The Case of the Curious
Cobbler
William Carey
To a passing stranger, it looked like an ordinary English shoe shop. There was the customary shingle out front, "Secondhand shoes bought and sold." But local people in the village of Paulers Pury knew that the young apprentice there was not an ordinary cobbler.
They called him "Columbus" because he spoke so often of the great discoverer. They laughed at him when he studied foreign languages at night. "Why do you need to learn so many languages, Columbus?" they taunted.
The youth replied meekly, "I would like to understand men of other nations."
William Carey was stirred by the reports of explorers who had followed Columbus. He kept a map on the wall, and as new information became available, he carefully classified it on the map.
He read every book he could get his hands on even copies of old sermons. One day he was reading from the famous divine, Jeremy Taylor. He became disturbed and spoke to an apprentice friend whom he knew was a regular churchgoer.
"What's this business about being born again?" Carey asked. "I was baptized into the Church of England, but I've never heard of this."
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His friend, William Warr, spoke up quickly. "Being baptized is not enough. Now take the Dissenters Church which I attend. My preacher will tell you how to be sure that you're right with God."
"But the Dissenters are heretics," Carey argued.
"They may be called heretics, friend Carey," William Warr countered, "but they preach from the Bible. And that's what counts."
Carey argued with his friend for several months before finally giving in and attending a Dissenters service. After going a few times, he had to admit that the Dissenters did indeed preach from the Book. "I'll go to church three times on Sunday and stop my lying and swearing," he resolved.
Then England was suddenly plunged into a war with France and Spain. The enemy's fleet moved into the Channel and threatened invasion. King George proclaimed February 10, 1779, to be a national day of fasting and prayer. That day Carey joined the Dissenters in a special service.
The minister, Thomas Chater, led the group in prayer; then he talked about the reproach of following Christ. Carey reported later, "I felt ruined and helpless. I had a desire to follow Christ."
And follow Christ He did! After his new birth Carey couldn't learn enough about the Bible. He began studying Greek and Hebrew, and during morning devotions he read a portion of the Bible in three languages — Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
After his master died, Carey opened his own cobbler's shop. He married and started a night school for
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village children. He used a crude leather globe to show the children where explorers had traveled; and often after his students had left, he sat far into the night with Bible in hand, as he meditated upon the pagan millions in other lands. On his wall map he scribbled in all he knew about the religion of every nation.
On August 10, 1786, the zealous cobbler was ordained to the Baptist ministry. A few weeks afterward he was attending a minister's meeting at Northhampton. One of the older ministers suggested that someone name a topic for general discussion. Carey arose and posed the question of "whether or not the Great Commission is binding upon us today to go and teach all nations."
The circle of ministers grew quiet. Then the moderator looked severely at Carey. "Sit down, young man. When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine." But Carey was not to be silenced so easily.
On May 30, 1792, he delivered a history-making sermon at the Baptist Minister's Association in Nottingham. He made two memorable declarations: "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God." The next morning he proposed forming a missionary society. Four months later the society was formed with capital of less than a hundred dollars. The following year, Carey and his family sailed for India as missionaries of the new society.
There followed for the indomitable Carey a long and illustrious missionary career that was often marred by tragedy. His wife and a fellow missionary became mentally unbalanced and had to be placed in an institution.
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Other missionaries succumbed to Oriental diseases. It was seven years before Carey baptized his first convert.
Yet during his missionary career, the cobbler who believed in expecting great things from God and attempting great things for God translated the entire Bible into the four leading languages of India thereby making the Bible available to three hundred million people in their own language. Besides this, he was the key figure in setting up 126 mission schools.
Even more important, he triggered missionary movements in England and America. Today Carey is rightfully called the father and forerunner of the modern missionary movement.
When he was dying, the great missionary pioneer whispered, "When I am gone, say nothing about Dr. Carey. Speak about Dr. Carey's Saviour."
