Section 1-A Short Account of the Life and Work of Hauge

This is the first excerp from a short book about the life of Hauge.
This is in the public domain.

Hans Nielson Hauge

A Short Account of the LIFE AND WORK OF HAUGE

By C. Brohaugh 1890

HAUGE’S BOYHOOD AND FIRST SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT.

Hans Nielsen Hauge was born on the Hauge farm in the parish of Tune on the 3rd of April, 1771. The father, Niels Mikkelsen, was from Evinrod farm in the parish of Glemminge, and was married to Marie Olsdaughter, with whom he got the Hauge farm, and where he passed away on January 10th, 1813, 81 years old.

The parents were quiet, pious-minded people, and Hauge referred especially to his father as a man with discrimination and understanding on divine subjects. The mother was a tender woman with a gentle disposition. The son inherited her fervency. She died the 1st of January, 1811, 76 years old.

In this family the fear of God had been deeply rooted. The children were brought up to close the day with prayer, the mother taught hymns and prayers to the little ones, the father assembled the family to worship. In such a family Hauge was raised to “grow as a good branch” on “the good vine, Jesus Christ,” in whom he “by baptism was grafted.”

But, as Hauge looks back upon his youth, he finds that he quite early “acquired some knowledge of wicked and good;” but that which was wicked grew more than what was good. That man is wicked from youth onward, was in evidence here also. He confesses that when his father reprimanded him, it roused his obstinate recalcitration. He relates that, at the age of 7 or 8 years, he fancied the thought of destroying himself, for in this way to take revenge over his parents.

Hauge was of a quiet, introspective nature. He was one of those, who right from the moment when the consciousness awakens, is apprehended and attracted toward religion. This longing for the eternal, this sigh toward God on High, this singularly gifted mind’s ceaseless meditation, this struggling with his inner self, this flinching between the serious thought of eternity and the recklessness of youth, impressed the days of his whole boyhood and youth with a unique stamp of fervency. “I had,” he says, “no inclination to fight, little liking for merrymaking with my boon companions, was much more gloomy when I was at parties, and saw or heard boisterous gaiety; I was especially sorrowful when someone picked a quarrel. I never danced, didn’t value games or music, would never be present in inns; but, when someone told stories and talked about religious or spiritual things, then I was interested with heart and soul.

“When I grew older, and knew better how to read and think about what I read, I wondered a great deal about the condition of heaven and hell, until I was about 11 or 12 years old, and at that age I was very confused; however, I always kept it to myself, which was so much worse, because, if anybody had known about it, especially my father, I would surely have received comfort and instruction.

“When there were rumors about war and pestilence, I was very much afraid of death and often felt that something mysterious surrounded me. My heart rebelled and sometimes I wept when I saw dead people or heard talk about death and eternity. I, myself, often thought of the death and the eternity, and if people were now living in such a way that they had reason to anticipate that they would be saved, and if they didn’t have much more reason to expect to be eternally rejected by God.

“Often in my sleep I dreamt about heaven and at other times about hell, about murder and terror; but when I prayed to God before I went to sleep, then calm fell upon me. This was especially the case from my ninth to my twelfth year.

“At that time I also heard some talk about several religions. This caused me new great anxiety with fear and doubt if ours was the right one, for even though my parents and others said so, I was in doubt anyway, particularly when they talked about how godly some had been. I myself had read about their great zeal for spreading the glory of God. Some had suffered much because they professed faith in God and faithfully cared for the salvation of their fellow men, and for this reason they were ridiculed, persecuted and severely and cruelly tortured.

“I discovered at this meditation that we didn’t live like they, but were indifferent in our worship, and couldn’t bear to suffer like those had endured. I got still more uneasy and thought that I wouldn’t be saved.”

A boy that age, with such thoughts, was of course looked upon as peculiar, by his companions, and he mingled with them as a stranger, uncomprehended both by himself and others, an odd specimen.

About this he himself says: “Because I couldn’t show myself smart in the folly of youth, I was looked down upon by those of my own age, often ridiculed and considered stupid; indeed, I felt myself inferior to others, so whenever a respectable man mentioned my name with praise, I felt unworthy.”

