135
Toronto (Canada) – September 1866
To Mr B
My dear one
I am sending you herewith my letter to J; it is my first letter in Italian. There was only my Italian tract before. I am almost in trouble for the fact that you simply passed on the help which had been sent to P. However, I do not blame you at all; I believe rather that you have had reason, but they need encouragement and perhaps I have gone too far.
You will see from my letter that I have only a little pocket dictionary and a little travel grammar, so that idiomatic phrases fail me. Whatever it may be, if you wish, you will be able to understand what I want to say.
I have been very happy, and give thanks from the bottom of my heart to God for the good news that I receive in general from France, and Germany too; and not bad from Switzerland. In England, the number of brethren increases greatly, and the discussion about the sufferings of Christ has been a great blessing to them. In Ireland, things are not bad.
In the United States, it is a work of patience. However, the Lord is acting; quite a large number of souls have found peace (nobody had it among them), many have received the truth of the coming of the Lord, a certain number of whom the unity of the church and the state in which it is currently found. The truth spreads, the gathering of the brethren goes slowly, and I waited for it, knowing the state of the professing church in this country. As for those with minds, to advocate and to elate man, to be concerned with political scandals, a terrible debauchery in morals, that is what characterises them. They would like the women to vote in political elections. A proverbial phrase says: in this country it is necessary to say: ‘Parents, obey your children’. One begins to have a feeling that there is no brake on things. On one side, the magistracy is quite corrupt, they say: it has denied the corporation of New York the direction of the police, otherwise one would have quite feared for the town; nobody was in charge. The police and mayor himself were linked with the criminals. Now the direction of public vehicles has been abolished, and the permits to sell strong liquor, and this has been put in the hands of the police. Then the mayor has revoked all the permits and each can do what he will; to sell, to ask for public vehicles if he wishes, etc.. They are used to abuse, they expect it. The Christian passes through all this quietly, as he did in the best policed town in the world.
In Boston, things are better in general. The churches become a kind of safeguard for respectability, but then revenge is taken by a surfeit of worldliness that surpasses even the worldly people. To hold oneself outside the churches, however, has a bad appearance, this does not put the badge of an honest man on one’s clothes. However, God does His work. In Canada, in this vast country, now ours, we are about 300 people, and the truth makes progress; it spreads and the testimony makes itself felt, however small it is.
My faith and my patience have been exercised, but I have enjoyed the presence of the Lord and His Word.
We are going to have, if it pleases God, our conference in the United States, and we will be represented by a much larger number of people than last year. Not all are in fellowship, but they are concerned about the truth.
I understand, beloved brother, that you will seek to protect your dear children from the worldly influence which surrounds them. Embrace them on my behalf. Greet all the brethren much; I think of them heartily. May God bless them and keep them.
Yours affectionately in Jesus
Letter originally written in French, translated by Sosthenes, 2013
Click here for original – If you have any comments on the translation, feel free to let me know.
