"November 2. Walking on shore met a large party. I asked if any of
them could read. One young man who seemed superior in rank to the
rest, said he could, and accordingly read some of the only Nagree
tract that I had. I then addressed myself boldly to them and told them
of the gospel. When speaking of the inefficacy of the religious
practices of the Hindoos I mentioned as an example the repetition of
the name of Ram. The young man assented to this and said, 'of what use
is it?' As he seemed to be of a pensive turn and said this with marks
of disgust, I gave him a Nagree Testament, the first I have given. May
God's blessing go along with it and cause the eyes of the multitudes
to be opened. The men said they should be glad to receive tracts, so I
sent them back a considerable number. The idea of printing the
parables in proper order with a short explanation to each, for the
purpose of distribution and as school books, suggested itself to me
to-night and delighted me prodigiously.... A Mussulman, when he
received one of the tracts and found what it was, was greatly alarmed,
and after many awkward apologies, returned it, saying that 'a man who
had his legs in two different boats, was in danger of sinking between
them.'"
Established at Singapore, Mr. Martyn began upon three different lines
of work, establishing schools, attaining readiness in Hindoostanee so
as to preach the gospel in that language, and translating the
Scriptures and religious books. To his great discouragement he was
informed by the Pundit that every four miles the language changed, so
that a book in the dialect of one district would be unintelligible to
the people of another. Being advised to learn Sanscrit, he took up
this language with great zeal. The commencement of Mr. Martyn's
ministry amongst the Europeans of Singapore was not of such a kind as
to either gratify or encourage him. At first he read prayers to the
soldiers at the barracks from the drumhead, and as there were no seats
provided, was desired to omit the sermon. Afterwards more decent
arrangements being made, the families came in; but taking offense at
his evangelical plainness, they asked that he should desist from
extempore preaching. These European members of his flock were jealous
and angry at his constant efforts for the salvation of the heathen
natives. They thought it much beneath the dignity of an English
chaplain to care for these degraded souls. Some of Mr. Martyn's duties
as chaplain were exceedingly onerous. On several occasions he was
summoned to distant places involving long and dangerous journeys to
perform a marriage ceremony. On these journeys he suffered severely,
and they were a great draft upon his very delicate health; always weak
and languid, and often alarmingly disordered. Yet through all he
continued to labor incessantly. Every Sabbath he held at least four
services: at 7 for Europeans; at 2 for Hindoos, about two hundred in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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