The Broad and the Narrow Way

(To obtain a copy of the picture and it's booklet - click on the picture at the end of this explanation) Explanation by the late Gawin irkha! The acco!panyin" Explanation of #T$E B%&'( 'N( T$E N'%%&W W')# *icture was translated fro! the ori"inal Ger!an+ by ,iss ,arriott+ a ,ild!ay (eaconess- But as . ha/e been twenty years in findin" out what . now know of the ori"in and history of the picture+ it is but ri"ht that this knowled"e should be placed within the reach of others- hence the followin" Narrati/e has been prepared' 0.1.T T& $&22'N(,y first /isit to the 3ontinent was in 'u"ust+ 4567+ when+ in the pro/idence of God+ . attended the 8ifth General 3onference of the E/an"elical 'lliance+ held for ten days in '!sterda!- This led to two other /isits in the two followin" years by in/itation of (utch friends+ so that alto"ether . spent ten weeks in $ollandTwo i!portant results followed+ /i9-: the re/i/al there of open-air preachin"; and the brin"in" to En"land of #,y (utch *icture-# T$E (<T3$ 'N( 1T%EET *%E'3$.NGWith reference to the first result+ . need only say here that+ thou"h threatened with i!prison!ent if . atte!pted street preachin"+ yet on !y second /isit it was allowed by the authorities+ and taken up by the (utch the!sel/es+ led by ,r-.saac Esser+ of the $a"ue- 1uch a co!plete chan"e was wrou"ht thereby+ under the blessin" of God+ in a bad street in the $a"ue+ that the Bur"o!aster declared+ #&ne "ood street-*reacher is worth ten police!en #=a sayin" which has since beco!e fa!ousW$E%E . 8&<N( T$E *.3T<%EThe purpose of !y second /isit was to preach the Gospel+ which . did by interpretation+ and with !anifest blessin"+ ha/in" %obert 3rai" as !y fellow-labourer- We were the "uests of ,r- $- de $oo"h+ a kind bookseller+ at 76+ Nieuwendi>k+ '!sterda!$ere we arri/ed on ?anuary @4st+ 4565- &ur host had a (utch copy of this *icture in his shop window- Next day . saw it for the first ti!e+ and was at once attracted by it- (ay by day . looked at+ and tried to understand its !eanin"; and . brou"ht a copy to En"land on !y return- 8riends to who! it was shown were deeply interested; and soon after+ at !y reAuest+ the (utch Explanation was translated into En"lish+ by 8rederick E!!i"hausen+ a youn" (utch!an+ residin" in 2ondon+ and afterwards published$&W . BE3',E .T1 EB*&<N(E%.t was soon e/ident that there was a li/in" power in the *icture; and . concei/ed the idea of expoundin" it in public- 8or this purpose . had an enlar"ed copy painted+ succeeded by three others+ each lar"er than its predecessor- The last=the one . now use=was painted by $enry Be/is+ scene painter+ 4CD+ *enton/ille $ill+ 2ondon+ and is nine feet wide and twel/e feet lon"- .t is painted in dulled oils+ suspended on an in"enious fra!e+ and li"hted by a #new Auintuple dual illu!inator #=fi/e duplex la!ps in one - (both in/ented by ,r- 2eonard Todd) placed at its foot- 8ro! these copies . ha/e lectured in public EDE ti!es in

ei"hteen years to tens of thousands of people#.N ?&<%NE).NG1 &8TEN-# The *icture has thus been exhibited and expounded+ in-doors and out+ in the principal towns in En"land: and last year it tra/elled #fro! 2and's End to ?ohn &'Groat's $ouse;# for . spent ei"hteen days in (e/on and 3ornwall+ and sixteen in 1cotland+ takin" a fresh town al!ost e/ery ni"ht- The exposition is /aried+ accordin" to the kind of audience+ or by the leadin" of the 1pirit; and it has probably ne/er been twice in the sa!e words durin" all these years- . a! "uided chiefly by the ori"inal Explanation+ but introduce !any En"lish incidents and illustrations- . a! deeply indebted to !y dear friend+ 3harles 2-)oun"+ of ,ild!ay+ who+ with unfailin" de/otion+ has acco!panied !e hundreds of ti!es to point out the ob>ects in the *icture while . explain it+ and has so!eti!es taken !y place as expositor also' 1T%. .NG 3&.N3.