THE late Dr. Caesar Malan wrote the following account of a visit paid by a Christian friend to a little village, and of the wonderful discovery which he made there. It will interest all our readers, and will encourage them to go on sowing the good seed with faith: —
Some years ago a merchant named M. —, who was at the head of one of the first commercial houses in Paris, had occasion to visit the manufactories established in the mountainous tracts of the south-east of France. The road led through a country rich in natural productions, and glowing with all the charms of spring. Occasionally factories and furnaces were seen rising amidst barns and sheep-cotes; peasants were digging, and ploughs gliding amidst forges and foundries.
At length he arrived at the skirts of a hamlet on a mountain slope, and being desirous of finding a shorter track, he stopped at a little house to inquire the way. From the windows several persons were watching the movements of a little child; and just as M. — inquired for a road across the mountains, the little one was in danger of being crushed by a coal cart which had entered the street. The cries and alarms of the females called the attention of the travelers, and the companion of M. — set off to snatch the infant from danger and place him in security. An elderly person from the second story gave M. —, who was still on his horse, the directions he desired, and at the same time expressed her uneasiness that the gentleman should have had the trouble to seek the child.
“Madam,” said M. —, “my friend is only, performing his duty: we ought to do to another as we would that another should do to us. You are kind enough to direct us travelers in the right road, and surely the least we can do is to rescue your child from danger. The Holy Scriptures teach us these duties, and the Gospel presents us the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when we were in ignorance and danger, came to our world to seek and to save that which was lost.”
“Ah! sir,” replied the woman, “you are very condescending, and what you say is very true; but your language surprises me; it is so many years since we have heard such truths from the lips of a stranger.”
“Madam,” resumed M. —, “we are strangers here, and sojourners bound to eternity; there is but one road, one Saviour, who will conduct us safely.to the heavenly mansions which He is gone to prepare for us.”
“These doctrines, sir,” exclaimed the female, “support the hearts of many of us who have scarcely traveled beyond our own neighborhood; and it is so rare and so delightful to hear them from others, that if it will not be an abuse of your Christian politeness, I would request you to alight and visit my humble apartment.”
“I shall comply most cheerfully with your request,” replied M.― “though time is precious.”
So saying, he went upstairs to the second story, followed by his companion. He found the female with whom he had conversed surrounded by her daughters and her granddaughters, all busily employed at five looms, filled with galloons and ribbons, destined for the capital and the most distant cities in the world. The widow was between sixty and seventy years of age.
“Ah! sir,” she exclaimed as M. — entered, “how happy am I to receive such a visitor!”
“Madam,” replied M. —, “I am, as you are. My ground of salvation is through the cross of Christ. I was yesterday at St.―where they were planting a cross with great ceremony; were you there?”
“No, sir; for it is of little use to erect crosses in the streets if we do not carry the cross in our hearts, and are not crucified to the world. But, sir, if you will not be offended, may I ask what you are called? Are you a Protestant or a Catholic a pastor or a priest?”
“Madam, I am a merchant; a disciple of Christ.”
“That is exactly as we are here, sir,” exclaimed the widow; and added, “but, as you are so frank, are you, sir, Catholic or Protestant?”
“Catholic,” replied M. —.
Madam looked confused, and observed that it was rare for the Catholics to talk as her visitor had done.
“I am a Catholic,” resumed M. —, “but not a member of the Roman Catholic Church. I love all that love our Lord Jesus in sincerity. I do not ask in what fold they feed, so that they are guided and nourished by the Good Shepherd and Bishop of souls.”
“Oh, what a favor the Lord has granted us to meet with a Christian like ourselves,” said the widow. “We desire to live in charity with all mankind; but, to be frank, also, sir, we do not go to mass, nor to confession, for we do not learn from our Testament, which is indeed almost worn out, that we are required to confess to sinners like ourselves, nor to worship the Host, nor to perform penance for the salvation of our souls; and we believe we can serve God acceptably in a cave, or in a chamber, or on a mountain.”
“I confess, madam, in my turn,” said M. —, “that I am exceedingly astonished to find such persons on such a spot; pray, how many may there be of your sentiments?”
“Here, sir, and scattered “over the mountains, there are from three to four hundred. We meet on the Sunday evenings, and as often as we can, to pray and read the Testament. We are so much persecuted by the clergy that we cannot appear as publicly as we wish. We are called fools; but we can bear this, and I hope a great deal more, for Him who has suffered so much for us.”
