Our desire here this morning is to give installment number two, the last installment on the life of Henry Martin. It was my privilege during my vacation in Iowa, late July, to read a book by Jim Cromartie entitled, For the Love of India, the Story of Henry Martin. And what I plan to do here is to follow along in the furrows that have been cut by Crow Marty and just move chapter by chapter through his material. Last week we opened up the life of Henry Martin and we spoke about the way that he began his life up here in Cornwall in England, the way he was Converted as a man of about 16 years old. Went off to Cambridge. Met up with Charles Simeon in Cambridge. Was convinced that he ought to go off to the mission work in India with the East India Trading Company. Then he ended up traveling from Cambridge to London. He became an Anglican minister. I also struck up a relationship with a woman who lived in Cornwall named Lydia Grenfell, and there was some romance that we left unfinished last week. He traveled off to India by way of ship, much seasickness, many trials, to Calcutta, eventually up the Ganges River to Dinapore, And it's there that we pick up the narrative, the life of Henry Martin. I mentioned to you last week two passages that struck me, the life of Henry Martin. I believe one of them was Mark 10, 45. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. And that's exactly what Henry Martin did. He wasn't served. He himself served. and he gave his life. Then the passage, if you would turn with me to 2 Timothy chapter 4. 2 Timothy chapter 4. Sometimes we think of our leisurely lives and the priorities we make. What a different set of priorities the Apostle Paul and Henry Martin lived by. 2 Timothy 4, beginning at verse 5, You, Paul writing to Timothy, and Henry Martin was much like Timothy, you be sober in all things, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the righteous judge will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing." Henry Martin is one of those who loved his appearing, who fought the good fight, who poured himself out for his Lord and his Master. Now I'll admit that after The first part of the book that I surveyed last week in my reading there in Iowa along the Clear Lake Shore, I was under-impressed by the lack of anything extraordinary in the life of Henry Martin. I admit as I finished with that latter half, I fell in love with Henry Martin's extraordinary plodding and precious faithfulness in things ordinary. And I hope you fall in love with Him, too, as He so much reflects our Savior. So, we went through the first 14 chapters of 30, and now we hit the 15th chapter entitled, Translation Underway in Earnest. He was here up into the heart of India in Dinapore, and he longed to take the gospel to the interior of India. He believed that translating the Bible into the native language was the right strategy. There wasn't a single standardized language, though, that was spoken by all of the Indians, so he needed linguistic help. One assistant that was recommended to him by Dr. Kerr was an Arab named Sabbat. We'll hear a lot about him in the upcoming chapters. Dr. Kerr wrote, He, Sabbat, will delight your heart, for he is a gentleman, a scholar, and a Christian. But sadly, in reality, Sabbat became to Henry anything but a delight, but in reality, a nightmare. On Sabbat's arrival, someone accidentally removed his chair and he stomped out of the building in a temper tantrum and returned to his home. From the beginning, Sabbat sparred with Henry and refused to submit to anyone's agenda but his own. He wrote to another missionary falsely charging Henry with unfair financial dealings. Sabbat was frequently jealous of a rival translator named Mirza. Mirza wasn't a Christian. Sabbat was a professing Christian. Henry seemed to prefer Mirza's translating work over Sabbat's. Mirza was a better translator, but Sabbat protested Henry's often taking Mirza's side in disputes, quoting an Arabian proverb, Sabbat was an Arab, a friend is an enemy to his friend's enemy. I don't like Mirza. You shouldn't like him either. The Lord used this thorn in the side, Sabbat, to sanctify Henry's soul. His diary displays great wrestlings of patience and testings of grace. Later, after much was said and done and much criticism against Henry, Sabbat actually wrote, Henry was less a man than an angel from heaven. Sabbat had been raised as a Muslim and became a soldier in the Persian army and eventually became a secretary to a royal official. This is his path to Henry's house, a little bit of his testimony. Sabbat befriended a poet named Abdallah who privately confided that he, who had been a Muslim, had actually become a Christian. Well, Sabbat, who was a Muslim at this time, was infuriated by his failure to return the apostate back to Islam And so he reported him to the mullahs who threatened Abdallah with death if he wouldn't deny Christ. But Abdallah, the true Christian, refused to deny Christ. So Abdallah was struck in the face and blood flowed from his mouth. But Abdallah still refused to deny Christ. His left hand was cut off with a single slash of the sword. But he still refused to deny Christ's right hand was then cut off and it was then that Abdallah looked at Sabah as if to say, why did you betray me? But Abdallah stood firm for Christ and finally he was decapitated and passed into paradise to receive his eternal reward. Now Sabah, who had betrayed Abdallah, had a