Life of William Carey by George Smith - The Jesus Army

neighbouring towns or return with leather without conning over his lately-acquired knowledge, and making it
for ever, in orderly array, his own. He so taught his evening school and his Sunday congregations that the
teaching to him, like writing to others, stereotyped or lighted up the truths. Indeed, the school and the cobbling
often went on together--a fact commemorated in the addition to the Hackleton signboard of the Piddington
nail on which he used to fix his thread while teaching the children.
But that which sanctified and directed the whole throughout a working life of more than half a century, was
the missionary idea and the missionary consecration. With a caution not often shown at that time by bishops
in laying hands on those whom they had passed for deacon’s orders, the little church at Olney thus dealt with
the Father of Modern Missions before they would recognise his call and send him out “to preach the gospel
wherever God in His providence might call him:”
“June 17, 1785.--A request from William Carey of Moulton, in Northamptonshire, was taken
into consideration. He has been and still is in connection with a society of people at Hackleton.
He is occasionally engaged with acceptance in various places in speaking the Word. He bears a
very good moral character. He is desirous of being sent out from some reputable church of
Christ into the work of the ministry. The principal Question was--‘In what manner shall we receive
him? by a letter from the people of Hackleton, or on a profession of faith, etc.?’ The final
resolution of it was left to another church Meeting.
“July 14--Ch. Meeting. W. Carey appeared before the Church, and having given a satisfactory account
of the work of God upon his soul, he was admitted a member. He had been formerly baptised
by the Rev. Mr. Ryland, jun., of Northampton. He was invited by the Church to preach in
public once next Lord’s Day.
“July 17.--Ch. Meeting, Lord’s Day Evening. W. Carey, in consequence of a request from the
Church, preached this Evening. After which it was resolved that he should be allowed to go on
preaching at those places where he has been for some time employed, and that he should engage
again on suitable occasions for some time before us, in order that farther trial may be
made of ministerial gifts.
“June 16, 1786.--C.M. The case of Bror. Carey was considered, and an unanimous satisfaction
with his ministerial abilities being expressed, a vote was passed to call him to the Ministry at a
proper time.
“August 10.--Ch. Meeting. This evening our Brother William Carey was called to the work of the
Ministry, and sent out by the Church to preach the Gospel, wherever God in His providence
might call him.
“April 29, 1787.--Ch. M. After the Orde. our Brother William Carey was dismissed to the Church
of Christ at Moulton in Northamptonshire with a view to his Ordination there.”
These were the last years at Olney of William Cowper before he removed to the Throckmortons’ house at Weston
village, two miles distant. Carey must often have seen the poet during the twenty years which he spent in
the corner house of the market-square, and in the walks around. He must have read the poems of 1782, which
for the first time do justice to missionary enterprise. He must have hailed what Mrs. Browning calls “the
deathless singing” which in 1785, in The Task, opened a new era in English literature. He may have been fired
with the desire to imitate Whitefield, in the description of whom, though reluctant to name him, Cowper
really anticipated Carey himself:
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