notwithstanding all the remedies which were tried. It was however surprising to us, that though his thoughts seemed to be incoherent when he spoke of worldly subjects, yet they were quite connected when he prayed or discoursed about divine things. "After his recovery he frequently wished, according to his old custom, that the school-children, and Christians, should assemble in his parlor for evening prayer; with which we complied in order to please him, though we were concerned to observe that these exertions were too much for his feeble frame. ""The happy talent which he possessed of making almost every conversation instructive and edifying, did not forsake him even under his weak and depressed state. One morning when his friend Dr. Kennedy visited him (after his return) the conversation turning upon Dr. Young's Night Thoughts, which was one of Mr. Swartz's favorite books, he observed to the Doctor, that those weighty truths contained in it, were not intended that we should abandon society, renounce our business, and retire into a corner, but to convince us of the emptiness of the honors, the riches, and pleasures of this world, and to engage us to fix our hearts there where true treasures are to be found. He then spoke with pecul iar warmth on the folly of minding the things of this world as our chief good, and the wisdom and happiness of thinking on our eternal concerns, "It was highly pleasing to hear the part which he took in his conversation with the Rev. Mr. Pohle, who visited him a little after his recovery, and which generally turned on the many benefits and consolations purchased to believ ers through Christ. He was transported with joy, when he spoke on those subjects, and I hope I may with truth call it a foretaste of that joy which he is now experiencing in the presence of his Redeemer, and in the society of the blessed. ""On the 2d of February last year, our venerable father had the satisfaction of seeing the Rev. Mr. Gericke, Mr. Holtzberg, and his family. Little did we think that the performance of the last offices for him would prove a part of the duty of our worthy senior, the Rev. Mr. Gericke; and I bless and praise God for leading his faithful servant to us at that very time, when we were most in need of his assist ance and comfort. "On the second or third day after the Rev. Mr. Gericke's arrival, Mr. Swartz complained of a little pain in his right foot, occasioned by an inflammation; to remove which repeated fomentations were applied; but a few days after we observed, to our inexpressible grief, the approach of a mortification. Dr. Kennedy tried every remedy to remove it, and would perhaps have effected the cure, if his frame had been able to support what he suffered. He was an example of patience under all these calamities. He did not speak, during the whole of his illness, one single word of impatience. "The last week of his life he was obliged to lie on his cot the greatest part of the day, and as he was of a robust constitution, it required great labor and exertion to remove him to a chair, when he would sit up. These exertions contributed to weaken him more and more. "During his last illness the Rev. Mr. Gericke visited him frequently, and spent much of his time with him in conversing on the precious promises of God through Christ, in singing awakening hymns, and in offering his fervent prayers to God to comfort and strengthen his aged servant under his severe sufferings, to continue and increase his divine blessing upon his labors for the propagation of the Gospel, and to bless all the pious endeavors of the Society, and all those institutions established in this country for the enlargement of the kingdom of Christ. "He rehearsed with peculiar emphasis (whilst we were singing) particular parts of the hymns expressing the believer's assurance of faith, and of the great love of God in CHRIST. His fervor was visible to every one present, whilst Mr. Gericke was praying; and by his loud Amen he shewed his ardent desire for the accomplishment of our united petitions. "A few days before he entered into the joy of his Lord, the Rev. Mr. Gericke asked him whether he had any thing to say to the Brethren. His answer was, "Tell them that it is my request, that they should make the faithful discharge of their office their chief care and concern." A day or two before his departure, when he was visited by the doctor, he said, "Doctor, in heaven there will be no pain:" "Very true," replied the doctor, "but we must keep you here as long as we can." He paused a few moments, and then addressed the doctor with these words, "O! deär doctor, let us take care that we may not be missing there." These words were delivered with such an affectionate tone of voice, that made a deep impression on the doctor, and on every one present. ""On Wednesday, the 13th of February, 1798, which closed the melancholy scene, we observed with deep concern, the approach of his dissolution. The Rev. Messrs. Gericke, Jænicke, Holtzberg, and myself, were much with him in the morning; and in the afternoon we sung several excellent hymns, and offered up our prayers and praises to God, in which he joined us with fervor and delight. After we had retired he prayed silently, and at one time, he uttered the following words: "O Lord, hitherto thou hast preserved me; hitherto thou hast brought me; and hast bestowed innumerable benefits upon me. Do what is pleas ing in thy sight. J deliver my spirit into thy hands, cleanse and adorn it with the righteousness of my Redeemer, and receive me into the arms of thy love and mercy." About two hours after we had retired, he sent for me, and looking upon me with a friendly countenance, he imparted his last paternal blessing in those precious words: "Iwish you many comforts." On offering