CHAPTER X. SUNDAY-SCHOOL ORGANIZED—LOCAL PREACHER.

AT the appointed time, on the Holy morning, the missionary¹ and Mr. Brown were in the Sunday-school, ready for action. A number had already collected, and after the opening exercises, the missionary delivered a short and impressive address, in which he exhorted² the teachers to aim at the conversion³ of those placed under their instruction, to be always punctual, to set a godly example, and, finally, not to grow weary in well-doing, but continue the work through evil as well as good report; and reminded them of the reward on the final day of reckoning.

Everything passed off well; the children[93] were pleased, and the parents greatly encouraged. The opposition⁴ could see nothing to condemn⁵, but Mr. Steele and a few others laughed at the “simple thing,” and hooted⁶ at the idea of sending their children.

According to arrangement, Mr. Mason came with his horses and wagon⁷ for the purpose of taking the missionary to the other settlement. It had been announced to the people that an effort to organize a Sunday-school would be made on the afternoon of this day. By 3 o’clock many had come together; some for the purpose of taking part in the enterprise, and others merely to look on. The school was started, though under less auspicious⁸ circumstances than the one at Clear Creek⁹; yet it was a beginning. The result was in God’s hands.

During the week that followed, the missionary visited the families of the settlement, urging the parents either to take or send their children to the Sunday-school. His[94] kindness and persuasive¹⁰ address won him more friends than promises. The force of public opinion against the school made many fear to take part in it; the most of the people, however, began to treat him with respect.

On Thursday evening he again preached. He was prepared for the occasion, not by a written sermon with rounded paragraphs and beautifully-finished sentences, but by constant, fervent¹¹ prayer, and thoughtful meditation¹². He had contemplated¹³ the state of the people, and the weight of immortal¹⁴ souls lay heavily upon his heart; and, above all, he remembered his commission and his great responsibility, for the Almighty¹⁵ had said: “If the watchman see the sword come and blow not the trumpet¹⁶, and the people are not warned; if the sword come and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity¹⁷; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.”

[95]The opponents found that they had an earnest man to contend with; a man with the whole armor on, and one who could wield¹⁸ the “sword of the spirit” with power; that he was not only “mighty in the Scriptures,” but “full of the Holy Ghost;” and they saw that if they did not immediately “do something,” he would be “master of the situation.”

So they went to work, as is usual in such cases, to misrepresent his language and misconstrue his meaning; to change the truth into falsehood, by adding, distorting and detracting. His character, too, was assailed¹⁹, and scandalous stories invented and circulated in order to ruin him; but he heeded²⁰ them not; for the Saviour²¹ had said: “Blessed are ye when men shall revile²² you and persecute²³ you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.”

[96]Whilst the missionary was still in this neighborhood, he was called to the bedside of a dying woman. Now that the hour of dissolution was rapidly approaching, she began to have misgivings²⁴ about her fitness for Heaven. She had been in the Church for a number of years, but was not a lively stone in the building. After conversation and prayer with the missionary, her faith was strengthened, and she felt ready to go at the Master’s call. Thus did this servant of God do good upon every possible occasion. Having learned that a local preacher, who lived a few miles distant, was opposed to Sunday-schools, he determined²⁵ to call upon him and talk over the matter.

The missionary, upon reaching the home of the preacher, found him ready to start out to fill an appointment at a place about six miles distant. He treated the missionary coldly, and boastingly told him that he and his people had gotten along for many years[97] without Sunday-schools, and he guessed they were as good as those who had them, and reckoned they could still make out without his services; and to tell those who sent him “to attend to their own business and let other people’s alone.” Not waiting for a reply, the preacher gave his horse a cut with the whip, and was off. There was consequently no alternative left the missionary but to retrace²⁶ his steps. This he did, and attended to the duties set apart for the day.

Notwithstanding opposition, the work went on; and the friends of the Sunday-school became daily more respected by its enemies.

1 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

2 exhorted   

v.劝告，劝说( exhort的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The party leader exhorted his members to start preparing for government. 该党领袖敦促党员着手准备筹建政府。
• He exhorted his elder. 他规劝长辈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

6 hooted   

（使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• An owl hooted nearby. 一只猫头鹰在附近啼叫。
• The crowd hooted and jeered at the speaker. 群众向那演讲人发出轻蔑的叫嚣和嘲笑。

7 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

8 auspicious   

adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的

参考例句：

• The publication of my first book was an auspicious beginning of my career.我的第一本书的出版是我事业吉祥的开始。
• With favorable weather conditions it was an auspicious moment to set sail.风和日丽，正是扬帆出海的黄道吉日。

9 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

10 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

11 fervent   

adj.热的，热烈的，热情的

参考例句：

• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
• Austria was among the most fervent supporters of adolf hitler.奥地利是阿道夫希特勒最狂热的支持者之一。

12 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

13 contemplated   

adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
• The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

14 immortal   

adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的

参考例句：

• The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
• The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！

15 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

16 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

17 iniquity   

n.邪恶；不公正

参考例句：

• Research has revealed that he is a monster of iniquity.调查结果显示他是一个不法之徒。
• The iniquity of the transaction aroused general indignation.这笔交易的不公引起了普遍的愤怒。

18 wield   

vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等)

参考例句：

• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。
• People may wield the power in a democracy.在民主国家里，人民可以行使权力。

19 assailed   

v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对

参考例句：

• He was assailed with fierce blows to the head. 他的头遭到猛烈殴打。
• He has been assailed by bad breaks all these years. 这些年来他接二连三地倒霉。 来自《用法词典》

20 heeded   

v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She countered that her advice had not been heeded. 她反驳说她的建议未被重视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I heeded my doctor's advice and stopped smoking. 我听从医生的劝告，把烟戒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 saviour   

n.拯救者，救星

参考例句：

• I saw myself as the saviour of my country.我幻想自己为国家的救星。
• The people clearly saw her as their saviour.人们显然把她看成了救星。

22 revile   

v.辱骂，谩骂

参考例句：

• No man should reproach,revile,or slander another man.人们不应羞辱，辱骂或诽谤他人。|||Some Muslim communities in East Africa revile dogs because they believe that canines ate the body of the Prophet Muhammad.一些东非的穆斯林团体会辱骂狗，因为他们相信是它们吃了先知穆罕默德的尸体。

23 persecute   

vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰

参考例句：

• They persecute those who do not conform to their ideas.他们迫害那些不信奉他们思想的人。
• Hitler's undisguised effort to persecute the Jews met with worldwide condemnation.希特勒对犹太人的露骨迫害行为遭到世界人民的谴责。

24 misgivings   

n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧

参考例句：

• I had grave misgivings about making the trip. 对于这次旅行我有过极大的顾虑。
• Don't be overtaken by misgivings and fear. Just go full stream ahead! 不要瞻前顾后， 畏首畏尾。甩开膀子干吧！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

25 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

26 retrace   

v.折回；追溯，探源

参考例句：

• He retraced his steps to the spot where he'd left the case.他折回到他丢下箱子的地方。
• You must retrace your steps.你必须折回原来走过的路。