(Biographies) Adoniram Judson — John Piper

The following message is by pastor John Piper. More information from desiring. God is available at www .desiring.

God dot o RG a couple of preliminaries before I pray for God's help. One is that there are books. And I just want to make sure you know that What I do here in these biographies you can do in your church and they can be very Helpful because I'm no scholar on any of these people I talk about all I did was read this book and now I'm gonna talk To you from what I learned so you can do that.

This book is there to the golden shore. That's the only one I've read because that's the only one in print. There are Wayland's two-volume commentary. There are a lot of used ones out there everything Courtney Anderson knows about.

He got from those two volumes. He just doesn't use quote marks anywhere have any footnotes. Because I found sentences I just found him. And then here's the only book in print by an arm Judson himself, it's on baptism and he turned from congregationalist to Baptist on 114 day trip on a boat to India and then and then here are Two books for children.

I didn't know these existed until five minutes ago. So I'll hold these up and if I could get my little seven-year-old to read one of these that would be great so that's what's available on Judson and I hope you'll Read something with regard to my manuscript.

We'll have this on the web Friday afternoon. So don't feel like oh my god write this source down or that source down because just I would say if I were you I would just put my notes away and and just relax and Soak and and then get convicted and become a missionary.

That's my goal and But if you bother yourself with taking too many notes you might miss the Holy Spirit's Work, and I will tell you up front I the group was just praying for me and and I've been praying that I would have discernment as to how we should close this time because I'm Fully expecting that what I said at the beginning with regard to crossroads is true of you right now and that there are perhaps Hundreds in this room that God does not want to be pastors anymore in America and therefore weighty things are going to happen in the next 75 minutes or so so That's worth praying about let's pray father.

I fully believe that you have prepared men in the last decade or so For this moment in their lives and that the Holy Spirit is moving now across this room and Will by the word Dislodge many from present plans and Create a whole new vision for the next chapter perhaps the last chapter of their lives.

So I ask you father to do an absolutely stunning work here for the mobilization of pastors to be frontier missionaries and for the awakening of the rest to produce frontier missionaries and Nobody to be indifferent to this great cause and calling to that end helped me to be faithful to your word and to be a faithful echo of the life and labor and suffering of Adoniram Judson in Jesus powerful name.

I pray Amen our Lord Jesus Said in some very solemn words Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies It remains alone. And if it dies it bears much fruit and then he followed that with these words he who Loves his life Loses it and he who hates his life in this world Will keep it for eternal life Which means that a fruitful life and an eternal life Depend on Dying and hating your life in this world More and more.

The Gospel’s Global Purpose and the Necessity of Suffering

I am convinced that God's design for finishing the Great Commission and gathering His elect from all the peoples of the world is through the suffering of his ministers and missionaries Dying like a seed Hating your life and What overwhelms me as I ponder the scriptures in relation to the life of? Adoniram Judson what overwhelms me is the strategic place of how often He died and how often he hated his life in this world the suffering of the ministers and the suffering of the missionaries is A design I'm arguing it's not a mere consequence.

It's not a mere result. It's not just a spin-off. I'm arguing it is a divine design that the darkness be penetrated that the principalities and powers be broken and that God centered Christ exalting Bible saturated churches be planted Through the suffering and martyrdom of his people.

I think that's a divine design To which you some of you are called and all of you in measure. Now here's my outline of where we're going. One Five four things. I want to show you and then conclude fifthly with a plea to you to join Christ and Judson in dying for the world.

One God's purpose to spread the gospel to all peoples to God's plan to make suffering a crucial means to accomplish this purpose. Three the position we are now in in the 21st century in regard to world evangelization for the pain of Adoniram Judson as an illustration of all these truths.

And Fifth a plea to you to take the deposit. Around which we have built necessary fences. Because it is so infinitely valuable to the people who need it. If you'd ask me What would be one of the main reasons for the theme of this conference?

I would say because if you don't guard the deposit with fences. You will have nothing to take to the nation's in 80 years. Like the American Baptist and the PC USA and the United Methodist Church and the Episcopalian Church and the UCC.

Just like them. They used to have a gospel. They used to believe in missions. And your little denomination so evangelically vibrant today will be exactly where they are in 80 years without fences. I Want there to be a message clear and powerful that believes in heaven believes in hell believes in the necessity of Christ and faith in this Christ so that we have something to give.

