all, which extend in various directions, outside the walls of the city.
"They consist of subterranean excavations, which served as places of
refuge and worship to the earliest followers of the Christian faith,
during the persecutions they had to suffer under the predecessors of
Constantine, and where, after death, many thousands were interred, from
the earliest period of Christianity to the sixth century of the present
era."
We visited St. Peter's also, the Vatican, drove along the Via Appia, by
which the Apostle Paul entered Rome, and saw the Arch of Titus. The
Coliseum (which originally accommodated 87,000 spectators) is likewise a
remarkable ruin. "The caverns in which the wild beasts were confined
are still in existence, and the gladiatorial spectacles, of which for
nearly 400 years it was the scene, are matters of history. In the reign
of Trajan, Ignatius was brought there from Antioch, on purpose to be
torn in pieces by wild beasts; and great numbers of martyrs perished on
its arena." The Basilica of the Lateran--which we visited also--was long
regarded as the first of Christian Churches, and styled by an
inscription at the entrance, "The Mother and Head of all the Churches in
the world!" One of the sights of Rome, too, is the Scala Santa, where
eleven penitents were ascending a long flight of 28 marble steps upon
their knees. This Scala Santa is the celebrated staircase up which
Luther, before his conversion, was once working his weary way, when
these words, "The just shall live by faith," seemed to reach him like a
voice from heaven.
Before our departure from Rome, we visited the Basilica of San Paolo
likewise, a vast marble Cathedral, erected on the spot where--according
to tradition--the Apostles Peter and Paul embraced each other before
they were led away to execution--the former to be crucified with his
head downwards, the latter to be beheaded.
The Church and Monastery of the three Fountains, the Baths of Caracalla,
the Columbaria--remarkable ancient burying places for the remains of the
dead, after they had been burned to ashes--the Pantheon, the Column of
Trajan, the Arch of Septimus Severus, some curious old aqueducts, the
ruins of the palaces of the Caesars, and other famous antiquities, we
also saw; but the sights of Rome are so numerous and celebrated, that no
minute description of them can be attempted, especially as our visits to
those just mentioned were most brief and hasty, compared with the time
usually devoted to them by strangers. The ruins of Rome--once proudly
called the "Eternal City"--plainly show "that the fashion of this world
passeth away, and the lust thereof." "He (and he _only_) who doeth the
will of God, abideth for ever." What a blessed thing it is to have "_no_
abiding City" here, but to look for "the City which hath foundations,
whose builder and maker is God."
On April 9th, we went to Naples, where, the following morning, at the
Chiese Metodista, Mr. Mueller addressed about 100 Christian Workers,
including pastors, evangelists, colporteurs, Sunday School teachers,
leaders of Mothers' Meetings, etc.; and in the evening (by particular
request) he held a service in the Bethel Mission ship, for the English
seamen of Naples, amongst whom were a few sailors from Bristol, who had
expressed a desire that he should address them. On the following evening
he preached at the Presbyterian Church, in English, to a large
congregation; and, during our stay at Naples, held a number of other
meetings, including services at the Chiese Evangelica, the Italian Free
Church, the Waldensian Church--where he preached in French, with Italian
translation--the Chiese Cristiana Apostolica, the Wesleyan Methodist
Chapel, the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the German Church. He
addressed a large class of young ladies also at a school, both in
English and in German.
During our stay at Naples, we visited the ruins of Pompeii, 14 miles
distant, "a city which was partially overthrown by an earthquake, on
Feb. 5th, A.D. 63, and destroyed by an eruption of Vesuvius, Aug. 24th,
A.D. 79. Pompeii was overwhelmed by showers of pumice stones and ashes,
no current of lava having ever reached it; but through the excavations
that have been made, a large portion of the city has been disinterred.
Many of the houses still standing, were probably built before, or
during, our Saviour's life on earth." We saw the ruins of Herculaneum
also, a city destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79, when it
was destroyed by torrents of volcanic mud.
The Solfatara, a semi-extinct volcano near Naples, is a remarkable
locality; and the spot where the Apostle Paul, after touching at
Rhegium, first landed in Italy, was particularly pointed out. We
likewise saw the road along which he travelled on his way to Rome, of
which the ancient pavement, composed of massive blocks of lava, in some
places is still perfect.
