CHRISTIANA, NORWAY by John G. Matteson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 21, 1879

CHRISTIANA, NORWAY.

By John G. Matteson

The Lord is merciful to us. We desire to give thanks, and to praise him for his continued goodness. Every day of probation is an inestimable blessing; every opportunity to labor in the great harvest, a blessed privilege; every soul gained for the truth, a sweet reward. A few more days or years, and the work is ended; blessed he who toils on patiently and diligently, until the image of Christ is stamped on his soul, and the work finished victoriously.

We are now week after week preaching on the great theme of life and immortality only through Christ. Eight discourses have been given, and we shall probably try to continue another month on this subject on Sundays. Sabbath and during the week we preach on other themes. Several of our brethren date their conversion from infidelity and worldliness from last winter, when they were first attracted and became interested in religion by listening to this subject. Yet our opponents have made a great outcry about false doctrine, because we preach that men are not immortal. It is therefore very encouraging to us to see from 400 to 500 interested hearers attend these lectures every Sunday. And the preaching of this despised portion of the word of God is graciously attended by the tender influence of the Holy Spirit, so that half of the congregation is sometimes in tears.

To the present time forty-six persons have been baptized, and sixty-two in all have united with the church. Of these but one has proved unfaithful. According to the requirement of the law in this country, those who leave the State church and attend some other place of worship, have their names recorded with such society. We therefore record the names of such persons when requested to do so, and they are considered attendants with our religious society. When they begin to obey the Lord and are baptized, they are received into full membership and admitted to the ordinances. Thus we have a great many friends besides our regular church-members, who take more or less part in sustaining the cause and spreading the truth, and from their ranks we have a chance to obtain converts. Last Sabbath one hundred and twenty-six friends attended the service.

We have just organized a Sabbath-school with fifty-six members, according to the plan of our American brethren. We trust it will be a success, and that it will greatly increase in numbers as it gets into good working order. Then we ought also to have a Sunday school, because most day schools hold during six days in the week. We have organized a tract society also, in harmony with our brethren in the far West. A commendable zeal is shown in this work by the brethren here; but we have only started, and have but little experience to relate.

We are beginning to work in our printing office. No. 9 of Tidernes Tegn is set up in our own type, and is to-day carried to the printer. We intend to try to work the next number on our hand press. We are to-day getting up lessons for our next Sabbath-school, which we print ourselves.

Brn. Jasperson and Brorson are holding meetings in Denmark. The Lord is also graciously prospering the work there, for which we are very thankful. JOHN G. MATTESON. July 30, 1879.