p. 252 | SWEDEN by John G. Matteson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, April 21, 1885

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 62, No. 16

SWEDEN

By John G. Matteson

ÖREBRO.—The last three weeks I have been in Örebro, a city in central Sweden, of about 14,000 inhabitants, helping Bro. Johnson. He had held six meetings in our hired house before I came. I then spoke three times in the same place. We had two rooms where about one hundred and thirty persons could be seated. We then moved the meetings to a larger hall, in a more central place, with room for three hundred persons. The interest has been excellent. Although the leading paper in the place had a reporter at our first meeting, and (as is customary in this country) ridiculed the strange preacher with his elephants and lions and horses, and stated that his prayers were meaningless and disconnected; and the preachers in the other churches warned their followers against us, even threatening to exclude those who continued to hear us; yet the interest increased, and the main part of our congregation consisted of those very church members. There were at least five hundred hearers at both of the meetings last Sunday, at the same hours that the other churches had meetings. A room adjoining the hall was opened, and the people crowded in and filled up all standing places, leaving only a small space about the pulpit. Then they kept coming upon the stairs, but would leave because there was no more room. It was with difficulty that I got through the crowd to the stand. And this interest to hear succeeded sermons on the law and on the Sabbath, so plain and pointed as I knew how to speak. On the preceding Sabbath thirty-five persons were with us. Several have commenced to keep the seventh day. Our expenses for the hall and advertisements were met by donations. One of the friends offered to pay for the hall another month if Bro. Johnson would continue the meetings. To this he agreed. I could stay no longer, as I had arranged to be in Copenhagen by the first of April, to commence a series of meetings there.

There are several points of interest in connection with Örebro. Here is where Bro. Palmblad, of Indiana, was so cruelly tormented and punished for preaching the first angel’s message when a mere youth. Here also Bro. Rosqvist was punished as a malefactor for preaching the third angel’s message. The priest is very bitter against all dissenters, and would stop our meetings quickly if the other members of the church board would permit; but the citizens of this place are now known for their liberal principles.

Two years ago Bro. Norlin came to this place and sold tracts. At one house where he urged the man to buy, he was very prompt in refusing; yet because Bro. N. continued to urge him, he at last bought “Saints’ Inheritance.” This man told me recently that he read some in it, but with very little interest, until he found a man who had been acquainted with our people in Chicago, and had attended their meetings. He asked him what kind of a people those Seventh-day Adventists were; and was told that they were a very earnest Christian people, and that although he did not agree with them, yet he thought they were honest in their belief. He then became interested in the book, and is now a believer in the message. He is one of the oldest Baptists in the place, and is much respected. He is deacon in the church and a merchant. His wife has commenced to keep the Sabbath, and he will commence to do so as soon as he can get his affairs arranged for this purpose. Another merchant has come to the same conclusion. He is now calculating to build a hall for meetings, that will seat about five hundred persons, to be used by those who love the message. There is a good prospect for the upbuilding of a strong church in Örebro. May God bless the mission in Northern Europe, and in all parts of the great harvest field. JOHN G. MATTESON.

March 25.