, but was almost alone. i had appointed to attempt the instruction of the laborers today, but they had all made some appointment to go to their families..
7.7 busy all day, but rather more inclined to contemplate spiritual things; this evening were enabled to plead a little with God for the heathens, but it was so flat, and destitute of strong crying and tears that it scarcely deserves the name of prayer..
7.8..very shockingly lifeless all the day in the things of God.
7.9-8.4 ..we saw a basket hung in a tree in which an infant had been exposed; the skull remained the rest having been devoured by ants...
8.16-24 nothing worth recording passed, i feel too much sameness to be spiritual - if i was in a more spiritual frame, the holy war would be carried on in my soul with greater vigour, and the fresh discoveries of sin would cause new hopes, new fear, and new struggles, but when i am at ease, tis like a calm at sea, where there is a contrary current. i not only get no ground but am insensibly carried back.
..the workmen who have built the works came to me and said that, as i was to begin making indigo tomorrow, it was much their wish that i would make an offering to kali the goddess of destruction, that i might have success in the work; the kali is the most devil-like figure that can be thought of; she stands upon a dead man, her girdle is strung with small figures of human skulls, like beads upon a bracelet, she has 4 arms, and her tongue hangs out of her mouth below her chin; and in short a more horrible figure can scarcely be conceived; i took the opportunity of remonstrating with them upon the wickedness and folly of idolatry and set my face as much as possible against their making any offering at all, and told them that i would rather lose my life than sacrifice to their idol; that God was much displeased with them for their idolatry, and exhorted them to leave it and turn to the true God; but i had the mortification of seeing the next day that they had been offering a kid, yet i doubt not but i shall soon see some of these people brot from darkness to the marvelous light of the gospel.
8.25..had some sweet wrestling and freedom with God in prayer; these seasons are but of short duration, but they are little foretastes of heaven - o may God continue them long, and frequently thus visit my soul.
8.28-30 nothing of any importance except to my shame, a prevalence of carnality, negligence , and spiritual deadness; no heart for private duties, indeed everything seems to be going to decay in my soul, and i almost despair of being any use to the heathen at all.
9.1 - 10.11 during this time i have had a heavy and long affliction; having been taken with a violent fever, one of the paroxysms continued for 26 hours without intermission when providentially mr. udney came to visit us, not knowing that i was ill, and brought a bottle of bark with him; this was a great providence, as i was growing worse every day. but the use of this medicine by the blessing of God recovered me; but in about 10 days i relapsed agin, and the fever was amended with a violent vomiting and a dysentery; and even now i am very ill. my thomas says with some of the very worst symptoms.
on the last of these days it pleased God to remove by death my youngest child but one, a fine engaging boy of rather more than 5 years of age; he had been seized with a fever and was recovering, but relapsed and a violent dysentery carried him off; on the same day we were obliged to bury him, which was an exceeding difficult thing; i could induce no person to make a coffin; tho 2 carpenters are constantly employed by us, at the works; 4 mussulmen, to keep each other in countenance dug a grave; but tho we had between 2 and 300 labourers employed, no man would carry him to the grave; we sent 7 or 8 miles to get a person to do that office, and i concluded that i and my wife would do it ourselves, when at last our own (servant)..and a boy who had lost cast, were prevailed upon to carry the corpse; and secure the grave from the jackalls, -
this was not owing to any disrespect in the natives towards us, but only to the cursed caste; the hindus burn their dead, or throw them into the rivers to be devoured by birds, and fishes, and the mussulmen inhume their dead, but this is only done by their nearest relations, and so much do they abhor every thing belonging to a corpse, that the bamboos on which they carry their dead to the water, or the grave, are never touched, or burnt, but stand in the place and rot; and if they only tread upon a grave, they are polluted,and never fail to wash after it.
during this affliction my frames were various; at some seasons i enjoyed sweet seasons of self examination, and prayer as i lay upon my bed; many hours together i sweetly spent in contemplating subjects for preaching, and in musing over discourses in bengali; and when my animal spirits were somewhat raised by thefever, i found myself able to reason, and discourse in bengali for some hours together, and words and phrases occurred much more readily than when i was in health;
when my dear child was ill, i was enabled to attend upon him night and day, (tho very dangerously ill myself) without much fatigue; and now i bless God that i feel a sweet resignation to the will of God; i know that he has wise ends to answer in all that he does, and that what he does is best; and if his great, and wise designs are accomplished, what does it signify if a poor worm feels a little inconveniency, and pain, who deserves hell for his sins.