That would be one of the reasons for having this conference. So here's number one of those five points. The invincible purpose of God is that the gospel of the glory of Christ? Spread to all peoples of the world and take root in God-centered Christ exalting churches.

God’s Purpose to Spread the Gospel to All Peoples

To all the peoples it's his purpose. That this great gospel spread and produce Churches, this is a promise in the Old Testament all the ends of the earth shall remember and Worship the Lord and all the families of the people shall come and bow down.

For dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. Psalm 22 verses 27 and 28. It's a Old Testament promise. It is also a promise of Jesus. This gospel will be preached Throughout the world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.

It's a design of the cross they sang a new song saying You were slain and by your blood did ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and has made them a Priest or priesthood to our God and they shall reign on earth.

It was a design of the cross if you love the cross like we sing. You must love what it was designed to do. Namely gather a people from every people group on planet earth. If you don't love that you don't love the cross you're creating it in your own imagination.

And It was the final command of the risen all-powerful Lord all Authority in heaven on earth has been given to me go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and lo I am with you. I will be with you. I will be with you. What more could we ask to the end of the age you take that. You take that charge and say, all right, I'll do it.

Will you be with me? He resounds you don't have to have any extraordinary gift here to know the word of the risen. All-authority of Christ coming through this mouth right now is straight into your heart.

I will be with you. And therefore you don't have anything To fear but fear it was the divine aim of the Apostle Paul and the grace of God in him. Through him Romans 1 5 we have received grace and Apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name.

Among all the peoples all the nations it burned in the Apostle. That this is why grace had come upon him that all the nations would become obedient to King Jesus through faith. It was his holy ambition and here there's something very relevant for us all because we might think well the Apostle.

He had his Damascus Road experience and I've never had anything quite that clear. And so I'm living in limbo and it seems more appropriate to be here. There is a way Paul says this that alters that a bit.

He says in Romans 15 20. I make it my ambition to preach the gospel. Not where Christ has already been named. He's just passionate to get away from America. He's just passionate to get out of here where it's not already been named.

Lest I build on someone else's foundation. Is there anybody in this room with that passion? I don't want to build on my predecessor. I don't want to go to a church that's established. Give me a totally pagan people.

Give me a people that don't want me to come. Oh God grant me to do what Paul did if there's nobody like that in this room. We may as well fold up the shop of Christianity because that job's not done. But that's my third point and I'm still on point one.

I'm still reading in that in that context of Romans 15 20. Lest I build on someone else's foundation. But as it is written those who have never been told of him nice quoting Isaiah 5215. Isn't this strange?

This man had a Damascus Road experience with the Living Christ and he quotes Isaiah to authorize His calling if that doesn't liberate you men to hear the Word of God and I say I don't know what would.

Those who have never heard will understand. He does it again in Acts 13 the divine purpose of the falling and the filling of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1 is. Also to this end you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will therefore Be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world.

That's why he came. That's why he came. We sing that song. I thank you for leaving your spirit here. Are you. Point one then the invincible purpose of God is that the gospel of the glory of Christ? Spread to all the peoples of the world and take root in God-centered Christ exalting Bible saturated churches that bring cultures under King Jesus.

Adoniram Judson Came to faith and was called In about 1812 a little bit before that in a milieu Where the Holy Spirit began to move mightily the haystack prayer meeting was in 1807 near Williams College and Adoniram Judson went to Andover Seminary where those students from Williams had come and he was caught up into a flame of missionary zeal that was born out of the beginnings of an awakening wherever the Holy Spirit is Quickening and awakening the Church of Christ this kind of passion will be born.

Suffering as God’s Means for Gospel Advance

Otherwise, it's a defective awakening. Point number two. God's plan is That this gospel spreading church planting purpose Triumphed through the suffering of his people, especially his ministers and missionaries.

God's plan is that the people's be reached the church be established authentic worship rise to the king through the suffering and martyrdom of his people, especially his ministers and his missionaries.

Jesus said to his disciples Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Be as wise as Serpents and as innocent as doves. Nobody nobody doubts what happens to sheep in the midst of wolves and To make it crystal clear that it was not a possibility but a reality.

Paul said We are being killed all day long. We are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things in in in all these things We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. And the first thing that cannot separate you from him is death.