deal. with this. He felt guilty and began to search the scriptures to discover the source of his friend's courage, and eventually Sabbat believed and was baptized, now arousing Sabbat's own blood brother to seek to murder him. So Sabbat fled off to India and providentially ended up on Henry's translating team. But though Sabbat professed to be a Christian, he displayed very little by way of the fruit of the Spirit and made Henry's life almost unbearable. He accused Henry of pride because he lived in a larger house. So Henry moved to a smaller house. Sabbat considered that his own translation of the scripture was infallible, and so he resented any of Henry's review or criticism. Calcutta missionaries were very critical of Sabbat's translation and even suggested that he plagiarized from earlier editions. In a letter to Daniel Corey, Henry wrote, My greatest trial is Sabbat. On one occasion, Sabbat and his wife uprooted all the flowers and the plants and the shrubs from the garden of a man who offended him. That's a professing Christian man working with a missionary, Henry Martin. Eventually, Sabbat wrote a caustic attack against Christianity and departed. Later, he recanted of his blasphemy. Eventually, Sabbat was imprisoned by a group of government rebels and was put to death by being sewn into a bag and cast into the depths of the sea. And that's the way Henry's thorn in the flesh died. On to chapter 16 now. A busy schedule. And here is a picture of Henry Martin. He sat for that portrait just prior to his departure from England at the age of about 25 years old. A busy schedule. Major Young and his wife had opened their Christian home to Henry here at Dinapore. But their transfer away from Dinah Porry became a blow to Henry. He was at times very distressed by the lack of converts and saw himself, Henry saw himself as the Achen in the camp. Because of my sin that there isn't prosperity. He almost despaired of seeing a Hindu to ever be converted. He wrote, to see such a thing would nearly approach the witnessing of the resurrection of a dead body. A true source of encouragement came from a growing number of Christian soldiers whom he called there at Dhanapura his men. Remember he was a chaplain with the East India Company. The men grew to the number of 40 and they met on Sunday evenings at Henry's home, many after taking a roundabout way to get to his home so other soldiers wouldn't see them going to avoid harassment. Henry constantly debated spiritually with his unconverted munchies, his pundits, his scholars who would work with him. Henry told them that pilgrimages to Mecca were useless in sanctifying the heart. They told him that it was degrading for Christ ever to be born of a woman. The debates went on. One of Henry's servants was once kidnapped by a band of thieves And Henry risked his own life as he went off into this bend and demanded that this man be returned to his house and his family. The mid-90 degree was the average temperature and chronic blowing dust constantly threatened Henry's health as he began to show signs of the disease that had killed his mother and his sister, lung consumption, tuberculosis. In August of 1807, now at the age of 26, he was overcome with severe chest pain in his lungs and throat. In January of 1808, he commented in a letter that for the first time, pain in his chest resulted from public preaching. He knew that his health was deteriorating and began to fear the coming rainy season's physical effect. He had several dreams in which he believed that he was approaching death, but he said he was not afraid at all to wake up in a better world. By March of 1908, he was 27 now, the long-awaited building at Dinah Poor was opened up. Remember, they had to preach in the open sun, but finally they had a building. As he had gathered up funds, the company wouldn't help. gathered up funds of building eighty feet in length with a large veranda surrounding. Henry and Mary Sherwood, that is, Henry Sherwood and Mary Sherwood moved to Dona Poree and became good friends of Henry at this time. Mary described him this way. Mary was a writer. Henry Martin's hair was a light brown, was raised from his forehead, which was remarkably fine. His features were not regular. In other words, he wasn't really handsome. But the expression of his face was so luminous, so intellectual, so affectionate, so beaming with divine charity, I was much pleased with the sight of Mr. Martin. He is one of the humblest heavenly of men." And she commented that with friends he would play as a child during times of leisure. On to chapter 17 now, The Foolish Decision. In March of 1809, Henry was now 28 years old, he received orders that he was being transferred 300 miles up the Ganges River from Dinopore to a place called Konpore. He made an unwise decision to travel by palanquin, that is a box carried by servants on poles instead of traveling by a budge row, which would be a leisurely, slow-moving river boat up the river. That's the way Sabbat and his wife traveled from Dinahpore to Konpore. Maybe that's why he didn't want to go by boat, because Sabbat was going to be there. But it was a bad decision. The April hot wind blew on him like fire from a furnace. Every bone in his body ached. while the winds parched his mouth and his skin. The Sherwoods, another family, was awaiting him at Konpore, and upon hearing a noise at the door, they faced an exhausted Henry who promptly collapsed onto the