10.13 this day every disagreeable circumstance turned up; tho the mussulmen have no cast, yet they have imperceptibly adopted the hindu's notions about a caste, and look upon themselves as a distinct one, in consequence of this they will neith eat nor drink with any but mussulmen; in consequence of the 4 men above mentioned digging the grave for my poor child, the mundul (that is the principal person in the village, who rents immediately under the rajah, and lets lands, and houses to the other people in the place;) forbid every person in the village to eat, drink, or smoke tobacco with them and their families, so that they were supposed to have lost caste.
the poor men came to me full of distress, and told their story; mr. thomas being with me, we sent for the principal mussulmen in the neighborhood and enquired whether they though thses men had done anything amiss; and they all said no. then we sent 2 hirearrahs to call the mundul who had forbid the people to have any intercourse with them; but with secret orders to bring him by force if he refused to come; he soon came however, and then said that they had done no fault, and that he would smoke but not eat with them: as we know it to be a piece of spite and a trick to get $ we therefore placed 2 guards over him, and told him that he must either eat and drink with the men, before the men of his own village, or stay here till we had sent 4 men to kinajpur to the judge, about the matter. he stuck out however till about dinner time, when being hungry he thought fit to alter his terms; and of his own accord wrote and signed a paper purporting that the men were innocent and he a guilty person; he then went away and gave them a dinner, and eat and drank with them in the presence of the people of the village, and persons whom we had sent to witness to it; thus ended this troublesome affair, which might also have proved a very expensive one, if it had not ended thus; i feel these things, but blessed be God, i am resigned to his will, and that makes me easy under all.
10.14-20 very ill and scarce able to crawl about, but supported thro all by the upholding hand of a gracious God - mr. udney having for some time past designed to settle me in a more healthy spot, this having proved remarkably unhealthy, had projected a journey towards tibet for me and mr. thomas. this was designed in part for my health, and in part to seek for a more eligible spot for new works; accordingly i set out (the 20th) in mr udney's pinnace with my family up the tanguan river, but so weak and poorly that i could scarcely hold up my head; i felt however secret drawings of soul after God, and a desire to be directed by him in all things.
10.23 proceeded on our journey but very weak; yet was something recovered; my frame far from being spiritual.
10.26 kept the sabbath at sadamahl had a pleasant morning but very unfeeling and barren the remaining part of the day, o what a wilderness is my experience. sometimes when i should most expect light, love and the image of God to abound in me; i feel dead, barren, and dark - and onthe contrary, sometimes light arises when darkness was most expected.10.31 ..this has been a somewhat more profitable day than many heretofore. i feel that God is my portion, and when i feel that i desire no other; o that he would give me grace to live to his glory, and spend my strength in his service; and if i could but always view his excellency, and all sufficiency, then his work must be delightful and pleasant, and all suffering for his sake easy.
11.3,4 ..(carey expresses the continuing difficulty he has in understanding and making himself understood)..the thread of the discourse is broken, and rendered unintelligible to me in a great measure - may God give me wisdom and aspiritof application till all these difficulties are overcome.
11.23..in the afternoon tried to preach to the people who were with me, but could not even fix their attention. they seemed shockingly unconcerned, and were all the time going about upon the objects about them; was grieved with their inattention; yet felt a pleasure that i had addressed them upon the great concerns of another world; besides i know that God can bless that which we are most wretched in delivering, and which is the weakest attempt.
11.24-30 during these days i had some sweet seasons of prayer to, and wrestling with God; having no one to speak to, and many hours in which no business could be done, i found myself quite retired, and my soul often drawn out; i was enabled to be instant for the success of my ministry among the heathen, for the success of my colleague; and for all my dear friends in england, who be very near my heart, especially the church at leicester, and the baptist society; i was much engaged for many of them by name, and was affected much with what might be their probable situations, both spiritual and temporal; (carey, i believe was still to have received a letter from home after some 18 months since he left england) o that these seasons might continue, but they soon decay and alas! i have to mourn the most barren of souls..
