"Trés Révérend Monsieur le Pasteur Müller de Bristol,—Soyez béni pour le bien que vous m'avez fait! Depuis neuf ans, sans relâche, les plus cruelles epreuves m'ont été dispensées. Il a plu au Seigneur, après des années d'affreuses maladies, de me retirer une mère adorée, femme éminente, puis, un père bien aimé, une s[oe]ur unique, un neveu chéri comme un fils, et d'autres afflictions, et ensuite et en même temps, d'une manière particulierement douleureuse, les trois quarts de ma fortune. Il a plu au Seigneur de m'envoyer coup sur coup, tous les déchirements, toutes les douleurs, toutes les difficultés de la vie, et de me laisser ainsi à l'entrée de la veillesse, dans le plus douleureux isolement. Ma foi, jadis si ferme, défaillait, le découragement m'écrasait; souvent je ne pouvais plus prier, et j'arrivais à un état de mort spirituelle. Soyez béni Monsieur le Pasteur! Il me fallait votre parole simple, ferme, concise, énergique, convaincue, ardente, brulante de foi et d'amour, pour me raviver un peu. Soyez béni, cher et venéré Pasteur! J'ai suivi, quoique Suisse Française, toutes vos conférences, et s'il plâit à Dieu, j'irai vous entendre encore demain, au culte allemande, lundi an soir, à la Chapelle Anglaise, et mardi, au dernier sermon allemand. Adieu, cher et venéré Pasteur; que votre Dieu tout puissant, tout bon, vous conserve pour sa gloire, et pour le bien de tous les mal-heureux. Une s[oe]ur sous la croix."
On the evening of the 8th, at "Le Temple," Mr. Müller gave a farewell address to the inhabitants of Neuchâtel, and on the 11th we left for Lausanne, where, on the 13th and 14th, he preached at "Le Temple Allemand," which was crowded in every part. On the 15th, he held an English service at the Chapelle Ecossaise, and on the 16th and 17th, preached in German—with translation into French by Monsieur Duprat—at the Chapelle des Terreaux. The next evening he held another English service at the Chapelle Ecossaise; on the morning of Sunday, the 20th, attended a Brethren's meeting for the breaking of bread, where he gave an address, and in the evening preached again at the Temple Allemand in German. On Oct. 21st he preached in English at the Chapelle du Valentin, and, on the 22nd, in German at the Chapelle de Martheray; upon both occasions with translation into French. On the 23rd we took a drive to the Cimetière de la Sallaz, and visited the tomb of Manuel Matomoros, the well known Spanish brother, so long imprisoned in his native country for Christ's sake, who died at Lausanne some time after his liberation (aged 32) from the effects of ill-treatment received during his confinement. The grave of the departed one—situated in a beautiful part of the Cemetery—was surrounded by an iron railing, and covered by a flat stone monument, raised a little above the surface of the ground, on which the following inscription in Spanish could easily be read:—
MANUEL MATAMOROS
DE
MALAGA.
8 Octobre, 1834. 31 Julio, 1866."Porque yo me resuelvo en que lo que en este tiempo
se padece no es de comparar con la gloria venidera que
en nosotros ha de ser manifestada."—Rom. viii. 18."Y nos gloriamos en la esperanza de la gloria de Dios."—Rom. v. 2.
"Por la ovra de Cristo ha llegado hasta la muerte."—Fili (Phil.) ii. 30.
The tomb of this beloved brother was an interesting object, and the Cemetery, in which it was, looked beautiful; for, although the autumn was so far advanced, roses, and other flowers were in full bloom. That evening Mr. Müller preached at the Presbyterian Church, and on the 24th, at the Temple Allemand, he gave a farewell address; when, at the close of the service, Pastor Wagner—in the name of the Evangelical Alliance—thanked him, in the presence of the whole congregation, for his labours at Lausanne. Before our departure we saw a lime-tree at Prilly, measuring 14 yards round the trunk, which was said to be 1,000 years old; but, though the branches were large, and its circumference was great, it looked small compared with the "Big Trees" of California.
On the afternoon of Oct. 25th, we left Lausanne and embarked in a steamer at Ouchy (a small port on the Lake of Geneva) for Vevey. There Mr. Müller preached at the German Church in the evening; but, in consequence of a heavy thunderstorm and the torrents of rain which fell, the congregation was very small. On the following Sunday morning we attended a Brethren's meeting for the breaking of bread, where he spoke in English, with translation into French; in the evening he preached at the German Church a second time, and on the 28th held his last meeting at Vevey, at the same church.
