Among the Swedes by Charles Lee

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 18, 1873

Among the Swedes.

By Charles Lee

THE WRATH OF THE DRAGON.

The gathering of God's people among the Swedes is slowly progressing. Few have been added to our number since I last reported. The friends who came out last summer begin to be firm in the truth and reach out hearts and hands to advance the cause of God. Our opponents have done their part to cut short our influence, and they have given us several evidences of the truthfulness of the prophetic word of God, applicable to the church of Christ in the last days. The “wrath of the dragon” was to manifest itself in making war with the remnant of the seed of the church of Christ, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The following article, which I cut from the press, will give some idea of the nature of the dragon's wrath, as he will appear when the present limitation of his power is taken off.

WHAT CAN BE DONE IN THE NAME OF THE CHURCHES AT CHICAGO LAKE.

“Last Monday, the sixth of this month, about half past ten o'clock in the evening, while we were united in family worship—having with us a few of our friends—we were annoyed by three men, who manifested the most degraded actions. One of them entered the house and demanded, “by order of the two churches at Chicago Lake,” that Mr. Lee, one of the friends with us, should promptly meet with them outside of the house. They still gave the promise ‘that his life should not be exposed while in their hands.’ They were each one holding in their hands a government gun with fixed bayonets. Mr. Lee is a minister of the gospel, and has been laboring among the people at Chicago Lake for some time. When they found that their efforts in getting Mr. Lee out did not succeed, they became enraged, and gave orders, by authority above named, for Mr. Lee to leave the community before the eighth of January. When one of the ladies of the house looked through the window to notice their peculiar garments (for they were all dressed in an uncommon way, with masked faces), two of them pointed their guns toward the window where the lady stood, and the third one at the same time fired his gun. At the risk of our lives, we went out to see who they were, but then they left the premises. We have since heard that the next time they will come by the hundreds, and several hard threats have been brought about. We hope that this time our friends will leave their guns at home, and, instead, take their Bibles with them, and meet us in the name of God.

“A. J. DEEDON,”

Brethren, let us humbly walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Let our hearts be full of the loving Spirit of God. May our religion not consist in vain hope and feeling, but in doing the will of God. We are to be brought upon the platform where the disciples of Christ stood, when the holy angels spake to them, and said: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Brother Adventist! do you believe with your whole heart that the words spoken by the angels, concerning the coming again of Jesus, are soon to be fulfilled? Does your mind receive the impression left upon the minds of the apostles when their watching eyes could no longer discern him, as he disappeared in the blue sky of heaven? If so, how sweet to your soul are those blessed words that the angels spoke to the men of Galilee: “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

May our watching for the soon coming of the lovely Jesus be of such a nature that even to us this question may be asked: “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven?” Let us not forget, dear brethren, the watchword Jesus left with his church.

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

CHARLES LEE.

Chicago Co., Minn.