floor in a dead faint. And after several days of nursing, Henry eventually recovered, but notice again this weakness of constitution. So there he is. He's at Konpore here. Conpore was a very rustic place. There was no building there for worship. On the first Lord's Day, several officers collapsed during the service because of a press of heat. Now, what a response to a sermon. Sometimes they met in a stenching horse barn, and upon being ignored by a general whom he rebuked for swearing, Henry wrote regarding those in his charge, They sometimes take no more notice of me than of a dog." Charles Simeon wrote then that his sister Sally, very ill with tuberculosis consumption, he wrote, My dear Sally, Henry in response said, Though I know you are well prepared for glory, I wonder how soon I will follow. I know it must be soon, for death is settled in my lungs too. But before he completed this letter, Henry received news that Sally had actually died. And in the midst of this sorrow, Lydia, I told you ladies, she'd reappear. Lydia, the woman who was about six years older than him, who lived in Cornwall, the person who had captured his affection in earlier years, Lydia wrote, at this time, offering to take up correspondence with him in the place of Sally. Lydia had somewhat spurned him by not accepting his proposal of marriage earlier. In January of 1810, Lydia heard that her former fiancé had married, releasing her from her vow of singleness. That was a very foolish vow. She had broken her engagement because of character deficiencies in her fiancé and then privately said, I will never marry until he eventually marries. Her diary reveals a changed attitude toward Henry now, expressing hope that he actually might return to England. Again, Henry's thoughts began to turn frequently to Lydia. In July of 1810, now at the age of 29, Henry wrote, I began to be reconciled to the idea of going to England for her. India back up to England. In August he wrote Lydia assuring her that there was no truth in the rumor that he was considering marriage to Daniel Corey's sister named Mary who had recently arrived in India. Gossip can spread across even the globe, can't it? Illness was also a frequent visitor of Henry there in Confore. Chapter 18, now a new start In Konpore, Henry's eyes were brightened by his ministry to a remnant of soldiers who regularly met for devotions in his house. For recreation, Henry would take excursions in his horse carriage. Mrs. Sherwood wrote this, I often went out with Mr. Martin in his gig, his carriage, what he used to call either for me or Miss Corrie, and whoever went with him went at the peril of their lives. He never looked where he was driving, but went dashing through thick and thin, being always occupied in reading Hindustani or discussing some text of scripture. I did survive these excursions and live to tell of it." Sabat complained continually about his wife ruling his life, like many middle-class Indian women, Mrs. Sabat, sat on cushions all day and was protected by a mosquito net that was tented all around her while doted upon by female servants. Henry reported this conversation between Sabat and his wife. Mrs. Sabat said to Sabat, where will Christians go after death? She was not a Christian, you see. And Sabat said, to heaven and to their Savior. And where do the Mohammedans go? Mrs. Sabbat asked. To hell and the devil, answered the fierce Arab. You, said the meek wife, will go to heaven, of course, being a Christian. Certainly, replied Sabbat. Well then, she said, I will continue to be a Muslim because I should prefer hell and the devil without you. To heaven and your presence. So you get a feel for their relationship. In Kanpuri, God gave Henry a striking ministry to the lowest caste of Indians. The caste system, the lowest, the untouchables as it were, the fakirs and the yogis, these were Muslim and Hindu ascetics with a reputation for sainthood who lived by begging alms. One of them would sit on a bed of nails, Another of them would have birds nesting in his hair. Another of them was caked in a plaster of cow dung. Each had their own freakish look. And they would beg for alms. At first, Henry provided them with some food. Sometimes Henry's yard would be filled with as many as 500 of them. You talk about a menagerie, a motley congregation. But then, instead of just giving them food and alms, Henry began to preach to them in their own tongue. The strange congregation responded with groanings and hissings and blasphemies and threatenings. The scene was dreadful. Henry told them to repent of their sin and look to Jesus for salvation. He declared the uselessness of Ganges River washings and the nonsense of thinking that a cow was a sacred animal. At the end of each sermon, each hearer was given a small coin, and Henry would return to his bungalow in a state of collapse. Imagine the stress of ministering to such a group. It was dangerous. The British authorities kept a close watch on these meetings, fearing the outbreak of civil war. Henry was distressed, however, by the absence of conversions, but was thankful for the Lord's daily mercies. He knew his health was failing, but yet had so much more work to do, chiefly the crucial task of continuing on that translation of the scriptures. Chapter 19. It's time to leave Konpore. On July 29, 1810, at the age of 28, the Hindustani New Testament for the Indians was completed. The Calcutta missionaries, that would be