While this conversation was going on, the rooms had filled, the neighbors having been informed of the visit, and having been called together at the request of the worthy hostess; and as many as could quit their occupations pressed to hear of the things of God.
M. — desired to see the New Testament which had been such a blessing to these people. It was presented. The title-page was gone, the leaves were almost worn to shreds by the fingers of the weavers and laborers, and M. — could not discover the edition.
A respectable woman now approached M. —, and said, —
“Sir, for several years I have sought a new Testament, and I have offered any price for one in all the neighboring villages, but in vain. Could you, sir, procure me a copy I will gladly pay you any sum you demand.”
“Madam, I will not only procure you one,” replied M. —, eagerly, “but in forty-eight hours I will send you half-a-dozen.”
“Is it possible!” exclaimed the astonished villagers. “May we, sir, believe the good news It appears too great — too good. We will pay for them now, sir, if you please.”
“You may depend on receiving them,” said M. —, “if God prolongs my life. But I entreat you to do me the favor to accept them, as a proof of my Christian regard and an expression of my gratitude for having been permitted to enjoy the company of the followers of Christ.”
The conversation then turned on the value of the sacred volume, and the sinfulness of those who withheld it from perishing sinners.
Anxious as was M. — to pursue his journey, he devoted three hours to this interview. He exhorted them to receive and practice only what they found in the Scriptures, and to cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart. The close of this extraordinary meeting was most affecting; tears of gratitude and regret streamed from the eyes of the mountaineers; and the traveler, deeply moved by what he had seen, went on his way rejoicing, and, following the directions of the widow, he arrived at the town of S —. In this town he had friends among the principal inhabitants (including the mayor), and, under the impression of all he had witnessed, he inquired, as if with the curiosity of a traveler, the name of the hamlet he had passed on the mountain, and the nature of the employment and the character of the inhabitants.
“The men,” said the Mayor, “work in the mines, drive the teams, and labor in the fields, and the women and children weave. They are a very curious people, but the most honest work-people of the country — in fact, they are honesty itself. We have no occasion to weigh our silk, either when we give it out or take it in, for we are sure not to lose the value of a farthing; and they are the kindest creatures in the world — they will take their shirts off their backs to give to anyone in distress. Indeed, there is no wretchedness among them, for, though poor, they are industrious, temperate, charitable, and always assist each other; but they never go to mass nor confession. In fact, they are not what we Roman Catholics call Christians, though the most worthy people in the world — and so droll: imagine those poor people! after working all the week, instead of enjoying the Sunday, and going to fetes and balls to amuse themselves, they meet in each other’s houses, and sometimes in the mountains, to read some book, and pray, and sing hymns. They are very clever work-people, but they pass their Sundays and holidays stupidly enough.”
Immediately on his arrival at Lyons, M.― sent off to them six copies of the New Testament and some tracts; shortly after he returned to Paris, he received, through one of his correspondents at Lyons, a letter from the excellent widow with whom he had conversed, She wrote as follows: —
“SIR, — I have the honor to write you, to assure you of my very humble respects, and at the same time to acknowledge the reception of the six copies of the New Testament which you had the goodness and the generosity to send us. My family, myself, and my neighbors know not how to express our sincere gratitude; for we have nothing in the world so precious as that sacred volume, which is the best food of our souls and our certain guide to glory.
“As we believe and are assured that the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ could alone have inspired you with a desire to distribute the sacred Scriptures, we hope and believe that the Divine Saviour will be Himself your recompense: and that He will give to you, as well as to all of us, the grace to understand His Second Coming, for this ought to be our constant desire in the times of darkness and tribulation in which we live.”
After asking for a few more copies of the New Testament, for which she offered to pay, she concluded thus: —
“I entreat you, sir, to excuse the liberty I have taken, and to believe that while life remains, I am in the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Your very humble servant,” THE WIDOW —.”
Thus we find that the inhabitants of this village and of neighboring hamlets had been led to walk in the light of the Gospel through the reading of one New Testament, blessed as it was by the Spirit of God. What an encouragement this ought to be to us to send the Scriptures into every part of the world, and also to pray that God will accompany its reading with the teaching of the Holy Ghost.