Thus it was easy to understand that the Lord started early to prepare Hauge for that work to which he had designated him. He, who became a tool to guide so many souls, had in his whole path of development been alone with God. He had no other guide; not even to his father had he revealed what was in his heart. But through his spiritual solitude he achieved that firmness of character, that independence of thought, that keenly sensible mind, which distinguished him as a man.

Through an incident which happened when the boy was thirteen years, he encountered his calling with greater seriousness and more definite than hitherto. Together with his father, brother and a third person he had gone out to the Sound of Rolfø to fetch some hay. On the way back one of them fell over board, seized hold of the boat and upset it, so they all fell in the water. Hauge immediately gave up any hope of rescue and then stood face to face with death. About this he writes: “First I thought of my mother, who minds trifles so much, and now my father, my brother, and I shall be lost over board, that will cause her insufferable sorrow; next I thought of the small things I had, my clothes etc., and I thought: my brothers will have that; it was hard to leave it, because I loved it all, although death threatened.

“I sighed to God that He would have mercy upon me for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. But infernal anguish maddened me, and I started to dread the darkness of hell, because I had not loved God as I should, and at last the dark horror of death threatened so terribly that when I think of it, my heart must weep. And though I longed for the light, it became dark for me, and my feelings disappeared.”

Without consciousness he floated in the river a while, and in this condition he drifted towards the river bank, where his brother, who together with the others already were safely ashore, picked him up as dead. They succeeded in bringing him back to life; soon he recovered from the consequences of the bath in the river; but the danger of death and the rescue from the jaws of destruction left impressions which were of lasting worth for his future life.

It became more earnestness in his reading, more determination in the purpose to want to live according to the Word; he “started to ponder on this, and then many thoughts came.” Then he also had many struggles with youthful fickleness which his young age naturally carried with it.
He himself says about this: “Often when I prayed to God for grace, and I renounced wickedness, then I found not only appeasement, but often joy also; on the other hand, when - either by my own reading, or when I heard my father read morning or evening prayers etc-my thoughts were turned to worldly, useless things, then these thoughts fell heavily upon me: The evil demon tears away the Word from my heart! O, I am in the devil’s power and have strayed away from God! Which again forced me to pray for grace for Jesus’ sake.”

Among books which Hauge used and which were his teachers, may be mentioned: Luther’s Catechism, the Explanation by Pontoppidan, Kingo’s hymn book, and the Bible. He also used Johan Arndt’s True Christianity, Luther’s and Mueller’s Books of Sermons, Mirror of Faith by Pontoppidan, Collins Revelation of Christ in the Soul, Rare Jewel of Faith by Brorson, etc.
In his sixteenth year he was confirmed by assistant pastor Hammer. About this he tells the following: “I still remember the day of confirmation; it was the custom that one should dress up especially well that day. But as I had never had a desire to look vain, so I hadn’t intended to look different that day; but one of my sisters took it upon herself to tidy me up a little. On my way to church one of the other boys said to me and others in the company: “Today Hans Nielsen has his hair dressed” etc. “Yes,” I answered, “if today we have dressed-up our bodies, would that we have not forgotten our immortal souls, but bethought ourselves of the great promise we today shall give, namely that we shall renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways, and believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

Hauge had a strong talent in concerns of the world and showed himself very practical in this field already from his early years. This was in a way dangerous for him. There was therefore a hard struggle with his inner self under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God conquered the young man’s heart and made him useful to his people in temporal as well as in spiritual respects.

His condition at this time Hauge describes like this: “My mind’s fancy enthused me to several earthly desires-also to trading, which led my soul into unrest, so that the older I got, the more I lost my soul’s noble feelings. I heard many words of God from my teachers, Hammer, and my father, and those words found their way into my heart; but the concern of the world took the upper hand, things temporal were so important to me that I had no rest even on Sundays. I had my treasure in the world, and I tried in all directions to acquire temporal possessions. I was the prodigal son and thought six times about the temporal, and provided for my body, against once to think of the things spiritual, and take care of my soul. My eyes had looked for the world’s vanity and had forgotten the Creator.”