The next day we went on to Montreux, where he preached that evening, and the next morning at the German Church. On the morning of Oct. 31st, and Nov. 1st, and the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 3rd, at the Eglise Ecossaise, he addressed large congregations of visitors staying at Montreux, Bex, Aigle, Clarens, Vernex, and Vevey, and, on the evening of the 3rd, preached at the Eglise Libre in German, for the last time at Montreux. This town—sometimes called the Nice of Switzerland—is generally considered the most beautiful on the Lake of Geneva; and the Dent du Midi, the lake scenery, and the mountain ranges round it, are very grand. Before our departure, we went through the Castle of Chillon, upon the margin of the lake, which is built in the style of the middle ages, and is now used as a prison for the whole Canton de Vaud. Its dungeons—hewn in the foundation rock, and extending 100 yards beneath the Castle, where, in the 14th and 15th centuries, thousands of Jews were decapitated, and other cruelties committed—are shown to strangers.
After leaving Montreux, we visited Bex, Aigle, and Yverdun, at each of which places Mr. Müller held meetings; and, on Nov. 9th, went on to Geneva, where a series of services had been arranged for him by the Evangelical Alliance. There he preached at the Salle de la Réformation, the Casino, the Eglise Rive Droite, the Eglise Lutherienne, the German Swiss Church, the Lutheran Church, the English-American Church, and the Oratoire de l'Eglise Libre, to very large congregations. On the 18th, at the Salle de la Réformation, a meeting was held expressly for pastors, theological professors of the University, and theological students, whom he addressed for an hour, and afterwards replied to questions that were asked. Whilst at Geneva, we visited the Protestant Cathedral Church of St. Peter, built in 1024, where Calvin used to preach; and saw the house in which he resided, and another in the Rue des Chanoines, where he died. The Bibliothèque Publique, founded by Bonivard in 1551, contains 70,000 volumes, Calvin's manuscripts, and some autographs and portraits of celebrated persons. There also, fastened to a high stand, was "La Bible Vulgate" of the 10th century, a ponderous volume, written by the monks throughout with pen and ink. During our walks at Geneva, the Mont Blanc range, in French Savoy, about 45 miles distant, formed a conspicuous and beautiful object in the landscape, the highest point of which is 15,780 feet above the level of the sea. On Nov. 20th, at the Oratoire de l'Eglise Libre, Mr. Müller held his last meeting at Geneva, and spoke in English upon that occasion, with translation into French, by Professor de la Harpe.
On the morning of the 21st, at half past 10, we left by rail for Lyons, France; and, after a journey of 130 miles, reached our destination in the afternoon at half past 4. Exactly opposite the windows of the hotel to which we went, on a very high hill, called La Fourvière, the other side of the river, stood the Church of Notre Dame, with a gilded statue of the Virgin, 20 feet high, standing on its cupola, with arms outstretched; for Lyons is considered by the Papists to be under the protection of Mary, and as especially—"Consacrée à la sainte vierge."
Soon after our arrival, a German pastor called, and gave us an interesting account of his labours at Lyons during the preceding 27 years. This large, beautiful city, the second in France, is a stronghold of Popery; and, when he first arrived, no Protestant services could be held there; but after a terrible struggle to obtain some religious liberty, through the influence of the British ambassador, permission to hold Protestant meetings was at last granted by the Government, provided the preaching should always be in German, and never in French. For the Protestants to derive any benefit, however, from this permission, was extremely difficult, on account of the furious opposition of the Romish priests, "who (said he) if they had been able to do so, would gladly have burned me at the stake;" but now, as their animosity is somewhat less fierce, French and German Protestant services are regularly held. The population of Lyons—about 350,000—is divided (this pastor further stated) into two classes, one half of whom consists of bigoted Papists, and the other of Infidels and Rationalists. There is, however, a very small Protestant community in this city, amongst whom a few real Christians are to be found.
On Nov. 22nd, Mr. Müller preached at the Chapelle Evangélique, Rue de la Lanterne, in English, with translation into French by Monsieur Monod. Many assembled to hear him; the presence and power of the Holy Spirit were felt; and it was a happy meeting. On the morning of Sunday (the 24th), he preached at the German Church—a small, insignificant building in a neighbouring street; and in the afternoon held another meeting at the Chapelle Evangélique, where, considering the character of the population, the congregation was very large. Before our departure, we went to the top of La Fourvière to see the prospect from the summit, which embraces the whole town and the surrounding neighbourhood for many miles. "Lyons, which is the chief manufacturing city of France, is situated at the junction of the rivers Saone and Rhone, the former of which is crossed by nine bridges, the latter by eight. It contains upwards of 10,000 establishments for the manufacture of silk, which employ 120,000 looms, support 140,000 persons, and produce annually a supply of goods valued at nearly four hundred millions of francs."