On the 24th of May, after a year's residence, Mr. Martyn left Shiraz,
bearing his precious translation to be presented to the Shah. The
journey was an occasion of disappointment, exposure and suffering.
Arrived at the Shah's camp he says: "June 12th, attended the Vizier's
levee, when there was a most intemperate and clamorous controversy
kept up for an hour or two, eight or ten on one side, and I on the
other. Amongst them were two Moollahs, the most ignorant of any I have
met in Persia or India. It would be impossible to enumerate all the
absurd things they said. Their vulgarity in interrupting me in the
middle of a speech, their utter ignorance of the nature of an
argument, their impudent assertions about the law and the gospel,
neither of which they had ever seen in their lives, moved my
indignation. The Vizier said, 'You had better say, God is God and
Mohammed is the prophet of God.' I said, 'God is God,' but added,
instead of 'Mohammed is the prophet of God,' 'Jesus is the Son of
God.' They had no sooner heard this, which I had avoided bringing
forward till then, than they all exclaimed in contempt and anger, 'He
is neither born nor begets,' and rose up as if they would have torn me
in pieces. One of them said, 'What will you say when your tongue is
burnt out for this blasphemy?'
"My book which I had brought, expecting to present it to the king, lay
before Mirza Shufi. As they all rose up after him to go, some to the
king, and some away, I was afraid they would trample upon the book; so
I went in among them to take it up, and wrapped it in a towel before
them, while they looked at it and me with supreme contempt. Thus I
walked away alone to my tent to pass the rest of the day in heat and
dirt. What have I done, thought I, to merit all this scorn? Nothing, I
trust, but bearing testimony to Jesus. I thought over these things in
prayer and found the peace which Christ hath promised. To complete the
trials of the day a messenger came from the Vizier in the evening to
say that it was the custom of the king not to see any Englishman
unless presented by the ambassador or accredited by a letter from him,
and that I must therefore wait till the king reached Sultania, where
the ambassador would be."
Traveling toward Tabriz he writes, June 22: "Met with the usual
insulting treatment at the caravansarai when the king's servant had
got possession of a good room built for the reception of the better
order of guests; they seemed to delight in the opportunity of humbling
a European--all along the road when the king is expected the people
are patiently waiting as for some dreadful disaster; plague,
pestilence or famine are nothing to the misery of being subject to the
violence and extortion of this rabble soldiery.
"June 26. Have eaten nothing now for two days. My mind much disordered
from headache and giddiness;--but my heart is with Christ and His
saints.
"June 27. Passed the third day in the same exhausted state, my head
tortured with shocking pains, such as, together with the horror I felt
at being exposed to the sun, showed me plainly to what to ascribe my
sickness."
Thus in great illness and suffering Mr. Martyn reached Tabriz, and was
nursed through a fever of two months' continuance at the ambassador's
residence. This defeated his plan of presenting the Persian New
Testament to the king--but it was afterwards done by Sir Gore Ouseley
himself, and publicly received the royal approbation, and still later
was printed in St. Petersburg.
On leaving Cawnpore, Mr. Martyn had intended returning to England, but
had willingly remained in Persia to finish the translation, which
being now disposed of, he reverted to his original intention, and set
out on his last fatal journey towards Constantinople, September 2. His
journal is filled with expressions of gratitude for restored health,
delight in the scenery of Tabriz, descriptions of the country and the
journey, the Araxes river, the hoary peaks of Ararat, the governor's
palace, the ancient Armenian church and monastery at Ech-Miazin, where
he received great kindness from the Patriarch and the monks. He was
profoundly impressed with the view from an elevated table-land looking
out upon Persia, Russia and Turkey--a Pisgah vision, which excites in
later missionaries a strong desire for Christian conquest. Describes
Cars and Erzroom. September 29, left Erzroom. Was attacked with fever
and ague.
"September 30. Took nothing all day but tea; headache and loss of
appetite depressed my spirits, yet my soul rests in Him who is as
anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, which, not seen, keeps me
fast.
"October 1. Marched over a mountainous tract; we were out from seven
in the morning till eight at night. After sitting a little by the fire
I was near fainting from sickness. My depression of spirits led me to
the throne of grace as a sinful abject worm. When I thought of myself
and my transgressions, I could find no text so cheering as, 'My ways
are not as your ways.' From the men who accompanied Sir Wm. Ouseley to
Constantinople I learned that the plague was raging at Constantinople
and thousands dying every day. One of the Persians had died of it.
They added that the inhabitants of Tocat were flying from their town
from the same cause. Thus I am passing into imminent danger. O Lord
thy will be done! Living or dying, remember me.
"October 2. Lodged in the stables of the post-house. As soon as it
began to grow a little cold, the ague came on and then the fever,
after which I had a sleep, which let me know too plainly the disorder
of my frame. In the night Hossan sent to summon me away, but I was
quite unable to move. Finding me still in bed at the dawn he began to
storm furiously at my detaining him so long, but I quietly let him
spend his ire, ate my breakfast composedly, and set out at eight. He
seemed determined to make up for the delay, for we flew over hill and
dale to Sherean, where we changed horses. From thence we traveled all
the rest of the day and all night. It rained most of the time. After
sunset the ague came on again, which in my wet state was very trying.