the headquarters there in India, received the copies with great acclaim. He also translated the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and the Book of Genesis, and this all within five years of his having arrived in India. To come and to get a grasp of the language and then to translate. It was now that he was becoming more convinced that he needed to spend time in Persia and Arabia in order to produce accurate translations of those languages. He knew that he was in a race, though, with his deteriorating health. Severe headaches had become a problem. Lung pain during preaching had become chronic, limiting the labors of his preaching on Lord's days. So during July of 1810, Henry decided to return to England for a time where he actually hoped to marry Lydia, a plan for which Lydia had been praying. But his health was fragile. He would engage in therapy sessions on a sailboat, provided a bit of improvement A trip to England at this point seemed attainable. Somehow I can get from Kwanpore up to England, to get to Lydia, to get married. But when it became clear to Henry that Sabbat's work in the Persian New Testament was unsatisfactory, he thought there was the need for a Persian New Testament to be written, Henry decided that he first needed to spend time in Persia and Arabia in order to translate a much needed Persian New Testament. And he believed that such personal study going to Persia, modern day Iran, that that would ensure a greater degree of accuracy. He wouldn't do it halfway. So, while packing his belongings, Henry decided to burn his personal papers, including his journal, but Daniel Corey intervened and saved the documents, sealing them up for his eventual safe return to India. On September 30, 1810, age 29 now, Henry gave his farewell sermon from the brand new church at Konpore, which he was able to collect money for and have constructed. Mary Sherwood wrote, Never was an audience more affected. Many mournful listeners saw him as one standing on the verge of an eternal world. Henry, though, was to leave this city of Konpore believing that no one had been converted through his ministry there. But he wasn't aware of a young man, Cheik Salah, who had come to saving faith as a result of his curiosity about what Henry was doing and the large congregation to the Conpore's beggars. He became involved in transcribing some of Henry's manuscripts and eventually he went to Calcutta, was baptized, and was eventually ordained to the Christian ministry and faithfully served the Lord for a quarter of a century. But this Henry never knew. And there was a lot more, no doubt, that Henry never knew. At the age of 29, in October 10, 1810, after four years and six months in India, Henry, having gone down the Ganges, departed from India. And now we go to moving on, chapter 20. Oh, I wish that was bigger, but we'll have to work with that. A seriously ill Henry left Konpore traveling down the Ganges with the opportunity to relax, but instead he prepared sermons and continual translating as he went down The river. The guy should have unstrung the bow a little bit and let the stress be relieved, but no, he was fighting a good fight, and he considered his time was short. His tender conscience was frequently attacked by the evil one. On October 4, he was overwhelmed by an awful sense of his own sins, and Psalm 51, "'Purge me with a hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.'" That brought peace to his heart. Livia was on his mind on the way down the river. He wrote, my affection for you has something sacred in it. And he preached along the way at various stops, but chest pains plagued his preaching. Well, in Calcutta, he fulfilled a promise to Charles Simeon and sat for a portrait. Sat for a portrait. Years later, you saw the first portrait But now notice the next portrait, years later. Some months later, when the package was opened by Simeon, he was shocked by what he saw there back in England. I could not bear to look on it, but turned away and went to a distance, covering my face, and in spite of every effort to the contrary, crying aloud in anguish and seeing how much he is worn. I am constrained to call to my relief the thought in whose service he has worn himself so much." It doesn't look that bad to me, to be honest with you, but those who knew him well, there was a striking change in his countenance. Thomas Thomason, a friend from England who had almost lost wife and children in a shipwreck on the way to India, saw Henry in Calcutta and said that he is much altered, he is thin and sallow, but he has the same loving heart. Thomason wrote a letter back to Simeon in England and I quote here, His plan is far too grand, though, for his one short life, and much beyond his feeble and exhausted frame. But let us hope that the sea air revives him." So while waiting here in Calcutta for a suitable ship, that's not the right fella. While waiting in Calcutta here for a suitable ship, December 21, 1810, at the age of 29, he caught a cold, which harmed his lungs further. He believed that from that day on, his health began to fail. On New Year 1811, he wrote, I go from India to Arabia. Again, modern day Iran. That was his plan. I go from India to Arabia. not knowing what shall befall me. May God bring me back again to my delightful work." He wanted to translate the entire Bible into Hindustani, eventually by returning back to India. On January 6th, he boarded the Humadee, a