(EN3E. a! co!forted in these !anifold >ourneyin"s+ which necessarily often keep !e out late at ni"ht+ by re"ardin" this exposition as part of !y life-work-This is confir!ed by the ti!e when the *icture first attracted !y attention; for hardly had the "ra/e closed o/er the earthly re!ains of the desi"ner when !y eyes were directed to her work in the shop window in '!sterda!- Thus the *icture fell fro! her hands into !ine+ and be"an a new life by bein" turned into a new ton"ue+ and so beco!in" accessible to the whole En"lish-1peakin" worldEN2.G$TENE( 'T 2'1T'll !y lecturin" copies were painted with (utch texts+ and . fa!iliari9ed the public with the title+ #,y (utch *icture-# But the words+ #fro! the Ger!an+# at the end of the (utch #explanation+# led !e to enAuire about the ori"inal; for . found . had only a /ersion of it- 8or a while all enAuiries were fruitlessThe first li"ht ca!e on the 4Fth of 'u"ust+ 455G+ fro! the %e/-3-'-Goll!er+ a Ger!an !issionary+ who had lon" laboured in 'frica for the 3hurch ,issionary 1ociety+ and who died (ece!ber G@rd+ 4556- $e infor!ed !e that ,rs- 3harlotte %eihlen+ of 1tutt"art+ was the ori"inal desi"ner+ and secured !e two copies of the *icture fro! the Ger!an E/an"elical 1ociety+ By who! it was published- These were acco!panied by the ori"inal Ger!an #explanation+# which . then had translated and published in En"lishT$E %E'2 1T&%) &8 T$E *.3T<%E't last . obtained the story of the *icture fro! the fa!ily of the desi"ner- .t reached !e on the G6th of ?anuary+ 4557+ throu"h Baron ?ulius /on Ge!!in"en+ of Gernsbach+ to who! . had addressed a series of Auestions on the sub>ect the pre/ious year-The story is fro! the pen of ,r- 'dolf %eihlen+ of 1tutt"art- Writin" to the Baron+ he says #.t is a !atter of "reat >oy to !e to think that this noble picture+ the effluence of our !e!orable !other's deep piety of heart+ today inspires thousands so /i/idly+ and with the sa!e freshness for God's in"do! as it did twenty-fi/e years a"o- To !y !e!ory it was six years before her death+ which occurred on the G4st of ?anuary+ 4565+ at the a"e of sixty-three+ that our departed !other for!ed the idea of ha/in" a noble en"ra/in" of T$E B%&'( 'N( T$E N'%%&W W')+ that it !i"ht be circulated freely a!on" the people- #&ur dear !other was+ as you know+ "ifted with /ery fine taste+ but as she knew nothin" whate/er of the art of drawin"+ she looked for a pious artist+ who would be able to put her ideas on paper with full understandin" and inspiration- .n this endea/our she continued till she found in the person of $err 1chacher a really pious artist- $e was the son of an

excellent and "odly tutor at the %oyal Gra!!ar 1chool here- (ear !other now told hi! accurately what she wanted; and he desi"ned the chief parts of the *icture- These were a"ain criticised by our dear !other+ and altered accordin" to her own !ind+ till she declared herself fully satisfied- ,y brother+ Theodore+ assisted !y !other+ specially by /isitin" freAuently $err 1chacher; and he also did "reat ser/ice by his taste for the aesthetic in "roupin"- $err 1chacher died soon after+ still a youn" !an- #' real picture in oil or water colours ne/er existed; but the litho"raph ori"inated fro! three or four chief sketches- These ori"inal sketches are e/idently not in existence now- $owe/er+ it does not !atter !uch; for . re!e!ber distinctly how at the ti!e dear !other only used the! as a kind of fra!ework to brin" the picture at last into the perfect for!- #'s to 'an earlier representation of the two ways+' !entioned in the EB*2'N'T.