DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14563#0132
SABBATHS OX THE KILE.
101
our Sabbath the Copts, Armenians, and other nominal
Christians, who number in all seventy-five thousand, or
more than one third of the population of the city, pay a
decent regard to the day. At Alexandria and Cairo there
is public service on the Lord's day in the English tongue,
according to the forms of the Church of England. At
Cairo this is conducted by Rev. Mr. Leider, a German long
resident in that city, who has made himself useful, not only
to foreigners, but to the native Christians.
In some of the villages of the Upper Nile the Copts are
sufficiently numerous to have a church, and to maintain
worship according to their form; but we never chanced to
spend a Sabbath at such a village, and therefore I cannot
speak of their observance of the day.
But though- the land of Egypt lias no Sabbath, the
traveller may enjoy his Sabbath in the midst of its darkness
and desolation. Such is the power of association, that even
in a strange land, and among scenes most foreign to the
da}-, the Sabbath returns to the Christian traveller just as
it is wont to come at home — a day of sacred rest. Our
captain was given to understand from the first, that we
wished no labor to be done for us upon that day, and no
unnecessary work to be done on board the boat, and the
crew seemed to comprehend that it was our " prayer day."
We always made it a day for social worship, which our
dragoman attended. Our exercises were varied; some-
times a familiar conference ; sometimes a more formal
discourse ; sometimes a detailed exj>osition and collating of
passages of Scripture referring to the land in which we
were, or illustrated by passing scenes; and then the most
fervent remembrance of the dear absent ones of whose state
We could know nothing, of our dear native land, and espe-
cially of the churches of Christ in that land, then assembled
for the worship of God. At such times, too, hymns long
9*
101
our Sabbath the Copts, Armenians, and other nominal
Christians, who number in all seventy-five thousand, or
more than one third of the population of the city, pay a
decent regard to the day. At Alexandria and Cairo there
is public service on the Lord's day in the English tongue,
according to the forms of the Church of England. At
Cairo this is conducted by Rev. Mr. Leider, a German long
resident in that city, who has made himself useful, not only
to foreigners, but to the native Christians.
In some of the villages of the Upper Nile the Copts are
sufficiently numerous to have a church, and to maintain
worship according to their form; but we never chanced to
spend a Sabbath at such a village, and therefore I cannot
speak of their observance of the day.
But though- the land of Egypt lias no Sabbath, the
traveller may enjoy his Sabbath in the midst of its darkness
and desolation. Such is the power of association, that even
in a strange land, and among scenes most foreign to the
da}-, the Sabbath returns to the Christian traveller just as
it is wont to come at home — a day of sacred rest. Our
captain was given to understand from the first, that we
wished no labor to be done for us upon that day, and no
unnecessary work to be done on board the boat, and the
crew seemed to comprehend that it was our " prayer day."
We always made it a day for social worship, which our
dragoman attended. Our exercises were varied; some-
times a familiar conference ; sometimes a more formal
discourse ; sometimes a detailed exj>osition and collating of
passages of Scripture referring to the land in which we
were, or illustrated by passing scenes; and then the most
fervent remembrance of the dear absent ones of whose state
We could know nothing, of our dear native land, and espe-
cially of the churches of Christ in that land, then assembled
for the worship of God. At such times, too, hymns long
9*