On April 21st--accompanied by Mr. Gray, the pastor of the Presbyterian
Church, who kindly acted as our guide--after driving through Naples,
Portici, and Resina, we slowly ascended the slopes of Mount Vesuvius,
which is about 30 miles in circumference at its base; and, whilst going
up the steep incline, marked a gradual decrease of vegetation, until
great lava fields, consisting of immense black boulders, and enormous
quantities of lava, cooled, and hardened into the most fantastic shapes,
were reached. At 2 o'clock we alighted at the Hermitage, and afterwards
walked towards the eruptive cone, but made no attempt to reach its top.
The distant view, however, was very beautiful, and the surroundings on
every side were grand. A Museum at the Observatory contains a valuable
collection of minerals from Vesuvius, some volcanic bombs, and a few
curious scientific instruments, amongst which is an "eisograph" for
measuring the duration and violence of earthquakes, so constructed that
the precise time of their duration can be measured with the greatest
accuracy. Before leaving the Museum, we heard that a gentleman, whilst
in the act of mounting the cone of Vesuvius, had just died suddenly of
apoplexy, brought on by over exertion during its ascent; and a short
time afterwards several men passed us carrying his corpse down the
mountain in a chair. He appeared to be about 45 years of age, and was
sitting upright, with his head hanging over the left shoulder. His
countenance was deadly pale, and life was quite extinct. The sight was
both solemn and affecting.
On the evening of April 24th, my husband gave a farewell address in
English at the Presbyterian Church, when at the close of the service,
Mr. Gray, on his own behalf and that of the congregation, publicly
expressed his gratitude for "Mr. Mueller's valued ministry" amongst them.
Our visit to Naples was a very happy one, and the meetings were of a
most important character.
The next morning we rose at 4, to leave by an early train for Rome, but
our stay there was a short one only. That evening Mr. Mueller preached at
Mr. Wall's Chapel to a large congregation, and the following evening
held a meeting at the American Episcopal Church. On Sunday morning,
April 27th, he gave an address at the Brethren's Hall, and preached at
the Sala Cristiana in the evening from Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26--a solemn
farewell sermon.
On the 28th we went again to Florence, and when he had held six meetings
in that city (including a service at Dr. Comandi's Institution, where,
on May 2nd, he addressed the children of the various evangelical schools
in Florence), on the morning of the 5th we left, and, after crossing the
Appenines, reached Bologna in the afternoon. There he preached in
French, with Italian translation, that evening and the next, at Monsieur
Roland's Church to crowded congregations.
On May 8th we went on to Venice; passed through Ferrara, Padua, and
other places on the way; and, after travelling by rail through the
watery district by which the city is surrounded, reached our destination
in the evening, where, instead of an omnibus, a gondola was waiting for
passengers, in which we were rowed along several canals, to the Hotel
Danieli. That evening, at 8 o'clock, Mr. Mueller preached at the Vaudois
Church, and at the Methodist Episcopal Church the next evening. He held
two other meetings also, whilst we remained at Venice, one of which was
in English at the American Consul's house; but his labours in this city
were shortened considerably, in consequence of the inability of Monsieur
Meille, the Italian pastor (who was suffering seriously from a throat
affection), to translate.
Venice, from being full of canals and nearly surrounded by the sea, is
one of the most extraordinary cities in the world. During our brief
sojourn there, two or three little voyages in gondolas enabled us to
form some idea of the place. "This city is built upon piles, on three
large and 114 small islands, formed by 150 narrow canals, and crossed by
380 short bridges. The islands and city upon them are in a shallow
lagune of the Adriatic. Palaces and houses, _once_ magnificent, line the
banks of the Grand Canal, which is two miles and a half in length, and
the "Bridge of Sighs" connects the Palace of the Doges with the prisons
that belong to it; but the whole city bears marks of a grandeur that has
passed away, and its fame and glory are of a bygone character. Venice is
divided into two unequal parts by the Grand Canal, which is crossed near
the middle of its course by the Ponte di Rialto, a marble bridge of one
single, spacious arch. The city contains upwards of 4,000 gondolas.