12.19-20 ..my mind as full of wretchedness as i can think of but principally from outward causes, which are like a shower of the fiery darts of the enemy..
Monday, January 3, 2011
1.2.2011 WILLIAM CAREY'S JOURNAL II 4.19.1794
in part one of what i hope to be a series of statements from carey's 2 year journal, i tried to 'correct' carey's words ie. capitalizing first letters on names of God, etc. bit by bit i gave that and all other correction up. carey's words i am trying, with few exceptions, to have just as he wrote them. for a world class linguist, his spelling, punctuation and grammer suffer.
4.19.1794 o how gorious are the ways of God. my soul longeth, and fainteth rfor God, for the living God - to see his glory and beauty as i have seen them in the sanctuary - when i first left england my hope of the conversion of the heathen was very strong, but among so many obstcles it would entirely die away, unless upheld by God - nothing to exercise it, but many things to obstruct it for now a year and 19 days, which is the space since i left my dear charge at leicester. since that i have had hurrying up and down; a 5 months imprisonment with carnal men on board the ship, 5 more learning the language; my munshi (native language helper/teacher) not understanding english sufficiently to interpret my preaching - (my family my accusers and hinderers,) my colleague (the man carey was supposed to work with in india) separated from me, long delays and few opportunities for social worship - no woods to retire to like brainerd for fear of tigers (no less than 20 men in the department of debhatta where i am, have been carried away by them this season from the salt works) - no earthly thing to depend upon, or earthly comfort; except food and raiment; well i have God and his word is sure; and the superstitions of the heathen were a million times more deeply rooted - and the examples of europeans, a million times worse than they are; if i were deserted by all and persecuted by all. yet my hope, fixed on that sure word will rise superior to all obstructions and triumph over all trials; God's cause will triumph and i shall come out of all trials as gold purified by fire ..
4.20 began the day with uncomfortable expectations and heartbreaking views of wretchedness, pride and unmortified affections within and confusing appearance without, yet notwithstanding i enjoyed a very comfortable day; i had much pleasure in instructing my family and found my soul drawn out in desires for the salvation of my children. blessed be God for this day.
4.22..i think the hope of soon acquiring the language puts fresh life into my soul, for a long time my mouth has been shut and my days have been beclouded with heaviness - but now i begin to be something like a traveler who has been almost beat out in a violent storm; and who with all his clothes about him dripping wet, sees the sky begin to clear, so i with only the prospect of a more pleasant season at hand, scarce feel the sorrows of the present.
4.23 with all the cares of life and all its sorrows, yet i find that a life of communion with God is sufficient to yield consolation in the midst of all and even to produce a holy joy in the soul which shall make it to triumph over all affliction; i have never yet repented of any sacrifice that i have made for the gospel, but find that consolation of mind which can come from God alone.
4.24 still a continuance of the same tranquil state of mind; outwardly the sky lowrs but within i feel the soul's calm sunshine and the heart felt joy...
4.25 ..i feel a calm, serious frame of heart, but yet have cause to mourn the want of a contemplative mind; things come and go and seem to make but very little impression upon my heart, o what need i have of a spirit of importunate intercession with God; i pray for divine blessings, yet rest too well contented without obtaining them.
4.26 i spend some pleasant hours with munshi almost every day - have much pleasure to see him turn his back upon idolatry and laugh at the superstitions of the hindus; i wish sincerely that he had but a little more of the zeal of the old christians; but while i rejoice in his judgment of divine things; i am grieved at his timorousness; and strong attachment to his cast, which he looks upon notwithstanding as chains forged by the devil, to hold the hindus in slavery..
4.27..had much pleasure and affection in instructing my family and have seen some such impressions upon my 2 eldest children, as are matter of great encouragement to me; o that they may be followed up by God to good purpose.
4.28..i want to know the affairs of europe, o my friends, my dear friends, i long for all the communion with you that our distance can allow.
4.29..my soul has been strengthened and enlightened; i only want an heart endowed with gratitude and love; i want to be filled with a sense of the mercy of heaven and to feel my heart warmed with a hearty regard to him and all his ways, i find great reason to fear lest i should contract an unfeeling carnal form of godliness without the power.