I hardly know how to keep my life in me. About that time there was a
village at hand, but Hassan had no mercy. The night was pitchy dark,
so that I could not see the road under my horse's feet. However, God
being mercifully pleased to alleviate my bodily suffering, I went on
contentedly to the munzil (stopping-place). After sleeping three or
four hours Hassan hurried me away, and galloped furiously toward a
village, which he said was four hours distant, which was all I could
undertake in my present state; but village after village did he pass,
till night coming on, and no signs of another, I suspected he was
carrying me on to the munzil; so I got off my horse and sat upon the
ground and told him I neither could nor would go any farther. He
stormed, but I was immovable, till a light, appearing at a distance, I
mounted my horse and made toward it, leaving him to follow or not as
he pleased. He brought in the party, but would not exert himself to
get a place for me. They brought me to an open verandah, but Sergius
told them I wanted a place in which to be alone. This seemed very
offensive to them, 'and why must he be alone'? they asked, ascribing
this desire of mine to pride, I suppose. Tempted at last by money they
brought me to a stable room, and Hassan and a number of others planted
themselves there with me. My fever here increased to a violent degree,
the heat in my eyes and forehead was so great that the fire almost
made me frantic. I entreated that it might be put out or that I might
be carried out of doors. Neither was attended to; my servant, who from
my sitting in that strange way on the ground, believed me delirious,
was deaf to all I said. At last I pushed my head in among the luggage
and lodged it on the damp ground and slept.
"October 5. Preserving mercy made me see the light of another morning.
The sleep had refreshed me but I was feeble and shaken, yet the
merciless Hassan hurried me off. I was pretty well lodged and felt
tolerably well till a little after sunset, when the ague came on with
a violence I had never before experienced. I felt as if in a palsy, my
teeth chattering, and my whole frame violently shaken. Aga Hosyn and
another Persian on their way here from Constantinople, came hastily to
render me assistance if they could. These Persians appear quite
brotherly after the Turks. While they pitied me, Hassan sat in perfect
indifference, ruminating on the further delay this was likely to
occasion. The cold fit after continuing two or three hours was
followed by a fever, which lasted the whole night and prevented sleep.
"October 6. No horses were to be had, and I had an unexpected repose.
Sat in the orchard and thought with sweet comfort and peace of my God:
in solitude my companion, friend and comforter. Oh, when shall time
give place to eternity--when shall appear that new heaven and earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness! There, there shall in no wise enter in
anything that defileth; none of that wickedness which has made men
worse than wild beasts, none of those corruptions which add still more
to the miseries of humanity, shall be seen or heard of any more."
Here abruptly closes the journal, with pantings for the glory and the
purity of Immanuel's land, into which he was admitted by a blessed
translation, released from all the sufferings of life on October 16,
1812, at Tocat, Turkey. The manner of his death is not known, whether
it resulted from the sickness described, or from the plague, then
raging. Whether Hassan was cruel and driving to the last, whether all
his heartless Turkish attendants deserted him or not in his hour of
final agony, we cannot tell. No relative or friend was there, no
tender voice of sympathy, no woman's soothing hand, no alleviations
from medicine. Even the commonest decencies and necessities of
civilized life were lacking. Earth gave nothing to Henry Martyn in his
mortal need, but we are sure heavenly consolations were unstinted.
"Jesus can make a dying bed
Feel soft as downy pillows are."
And Jesus was there! And Henry Martyn was satisfied, and is forever
satisfied! "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his
saints." And the most priceless legacy of the blood-bought and
commissioned church is the memory of a life, so gifted, so unselfish,
so consecrated.
It is wanting in no element of moral heroism. Our souls confess its
grandeur. The contemplation lifts us into a higher atmosphere than
that of mammon, and self, and earth. We rejoice to see a crown so
rare, so fair, so precious, laid at the feet of Jesus, the King. He is
worthy. And we long to see the youth of our land and the church
inspired by Henry Martyn's example, as he was inspired by David
Brainerd's. And so we would have the apostolic succession continued
till the millennium, of such as shall not count their lives dear for
the testimony of the gospel.
It is said that after Mr. Martyn's death one of his earliest and most
devoted friends, the Rev. Charles Simeon, used always to keep his
picture before him in his study for help and inspiration. "Move where
he would through the apartment, it seemed to keep its eyes upon him,
and ever to say to him, 'Be earnest, be earnest; don't trifle, don't
trifle,' and the good Simeon would gently bow to the speaking picture,
and with a smile, reply, 'Yes, I will; I will be in earnest, I will
not trifle; for souls are perishing and Jesus is to be glorified.'"
Would that Henry Martyn's life might bring such a message to every
heart, and awaken in every one a similar response.
MISSIONARY ANNALS.
Price per vol., cloth 30c., paper 18c.
I.
MEMOIR OF ROBERT MOFFAT
_BY MRS. M. L. WILDER_.
II.
LIFE OF ADONIRAM JUDSON
_BY MISS JULIA H. JOHNSTON_.
III.
WOMAN AND THE GOSPEL IN PERSIA
_BY REV. THOMAS LAURIE, D.D._
IV.
LIFE OF REV. JUSTIN PERKINS, D.D.
_BY REV. HENRY MARTYN PERKINS_.
V.
LIFE OF DAVID LIVINGSTONE
_BY MRS. J. H. WORCESTER, JR._