From the top of the Campanile (a square tower 316 feet in height) an
extensive prospect is obtained, embracing the Alps, the Adriatic, the
Istrian Mountains, and Monti Euganei, near Padua."
On May 15th, early in the morning, we left for Breschia, and, after
passing through Padua, Vicenza, and Verona, reached Peschiera, close to
Lago Garda, one of the beautiful lakes in northern Italy. After our
arrival at Breschia, Mr. Mueller preached that evening at the Vaudois
Church, from John i. 29. Amongst his hearers were several Roman
Catholics, and some officers and soldiers belonging to a regiment in the
city. He held another meeting, also, the following evening at the same
church, and after the service we distributed little Italian books
amongst the people, which were gratefully accepted.
On May 17th we left for Milan, and from there proceeded by an evening
train to Como, where, at the Vaudois Church, he preached four times,
with translation into Italian. Here the congregation consisted of poor
country people; and great was the interest with which they listened to a
preacher, who told them that he was a poor man himself. Everything he
needs (they were told) is obtained by prayer and faith, and his wants
are made known to his Heavenly Father only. On May 20th we spent a few
hours at Bellagio, 16 miles distant, one of the most beautiful places on
the Lake of Como; and the next day returned to Milan, where Mr. Mueller
preached at the Wesleyan Church, with Italian interpretation, in the
evening. During our stay, he held meetings also at the Italian Free
Church, the Brethren's Room, the Vaudois Church, at an Italian Church in
Place Charles Beccaria, and at a Protestant Church in Rue Agnello. On
the 28th (by invitation) he held a drawing-room meeting at the British
Chaplain's house, and the next evening preached in German at the Vaudois
Church, not being able to address the Germans in their own place of
worship, because their pastor was a neologian. On our way to and from
the meetings, we passed Milan Cathedral (built of white marble from the
Simplon) repeatedly. Next to St. Peter's at Rome, and Seville Cathedral,
it is the largest church in Europe. These splendid Cathedrals, however,
are all Popish, and the religious services carried on in them are full
of the grossest idolatry and superstition.
On May 31st, we left Milan for Turin; and after Mr. Mueller had conducted
three services in that city, on Tuesday, June 3rd, set off for an
excursion through the Waldensian Valleys, which contain a Protestant
population of about 26,000, whereas Turin has only between 800 and 900
_Protestant_ inhabitants. The journey from Turin to Pignerola was
performed by rail; but at the latter place we took an open carriage, and
drove to Villa Seche, a village inhabited principally by Protestants.
During the drive, we passed several mountain torrents, saw the distant
Alps, and drove for miles close to the river Chison, which was rushing
over its rocky bed with a loud noise, down a steep incline into the
Valley. The whole of this district is extremely interesting, because for
hundreds of years it has been inhabited by the Waldenses, who, in the
16th and 17th centuries, on account of their faithfulness to Christ,
were cruelly persecuted by the Papists; and, as their attachment to the
reformed faith brought many sufferings upon them, they were compelled to
flee from their beloved homes to any hiding place that afforded them a
refuge. The two principal Waldensian Valleys are St. Martin and Luzerne,
which contain 15 parishes; but the houses in them are scattered, and
being at a great distance from each other, the members of the little
Churches are obliged to walk many miles in order to attend the meetings.
These Waldensian Christians are generally very poor, and many of them
live in houses roofed with rough, flat stones loosely put together,
instead of slates or tiles. In the windows, too, of a few of their
abodes, paper occupied the place of glass. At Pomaret some of the people
were standing at their doors to gaze at us, because our visit was
expected; and as we drove along "Monsieur le pasteur Georges Mueller" had
many respectful bows and salutations. At five o'clock we reached the
house of the pastor at Villa Seche, and in the evening accompanied him
to his Church, a very ancient Vaudois place of worship, situated at a
great height upon a mountain, many hundreds of feet above his
residence. A steep, rugged, winding pathway, covered in places with
loose stones, led up this mountain towards the Church; and as some
rivulets streamed over the ascent, it was difficult to avoid getting
ankle-deep in water. The silence and solitude of the whole region, too,
were striking. At length, warm, tired, and almost breathless, we reached
the Church, a large, old-fashioned building, which was crowded with a
rustic congregation, who (the meeting having been announced for 5
o'clock, though circumstances did not allow of our getting there till 7)
had been sitting there two hours, patiently waiting our arrival. The
service, which was in French, was opened with singing and prayer, after
which Mr. Mueller addressed the audience for an hour, throwing himself
heart and soul into their circumstances. At the close of the meeting we
distributed little French and Italian books amongst the people; shook
hands with many of them; and soon after 9 reached the pastor's cottage
down below, a Swiss chalet, with a projecting roof, and two wooden
galleries outside. In this mountain home the domestic arrangements were
of the simplest, most frugal character possible, many of the comforts
and conveniences of life (often considered indispensable) being wanting;
but we were most kindly entertained, and greatly enjoyed our little
visit.