That's the calling. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone. Jesus said beware of men. For they will deliver you over to courts. Flog you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake to bear witness.

Before them and the Gentiles do you notice? Witness is Not the Thing you do after you've gone to jail to try to make it turn out better. It's the reason you're in jail, that's what the text says. Ace Marturian our toys.

They will drag you before governors and kings for a Witness to them. They didn't do it for that reason. God did it for that reason. Nobody's in jail by accident. Nobody is a sheep Amid wolves by accident.

It's an appointment. It's a promise from the Lord Who laid his life down as a lamb? Among wolves a Disciple is not above his teacher. Nor a servant above his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more will they malign those of his own house?

Who do we think we are? Can have our nice little church as though the master the Infinitely worthy one the one who is last to be persecuted. Surely it will not happen to him. Us yes, not him. It happens to him and he draws out the implication.

You're not above your master. If you would be my disciple you will take up your cross and Get on the Calvary Road and follow me. There's not another road of ministry. Martyrs are not an accident. Revelation 611 when they cried out from under the altar.

How long how long. Until you judge our blood and avenge us. The word comes back. Rest a little longer until the number of Their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete. Who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

Rest a little longer. There's some more of you planned. Until the number is complete. And some are in this room. May God give you strength. May God give you strength. Might be a sniper. It doesn't like your church.

Might be a bomber. It doesn't like where you're headed on the airplane. Just might be a mob. Might take you down in Yemen after 30 years in a hospital there loving people. Might take you down with Martin Burnham.

In the Philippines. Might take you down with Graham Staines in India. It won't be an accident. It will be a design to break open. The world we keep running like we are in the American Evangelical Church from suffering.

The Lord will reject us and get it done with 10 ,000 Korean missionaries. The South Korean Church in the last Ten years has gone from going to do ballpark numbers now about 2 ,500 missionaries to 10 ,000 cross-cultural missionaries putting to shame us dying Westerners who are so infatuated with our securities and our ease now lest you think we put Our martyrdom too close together with Christ's Witness martyrdom.

Listen to this amazing sentence from Colossians 124. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and in my flesh. I am Filling up what is lacking in Christ afflictions. For the sake of his body that is the church.

Brothers, we are called in our sufferings to complete the afflictions of Jesus. You really need to ponder that. That's a design for the in gathering and the up building of the Church of the Living Christ.

And it does not mean you atone for anybody's sins or that his atoning death was in any way deficient. It means this I believe the sufferings of Jesus acted out by him in fully sufficient atoning worth are meant to be displayed portrayed Offered through the sufferings of his body on earth.

It's a design. Which is why I abominate the health wealth and prosperity gospel, not just because it gets a few things wrong. It destroys the message of the cross which is designed to come through a suffering church so.

The second point is that it is a divine plan or divine design. That this gospel spreading church planting purpose Triumph through the suffering of his people, especially his ministers and missionaries.

Point number three the position we are now in at the beginning of the 21st century is one that cries out for tremendous missionary effort and tremendous missionary sacrifice. Patrick Johnstone In Operation whirl I saw stack of them back there if there any left should probably run right now to get it.

But they're very inexpensive. You can get them anytime on the web and they are among the most important Books, it is among the most important books in my library. I have a little prayer nook in my study and there are a few books on the shelf right here.

Beside that and that's one of them. Not merely because I want to pray but because I am wired to forget the world and Patrick Johnstone has done all of us such a tremendous favor to keep our hearts alive for the unreached peoples of the world.

Well he said that in the 1990s for the first time in history, we were able to get a reasonably complete listing of The people's in the world ethno linguistically he estimates 12 ,000 of them and he says 3 ,500 have on average 1 .2 percent Christians, that's 20 million Christians out of about 1 .7 billion people using the broadest definition of Christian and including expatriates.

Most of these 3 ,500 most unreached peoples stretch through the 1040 window from West Africa and North Africa right on across to Japan and Most of them don't want you to come. In fact, they are openly most of them hostile to your coming.

They don't know what they need. They are blind. Is that gonna make a difference to you? Didn't make a difference to God when he saved you that you were blind when Ednarm Judson Went to Burma in July of 1813.