ship, and immediately attempted to speak Arabic to the Arabian crew. All these languages in this man's head. This man was brilliant. Mr. Elephantstone, a British ambassador, enjoyed Henry on board that ship. I quote from Elephantstone, he is an excellent scholar and one of the mildest, cheerfullest, and pleasantest men I ever saw. He is extremely religious and disputes about the faith with the Nakoda, but he talks on all subjects, sacred and profane, and makes others laugh as hardly as he could do if he were an infidel. He was a well-rounded fellow. He was able to be winsome. Ceylon, as they traveled, which is now Sri Lanka, was seen on the left side of the ship. We find that another location was seen on the right side of the ship, which was the tip of India. During this time, he wrote to Lydia, quote now, my thoughts wander too often on to the beach of Cornwall and I wonder if Indian waves break at your feet. Oh, he's romantic, isn't he? He hoped that after Persia and Arabia he would be able to return to a time for England. So he passed by Cape Comorin, which is the tip of India, And the ship began to travel northward. Seasickness plagued him. At a Portuguese convent in Goa, that's the west coast of India, right about here, the ship anchored. And there he spoke to a nun and wrote to her in Latin, It is possible to live in a convent, shut off from the world, and yet still have a love of the world in the heart. On Henry's 30th birthday, February 18, 1811, they dropped anchor at Bombay. And he writes in his diary, 30th birthday, at this age, David Brainerd finished his course. Age 30, the savior of men began his ministry. And here the two, I have made my youth and insignificance an excuse for sloth and imbecility. Now let me have a character and act boldly for God." He was converted later, he thought, and had wasted his youth and was earnest to give all to his Lord, not to be served, but to serve. Chapter 21. From India to Persia. Henry stayed five weeks at Bombay, taking the opportunity to provide further Arabic learning and then mix it up with the people. He wrote a tract in Arabic for distribution. Chesping plagued his preaching. He convinced the planners of a certain great race that was to be conducted on Sunday, move that to Monday, would you? And they did. We find that while waiting for a ship to Persia, he wrote of his travel plans and said, perhaps I shall be taken up and hanged as a spy there in Persia. On board the Benares, a British ship, Henry was responsible for the spiritual care of 45 sailors. Sometimes he spent hours studying just one word. On April 21, they dropped anchor at Muscat, at Muscat, and there we find that the conditions were worse than they had been in India. The temperature was an unbearable 92 degrees. He wrote to Lydia, the murderous pirates I had written about to you, well they fled at the sight of our ship, so I am no longer liable to be shot in a battle or decapitated after it. He also expressed disappointment at not having received letters from her, and asked her to address future correspondents to Bombay. The postal system in those days, among the ship sailors, amazed me. While touring Muscat, he gave a copy of the scriptures to a slave who departed, clutching the book as if he had the greatest of treasures. On May 21, they dropped anchor in Bushire, which is about here. The temperature averaged in the low 100 degrees in the shade, and this deteriorated Henry's health, which had somewhat rallied during the sea voyage. He visited a tailor there in Bushire and ordered Persian clothing of a kind suitable to his social status, an intellectual gentleman to be respected. Henry allowed his whiskers to grow and plunge his hand into the dish to eat for the sake of safety. He did that. And for the sake of the gospel, he did that. He wanted to blend in. He received many social calls which informed and warned him about the Persian immorality and savagery that was ahead of him. Chapter 22, Journey to Shiraz. Around 10 p.m. May 30, 1811, the horse and mule caravan headed out on the 170-mile journey from Bushire, which would be off to Shiraz, here. Days would be spent baking in a tent. 126 degrees in the day made it impossible to travel in the day. They traveled at night, tented during the day. Henry would wrap himself up in that tent. in a blanket to keep his bodily moisture, now figure this, 126 degrees, in a tent, wrapped up in a blanket, had to keep that sweat in. At times he'd get delirious and thought death was inevitable. At sunset, though, he'd exit his tent, more dead than alive, he would say, but often he'd feel revived by the cooler night air. Once leaving his tent, he felt something on his clothing and his traveling companion, a man named Captain T, flicked a scorpion off of his blanket and stomped it under his boot. Burning fevers plagued Henry along the way. At one place, they bought blocks of ice from a merchant who had come down from the mountains, imagine how refreshing that was, and entering the mountains as they were heading to the north, entering the mountains brought cooler air of 62 degrees and reminded Henry of autumn in England. On June 9, at last Henry was in Shiraz, a center for an elite educated people who knew much about Persian literature. He was armed with letters of recommendation from a General Sir John Malcolm, an influential man, whose seal of approval would serve him in great stead. Chapter 23, life and work in Shiraz, here. Shiraz