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338
MEDDELANDEN’ OCH AKTSTYCKEN
.scarcely be able to make you understand the pleasure with which I
received both a few lines from the hand of my dear friend, Dr. Baird,
and the quite unexpected and rich gift of your Society. In these times
of war and disquietude in your land, I could not think that you would
remember me in such a way; and when you add to this, that our
Evangelical-Fatherland Institution, that has been in activity only during these
last years, with its four periodicals and considerable sale of books, has
been a most innocent cause of a diminution in the spread of my
periodical and books, things which sometimes arouse reflections in the poor
human heart—you may perhaps feel that your gift was so much the
more welcome. Pray, present my thanks to your Board.
Your note gave me a most useful direction as to the reports I
hope to be able to send you hereafter, as I see that you wish to get news
not only from Sweden, but also from Finland, Norway, and Denmark.
It will certainly be more easy for me to give you some interesting facts,
as the field where I may collect my communications is thus defined. I
have once before told you that in the course of the years my own activity
has taken a more settled and uniform character; there is not much to
say about it. As to Sweden I have already communicated to you the
most striking and prominent instances of the work of the Lord among
us. I am therefore willing to give you some news from our
neighbor-lands, in proportion as I become acquainted with what can be of
interest to you. This time I am not prepared to give you more than some
details of one branch of Christian activity in Finland—the mission
among the heathens. Here in our land we have witnessed with
astonishment the swift progress of this work in Finland—that
regretted land, dear to Swedish hearts—since Alexander II, the new
Emperor of Russia, has loosened the bonds which before checked the
zeal of Christian love in that direction, and forbade the Finlanders to
give their money to the evangelization of the heathens. Soon after the
removing of those bonds the Finnish Missionary Society arose, three
years ago, and has already displayed a great deal of activity. In their
account for 1861 they give us some very interesting details of their work.
Their activity has hitherto consisted partly in the publication of
missionary papers and tracts, and partly in supporting foreign
Missionary Societies. Last year the missionary papers were spread in
4,550 copies. Of the missionary tracts, intended to awaken among the
people a more lively interest in the missions, 19,000 copies have been
sold, and 25,000 copies of new ones printed during the year.
A preparatory missionary school is intended to be opened at
Helsingfors in the course of this summer, and nine Finnish youths have
already presented to the Society their desire of devoting themselves to
the service of the Lord among the heathens.—Two other Finnish
students will, at the expense of the Society, be sent out next autumn
to one of the missionary institutions of Germany, in order there to
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