But the Lord did not forget his sleeping child, who was in danger, but tried to reach it through suffering. Shortly after his confirmation, his life was endangered, as he fell into a creek, from which his sister saved him. Later on he was in ‘danger of death” on Glommen, outside of Sannesund. Thereafter he was confined to bed. During his illness he was despairing over his own state of mind, and trembled for “the torture in the eternal death; but through the mercy and help of the good Lord I was able to sigh and raise a cry, then I obtained my sane mind back." Once more his life was endangered on the river Glommen, and the horrors of death and hell lurked over him; but this time also he was saved.

After he had busied himself with different things in the country, Hauge in 1795 moved to Fredrikstad where he went to work for a widow. His stay here was short, but of vital importance to his inner life. In this city he was placed in the midst of ungodly, frivolous, sensual surroundings, where he was compelled to choose whether God or the world should have his allegiance.

“Here,” he says, “I was exposed to several temptations, and wicked people sought my company. Intoxication had so far been abominable to me, but, as I sometimes lacked food, and otherwise when there was a chance, I developed a taste for brandy; so I think I soon would have become a drunkard; but as I realized that this would mean demoralization to my soul and body, I prayed to God that He would preserve me, developed an aversion to this vice, and by the grace of God I was preserved, so I only once in my life have become intoxicated, and that happened when I was at the place mentioned.

“When I was there, I resumed reading on the holidays, which was why some said to me, one may sigh to God, and that is enough; as long as one doesn’t know anything, one has nothing to answer for; and, if I continued to read, I would soon lose my reasoning power, etc. These objections from Satan I disregarded, and kept on with my prayers that God would keep and preserve me; and I asked them to read and look into it, but this was only sneered at.

“By associating with these wicked people I loathed the sin more and more.”

At the request of his parents, Hauge left Fredrikstad, evidently in the middle of the year 1795, and returned home. Through continued reading of God’s Word and religious books he gradually saw more clearly the will of God. A deeper self-knowledge created a deeper need for grace, and the faith started to show its power to conquer the world. The opposition he met when he spoke to people about spiritual things, forced him to search still deeper, so he could convince those who contradicted him, and thus he himself became better informed in the meanings of the Word.

“I now developed disgust for all sins,” he said. “When I prayed, I bowed way down with unworthiness of heart for the great good He gave me, and because I had not served the Lord as I should. Sometimes I kneeled and prayed that the Almighty God, for His Son’s sake, would firmly establish His truth in me, so I could build upon the spiritual rock, Christ. I invoked the Lord of my salvation, that He would manifest His Son’s love in me, bestow upon me His Holy Spirit, so I could see my own wretchedness and impotence, teach me the path to follow in the footsteps of Christ--to be a true God’s child, and here I felt I was wanting much, especially when it came to love the Lord above all things, and to be humble at heart. I prayed much for grace for this purpose, and to learn to know His will, what I was to do and not to do.

“Wilt Thou, my Father, give me strength, let my heart be filled with Thy love, then I, of all my might will serve Thee. I will sacrifice everything, even my life, like the martyrs of old, rather than deviate from Thy commandments.

“Several people started mockingly to call me a saint; others said that if I continued the reading, then I would lose my reason, which they said had happened to several others who had read too much.

“I answered that I could not believe that those who studied the Word of God, could lose their reason, but much rather that they would gain wisdom to carry out the will of God.” The contradiction he thus encountered, brought him to inquire more into the Word, just as he also got a clearer view of the ungodliness and the infidelity which dominated his surroundings. Over these contemplations he sighed and prayed: “God, our Father, rouse us, for Thy dear Son’s, our Savior’s sake, through Thy Holy Spirit.”

hus Hauge was carried forward to become a living Christian. He came, as we have seen, unto the knowledge of the truth through a gradual development from his early youth to his 25th year. The curious fact about this man is that he, so to speak, without human teachers, by the Word of God and the Spirit’s guidance, was led to the living knowledge of the truth for his own part, and then he could, with a clear and versatile viewpoint appear as teacher and leader for his fellow men.