THE CHRISTIAN REVIEW. No. XXIII. SEPTEMBER, 1841. ARTICLE I. MEMOIR OF LUTHER RICE. Memoir of LUTHER RICE, one of the first American Missionaries to the East. By J. B. TAYLOR. Second edition. Baltimore. Armstrong & Berry. 1841. race. THE subject of this memoir was a great and good man, notwithstanding the blemishes and imperfections easily discernible in him, which more or less cleave to our fallen Five years have nearly elapsed since the tidings of his unexpected death were spread through the country, and caused every where a deep sensation. By common consent, some memorial was expected of one who had filled so large a place in the public eye, and been so fully identified with important enterprises for the advancement. of Messiah's kingdom. After no inconsiderable delay in securing a biographer, and a still longer delay requisite for collecting the materials from a very wide dispersion, the author early in the last year committed his volume to the press, of which a second and somewhat improved edition has just appeared. So far as we have learned, *It is not creditable to the American press, that in a second edition of a copy-right volume as expensively printed as this, so many vexatious typographical blunders should occur. Such as presidential committee, 41 VOL. VI.-NO. XXIII. it gives general satisfaction to the friends of the deceased, and to the public. For many and important reasons, we could have desired (and we are sure the estimable compiler of this memoir will heartily join with us), that the duty of preparing such a volume had fallen to one, who, like the excellent Knowles, had enjoyed ampler opportunities of intimate personal inspection through all that period of highest interest, when the connections of Mr. Rice were the most close, responsible and embarrassing, with the great movements of religious benevolence which have so strikingly marked our history for the last quarter of a century. But he who had performed an inestimable service in spreading before many thousands in America and Europe the life of Mrs. Judson, was not suffered, by reason of death, to perform the same office for her early associate, Rice. They have all gone to bow together in the immediate presence of that Saviour on high,-whom we were permitted to see them unite in worshipping and serving in this vale of tears. Never shall we forget those scenes of surpassing interest, in which each of these distinguished servants of the Redeemer bore so conspicuous and united a part, in the winter of 1822-3. Mrs. Judson had returned to her native land, to regain, if possible, some degree of healthful vigor, but evidently more panting for the increase of missionary feeling, and the personal consecration to this service of those qualified to labor in it, than for health, or even life. Mr. Rice was seen welcoming her, with all the sacred fraternal affection, which their early connection in India had kindled, and Mr. Knowles, then wielding a wide and salutary influence, by the light he shed from the columns of the Columbian Star, was imbibing from them both the principles of that enlarged and heavenly benevolence, which was their ruling passion, and which he was henceforth enabled to advocate so successfully. It is certain, for prudential, several times. Capt. Simons for Capt. Simms, attended for tended, post for port, world for word, or for our (in the transcript from the inscription on the tablet of marble over the grave of Rice), condemned for commended, &c. We have also noticed a few errors of another kind. On page 259, Mr. Malcom is enumerated among those who have been furnished to the denomination by the Columbian College. He was never connected with it. On page 245, Mr. Rice is represented as first suggesting the idea of a mission among the heathen to his fellowstudents at Andover. It should read at Williams College. that Mr. Knowles was then looked to, by Mrs. Judson, especially, as an early candidate for missionary toils and honors; and his practical skill as a printer, as well as his facility in the acquisition of languages, encouraged her to hope for pre-eminent success in his consecration to that service. But God seeth not as man seeth. Mrs. Judson regained her health, and returned to Burmah, in time to be the ministering angel of mercy to her husband through his unparalleled sufferings in imprisonment; and when that dark cloud had passed, her own noble spirit passed away also, and Knowles occupied just the position in this country which enabled him with most effect to send forth her thrilling memoir, which Rice engaged in circulating by thousands, thus awakening throughout this and other lands a spirit for missions, which shall never sleep till the world is evangelized. All of them have heard the welcome voice from on high, "Come up hither;" and O it is transporting to think, that they are, with some of the heathen, for whom, in different spheres, but with equal love, they labored, even now before the throne of God and the Lamb mingling their voices in the sweet sounds of Alleluia, Salvation for ever and ever. Mr. Taylor, in this volume, has performed an acceptable service to the public, by presenting, in a simple and generally well-arranged manner, the incidents of the life and labors of Mr. Rice. The remarks which he has interspersed, without being profound or original, are natural, and breathe a benevolent and pious spirit, adapted to conciliate the favor of his readers. He seems to have understood and felt that he might easily have made loftier pretensions, without increasing the utility of his labors; and he generously, perhaps wisely, preferred the sacrifice of his own reputation in authorship, to the general good which would have been endangered by a different aim. Nothing more effectually diminishes the benefit of biographies, than the miserable ambition of authorship, and the overloading of incidents with sage moralizings or petty conceits. In our office of Christian reviewers, we notice this volume, both for the sake of those who have perused it and those who have not and may not. We fear no imputation of unduly magnifying the comparative rank and influence of such a man as Luther Rice. God raised him up at an important period, and for a most important purpose. The benevolent designs of that infinite Father, whose care for our churches has been in so many ways manifested, are now very clearly discernible. He fitted the instruments for the work they were to accomplish, and in ways unforeseen and wonderful, has brought glory to his name, and rich blessings upon our wide-spread communities, while they have been led to reflect his light upon the regions of darkness. Less than thirty years since, the American churches, our own among the number, were slumbering in guilty apathy over the wants and woes of pagan nations. The poor Indians of our forests, receding and rapidly waning before the march of civilization, had elicited but a fitful and unproductive sympathy, and those separated from us by intervening oceans, seem to have been thought of only when a gainful commerce led forth the adventurer to seek their subserviency to his pecuniary emolument. The stillness of moral death brooded over the spiritual interests of six hundred millions of idolaters; while our young and favored country, starting into the list of nations with a giant's vigor, sufficiently vain of the rank she had already attained, was still more boastful of her future magnitude, but alas, felt not and apparently cared not for the spiritual destitution of our race. In the mean time, the example of that noble trio, from our father-land, CAREY, MARSHMAN, and WARD, by their efforts, sacrifices and successes, in behalf of the poor Hindoos and other degraded races of hither and farther India, was beginning to awaken emulation, and impel to active enterprises for blessing the souls of men. The destruction by fire of the very extensive printing establishment of the mission at Serampore, called forth an isolated spark from the benevolence of a few of our churches, and showed how possible it was by repeated appeals, to kindle this benevolence to a glowing ardor. At just this auspicious moment, six young men in a theological seminary, who had been nourishing a pent up flame of holy zeal for missions, till it could be repressed no longer, spread their desires and their determined purpose before their fathers in the Christian ministry, and after some delay, they obtained the hesitating consent, with the somewhat distrustful encouragement of friends, in going far hence to the Gentiles, to publish the unsearchable riches of Christ. |