4.30 i have reason to bless God for all the benefits with which he loads me - o how apt we are to overlook all his goodness and all his beauty and to dwell on those parts of our experience which are dreary and discouraging, but i feel that the light afflictions and momentary sorrows which i endure diminish in their bulk and lose their nature while we look not at temporal but at eternal things; while concerned about temporal things i see all temporal troubles magnify themselves and on the contrary when i see the beauty of holiness; and the importance of my work; all that i have to meet with in the prosecution of the work disappears and is scarcely perceptible.
5.1 still some rays of sunshine dart upon my soul and i can say with the apostle thanks be to God, who comforteth us in all our tribulation. and yet i can derive no comfort from the wources that other people commonly do; (i have none of those helps and encouragements from my family of friends that many have - they are rather enemies to the work that i have undertaken but tho i find it extremely difficult to know how to act with propriety and sometimes perhaps act indiscreetly,) yet i find that support in God which i can find no where else and perhaps these trials are designed to put me upon trusting in and seeking happiness from the Lord alone..
5.2 still i have reason to bless God for serenity and composure of soul, but the state in which i am is such as precludes me from action; and almost discourages me - yet blessed by God the translation goes on - and i find much pleasure in the prospect of being able to print it soon.
5.3 my life is attended with very little variety, i fear that a wretched coldness is growing upon me and hope that almighty power may prevent it - living at another man's table i have no time or opportunity for fasting and prayer, which my soul greatly needs.
5.9-11 days of guilty vacancy. i never can enjoy peace of conscience long, if my time is not filled up for God - and wish to find much less.
5.16 tempestuous without; but blessed by God calm and serene within - o what are all earthly pleasures or pains if we have God's presence - and that which is its companion, the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation in this world.
5.17 feel very much degenerated in my sul, scarce any heart for God, but a careless indolence possesses my spirit and makes me unfit for anything - i need much of the presence of God to conquer indolence, to which the heat of the country probably contributes; but my own disposition would much nourish it - tho i bless God that i never enjoyed better health.
5.20-2 have been days of delay and barrenness to y soul - i think that i have too much impatience under disappointments; yet i can in general feel a pleasure in thinking that my times are in the hand of God and that whatsoever becomes of me yet he wil be glorified at last.
5.26 ..and in the evening began my work of publishing the word of God to the heathen...one brahman was quite confounded and a number of people were all at once crying out to him, why do you not answer him; why do you not answer him? he replied i have no words; just at this time a very learned brahman came up who was desired to talk with me - which he did and so acceded to what i said that he at last said images had been used of late years but not from the beginning - i enquired what i must do to be saved? he said i must repeat the name of God a great many times; i replied would you if your son had offended you, be os pleased with him, as to forgive him, if he was to repeat the father a 1000 times? this might please children or fools - but God is wise. he told me that i must get faith. i asked what faith was - to which he gave me no intelligible reply - but said i must obey God - i answered what are his comman- what is his will - they said, God was a great light - and as no one could see him, he became incarnated, under the tree fold character of birmmha (brahma?), beeshno (vishne?) and seeb (shiva? and that either of them must be worshipped in order to life - i told them of the sure word of the gospel - and the way of life by Christ and night coming on, left them. i cannot tell what effect it may have as i may never see them again.
5.28 ..could i but see the cause of God prevail here, i could triumph over all afflection which ever i have had the fear of going through - for indeed i have gone through very little yet - but my carnality i have daily, nay constant reason to deplore.
5.29-31 made very little way on account of the crookedness of the river, we laboured 2 days to make about 4 miles in a strait line - ti thought that our course was very much like the christian life, sometimes going forward and often apparently backward, tho the last was absolutely necessary to the prosecution of our journey..
6.1 blessed be God this has not been a day totally lost - when i can feel my soul going out after God, what pleasure it yields and an hour spent with a near and enduring sense of the divine perfection how very pleasant and refreshing it is.