It was a hostile Utterly unreached place. William Carey had said to Judson across the Bay of Bengal don't go there. It's useless. All the missionaries that went there either died or quit. There were no missionaries there when Judson got there.

Fierce war with Siam anarchic despotism enemy raids continually. Constant rebellion no religious toleration and Judson Hearing that there was a boat in the harbor heading for Rangoon. Looked at his 23 year old bride of 17 months and said will you go with me?

And an did 38 years he ministered there till he died when he was 61. Went home once after 33 years not by choice, but to accompany his sick wife. He was a seed that fell into the ground and died over and over and the fruit God gave is Celebrated today even in scholarly works like Barrett's world Christian Encyclopedia, which says the largest Christian force in Burma.

Is the Burma Baptist Convention? Which owes its origin to the pioneering activity of the American Baptist missionary at Naram? Judson he was a Baptist when he went there in 1813 because although he'd come out as a Congregationalist on the hundred and fourteen day voyage his mind was changed and William Ward the partner of William Carey baptized him and Anne on September 6 1812 there near Calcutta and today Patrick Johnstone Estimates that in Myanmar the new name for Burma in Myanmar the Baptist Convention has about 3 ,700 congregations with 617 ,000 members and 1 .9 million Affiliates the fruit of this dead seed.

Of course, there are others and They died to the church today in Myanmar is the fruit of many lost lives. Now my question is this. If Christ delays another 200 years, which is just a Fraction of a day in his reckoning that seems long to use it.

Oh, he wouldn't do that. Surely wouldn't he wouldn't do that. Well from him he said what. I can't wait five more minutes if that happens if that happens. My question is which of you will have been the dying instrument.

Adoniram Judson’s Suffering and Missionary Legacy

Such that among the 3 ,500 unreached peoples. Some will have one point nine million adherence to the Church of Jesus Christ. Because you laid your lives down there. That's a good legacy. Number four the pain of Adoniram Judson illustrates the Truth that we've been talking about so far.

So here I move to biography. Adoniram Judson Hated his life in this world. Adoniram Judson was a seed that fell into the ground and died. Adoniram Judson filled up in his own sufferings. What was lacking in the afflictions of Christ where they had never been?

Heard of and therefore Adoniram Judson's life bore much fruit and today he is alive to enjoy it and he will be Forever. And I think could he speak right now? He would say it was worth it. Judson was a Calvinist.

Everybody seemed to be a Calvinist in New England in those days. He didn't wear it on his sleeve. The evidence for it you can read in Nettles by his grace and for his Glory, his father was a congregationalist minister.

His teacher was Bellamy who was a student of Jonathan Edwards. Judson inherited a deep belief in the sovereignty of God. And the great importance of stressing that here for me is not primarily Soteriological though it had that function, of course for the way he understood people getting saved in Burma but it mainly in my point here is that it stabilized him in the midst of incredible and never-ending calamities in his life.

Let me read you a beautiful sentence that I hope you all will be able to say. If I had not felt certain that every additional trial was ordered by infinite love and mercy I could not have survived my Accumulated suffering.

There's another reason why I want to build fences around the sovereignty of God. I listen to the people in my church. I listen especially to the suffering people in my church. And I don't know what I would tell them if I could not tell them.

This has been ordered by infinite love and mercy. Not. He just didn't know this was gonna happen. That's something I want to put outside the fence for the sake of my flock. Because they're gonna suffer.

They're going to suffer. This was an unshakable confidence in his wives. He had three wives. And it isn't because he was a polygamist. It's because and died and Sarah died. And Emily died three years after he died and was.

They were all absolutely remarkable. There's a book called the three mrs Judson's and if you find it on the on the web go ahead and get it because there's a lot more on them. There is on him and I'll tell you why later on and He married February 5 1812 he left on a boat with her mark this.

On February 19, that's what 14 days later. They're on a boat. She never came home. I Take that back. She did make one trip. She was 23. They had three children. All the children died. The first baby Nameless they drop in the water between India and Rangoon.

The second Roger Williams Judson 17 months old dies. The third Maria Elizabeth Butterworth Judson outlives her mother by two months and or six months and dies now and who Lost two children then died and then her other child died wrote this.

After her second child died our hearts were bound up with this child. We felt he was our earthly all our only source of innocent recreation in this heathen land but God saw. It was necessary to remind us of our error and to strip us of our only little all.

