THE VILLAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS

Quick take:
Merchant men traveled from Paris to the mountains to check on manufacturer's established there. They are accepted into a home of a poor woman who was a weaver. The villagers are industrious and charitable people. They are zealous and meet secretly for church meetings. The men realize there is a shortage of Bibles in the village, and later bring some. Then they send more Bibles. Then more Bibles. When the villagers were about to be persecuted by the Catholic mayor of the town, the mayor was so moved by their meeting that he wanted a Bible for himself.
My impression:
A revealing narrative of rural French life in the 1800’s.
Quote:“These doctrines, sir,” exclaimed the female, “support the hearts of many of us, who have scarcely travelled 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."
Excerpt:
"After addressing the throne of grace, M. —— read a part of the fourth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. He turned their attention more especially to that interesting passage in the twelfth verse: 'There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.' He endeavored to point out to them the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the awful consequences of violating the law of God, the inefficacy of all those expedients which the ignorance, the pride, or the self-righteousness of men had substituted for the 'only name' Christ Jesus. He spoke of the necessity of this great sacrifice on the cross, of the love of God in sending his Son into the world, of the fullness and all-sufficiency of the mighty redemption, and of the duty of sinners to accept it and live. 'It is through Christ alone,' said he, 'that you can have hope of pardon and salvation. You must take up the cross and follow Christ. You must renounce your sins and flee to Christ. You must renounce your own righteousness, and trust alone in Christ. You must renounce all other lords, and submit to Christ. If you had offended an earthly monarch, to whom you could have access only through his son, would you address yourselves to his servants, rather than his son? And will you then, in the great concerns of your souls, go to any other than the Son? Will you have recourse to the Virgin Mary, or some favored servant, rather than address yourselves to Him who is "the way, and the truth, and the life?" and when God himself assures us, that "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved?" ' "
Background:
This was published as American Tract Society tract #193, in the nineteenth century. Dictated by S. V. S. Wilder, Esq. President of the ATS; 1st 8 pages written by Rev. Mark Wilks, of Paris; the remainder by Rev William A. Hallock secretary for the ATS; Revised by Rev. Gardiner Spring, D. D.