Truth is ancient; it's grey hairs may make it venerable;
it comes from Him who is the ancient of days. --Thomas Watson

 

19 January, 2007   comments: (0) Wonderful Plan?   A Huguenot's Story - Part 2 In September 1685, guards returned after an absence and were stationed at the gates to our town to take note of all who went in or out. I urged my father and mother to escape while there was yet time, for we heard that very many had yielded. But my mother was anxious to sell some of her furniture and make arrangements for the house. I said to her "Mother, those who put their hand to the plow and look back are not fit for the kingdom". But she was unwilling to leave at that time; so I went alone to a little farm in the country which belonged to us, and left her to finish her business. At the farmhouse I spent the nights in tears and prayers to God beseeching Him to have mercy upon us and give us his grace to stay steadfast. A few days after, my father and mother came to visit me; I begged them not to return to the town lest they should be seized and imprisoned. While we were sitting eating dinner, a little boy came running in with the news that the town was once again full of soldiers and all the gates had been closed. He said to my mother; "Your son was arrested just as he was passing out of the gate. They have searched him and seized all the rings and plates which he carried". At this news, my poor mother began to weep, saying that she must go to her son. But I said to her "They will take you too, and put you into prison. Then you will be separated from both of your children, without gaining anything. Let us throw ourselves on the protection of the Almighty, who will not forsake us. He will guard and comfort us". A few minutes later another person came in, saying that a company of soldiers had been told to hunt any Huguenots who might have hidden themselves in the mountains, and that a woman named Tayce had been seized and dragged by a cord around her neck before the bishop. We at once started up and fled, leaving everything behind us, even necessaries, and took the road to Orange. Though it was only four hours distant we spent five or six days on the journey, for my father had frequent attacks of fever, which came on whenever he tried to walk, making him quite helpless to the ground. We stayed about a month in Orange in fear and trembling, daily expecting an attack upon that town also. In the month of October the refugees we all turned in - some in the middle of the night - because of a proclamation announcing that any citizens daring to harbor strangers would be fined. ... At daybreak the soldiers went from house to house to look for the remaining refugees; and all who had concealed any were obliged to turn them in. I made another attempt to leave the town but in vain, for none could pass through the gates who [were not Catholic]. ... A company of soldiers passed by dragging to prison two faithful pastors. Two or three dragoons (soldiers) seized me saying "You are a refugee. To prison with you." By God's help, I was able to slip out of their hands. In the evening the soldiers that had been stationed around the walls all day to stop any persons passing the gates, came in to lodge for the night; and as the road was now clear my father and mother and I got out of town, by the blessing of God, without opposition. We took refuge in a woods, and soon afterwards some kind ladies, who knew that we had nothing to eat all day, sent us a supply of food. We spent about a month in this way, sometimes under the shelter of a rock, sometimes in the woods, and very seldom in a farm house. Once when it had been raining, constantly night and day, and we were trying in vain to keep ourselves dry under a tree in the forest, my mother said to me "You are getting very wet". "My dear mother", I replied "you are more to be pitied than I am, for you are wet through already. It grieves me much to see you suffering; but when I was able to read the Holy Scriptures I used to see that our Savior had no place to lay His head; and so it was with all of the patriarchs. Abraham was a stranger in the land which God had promised him for an inheritance; Moses led the children of Israel in the wilderness for forty years; David hid himself in a cave; and all of the prophets and apostles wandered to and fro. In the months that followed, Blanche Gamond and her mother tried to leave France, however following a long ordeal, were captured by French soldiers along the way. The story continues on the next page . . . The above is part of my multi-part series of posts based on the trials of a 21 year old woman named Blanche Gamond, who was one of the many persecuted Christians in 17th century France. Her true story is told in the book Stories of The Huguenots, which I am posting excerpts of. If you are just tuning in, you can get caught up by starting on part 1. Learn more about the French Huguenots on Wikipedia or in a book that I highly recommended called Sketches From Church History. Posted by: Jim B.   Link: http://www.oldtruth.com/blog.cfm/id.2.pid.573   Be the first to post a comment about this article        Home  |   About  |  Videos   |  Calvinism