Dagson was a popular speaker, and never had he had so many hearers
as on that afternoon. My, but what a gathering of people down at
the mission house! And no one talked of anything but what had
happened in the night at Strong Ingmar's hut. The whole community
was in a state of terror, and had turned out in full force, in
order to hear the Word of God preached with a force that would
annihilate their fears. Hardly a quarter of the people could get
inside; but windows and doors were wide open, and Dagson had such a
powerful voice that he could be heard even by those on the outside.
Of course he knew what had occurred, and what the people wanted to
hear. He opened his address with a terror-striking word picture of
hell and the prince of darkness. He reminded them of the evil one
who skulks about in the dark to capture souls, who lays the snares
of sin and sets the traps of vice. The people shuddered. They
seemed to see a world full of devils, tempting and enticing them to
destruction. Everything was a sin and a danger. They were wandering
among pitfalls, hunted and tormented like the wild beasts of the
forest. When Dagson talked in this strain, his voice pierced the
room like a blasting wind, and his words were like tongues of fire.
All who heard Dagson's sermon likened it to a roaring torrent of
flame. With all this talk about demons and fire and smoke, they had
the same feeling as when trapped in a burning forest--when the fire
creeps along the moss upon which you are treading, and smoke clouds
fill the air you breathe, and the heat singes your hair, while the
roar of the fire fills your ears, and flying sparks set fire to
your clothing.
Thus did Dagson drive the people through flame and smoke and
desolation. They had fire in front of them, fire behind them, and
fire to left and right of them, and saw only destruction ahead of
them. Yet, after taking them through all these horrors, he finally
led them to a green spot in the forest, where it was peaceful and
cool and safe. In the centre of a flowery meadow sat Jesus, with
His arms outstretched toward the fleeing and hunted men and women
who cast themselves at His feet. Now all danger was past, and they
suffered no further distress nor persecution.
Dagson spoke as he himself felt. If he could only lay himself down
at Jesus' feet, a sense of great peace and serenity would come to
him, and he had no more fear of the snares of the world.
After the service there was great emotional excitement. Many
persons rushed up to the speaker and thanked him, with tears
streaming down their faces. They told him that his words had
awakened them to a true faith in God. But all this time Karin sat
unmoved. When Dagson had finished speaking, she raised her heavy
eyelids and looked up at him, as if reproaching him for not having
given her anything. Just then some one outside cried in a voice
loud enough to be heard by the entire congregation:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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