was known as a place of beauty and a place of scholarship. Could we say a libri? of sorts. Henry and his servant, Zachary, were given a room and access to Persian language scholars to assist him in his translation project. Immediately, the theological fencing began as Henry was told that everybody was part of God, that there was no difference between good and evil in the mind of God. To David Brown, Henry wrote, one thing is good here though, the fruit. We have apples and apricots, plums, nectarines and cherries, all of which are served up with snow and ice. When the cold weather set in, Henry didn't use the fireplaces because he didn't have chimneys and it made the room smoky, which was devastating to his lungs. The presence of ladies at social gatherings there in Shiraz made him think of Lydia. He purchased a horse and rode for his health. Occasionally, he was the target of rock throwing. Once he was hit in the hip with a brick, another time with a very large rock in his back. Rock as big as my fist, he said. With the help of a Persian scholar, Henry began translating the New Testament into Persian. To Lydia, he described, imagine a pale person seated on a Persian carpet, he's describing himself to Lydia, in a room without table or chair with a pair of formidable mustachios, mustached people alongside of him, Persians, and you see that man dressed as a Persian and you see me. There were chronic temptations, excuse me, interruptions from visitors while he tried to translate, but Henry sought to seize every contact for the cause of Christ, telling them of what Christ had done on the cross. Elements of Persian culture trampled life and morality. Once at a theater, two actors conducted a scene wherein they were required to speak some English words. And so they began to swear and curse the only English words they knew. And so immediately, Henry mounted on the stage and then and there taught the actors some English worth knowing. He taught them right there publicly before all the Lord's Prayer. He wasn't a big man, but he was a bold man, wasn't he? Henry soon became aware of the strong hatred for Christianity there in Persia. Christians were often found murdered by Muslims, and only when they perceived that the Christian was of some advantage to the state, like him, as he was with Ambassador's letters, were Christians spared Translation continued. While copying the count of the high priest striking Christ, one scholar asked, Sir, did not his hand dry up? The doctrine of the Trinity always created heated discussion. On New Year 1812, Henry wrote, To all appearances, the present year will be more perilous than any I have seen, but if I live to complete the Persian New Testament, my life after that will be of less importance. After eight months, he could at last say that the Persian translation was completed. What a glorious accomplishment. And to this he added a translation of the Psalms, a task which he described as the sweetest of employments. He had two ornate copies prepared to be presented to the Shah of Persia as he longed to make that presentation in He wrote to Lydia, I continually think of you, but on the Lord's Day in particular, I indulge myself with a view of the past and look over again those happy days when in company of those I loved. Whether we shall meet again or not, I am sure that you will still continue to feel an interest in all that befalls me. Lydia made mention in her diary that often wishes for his return, but she feared that he might never arrive there. in England. Chapter 24 now. In Shiraz, Muslims continuously tried to convince Henry of the superiority of Islam. Chief Mullah was concerned that Henry was in Shiraz to convert people to Christianity. He argued that the Quran was a miracle far superior to anything that Moses had ever accomplished. Henry wrote three tracts at this time, defending and comparing the Christian faith with the false doctrines of Islam. In a nutshell, he contrasted the useless works of Islam with the divine substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross. Once, Henry was sitting before a leading Sufi, a rabbi, and after the old man spoke, all sat in silence, because a Muslim rabbi had just spoken. And knowing that the tradition says you just sit silently, it says, but Henry, not wanting to waste time, spoke up. He was reproved. He was told, it is the custom here to think much and speak little. But Henry pressed on and debated about what is true happiness, oh rabbi. They also evangelized Jews at this place. One royal official was angry that Henry had written and spoken against Muhammad, and he called Henry into his presence and said that such insults against Muhammad require the sword. And when Henry told him Christ's two greatest commandments, which is to love God with all the heart and to love your neighbor as yourself, the mullah was quieted and said, what could be finer than this? Islamic seminarians, we could say, there would often visit Henry. One named Muhammad Rahim, remember that name, Muhammad Rahim, was convinced by Henry of the truth of Christianity. He'd come and visit this strange Christian to mock and to show him his folly. But he became convinced that Henry was right, but he feared to make a profession knowing that it would cost him his life if he became a disciple of Christ. But eventually he stayed away from Henry, then heard that Henry was departing. And he went to visit Henry, and Henry spoke