The next morning we took a drive to Perrier, two miles further up the
Valley, and called upon the village pastor. Underneath his house were
two "souterrains," or caverns where, in the last century, some Vaudois
Christians were imprisoned, and left to starve, by their bitter enemies
the Papists. By the light of a candle we explored these subterranean
cavities; but as the ground was covered with water, it was necessary to
step carefully on blocks of wood. Some snow covered mountains were
afterwards pointed out, where, during the last century, 80 Vaudois women
with their infants were obliged to pass the night whilst escaping from
their cruel foes; but, when morning came, they were discovered in a
semi-frozen state, and most of them perished eventually through the
severity of the cold.
In the afternoon we drove to La Perouse, where a night's lodging was
proposed for us at the Hospital; we decided, however, upon going to the
"Hotel National," a little Italian public-house, but found the
accommodation most uncomfortable, and that no one understood a word of
French. At 4 o'clock a meeting was held at the Vaudois Church, Pomaret,
when Mr. Mueller preached in French to a large, attentive audience. On
the morning of June 5th we visited St. Germain, seven miles from La
Perouse, at which place he addressed a large congregation of poor people
in French at 10 o'clock for three quarters of an hour. At one we set off
again in the little open carriage; and, after a drive of eleven miles,
reached La Tour, the largest Vaudois settlement, and the principal
Protestant station in the Valleys. In the evening, at St. Jean (three
miles from La Tour), Mr. Mueller preached at a schoolroom, belonging to
the Church, in French, where a large congregation, including several
gentlemen and ladies, had assembled. Here, at the close of the service,
the pastor prayed--"Que le discours excellent de notre frere soit grave
sur nos coeurs"; and another gentleman afterwards remarked--"Monsieur
Mueller nous a dit precisement ce qu'il nous faut; le sermon etait
admirable."
On the afternoon of June 7th, we visited the "Orphelinat des Vallees
Vaudoises," a small Orphan Establishment for 50 girls, in a delightful
situation, just outside La Tour. The Directrice conducted us through the
various departments of the Institution, where cleanliness and order
reigned supreme; for all the back, out-of-door premises, yards, courts,
etc., were so beautifully neat and clean, as well as the schoolrooms and
the dormitories, that we asked whether this was because visitors were
expected. The reply, however, was: "Les departments sont tous les jours
comme vous les voyez maintenant." The garden too was admirably kept. It
contained an abundance of vegetables and fruit trees; vines were
gracefully trained against a wooden paling surrounding the enclosure,
and a few flowers were cultivated in beds. After visiting the different
departments of the institution, the Directrice conducted us to a
schoolroom, where all the girls were busily engaged with needlework.
They rose as we entered, Mr. Mueller spoke to them for a few minutes;
and, when they had sung a hymn, we took leave of the interesting party.
On the evening of that day my husband preached at the Ecole de Saint
Marguerite; on Sunday morning, June 8th, he held a French meeting at "Le
Temple," and in the afternoon we went to an old Church at Chabas, built
by the Vaudois Christians, after the persecutions, from which they
suffered so long, had in a great measure terminated. Here, the building
was crowded to the utmost, and Mr. Mueller's address in French (which
occupied an hour) was listened to by the audience with the greatest
interest. At the close of the service, Monsieur Pons (one of the
pastors) was deputed "to express the best thanks of the Christians of
that locality to Mr. George Mueller for his timely and most acceptable
visit to the Valleys, and to express their gratitude to him and to Mrs.
