Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - II. Meddelanden och aktstycken - Brev från C. O. Rosenius till Amerika, av Gunnar Westin
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284
MEDDELANDEN’ OCH AKTSTYCKEN
only come out of curiosity, become anxious inquirers. In the place
where I stayed during five weeks a number of awakened or believing
souls had been dispersed through the means of a clergyman inimical to
such movements. Now they have again begun to assemble for common
edification together, having an educated layman for their leader. The
province of Norland has very few clergymen who are real living
Christians. The work of God therefore advances principally through
the mutual labors of the people, and where this takes place, there
Christianity lives and flourishes. It was gladdening to see what had
been effected in this humble way during the two years since I last
visited Norland.
In many houses where the Word of God had not been known,
but only vanity and sin had reigned, I now found lovely children
of grace.
Time does not permit me to give you all the details of such a
town, I will only describe some incidents on one spot, the most northerly
one I visited, and then you can partly imagine others. It was the town
of Piteå. You will find it between 65 and 66 degrees of latitude. Here
I had meetings every day. The churches were not opened for me, but
a large school-room. I preached thrice on Sunday; in the morning at
the house of a citizen, in the afternoon at the school-house belonging
to that part of the parish which was outside the town. It held about
three hundred people, but when I approached a message came to meet
me, saying: "What are we to do? There are so many people that the
room cannot hold one-fourth, and the clergyman refuses to open the
church." "The weather is fine," I answered; "let the people assemble
in the large yard in front of the house, and I will stand on the steps."
We did so, and there were more than twelve hundred persons assembled,
as far as we could count. I spoke on the words John 3: 14—19, and
saw much emotion. It was certainly increased by the fact that many of
those now assembled had thirty years ago been awakened and instructed
in the way of salvation through the means of my father, who was
clergyman in this parish. The old house of my parents where I passed the
years of my childhood lay before my eyes at a short distance from the
place where I now stood and preached. A touching instance of the
remarkable leading of God this was to me, who had not seen the spot
for thirty years. I wish to observe, however, that doubtless many a
reminiscence of the labors of my father in this same place contributed
to the great emotion that pervaded the assembly. Our devotions finished
with Rev. 7: 9—17, the description of the great multitude before the
throne of the Lamb, and at last a song suitable to the occasion, in
harmony with the subject.
When the congregation had dispersed I thought my work was
finished that day, reposed a little in the house of the schoolmaster,
together with some friends, and intended to return immediately to town.
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