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was somewhat tempting to one who was very poor and who had a
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large family to care for; but we are glad to say that she had courage to
decide for the right.
The pastors in many cases are ignorant of the Scriptures and of the
power of God, and they feed themselves instead of feeding the flock.
At one of their late synods it was proposed that each pastor should
visit every member of his congregation at least once a year; but with
almost unanimous voice they objected to the measure, some saying
that if it was insisted upon they would resign their charge. With many
of them religion is a mere form, and they are doing comparatively
nothing to advance the temporal or spiritual interests of their flock.
The people are perishing in ignorance, while those who claim to be
religious teachers take from them the key of knowledge. They enter
not in themselves, and those who would enter in they hinder.
Eighteen hundred years ago the voice of Jesus, clear and distinct,
like the peal of a trumpet, went forth to the weary, thirsty crowd in the
temple courts: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”
“Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life.” Oh that the voice of Jesus could
reach the dull senses of this people! Oh that they could feel their real
need, and realize how much Jesus is willing and ready to do for them!
As a rule, the people of these valleys are poor, unlearned, and
superstitious, and their standard of religion and morality is low. One
Sunday morning we walked out to the market-place. Here, as in all
other European cities and villages, great account is made of market-
days. At this time shop- keepers from all parts of the town bring their
wares, and market women from the surrounding country bring, in carts
drawn by mules, or in baskets on their heads or backs, vegetables, fruit,
butter, eggs, chickens, and all kinds of farm produce, and display them
in the streets. The principal market-days in this place are Sunday and
Friday forenoons. It was to us a novel way of keeping Sunday. Men
and women were crying their wares, and people were hurrying to and
fro, many of them anxious to return home with their purchases in time
to prepare for church. This shows the lax ideas that many, even of those
who profess to be Christians, have in regard to Sunday observance.
And when they accept the Sabbath, it is often quite difficult to impress
them with the importance of observing it any more strictly.