&N+ . re!e!ber fro! !y childhood a picture which bore the title- But that en"ra/in" was drawn with little spirit or life+ and was rather rou"hly executed- But it is indisputable that e/en thirty or forty years pre/iously+ this rou"h en"ra/in" contained the principal idea of our dear !other's *icture- $owe/er+ it was >ust the endea/our of our dear !other to create in her *icture a richer+ a !ore perfect+ and a nobler illustration of the idea- #The 'Explanation of the *icture' ori"inated also fro! dear !other- .n this dear Theodore (now deceased) principally assisted her- .t is natural that the *icture and Explanation are fro! one !ould+=. should like to say by inspiration of dear !other+ and the assistance of Theodore and the pious artist 1chacher-# T$E ('<G$TE%'1 1T&%)This is a char!in" tribute to a !other's "ifts and "races+ and is in/aluable as "i/in" the true ori"in of the picture- .t was supple!ented by a state!ent fro! one of ,rs- %eihlen's dau"hters+co!!unicated in &ctober+ 4557+ to ,rs- *ooley+ of Bath+ by ,r-E- ,illard+ who has laboured in 'ustria forty years for the British and 8orei"n Bible 1ociety #. succeeded only yesterday in "ettin" an inter/iew with ,rs- 1ta!!bach+ the dau"hter of ,rs- %eihlen- .t see!s that the print+ rou"hly and i!perfectly sketched+ was found about se/enty years a"o by a ,r- GW- $off!ann (the founder of ornthal+ a place near 1tutt"art)+ a!on" so!e stray papers+ of which no further account can be "i/en- This picture was shown to ,rs- %eihlen+ of 1tutt"art+ as a curiosity- ' year or two later se/eral copies of the sa!e print casually fell into her hands with so!e waste paper- 1he was i!pressed by this circu!stance+ and e/entually produced her own *icture+ "reatly i!pro/ed and enlar"ed- ' *astor .srael+ still li/in" at 1tutt"art+ tra/ellin" in $olland+ took so!e of these copies with hi! for circulation- $e "a/e one to ?onkheer '- ,- 3- /an 'sch /an Wi>ck+ a >ud"e+ residin" in <trecht-# T$E (<T3$ *<B2.1$E%'1 1T&%),r-$-de $oo"h+ the publisher of the (utch Edition+ supple!ents this state!ent by sayin" he recei/ed a copy fro! this >ud"e+ translated it into (utch+ published it in 4567+ and sold 4D+DDD copies- We ha/e thus a clear account+ not only of the Ger!an ori"in of the *icture+ but of its translation and publication into (utch' *E%1&N'2- .NTE%0.EW&n the GCth of last 'pril ,r- 'dolf %eihlen+ the writer of the first of these two state!ents+ called upon !e at !y office (&pen-air ,ission)+ and "a/e !e so!e additional particulars of his !other1he owed her con/ersion to a Ger!an preacher+ na!ed 2udwi" $ofacker- This chan"e !ade her husband furious+ and he went off to '!erica- There the 2ord con/icted hi! of sin+ and he returned ho!e+ sayin"+ #. was in the wron"; you are ri"ht+# and henceforth had fellowship with her in the !any "ood works to which her life was de/oted- &ne of the! was a (eaconess $ouse+ which she

founded: another was a ,iddle-class 1chool for Girls+ founded in 45C4+ in which between Foo and 6oo ha/e since been educated- These were in 1tutt"art+ the capital of the kin"do! of WHrtte!ber"'s they were wealthy+ and were now one in the 2ord+ they "a/e freely of their substance to the 2ord's work- .t was not surprisin" to hear this "ood son say of so honoured a !other+ #. liked her i!!enselyI# $e added that two of her fa/ourite books were ?ohn Bunyan's *il"ri!'s *ro"ress and %ichard Baxter's 1aint's %estT$E ENG2.1$ E(.T.&N%esu!in" !y own narrati/e+ . now co!e to the production of the En"lish edition of the *icture'fter !y lectures people naturally wanted the *icture- 1o when C+DDD (utch copies had been i!ported and sold+ ,essrs- ,&%G'N 'N( 13&TT issued an En"lish 1hillin" Edition+ in &ctober+ 455@- The si9e was the sa!e as that of the Ger!an and (utch+ /i9-+ nineteen inches by twenty-four+ and+ like the!