The gloom of evening was settling down over the wild scene of mountain,
forest, rock, and stream, when the traveller reached the woodman's hut.
"You are welcome, friend, under the roof of Nicholas Moretz," said the
old man, as he ushered his guest into his cottage.
Karl mean time unloading the asses, placed the fagots on a pile raised
on one side of the hut.
"Here you can rest for the night, and to-morrow morning, when we proceed
into the town to dispose of our fagots, you can accompany us without
risk of losing your way," the woodcutter observed, pushing open the
door.
As he did so, a young girl ran out to meet him, and throwing her arms
round his neck, received a kiss on her fair brow. She drew back with a
bashful look when she saw the stranger.
"Sweet one, you must get another bowl and platter for our guest," said
the old man. "As he has travelled far with a heavy load on his back, he
will do justice to your cookery, Mistress Meta. She and the boy, my
grandson," he added, turning to the traveller, "are my joy and comfort
in life, now that my poor daughter has been taken from me."
The traveller unstrapped his heavy pack from his shoulders, and placed
it on a bench by the side of the wall; after which Meta brought him a
bowl of fresh water and a towel, that he might wash his hands and face,
which they not a little required. While he was performing this
operation she placed the supper which she had prepared upon the table,
which, if somewhat coarse, was abundant.
By this time Karl came in, and the whole party took their seats on
stools round the table. "Let us bless God for the good things He
bestows on us, and above all for the spiritual blessings He has so
mercifully prepared for us," said the traveller.
"I suppose you are a priest," said Moretz, when the stranger had
concluded. "I thank you for the prayer you have offered up for us."
"No, my friend, I am no priest," answered the traveller. "My name is
Gottlieb Spena. I am a humble man with a small amount of learning; but
I am able to read God's blessed word, and that is my delight every day I
live. My wish is to serve Him, and I feel sure I can best do so by
carrying this pack of books about the country, and disposing of them to
those who desire to buy."
"This is a new thing, surely," observed Moretz. "I should like after
supper to see some of these wonderful books you speak of, and to hear
you read from the one you call `God's word;' and if I find the price is
not too great, perhaps I may purchase one for Meta and Karl."
The young girl's eyes sparkled as her grandfather spoke. "Oh, I should
like to have that book!" she exclaimed. "I have heard of it, though I
knew not that it was to be sold, or that people were allowed to read it.
I thought it was only for the priests to read."
"Blessed be God, for us unlearned ones who cannot understand the
language in which it is written, it has been translated into our native
tongue; and God has sent it as His message of love to all human beings,
young and old, rich and poor. It is so easy, that he who runs may read.
The youngest child may understand the message it gives, while it is
equally suited to the wisest philosopher, and to the most powerful king
on his throne."
The young people hurried through their suppers while their guest was
speaking, so eager were they to see the package opened. In those days
thousands and tens of thousands of people in so-called Christian lands
had never seen a Bible, though the translation made by Dr Martin Luther
was being spread in every direction throughout the length and breadth of
Germany by men like Gottlieb Spena, who carried packs filled with the
sacred volume on their shoulders. They did the same afterwards in
France, where the name of colporteurs [see Note] was in consequence
given to them.
Meta waited anxiously till her grandfather and their guest had finished
their suppers, and then as rapidly as possible cleared away the bowls
and platters which they had used. The book-hawker with a smile observed
her anxiety, and placing his pack on the table, opened it, and exhibited
to the admiring eyes of the spectators a number of volumes. "This," he
said, taking out one, "is the Old Testament, or God's first message to
man; and this is the New Testament, His last message, in which He shows
Himself to us as a God of love, mercy, and pity, though by no means less
a God of justice than He does in the Old Testament. But here He shows
us clearly how His justice can be amply satisfied, without the sinner
being punished as he deserves; how our sins may be blotted out by the
One great Sacrifice offered up. Do you understand me, my friends? The
sacrifice has been offered up, the debt has been paid, the obedience has
been fulfilled by Jesus Christ, who came on earth and took upon Himself
the body and nature of man, sin excepted. He was obedient in all
things--first by God's wish coming on earth, and then dutiful and loving
to His parents, merciful and forgiving to those who persecuted Him, ever
going about and healing their infirmities, and teaching them the way of
salvation. The good Saviour allowed Himself to be hung upon the cross;
His hands and feet and sides were pierced; His blood was poured out for
us,--ay, for us,--for you and me,--for the vilest of sinners. All this
was done by the Just One for the unjust. God tells us to believe in
Jesus, and that through believing we are saved,--in other words, that we
should take hold of it by faith, and thus accomplish what that loving
God, through the Holy Spirit, said: `The just shall live by faith.'"