6.2..i thought of trying to talk to some poor people at..this evening, but just before i was going to begin a fire broke out which consumed 3 houses and called the attention of the few people who were here till it was too late
6.3 had some serious thots this morning upon the necessity of having the mind evangelically emplyed, i find it is not enough to have it set upon duty, sin, death or eternity. these are important but as the gospel is the way of a sinner's deliverance so, evangelical truth, sould and will, when it is well with him, mostly occupy his thoughts, - but alas the afternoon i felt peevish and uncomfortable.
6.4-6 deadness and carnality prevailed these days - i have no opportunities for retirement and what is worse little heart to retire - perhaps this is the reason why i excuse myself by saying i have no place.
6.8..felt thankful that God had preserved us and wondered how he can regard so mean a creature as was enabled this evening to wrestle with God in prayer for many of my dear friends in england..
6.9 ..my unprofitableness has been a source of humiliation to me..
6.12-4 ..much mercy has followed us all through this journey and considering the very weak state o my wife we have been supported beyond expectation - travelling in general i have always found unfriendly to the progress of divine life in my soul, but travelling with a family more particularly so - yet through the mercy of god, i have not been without some seasons of enjoyment and inward delight in God - tho moved with an awful degree of coldness and inattentiveness to that which when attended to has always been productive of the greatest pleasure and satisfaction to my soul.
6.16 ..tho our congregation did not exceed 16 yet the pleasure that i felt in having my tongue once more loosed i can hardly describe - was enabled to be faithful and felt a sweet affection for immortl souls.
6.17-8 had much serious conversation and sweet pleasure these days; i feel now as if released from a prison and enjoying the sweets of christian fellowship again - o that our labour may be prosperous and our hearts made glad to see the work of the Lord carried on with vigour, surely the lord is now thus making room for us; and removing every difficulty without some gracious design; i must desire a spirit of activity and affection.
carey at this point takes on the role of a manager of an indigo plantation.
6.28 ..felt not much spirituality today, but had the pleasure of detecting a shocking piof oppression practiced by those natives who managed the affairs of this place before my coming. they had hired laborers for 2 rupees per month, - but when the por people came to be paid they deducted 2 annas (16 annas makes 1 rupee) from each man's pay for themselves. i am glad of this detection on 2 accounts, namely as it affords me an opportunity of doing justice among the heathen and exposing the wickedof their leaders, one of these oppressors being a brahman and as it so discouraged the poor people from working for us, that we could scarcely procure labourers at any rate, this will serve a little to remove the prejudice of the people against the europeans and prepare a way for the publication of the gospel.
4.19.1794 o how gorious are the ways of God. my soul longeth, and fainteth rfor God, for the living God - to see his glory and beauty as i have seen them in the sanctuary - when i first left england my hope of the conversion of the heathen was very strong, but among so many obstcles it would entirely die away, unless upheld by God - nothing to exercise it, but many things to obstruct it for now a year and 19 days, which is the space since i left my dear charge at leicester. since that i have had hurrying up and down; a 5 months imprisonment with carnal men on board the ship, 5 more learning the language; my munshi (native language helper/teacher) not understanding english sufficiently to interpret my preaching - (my family my accusers and hinderers,) my colleague (the man carey was supposed to work with in india) separated from me, long delays and few opportunities for social worship - no woods to retire to like brainerd for fear of tigers (no less than 20 men in the department of debhatta where i am, have been carried away by them this season from the salt works) - no earthly thing to depend upon, or earthly comfort; except food and raiment; well i have God and his word is sure; and the superstitions of the heathen were a million times more deeply rooted - and the examples of europeans, a million times worse than they are; if i were deserted by all and persecuted by all. yet my hope, fixed on that sure word will rise superior to all obstructions and triumph over all trials; God's cause will triumph and i shall come out of all trials as gold purified by fire ..
4.20 began the day with uncomfortable expectations and heartbreaking views of wretchedness, pride and unmortified affections within and confusing appearance without, yet notwithstanding i enjoyed a very comfortable day; i had much pleasure in instructing my family and found my soul drawn out in desires for the salvation of my children. blessed be God for this day.
