THE Macedonian empire was founded in the year 334 before Christ, by Alexander the Great, the mighty conqueror, and it became one of the most powerful nations of antiquity. When the power of the empire decayed, and conquering Rome took the place of Greece in the shaping of the world's kingdoms, Macedonia was divided into two great provinces, one of which the Romans called Macedonia, and the other Achaia. These provinces possess names familiar to every reader of the Bible, and they are graven, as it were, in the very life history of the apostle to the Gentiles.
For European Christians generally, Macedonia must ever present a peculiar interest, for when the apostle and his co-workers were bent upon evangelizing Asia, the Holy Spirit suffered them not, and while they were in Mysia the apostle received the vision in which a "man of Macedonia" stood by him, "saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." So to Europe these great missioners came, and they located themselves in one of the chief cities of Macedonia, namely, Philippi. On a subsequent occasion, the Macedonia of St. Paul's days and of our own, shall be shown by two maps, but now it shall suffice for us to remember the grand Gospel love and energy which sprang up in Europe, in the Philippi of olden days, by the hands Of the apostle and his co-workers. Nor can we forget that epistle which those first converts of Europe received from St. Paul, the epistle of the true Christian life, evidenced in love to Christ, and love to souls, and in following Christ in His pathway on earth, and reaching up to Him in His glory in heaven, with its concluding words on practical and enjoyed peace and possessed power.
Macedonia is now a strangely-peopled land. There live Mahomedans and also followers of both the Greek and Roman Christian religions; and not only are its religions diverse, its nationalities are also divided; so that Albanians and Greeks—not to speak of the Turks—are ready to fight for the supremacy.
In the midst of its conflicting religions and ideals, the Word of God is once more finding an entrance, Whether Turks, Greeks, or Romans, its religious powers are at one in keeping the Word of God, as far as they can, from Macedonia. Still, God has opened doors there for the entrance of His Word; and the colporteur, with his pack of precious books, finds his way into the country.
We now quote from the Bible Society's Report of last year:—
“In Macedonia the population is chiefly Bulgarian, but the rivalry of the Greeks, Romans, and Servians has led them to establish schools for their respective nationalities, so that considerable attention is paid to education, the Albanians alone lagging behind, hitherto, at least, through fear of Government opposition. Amongst the Bulgarians there are numerous missionaries at work; but among the Albanians, with the exception of the help from the American Board in maintaining the female school and public worship in Koritza, and the cordial aid of the Bible Lands Missions Aid Society, it is to the Bible Society that we have to look for the continued progress of the Gospel. With this object in view Colporteur Tsiku has, for the last two years, visited all the principal towns, from Koritza to Scutari, twice a year, in spring and autumn, staying six weeks in Scutari each time; and with thankfulness we relate that a report just received intimates that some, even in Scutari, are at length perceiving it to be both their duty and their privilege to read the Word of God for themselves, notwithstanding the prohibition of their Church.
“Perhaps there are few regions in Turkey in which there is more earnest inquiry after the way of salvation than just in Albania; and it is certain that in several towns there are not a few who eagerly desire that the Gospel were preached among them, and that they had truly Christian schools for their children. Nor is this spirit of inquiry confined to Christians. For Tsiku found a Mahomedan who made no account of the five formal hours of daily prayer, and longed for a more thorough cleansing than washing with water. And he found even a Jew who was hated by his brethren as a Protestant for openly avowing the Messiahship of the Lord Jesus, though circumstances deterred him, as he thought, from professing Christianity. We have said that the colporteur appears to have made some impression on Scutari. During the heavy rains that prevail there at this season he had visited a druggist's shop, when the conversation turned on the right and duty of Christians to read the Word of God. During the prolonged discussion others entered, and among them an Italian lady, the teacher of a female school. He pointed out how inconsistent the denial of the Scriptures to the people was, with the example of the Lord and His apostles, who preached openly to the common people. Also how unreasonable it was that any human being should prevent his fellow-creature from reading that Word, which God had given to be `a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.'”
“At length the lady exclaimed, ‘Well, after all, I am persuaded our friend is right. Here am I, a Roman Catholic, taught to reverence Mary, and this and the other saint, but really of the Gospel I know nothing. I am wholly dependent on the teaching of others, and am not allowed to judge of what most concerns me. They even forbid us to read the Gospel, but simply to keep by our profession as Roman Catholics.' The lady bought a French Testament, and the druggist a Croatian Testament. They praised the work of the Society, and prayed for a blessing on it and their brother Tsiku, who had to suffer so much reproach and scorn. Soon after, also, two Croats came one evening to his room in the inn, and after much conversation on divine things bought a Croatian Testament.”