with him. And he said, that sealed my conversion. Henry then gave him one of the copies of the Persian New Testament along with the Psalms, and inscribed on a blank page in the front, this was written, there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents. Signed, Henry Martin. Henry now sought to disseminate the Persian Bible. That was his real desire. He wanted to get the Persian Bible all over the Persian Empire. He thought it was seed that would bring fruit. Chapter 25, off to Tabriz. Henry now thought of returning to England and marrying Lydia Grenfell, but he didn't head for the Persian Gulf back here. or he might board a ship and then head off to India. That would have been the easy way. There was one final task he wished to accomplish in Persia, to personally present two ornate copies of the Persian Bible to Shah Fateh Ali Khan and his son, Prince Abbas Mirza. He wanted to do it. He thought it would be most effective, give most credibility. If the royalty read it, and showed its credibility, it would spread all throughout the scholars there in Persia. To receive the approval of the Shah would mean that the scriptures would be read by the educated upper class, and Henry believed that reading would bring believing. This personal presentation would require an eight-week journey across the Persian plateau northward to Tabriz here. This was a very dangerous trip. After weeks of night time travel, Henry arrived in Tehran. It would be about half way to, you know where Tehran is? The capital of modern day Iran. He arrived at Tehran June 8, 1812, age 31 now. There, Henry was rudely surrounded and assaulted for his Christianity. At one point, the Premier, in whose presence the debate was taking place, intervened. You'd better say God is God and Mohammed is the prophet of God. Without hesitation, Henry replied, God is God and Jesus is the Son of God. All stood up and one shouted at Henry, What will you say when your tongue is burned out for this blasphemy? Well, it never was. The Lord protected him. At Tehran, Henry learned that he needed a specific letter from a British ambassador in order to have access to the Shah. Henry hoped to press on toward Tabriz and hopefully cross paths with the ambassador, but travel became difficult as the Muslim innkeepers gave him and his fellow Englishmen very insulting treatment. An intense fever struck Henry. His money supply began to dwindle. He had to beg for coins. showing even recommendations from the ambassador, but none would help. He wrote, my egg in the back of his throat and my fever returned with such a headache that I was almost frantic. When he needed to rest, he was forced to press on with daily travel. He wrote, I was again dreadfully disordered with a headache and fever. We got into a wretched hovel where the raging fever almost deprived me of reason. Then I caught a cold, but I had to Press on. He's heading on again toward Tabriz, where the Shah was. Chapter 26, On the Road to Paradise. Paradise wouldn't be Tabriz, but on July 5, the British ambassador, Sir Gore Ousley, welcomed at Tabriz a very sick man, Henry Martin, that's Tabriz there, into his residence. Sixteen days later, Henry's fever broke, leaving him very weak and very ill. Henry's illness made it impossible for him to personally present the Bible copies to the Shah, but Sir Gore promised to make these presentations, which he faithfully did. And by the way, Sir Gore went on in a future edition to actually proofread all of the documents as Sir Gore was on to this project for the glory of God. Henry's mission now having been completed there in Tabriz, the Persian Bible having been given to the Shah, he thought of Lydia and England again. Despite being very ill, when he heard of a Tartar about to leave for Constantinople, that's a long trip, isn't it? Up to Constantinople. From here, Tabriz to Constantinople. He raised himself up from a sick bed. He wrote to Lydia, I am so sick that I can hardly write. I have applied for leave to furlough in England. The probability of my reaching England alive is small. Why have you not written to me more? I do wonder a bit about this, Lydia girl. Why not more about yourself? Perhaps Alexandria, Egypt would be the best place for you to send me mail from now on. He also wrote to Simeon, saying, nothing seemingly remains for me to do but to follow the rest of my family to the tomb. He knew that tuberculosis was deepening. He once again made an unwise decision about traveling in a state of such weakness. Few persons, even in the best of health, could have made this trip from Debris to Constantinople, 1500 miles, mind you, on horseback. Sir Gore warned him against it. They set off at sunset September 2. On September 7, he saw Mount Ararat in the distance and the place where people thought Noah had actually made his sacrifice there on a certain plateau. The Tartar caravan leader, proved to be a cruel man, constantly belting the horses with his whip, driving them on, and he didn't treat Henry Martin much better either. Henry was nearly stabbed along the way by a spear, he was fed rotten eggs, he was deprived of lodging for rest and shelter from rain, though suffering from a raging fever. Hassan the Tartar though kept driving Henry forward until at last Henry sat down on the ground and saying, I neither can nor will continue on any further. So the Tartar left him behind and said, if you can follow us, fine. If not, fine as well. He did eventually catch up, but then on October 5, He writes, fits of shivering, teeth chattering, and my whole frame violently shaking prevented any sleep all the night. And October 6 he wrote, oh when shall time give place to eternity, when shall appear the new heaven and new earth. And this was the final entry to his journal at this time. Chapter 27, Home at Last. Henry Martin was taken into heavenly paradise at Tekat in Turkey. About 60% of that last journey was finished. He was on his way to Constantinople, modern day Istanbul. On October 16, 1812, at the age of 31, he died of tuberculosis. On February 1, 1812, Lydia had received a letter from Henry and had immediately replied Her next letters to him were posted on August 30 and September 30, but both arrived after his death. 