The young people drew in their breath, and gazed steadfastly at the
speaker. To hear of sin and the cross was not new to them, for they had
been at churches sometimes at holy days; but it was all a mummery and
spectacle, with which the priests alone seemed to have to do. The
truths now uttered were assuredly gaining some entrance into their
minds.
"I do not understand quite what you say, friend Spena," said the old
man; "but surely God does not intend to give us the blessings of heaven
without our doing anything to merit it? He intends us to labour, and
toil, and pay the priests, and perform penances, and go to mass, and
make confession of our sins to the priests, before He could think of
letting us into that blessed place."
"I once thought as you do," answered the book-hawker. "When I read
God's word, I learned to think very differently."
As he spoke he opened the Testament. "Listen. The Holy Spirit says
through the book, `God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.' Here He says nothing about penances, or doing
anything of that sort. Listen again: A ruler of the Jews, a learned
man, paid a visit once to Jesus, to ask Him about the way of salvation,
and His answer was, `Ye must be born again.' He does not say you must
do anything, or you must try to mend your ways, or you must alter your
mode of living, you must go to confession, or pay for masses, or
anything of that sort. The ruler could not at first at all understand
the answer. Our blessed Lord then explained it in these words: `As
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but
have eternal life.' Now in the Old Testament we read of a circumstance
which happened when the Israelites were travelling through the desert,
on their way out of the bondage of Egypt to the land of promise. They
were there bitten by fiery serpents, whose bite caused certain death.
They felt themselves dying, and cried to be saved. God told Moses to
make a brazen serpent, and to raise it up in the midst of the camp, and
directed him to inform the people that all those bitten by the serpent
who looked up at the serpent should be saved. Every one of them,
without exception, who did thus look, was cured. You see, my friend, by
putting the two accounts together, we see clearly what our Lord means,--
not that we are to do anything in a way of obtaining merit, but simply
look to Him who hung on the cross, was thus lifted up for us, and is now
seated on the right hand of God, pleading as the only Mediator all He
did for us. A king, when he bestows gifts, gives them through his
grace. It is an insult to offer to purchase them. Far more does God
bestow His chief gifts as an act of grace. I do not say that He does
not expect something in return; but He gives salvation freely, and will
allow of nothing to be done beforehand, but simply that the gift should
be desired, and its value appreciated, or partly appreciated; for we
never can value it as it deserves."
The woodcutter and his grandchildren listened earnestly to these and
many other simple truths, as their guest went on reading and explaining
portion after portion. Nor did he omit to pray that God, through the
Holy Spirit, would enlighten the minds of his hearers, and enable them
to comprehend what he was reading and what he was saying. Hour after
hour thus passed by. Several times did Meta rise and trim the lamp.
"Must you hasten on your journey? or can you not rest here another day,
and tell us more of those glorious things?" said the old man, placing
his hand on Spena's shoulder, and gazing earnestly into his face.
"Yes, I will stay, friend," answered the book-hawker, "if by so doing I
can place more clearly before you the way of salvation."
At length the inmates of the cottage and their guest lay down to rest on
their rough couches, and angels looked down from heaven, rejoicing at
what they there saw and heard.
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Note: Colporteurs, literally "neck-carriers;" because their packs were
strung round their necks, or, rather, the strap went round their chests.