him some drink, he wished to be placed on a chair; but as soon as he was raised upon the cot, he bowed his head, and without a groan or struggle, he shut his eyes, and died between four and five in the afternoon, in the seventy-second year of his age. "Though our minds were deeply afflicted at the loss of our beloved father, yet the consideration of his most edifying conduct during his illness, his incredible patience under his severe pains, his triumphant death, and the evident traces of sweetness and composure which was left on his countenance, prevented the vent of our sorrows for the present, and animated us to praise God for his great mercies bestowed on us through his faithful servant, and to intreat him to enable us to follow his blessed example, that our last end might be like his. "His remains were committed to the earth on the 14th of February, about five in the afternoon, in the chapel out of the fort, erected by him near his habitation, in the garden given to him by the late Tulja Maha Rajah. "His funeral was a most awful and very affecting sight: It was delayed a little longer above the limited time, as Serfogee Rajah wished once more to have a look at him. The affliction which he suffered at the loss of the best of his friends, was very affecting. He shed a flood of tears over the body, and covered it with a gold cloth. We intended to sing a funeral hymn, whilst the body was conveyed to the chapel; but we were prevented from it by the bitter cries and lamentations of the multitudes of poor who had crowded into the garden, and which pierced through our souls. We were of course obliged to defer it till our arrival at the chapel. "The burial-service was performed by the Rev. Mr. Gericke, in the presence of the Rajah, the Resident, and most of the gentlemen who resided in the place, and a great number of native Christians, full of regret for the loss of so excellent a minister, the best of raen, and a most worthy member of society. O may a merciful God grant, that all those who are appointed to preach the Gospel to the Heathen world, may follow the example of this venerable servant of Christ! and may he send many such faithful laborers, to answer the pious intention and endeavors of the honorable Society, for the enlargement of the kingdom of Christ! May he mercifully grant it, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!'"* "At the funeral of Mr. Swartz, the Hindoo Rajah of Tanjore came to do honor to his memory in the presence of his Braminical court. He covered the body with a gold cloth and shed a flood of tears. He afterwards composed an epitaph for him, whom he called his father and his friend,' and caused it to be inscribed on the stone which covers Swartz's grave, in one of the Christian churches of Tanjore. "The English also have pronounced a noble and affecting encomium on the character of this estimable Missionary. "The Honorable the East India Company have sent out to Madras a monument of marble to be erected in the church of St. Mary at that place, to the memory of the Rev. Mr. Swartz, inscribed with a suitable epitaph; and they announced it in their general letter, dated the 29th of October, 1806, 'as a testimony of the deep sense they entertained of his transcendant merit, of his unwearied labors in the cause of religion and piety, and of his public services at Tanjore, where the influence of his name and character was for a long course of years productive of important benefits to the Company.' The Honorable Court further adds: Christian Observer, vol. i, p. 140-144 On no subject has the Court of Directors been more unanimous than in their anxious desire to perpetuate the memory of this eminent person, and to excite in others an emulation of his great example.' They direct, finally, 'that translations shall be made of the epitaph into the country languages, and published at Madras; and that the native inhabitants shall be encouraged to view the monument." "* Of this great man, the following anecdotes are related: "The venerable and famous Missionary, Schwartz, had acquired such a character among the Heathen, that, when amidst a barbarous and lawless banditti, he was suffered to pass with his catechumen through contending parties of them unsuspected and unmolested. They said, "Let him alone; let him pass; he is a man of God!" This Apostle of our own day has saved the inhabitants of a fort from perishing by famine, when the neighboring Heathen have refused to supply it with provisions on any other assurance than that of his word. Even that tyrant Hyder Ally, while he refused to negotiate in a certain treaty with others, said, "Send me Schwartz; send me the Christian Missionary," said this Mahometan; "I will treat with him, for him only can I trust."+ The Missionaries at Tranquebar in a letter to the Directors of the London Missionary Society, dated Dec. 1799, after speaking of their departed Brother Mr. Swartz, say: "We should enter into too extensive a field, if we were to be particular in mentioning the methods which we pursue in carrying on the work which has been entrusted to us; and we must refer, in this respect to our annual accounts which are published, particularly in Germany, and which our dear Brother, the Rev. Mr. Ubele, will be able and willing to lay before you. "By those accounts you will see, that we invite the Heathens in connexion with our country catechists both by conversation, and by distributing little printed tracts on the high Call of God to Salvation. This is chiefly done on journeys, and attended to with greater pleasure than near or within the places where the natives are mixed with Europeans, and see their conduct towards their own professed Religion. Therefore, if you any where should establish Dr. Buchanan's Christian Researches, p. 332. |