Oh May it not be in vain that he has done it. May we so improve it that he will stay his hand and say it is enough. I Preach to produce mothers like that. There are not many around most American mothers and fathers get angry at God and Many pastors tell them that's good for them in other words his wives and Him he himself was established by the rock-solid confidence in the sovereignty and goodness of God in all of his calamities.

There were roots for this confidence one his father To his Bible. Oh, was he a man of the Bible 38 years? He devoted to translating old and New Testament. He left a complete translation behind. He translated that is he created a Burmese English dictionary that all the missionaries after him were able to use in language.

Learning he once was approached by a Buddhist teacher who said no way could this gospel be true because no king would ever let his son be Treated with so much indignity as you say God allowed his son to be treated to which Judson responded.

You are not a disciple of Christ a true disciple inquires. Not whether a fact is agreeable to his own reason. But whether it is in the book. His pride has not yielded to the divine testimony teacher. Your pride is still unbroken.

Break down your pride and yield to the Word of God. He was a man of the book the book Established him in his confidence in the sovereignty of God and then there was a third source Remarkable namely the story of his conversion.

Judson’s Conversion and Call to Missions

It is an absolutely Astonishing story. Let me tell it to you. He was brilliant as a little boy. Three years old his mother teaches him to read in one week since he has a surprise for his father when he comes home from the trip.

He reads a chapter of the Bible at three after studying for a week when he was 16. He went as a sophomore to Brown University and Graduated head of his class three years later 1807 same year as the haystack prayer meeting.

Little did his parents know that while he was at Brown he was losing his faith. He came in contact with a Fellow student that blew him away with his intelligence named Jacob Eames Who was a deist and by the time? Adnaram Judson was done with his education.

He was no longer a believer if he ever was a Believer. He kept it from his parents all the way through even delivered his valedictory address in such vague terms. They couldn't quite tell what he was saying and then on his birthday August 9 1808 20th birthday.

He broke the news to his parents and broke their hearts and said he was going to New York to learn how to write plays For the theater and would his daddy give him a horse as part of his inheritance and his father Through tears gave it to him and let him go.

It wasn't the dream. He'd hoped for bound himself to a pack of strolling players. Later he wrote they were a reckless vagabond vagabond life. I found lodgings where I could Bilking the landlord wherever I could find opportunity.

Finally the disgust that he felt for the people around him Proved to be the first of some very remarkable Providences. He decided to leave them and visit his uncle in the wilderness his uncle Ephraim in Sheffield, Massachusetts.

Instead of finding his uncle at home. He found quote a pious young man that Stunned him because of how strongly he held his Christian convictions and yet not without the stridency of so many of those he had known earlier.

He left there wondering. Hmm. Maybe there's another way to be a Christian instead of a deist and the next night he didn't have Far enough to go to get home. He stayed at a little village where he'd never been before and Asked for a room the man apologized and said I only have one room and it's next door to a Man, that's very sick and he may bother you through the night.

But if you'd like to have it, so he took the room and Through the night. He heard the voices and the groans and the gasps of this man who seemed to be dying and made his mind Think about his own death and about whether he was ready for death.

The morning came and as he was getting ready to go He asked how the man was and the innkeeper said oh he died last night and Judson was struck with the absoluteness of death and his Unpreparedness for it and as he was walking out the door, he said do you know who he was?

And he said, oh, yes young man from Brown his name was Jacob Eames and Judson was frozen. He just trembled. He could not move. He couldn't leave for three hours. He just stayed there in the end terrified saying If Jacob Eames the deist is right.

This is meaningless. This is meaningless. This has no significance. And he could not bring himself to believe this was a coincidence. But that God was on his trail and he was. His conversion did not come quickly.

It took months. And it was December 2nd when he had enrolled at Andover groping. He Settled it. It was almost simultaneous with his conversion that he felt the call to take the gospel to the east as he said.

June 28 1819 he and Four others presented themselves to the congregation lists as foreign missionaries. They had never sent a foreign missionary away from American soil. And he said we're gonna start it.

And if you don't we'll go to the London Missionary Society and get them to do it. And so they voted to do it. The same day he was ordained to that he met Anne and fell in love now to show you the fiber of Which this tree was made?

Both the man and the woman listened to this letter of courting sent to her father. I Have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring. To see her no more in this world.

