As I said before I am reading the book called, "To the Golden Shore". It is about the life of Adoniram Judson. In this chapter Adoniram has about a week or so left before he gets on the long boat to Calcutta India and then to Burma. Adoniram got married during this week (Feb 5, 1812) The preacher, Pastor Allen, married them and the words he concluded the wedding with were to the parents and couple. "My dear children, you are now engaged in the best of causes. It is that cause for which Jesus the Son of God came into the world and suffered and died. You literally forsake father and mother, brothers and sisters, for the sake of Christ and the promotion of His Kingdom." With his voice breaking he said, "To the care of the great Head of the church I now commit them. To His grave I also resign you all. May He gather you together in one. And may you all return and come to Zion with a song, and with shouts of everlasting glory."
This was the end of the service except for the hymn before the benediction, which Parson Allen had composed especially for the occasion. People wept unashamedly as they sang:
Go, ye heralds of salvation;
Go, and preach in heathen lands;
Publish loud to every nation,
What the Lord of life commands.
Go, ye sisters, their companions,
Soothe their cares, and wipe their tears,
Angels shall in bright battalions
Guard your steps and guard your fears.
Landed safe in distant regions,
Tell the Burmans Jesus died;
Tell them Satan and his legions,
Bow to him they crucified.
Far beyond the mighty Ganges,
When vast floods beyond us roll,
Think how widely Jesus ranges
Nations wide from pole to pole.
While form heathen nations blended
Light and peace within shall rise;
When your days on earth are ended,
Christ receive you to the skies.
To his grace we now resign you,
To him only you belong;
You with every christian Hindoo,
Join at last the angelic throng.
Not your normal wedding songs and preaching is it. These four missionary couples had full expectation that the amount of people they would win for Christ would be few and the cost would be their life, but they were more than willing to give all to demonstrate their love for Christ. Right before the wedding Adoniram said goodbye to his eighteen year old brothers and he would only see him one more time later in his life.
Benjamin
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Wow, that is such a moving story, Ben. Thanks for sharing it!