28 News of a Death. Lydia Grenfell received Henry's December letter from Tabriz, and upon hearing Henry's report of his ill health and improbable survival, she wrote, darkness and distress of mind have followed this information. I can't collect my thoughts or write or apply as I ought to anything. Oh, let me consider this as a call to prayer and watchfulness and self-examination. Oh, Lord, assist me." By January 26 of 1813, she was still unaware of his death three months earlier, and she wrote, the state of my beloved friend occupies my mind and I sometimes think his reconcilable with a true affection for him. But the truth is, the concerns of my own soul are more pressing. And finally, February 14, 1813, news of Henry's death reached her, and that was first mentioned on February 20 in her diary, heard of the removal of my most tender, faithful, and beloved friend to the joys of heaven. Oh, I could not wish the absence from them prolonged. thy will be done." And Crowe-Marty writes, what a difference a wife would have made for Henry. He needed the restraining hand of a loved one to order his way and prevent him from undermining his health, but that was not to be. Frequently Henry was mentioned in Lydia's journal for 13 more years and sadly Lydia's mental condition became fragile and before her death from breast cancer at the age of 54, she spent a year in a mental asylum where she was treated for dementia. Charles Simeon, a pastor back in England, wrote upon hearing of his death, how calamitous to his friends, to India, to the world. Methinks I hear God say, be still and know that I am God. Oh, I had hoped he would return to England so I could minister to him, but it was not to be." Now just very briefly, Brilliance and Sadness, Chapter 29. Henry's brilliance as a translator was staggering. W.J. Edmonds, a missionary to the Urdu-speaking Muslim of Pakistan, wrote, I know no parallel to these achievements of Henry Martin. He masters grammar, observes idioms, accumulates vocabulary, reads and listens, corrects and even reconstructs. Above he prays." That's working with a translation. That was his summary. He lives in the spirit, rises from his knees full of mind and spirit. Indeed, Henry Martin read books of grammar in much the same way other people would read entertaining novels. Not until Judgment Day. or the spiritual achievements that the Lord brought to fruition through the labors of that humble young man will fully be known. And then just last, Henry Martin, the man in his day, Charles Simeon would frequently point to that portrait of Henry Martin that was present on his wall. And he would say to people who visited his house, there, see that blessed man? No one looks at me as he does. He never takes his eyes off me. He always seems to be saying, be serious. Be in earnest. Don't trifle. Don't trifle. Just finally, in conclusion, the testimony of Muhammad Rahim, the scholar who secretly was converted there in Persia. The testimony of Muhammad Rahim appeared in a book later in 1841. He told of an Englishman who had come to Shiraz in Persia who taught the religion of Christ amid much scorn and ill-treatment. He wrote, he was a beardless youth, enfeebled by disease. Every interview I had with him only increased my respect for the individual. but diminished my confidence in my Muslim faith. His forbearance and wisdom inclined me to listen to him. I became convinced he was right, but I was afraid to believe. Just before he left Shiraz, I was compelled to visit him, and the conversation sealed my conversion. He gave me a book that has been my constant companion, and on a blank page he wrote, There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents. Signed, Henry Martin Well, surely that man was not the only one in India and Persia who came to saving faith through the work of Henry Martin. And certainly heaven rejoices at many who were converted. Today, Henry Martin is in the presence of the Lord, having trod that narrow, rough path, followed by the footsteps of his Redeemer, who came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. And having seen this one who's gone before us, may we seek to follow in those footsteps to the glory of our Savior. Would you close us Pastor Burnett? Father, we thank you for this Lord's Day, and already our perspective has been helped. The fog is clearing. We are seeing our Savior and the worthiness of His name, the beauty of His work, and the call to His kingdom. So give us resolve and help and but really to see how we, as individuals, can serve your kingdom. Give us a heart for worship and praise as a good beginning. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.