Whether you can consent to her departure and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life. Whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean to the fatal influence of southern climate of India.

To every kind of want and distress to degradation. Insult persecution and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this for the sake of him? Who left his heavenly home and died for her and for you?

For the sake of perishing immortal souls for the sake of Zion and the glory of God. Can you consent to all this in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory with the crown of righteousness brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from the heathens saved through her means from eternal woe and despair.

The mindset Among us in America today is so fragile. We'll go try this out this mission thing. Let's just try this out a little bit. Six months or 18 months or a couple years. Let's try this out. Her father said to her In modern English, it's your call.

Which was amazing and she wrote to a friend. I Feel willing and Expect if nothing in Providence prevents to spend my days in this world in heathen lands. Yes, Lydia. I have about come to the determination to give up all my comforts and enjoyments here.

Sacrifice my affection to relatives and friends and to go where God in his Providence Shall see fit to place me a year and a half later February 5 1812. They sailed for India. I might have my dates wrong there you can check it in the manuscript.

They sailed for India. They went to Rangoon even though it was dangerous and there began a lifelong battle in the hundred and eighty hundred and eight degree heat with cholera and Malaria and dysentery and no medicines to speak of except some ones that you wouldn't even want to think about.

Salivation with mercury things like that. She bore him Three children, you know his next wife bore him eight children. His third wife bore him two children of the thirteen children that he had seven. Survived.

The first news they got from home was two out two years and Four months later. This is one of the deaths I Can imagine a missionary today getting bent out of shape if an email isn't there the first week?

Two years before they heard anything from anybody. They died to that. He didn't go home for 33 years. Missionary time in those days was very different than our time. We sort of assume now that all time is the same everywhere in the world because of Jetson email then Missionary time was like this if you get sick enough.

You don't take a 10-day Antibiotic regimen. You get on a boat and disappear for six months. From your wife or your husband in the hopes that salt water might help. That's what you could do. That's how time.

Well, we'll have a little six-month interval here before we pick up again and go on a Boat ride that's supposed to make two weeks up to the northern part winds up taking six months. Because of the storm that blew them south if you were married.

And you loved your wife. And you felt like you needed sex often enough. And his departure when she was sick for two years. Would be a death if you chased she went back for two years she was so sick she went to New England.

One of the joys that sustain you in those days is knowing that God's up to something good that particular. Example is that she got well. She came back and guess what she had done while she was in New England getting well.

She wrote a book. Called an account of the American Baptist mission to the Burman Empire and it exploded on the American Baptist scene. Raising up hundreds of congregations ready to go ready to give ready to pray which would have never happened.

Had not she been on the brink of death and had her husband not died to his needs for two years. His first convert Mon now baptized six years after he came. Long sowing harder reaping and then 1831 arrives and God honors the dying and the self hating as it were.

Listen to this quote 1831. He arrived there in 1813. The spirit of inquiry is spreading everywhere. Through the whole length and breadth of the land. We have distributed nearly 10 ,000 tracts giving to none.

But those who ask I presume there have been 6 ,000 applications at the house. Some come two or three months journey from the borders of Siam and China. Sir, we hear that there's an eternal hell. We're afraid of it.

Do you have a writing to tell us how to escape it? Others from the frontiers of Cathay 100 miles north of Ava sir. We have seen a writing that tells about the eternal God. Are you the man who gives away such writings?

If so, pray give us one for we know for we want to know the truth before we die others. From the interior of the country where the name of Jesus is little known. Are you the Jesus Christ, man? Give us a writing that tells us about Jesus Christ.

That's an excerpt from Judson's own writing however between 1813. In 1831 the price had been absolutely enormous in 1823 and and. And Adoniram moved from the coastal town of Rangoon up about 300 miles in to Ava the capital in the hopes that there might be more influence with the Despotic Emperor who could lop your head off in a minute.

And little did they know that when they got there Britain was going to attack Rangoon, which they did June May of that year 1823 immediately everybody Western was suspect and thrown into prison and Judson was put in prison dragged away from his home and his crying wife who was pregnant at the time he was Bound in his feet and every night a bamboo pole was put through the binding on his feet and all the other prisoners Lifted up above the ground so that only his shoulders and his head was on the ground and every night He was hung that way.