Mueller for coming amongst them."
Having finished our little tour of 125 miles in the Waldensian Valleys,
on June 9th we returned via Pignerola to Turin. There, on the evening of
that day my husband held a meeting at the Italian Baptist Church, and on
the following evening at half past 8 preached a farewell sermon at the
Tempio Valdese Evangelico.
On Thursday, June 12th, at 9 a.m., we left Turin; crossed the Alps, via
the Mont Cenis Tunnel, and after a long, tedious journey reached Dijon
at midnight. The next day our journey was continued; and at half past 4
we arrived in Paris. There, on Sunday, June 15th, Mr. Mueller preached
twice in French--at the Chapelle Malesherbe, Rue Roquepine in the
afternoon, and at the Eglise des Billettes in the evening. On the 17th
we went on to Calais and Dover; proceeded to London on the 18th, and in
the evening at half past 6 reached Ashley Down, Bristol, where, as
usual, a warm welcome from the Orphans and numerous kind friends awaited
us. This long Continental tour was abundantly marked by the goodness of
the Lord throughout the whole of its duration, and is always remembered
by us both with feelings of the deepest gratitude. On June 24th we went
to London for the Mildmay Conference, where Mr. Mueller spoke on four
different occasions. At Cheltenham (where we stayed from June 30th to
July 2nd) he preached twice, and subsequently held two meetings at the
Guildhall, Bath. He preached once also at Clevedon.
SIXTH TOUR.
UNITED STATES AND CANADA
_From August 27th, 1879, to June 17th, 1880._
After remaining ten weeks in Bristol, where Mr. Mueller attended daily to
business connected with the Orphan Houses and the other branches of the
Scriptural Knowledge Institution, and was occupied with his usual
ministry of the Word at the three Chapels with which he is connected;
having seen it to be the Lord's will that he should again visit the
United States, on Wednesday, August 27th, 1879, we went to Liverpool,
and, on the following afternoon, sailed in the "Germanic" for New York.
During the first few days of our voyage, we had very rough weather; but,
when the wind abated, the sea became calm, and our passage was a
favourable one upon the whole.
On Friday evening, Sept. 5th, at the request of the passengers, my
husband gave an address in the saloon, and on the 6th, at 4.20 p.m., we
landed at New York.
There we stayed at the Rossmore Hotel until Sept. 20th, but Mr. Mueller
did not commence his work before the evening of Sunday, the 14th, when
he preached at the Methodist Episcopal Church, South Second Street,
Brooklyn, about six miles distant. Here, the pastor of the Church (who
longed so earnestly for the conversion of sinners, that he described his
desire for their salvation as "a consuming fire" within him) introduced
the preacher to his congregation by making the following original
remarks:--"My dear Friends, I rejoice to tell you that we are about to
hear the gospel from the heart and lips of our venerable friend, who,
though now aged 74, has preached the gospel upwards of 1,400 times
during the last four years, in the various cities and countries he has
visited. Hear this, you young men, and remember that he is no smoker,
nor lover of alcoholic drink; but see how God can strengthen for His
blessed service, those who trust in Him, and seek to live to His honour
and glory. I have now great pleasure in introducing to you Mr. George
Mueller, of Bristol, England." After this opening speech, all eyes (as
may be supposed) were fixed upon the preacher, who took Isaiah iii. 10,
11, for his text, and was enabled to speak with great faithfulness and
power.
The following evening we went to Newark, nine miles distant, when he
preached at one of the churches to a German congregation, held a German
meeting at New York on the 16th, preached at Newark in English the next
evening, and on the 18th and 19th conducted services in German at New
York.
On Sept. 20th, we left for Morristown, New Jersey, where he held several
important meetings, and at Drew Theological Seminary addressed the
students--91 in number--for an hour and ten minutes. About nine months
afterwards, one of the hearers (a gentleman who has since become the
pastor of a church) told us, the blessing he had received, through this
address, was so great, that he had experienced something like a second
conversion by means of it. He added, that about one half of the other
students also were similarly blessed upon the same occasion.