4.22..i think the hope of soon acquiring the language puts fresh life into my soul, for a long time my mouth has been shut and my days have been beclouded with heaviness - but now i begin to be something like a traveler who has been almost beat out in a violent storm; and who with all his clothes about him dripping wet, sees the sky begin to clear, so i with only the prospect of a more pleasant season at hand, scarce feel the sorrows of the present.
4.23 with all the cares of life and all its sorrows, yet i find that a life of communion with God is sufficient to yield consolation in the midst of all and even to produce a holy joy in the soul which shall make it to triumph over all affliction; i have never yet repented of any sacrifice that i have made for the gospel, but find that consolation of mind which can come from God alone.
4.24 still a continuance of the same tranquil state of mind; outwardly the sky lowrs but within i feel the soul's calm sunshine and the heart felt joy...
4.25 ..i feel a calm, serious frame of heart, but yet have cause to mourn the want of a contemplative mind; things come and go and seem to make but very little impression upon my heart, o what need i have of a spirit of importunate intercession with God; i pray for divine blessings, yet rest too well contented without obtaining them.
4.26 i spend some pleasant hours with munshi almost every day - have much pleasure to see him turn his back upon idolatry and laugh at the superstitions of the hindus; i wish sincerely that he had but a little more of the zeal of the old christians; but while i rejoice in his judgment of divine things; i am grieved at his timorousness; and strong attachment to his cast, which he looks upon notwithstanding as chains forged by the devil, to hold the hindus in slavery..
4.27..had much pleasure and affection in instructing my family and have seen some such impressions upon my 2 eldest children, as are matter of great encouragement to me; o that they may be followed up by God to good purpose.
4.28..i want to know the affairs of europe, o my friends, my dear friends, i long for all the communion with you that our distance can allow.
4.29..my soul has been strengthened and enlightened; i only want an heart endowed with gratitude and love; i want to be filled with a sense of the mercy of heaven and to feel my heart warmed with a hearty regard to him and all his ways, i find great reason to fear lest i should contract an unfeeling carnal form of godliness without the power.
4.30 i have reason to bless God for all the benefits with which he loads me - o how apt we are to overlook all his goodness and all his beauty and to dwell on those parts of our experience which are dreary and discouraging, but i feel that the light afflictions and momentary sorrows which i endure diminish in their bulk and lose their nature while we look not at temporal but at eternal things; while concerned about temporal things i see all temporal troubles magnify themselves and on the contrary when i see the beauty of holiness; and the importance of my work; all that i have to meet with in the prosecution of the work disappears and is scarcely perceptible.
5.1 still some rays of sunshine dart upon my soul and i can say with the apostle thanks be to God, who comforteth us in all our tribulation. and yet i can derive no comfort from the wources that other people commonly do; (i have none of those helps and encouragements from my family of friends that many have - they are rather enemies to the work that i have undertaken but tho i find it extremely difficult to know how to act with propriety and sometimes perhaps act indiscreetly,) yet i find that support in God which i can find no where else and perhaps these trials are designed to put me upon trusting in and seeking happiness from the Lord alone..
5.2 still i have reason to bless God for serenity and composure of soul, but the state in which i am is such as precludes me from action; and almost discourages me - yet blessed by God the translation goes on - and i find much pleasure in the prospect of being able to print it soon.
5.3 my life is attended with very little variety, i fear that a wretched coldness is growing upon me and hope that almighty power may prevent it - living at another man's table i have no time or opportunity for fasting and prayer, which my soul greatly needs.
5.9-11 days of guilty vacancy. i never can enjoy peace of conscience long, if my time is not filled up for God - and wish to find much less.
5.16 tempestuous without; but blessed by God calm and serene within - o what are all earthly pleasures or pains if we have God's presence - and that which is its companion, the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation in this world.
5.17 feel very much degenerated in my sul, scarce any heart for God, but a careless indolence possesses my spirit and makes me unfit for anything - i need much of the presence of God to conquer indolence, to which the heat of the country probably contributes; but my own disposition would much nourish it - tho i bless God that i never enjoyed better health.
5.20-2 have been days of delay and barrenness to y soul - i think that i have too much impatience under disappointments; yet i can in general feel a pleasure in thinking that my times are in the hand of God and that whatsoever becomes of me yet he wil be glorified at last.
