4. Family Life and Concluding Years
4. Family Life and Concluding Years
In 1834, eight years after the death of Ann, Adoniram married Sarah, the widow of George Boardman, who had died in 1831. No children survived Judson’s first marriage. Reminiscent of the book of Job, that loss was more than made good. Of eight children born to Adoniram and Sarah, six survived. Of three born to George and Sarah, one survived.
The years 1831-32 included journeys to the Karen people. In Maulmein and Rangoon, Adoniram always employed assistants, whom he sent out to various parts to evangelize. His practice was to send men two by two into the forests where he was unable to go himself. These would return with their reports.[42] During 1834, Adoniram reported that he was almost exclusively engaged in revising his Old Testament translation, and in 1839 reported that he felt it his main duty for the rest of his life to perfect his translation of the whole Bible into Burmese. It was in October 1840 that this great work was completed.[43] Several years later a missionary described Judson’s translation as possessing such all-round qualities as to make it the best translation of all among languages of the East.[44]
From 1839, Adoniram’s health declined. The doctors did not know how to cure consumption and usually recommended a sea cruise in the hope that it would improve the health of the patient. Adoniram sailed for Calcutta. At that time Calcutta was regarded as one of the finest cities in the British Empire. He visited the Serampore mission. In 1841 Sarah became desperately ill. She, too, took a voyage to Calcutta. At this time Adoniram was encouraged by the work of the Holy Spirit in conversion of sailors from a ship from Scotland. Adoniram baptized the captain, an officer, and two of the sailors.[45]
Continued decline in Sarah’s health eventually necessitated her return to America. Adoniram had no desire to return. But there was no other way. He had to support Sarah and accompany her. When they arrived at Mauritius, Sarah seemed much improved. On this basis she persuaded Adoniram to return to Burma. This he prepared to do, but it was not to be. Sarah relapsed badly and continued to deteriorate. When they reached St. Helena she died and was buried there. Adoniram continued on to America with three children, three younger ones having been left in the care of the missionaries at Maulmein.
Adoniram was not ready for the meetings organized for him in America. His throat was so inflamed that he was unable to preach. He had to be assisted by a speaker who would convey his message like an interpreter.
The Progress of Missionary Vision
As long as Christians heed the words of the great commission as recorded in the concluding paragraph of the Gospel of Matthew (see Mat 28:19-20), they will expend themselves in missionary endeavor. John Calvin trained and sent missionary church planters into his native land of France, by which the Church grew there to over two million members.
The Moravians sent missionaries to Persia, Egypt, Greenland, America, the Caribbean, and many parts of Africa. William Carey (1761-1834), Robert Morrison (1782-1834), and Adoniram Judson represented a new race of pioneer missionaries breaking into new regions. When Robert Morrison arrived in China, he was virtually on his own. When William Burns (1815-1868) arrived in China, there were fifty missionaries labouring in that country. The progress made by these earlier missionaries made it possible for Hudson Taylor to promote a new emphasis of reaching the inland areas of China. This general trend of reaching the heartlands of nations is reflected in the names of missionary societies such as the China Inland Mission, Sudan Interior Mission, and Africa Inland Mission.
In the second half of the 20th century, the inspiration developed that it was possible to translate the Bible into every language. The best known agency attempting to fulfill this vision is Wycliffe Bible Translators. Wycliffe now numbers 5,000 translators dedicated to reach the many languages which remain.
A further modern development is the concept of people groups. India for instance represents 3,000 sub-nations or people groups, of which some 2,000 have not been penetrated. They do not have a witnessing church that is native to their particular social group. The northern provinces of India, such as Uttar Pradesh (139 million) and Bihar (86 million), are hardly reached and virtually represent unevangelized nations. A whole new army of missionaries like Judson is needed to undertake this task!
While in America, he met a well-known secular author, Emily Chubbock. She was a dedicated Christian. They married and returned to Burma. Emily proved an excellent helper. The work force at Maulmein was adequate, so the Judsons settled in Rangoon. Here the church was strengthened. The opposition however intensified. It was the old head-on collision of the king’s opposition to the Gospel. The conditions in Rangoon were extremely exacting. Writing to the Mission Board at home, Adoniram described the vice-governor as, “the most ferocious, bloodthirsty monster I have ever known in Burma. It is said that his house and court-yard resound day and night with the screams of people under torture. Even foreigners are not beyond his grasp.”[46]
In 1849 Adoniram’s health deteriorated seriously. Sea voyages were the only panacea for consumption. This was not successful. Exhausted through a life of unrelenting toil, Adoniram died in April 1850. He was buried at sea. Devoted for life, he had reached his “golden shore.”