Letter from Egypt

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 6, 1878

Letter from Egypt.

EXTRACT from a letter to Dr. Ribton from Bro. Bertola, Alexandria, Egypt, March 31, 1878.

DEAR BROTHER IN CHRIST: I arrived here on Tuesday, March 25, after a tolerably fair passage, but so cast down in health and spirits that even to-day I can hardly write a line, feeling myself almost paralyzed. Notwithstanding all this work of the evil one, I met with a warm and fraternal reception from all the dear brethren here, and all reported having received letters and papers from you, which they had carefully studied. At our first meeting the subject of the observance of the fourth commandment of the decalogue was taken up, and it still continues to be discussed. The doctrine of the near approach of the advent of our Lord has been accepted by all these brethren, without contradiction. In the observance of the Sabbath we have already a few brethren and one sister, and if the Lord will bless his word, with the assistance of these, we will be able to impart this truth to others. I hope that after a short time these brethren will write to you, first separately, then all together, professing their adhesion to the doctrine of the Sabbath, and thanking you that through your means they have been able to comprehend better the will of the Lord and acquire strength and courage to obey it.

I met with much opposition on the part of one brother who had been brought up in a Waldensian college; but I do not at all despair of him, for in a discussion which we held yesterday evening he seemed already inclined to yield, retaining still only a doubt whether the day called Sabato by the Italians is really the same day of rest that was consecrated by the Lord.

Dear brother, I ask you and all the brethren of the church of the Lord who assist you in testifying to the integrity of God’s word free from human traditions, to remember me in your prayers; for I have never felt so much need of prayer as now.

Salute our dear Bro. B., and tell him that his words at parting are still impressed upon my heart. Kind regards also to our dear Licausi and the other brethren, and I hope that very soon the saints from Egypt will be many in number, and from brethren of equal faith with those in Naples, to the glory of our Lord.