Tag: american brethren

138

New York – 6^th October 1867

To Mr B

Beloved Brother

I rejoiced greatly about the news you sent me abut Nice. I see the goodness of God at work there. When a place has been long under the domination of the enemy, and thus without testimony or worse than that, it is a great and precious proof of the goodness and the operation of God Himself when a testimony is raised up there that there should be by this goodness a candlestick – however small it may be – set there, and a lamp lit. I rejoice in what God has given you the grace to have part in; it is still the fruit of His goodness and an encouragement for you. I am happy too that the brethren continue to walk in the path of faith in Milan. Greet them on my behalf when you write to them. Here, we are in small beginnings today; it is an effort to obtain a little reality in the midst of an enormous mass where activity is not lacking, but where balls and theatres are justified and everything that you might want. A certain number of souls moan but do not know what to do. The idea of the progress of man and of the gospel dominate everything, but however they feel that things are going very wrong, for after all, the Papists rule the city, which is also as badly governed as possible, and calm people tell you: “we are at the mercy of the Irish populace, a thing quite bizarre in a free country, but which is also much the case in England”. The Irish do not have any following, and honest people do like to get into fights; liberty has become licence, and they become enriched at the taxpayers’ expense. In the midst of all this, one can consider peace all the same, God forms a small assembly, a very little thing, but His work I do not doubt. There are twenty or thirty people who seek to glorify the Lord, and these are faithful people in general. The work is of God, for they are people without any outward influence whatever; clerks, cashiers and others of the same class; and then some people attracted by a simpler and clearer gospel. For this part of the work, I need to stay longer here than I can. But there is devotion with those who compose the meeting, and I hope that God will bless them. I believe that what God does now is to form a nucleus, while blessing some souls individually.

In Boston, the little nucleus belongs to another class. Our brother B, a former Baptist minister, having parents and acquaintances, the meeting begins to take on some consistency, although there may be smaller numbers than here. I will go there if it pleases God. In the West, it goes well in general, and the fruits of my journey are increased there after my departure.

In Canada, the work is maintained; there are three new meetings. With the Indians, there is felt progress. In general, things are pretty much in the same state; except the under-mentioned case, there is not much energy for meeting. It is devotion that I seek (with myself, alas!), and that God desires through all, this love of souls to seek them with more activity. One slows down easily, alas! – it is not that I do something else, or that my outward life is less busy, on the contrary. There were works at Ephesus (Revelation 2), but one can lose his first love as to the work, while continuing to work. May God rekindle in us this energy of love. I know that I grow old, and I sense it, but grace does not age. For the rest, He is always good, and He exercises our patience in His work for our own good.

In general, I have very good news of Ireland and England. The opposition is quite strong, and this is nothing new; but the brethren go on well. God has shown His goodness as to them and has made the work progress.

Greet the brethren very affectionately. I have in New York, at least as many French-speaking listeners as English-speakers; three French and five Swiss break bread. In the West, there are at least a hundred French-speaking brethren; I have found open doors.

May God bless you, dear brother, with your dear children, and direct you in this task.

Your very affectionate brother 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.

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.