ght in listening to the preaching of Rosenius and the singing of
Ahnfelt. At these conventicles the marvelous singer who had gained the
homage of two continents sat with common workingmen on crude benches and
joined with her sweet voice in singing the Pietist hymns. Ahnfelt, in
visiting the home of the great singer, spoke of his ambition to publish
these hymns. When Jenny Lind learned that financial difficulties stood in
the way, she quickly provided the necessary funds, and so the first
edition of "Ahnfelt's Songs," which in reality were mostly the hymns of
Lina Sandell and Rosenius, was made possible.

Rosenius and Ahnfelt encountered much persecution in their evangelical
efforts. King Karl XV was petitioned to forbid Ahnfelt's preaching and
singing. The monarch refused until he had had an opportunity to hear the
"spiritual troubadour." Ahnfelt was commanded to appear at the royal
palace. Being considerably perturbed in mind as to what he should sing to
the king, he besought Lina Sandell to write a hymn for the occasion. She
was equal to the task and within a few days the song was ready. With his
guitar under his arm and the hymn in his pocket, Ahnfelt repaired to the
palace and sang:

Who is it that knocketh upon your heart's door
In peaceful eve?
Who is it that brings to the wounded and sore
The balm that can heal and relieve?
Your heart is still restless, it findeth no peace
In earth's pleasures;
Your soul is still yearning, it seeketh release
To rise to the heavenly treasures.

The king listened with tears in his eyes. When Ahnfelt had finished, the
monarch gripped him by the hand and exclaimed: "You may sing as much as
you like in both of my kingdoms!"

Mention has already been made of the hymns of Rosenius. These, like the
songs of Lina Sandell, were likewise a powerful factor in the spread of
the evangelical movement in Sweden.

Rosenius was the son of a parish pastor in Norrland, Sweden. From the
time of his birth, February 3, 1816, he was dedicated by his pious
parents to the holy ministry. After having pursued studies for a short
time at Upsala University, however, he became disgusted with the low
moral and spiritual standards existing among the students, and for a
while his own faith was severely shaken. During these spiritual
difficulties he came in contact with George Scott, the Methodist
evangelist in Stockholm, and eventually he began to hold meetin