5.26 ..and in the evening began my work of publishing the word of God to the heathen...one brahman was quite confounded and a number of people were all at once crying out to him, why do you not answer him; why do you not answer him? he replied i have no words; just at this time a very learned brahman came up who was desired to talk with me - which he did and so acceded to what i said that he at last said images had been used of late years but not from the beginning - i enquired what i must do to be saved? he said i must repeat the name of God a great many times; i replied would you if your son had offended you, be os pleased with him, as to forgive him, if he was to repeat the father a 1000 times? this might please children or fools - but God is wise. he told me that i must get faith. i asked what faith was - to which he gave me no intelligible reply - but said i must obey God - i answered what are his comman- what is his will - they said, God was a great light - and as no one could see him, he became incarnated, under the tree fold character of birmmha (brahma?), beeshno (vishne?) and seeb (shiva? and that either of them must be worshipped in order to life - i told them of the sure word of the gospel - and the way of life by Christ and night coming on, left them. i cannot tell what effect it may have as i may never see them again.
5.28 ..could i but see the cause of God prevail here, i could triumph over all afflection which ever i have had the fear of going through - for indeed i have gone through very little yet - but my carnality i have daily, nay constant reason to deplore.
5.29-31 made very little way on account of the crookedness of the river, we laboured 2 days to make about 4 miles in a strait line - ti thought that our course was very much like the christian life, sometimes going forward and often apparently backward, tho the last was absolutely necessary to the prosecution of our journey..
6.1 blessed be God this has not been a day totally lost - when i can feel my soul going out after God, what pleasure it yields and an hour spent with a near and enduring sense of the divine perfection how very pleasant and refreshing it is.
6.2..i thought of trying to talk to some poor people at..this evening, but just before i was going to begin a fire broke out which consumed 3 houses and called the attention of the few people who were here till it was too late
6.3 had some serious thots this morning upon the necessity of having the mind evangelically emplyed, i find it is not enough to have it set upon duty, sin, death or eternity. these are important but as the gospel is the way of a sinner's deliverance so, evangelical truth, sould and will, when it is well with him, mostly occupy his thoughts, - but alas the afternoon i felt peevish and uncomfortable.
6.4-6 deadness and carnality prevailed these days - i have no opportunities for retirement and what is worse little heart to retire - perhaps this is the reason why i excuse myself by saying i have no place.
6.8..felt thankful that God had preserved us and wondered how he can regard so mean a creature as was enabled this evening to wrestle with God in prayer for many of my dear friends in england..
6.9 ..my unprofitableness has been a source of humiliation to me..
6.12-4 ..much mercy has followed us all through this journey and considering the very weak state o my wife we have been supported beyond expectation - travelling in general i have always found unfriendly to the progress of divine life in my soul, but travelling with a family more particularly so - yet through the mercy of god, i have not been without some seasons of enjoyment and inward delight in God - tho moved with an awful degree of coldness and inattentiveness to that which when attended to has always been productive of the greatest pleasure and satisfaction to my soul.
6.16 ..tho our congregation did not exceed 16 yet the pleasure that i felt in having my tongue once more loosed i can hardly describe - was enabled to be faithful and felt a sweet affection for immortl souls.
6.17-8 had much serious conversation and sweet pleasure these days; i feel now as if released from a prison and enjoying the sweets of christian fellowship again - o that our labour may be prosperous and our hearts made glad to see the work of the Lord carried on with vigour, surely the lord is now thus making room for us; and removing every difficulty without some gracious design; i must desire a spirit of activity and affection.
carey at this point takes on the role of a manager of an indigo plantation.
6.28 ..felt not much spirituality today, but had the pleasure of detecting a shocking piof oppression practiced by those natives who managed the affairs of this place before my coming. they had hired laborers for 2 rupees per month, - but when the por people came to be paid they deducted 2 annas (16 annas makes 1 rupee) from each man's pay for themselves. i am glad of this detection on 2 accounts, namely as it affords me an opportunity of doing justice among the heathen and exposing the wickedof their leaders, one of these oppressors being a brahman and as it so discouraged the poor people from working for us, that we could scarcely procure labourers at any rate, this will serve a little to remove the prejudice of the people against the europeans and prepare a way for the publication of the gospel.
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