+ it was tinted only- But when a pretty edition in six colours was produced+ it beca!e first fa/ourite with the public+ and is now the only one printed- 1o "reat has been the de!and that FD+DDD copies ha/e been sold in fi/e years; and it has been carried to the ends of the earth- 't the sa!e ti!e (&ctober+ 455@) a !iniature copy of the *icture was en"ra/ed and printed on the title pa"e of the Explanation- The present issue brin"s the total of this explanation in En"lish to 4DD+DDDT$E *&WE% &8 ' *.3T<%E1uch are so!e of the results arisin" fro! a casual look at a picture in a shop window at '!sterda! by an En"lish /isitor !ore than twenty years a"o- But other results of far !ore i!portance ha/e followed; for . /enture to hope that thousands ha/e been influenced for "ood+ and not a few soundly con/erted to God by the lecture+ the *icture+ and the Explanation- This is testified by a considerable nu!ber of letters+ which . "ratefully treasureT$E *.3T<%E 3%.T.3.1E( But+ on the other hand+ the *icture has been criticised- 1o!e ha/e found fault because the 3ross is introduced; and others that /ice is represented as well as /irtue- These critics ha/e also su""ested se/eral alterations+ all of which . ha/e fir!ly opposed- . re"ard it as !y !ission to expound the *icture+ and to trans!it it to posterity as near the ori"inal as possible- .t is easy to criticise an alle"orical *icture+ as no two independent !inds would for! the sa!e desi"n- But as this is on sound+ e/an"elical+ 1criptural lines+ . prefer that it should re!ain unaltered*&.NT1 <NEB*2'.NE('d!irable as is the arran"e!ent of the hundred texts in the Explanation+ and clear as that Explanation "enerally is+ yet so!e details are left obscure- . a! often asked why the *rodical 1on is on "round included in the Narrow Way- ,y own i!pression is that he is intended to represent a backslider+ and hence he is restored and welco!ed by his father- &therwise he !ust return and co!e in by the 1T%'.T G'TE- 'nother unexplained point is the "ap in the fence di/idin" the two ways- . ha/e seen another picture+ in Ger!an+ so!ewhat after the style of this+ in which all in the Narrow Way carried crosses+ so that if any turned aside into the Broad Way they were known by this e!ble!; and !y i!pression is that the preacher in the Broad %oad was sent there to restore these wanderers; and that the "ap was !ade for the! to return byThe *reacher in the fore"round was intended to represent 1a!uel $ebich+ a successful !issionary in the East .ndies=so ,r- 'dolf %eihlen told !e- But the one in the Narrow Way+ 1urrounded by a crowd+ is not in the ori"inal+ but was added by the (utch- The two colours on the "uide-post in

the fore"round are+ as stated in the Explanation+ indicati/e of TW& (E1T.N.E1+ accordin" to the decision !ade- Guide-posts in WHrtte!ber" are paiinted by the Go/ern!ent+ in the WHrtte!ber" colours+ black and red+ and these su""ested to ,rs- %eihlen the two (E1T.N.E1 of which she speaksT$E (E1.GNE% 'N( T$E EB*&<N(E%The portraits in this edition ha/e been specially en"ra/ed for it- ,rs- %eihlen's is fro! a photo"raph taken in 1tutt"art in 456F+ and which was presented to !e this year by ,r- 'dolf %eihlen- 'lthou"h . can ne/er expect to create in others an enthusias! in this sub>ect eAual to !y own; yet . ha/e /entured to put on record this 1T&%) &8 ' *.3T<%E in the hu!ble hope that it !ay deepen the interest of an e/er-widenin" circle+ both in the *icture and its Explanation- . therefore co!!end it to $i! whose 1pirit tau"ht '' a /anish'd hand+# and # a /oice that is still+# to write the /ision+ and !ake it plain upon tables+ that he !ay run that readeth it-# ($ab-G:G-) G'W.N .% $',4C+ (uke 1treet+ 'delphi+ 2ondon+ &ctober+ 4555The belo/ed writer of the abo/e sketch passed away to his eternal rest and reward on 1unday+ ,ay 5th+ 45EG- $is last work on earth was to lecture on his *icture at 1heffield only six days before his death- &f hi! it !ay be truly said=he fou"ht a "ood fi"ht; he finished his course; he kept the faith-------------------------------------------------This is an extract fro! Gawin irkha!'s #$istory and Explanation of the picture #The Broad and The Narrow Way#'lso included in the booklet is ,rs- 3harlotte %eihlen's ori"inal Ger!an #explanation+# translated and published in En"lish(To obtain a copy of the picture and it's booklet - click on the picture below) 3opyri"ht J GDD@ *eter N ,illward-