- Preface to Fourth Edition
- The Background Of Volume One
-
- Chapter 1—My Childhood
- Chapter 2—My Conversion
- Chapter 3—Feelings of Despair
- Chapter 4—Leaving the Methodist Church
- Chapter 5—Opposition of Formal Brethren
- Chapter 6—Advent Experience
- Chapter 7—My First Vision
- Chapter 8—Call to Travel
- Chapter 9—Vision of the New Earth
- Chapter 10—Withholding Reproof
- Chapter 11—Marriage and Subsequent Labors
- Chapter 12—Publishing and Traveling
- Chapter 13—Removal to Michigan
- Chapter 14—The Death of My Husband
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Chapter 39—Slackness Reproved
- Chapter 40—Duty to Children
- Chapter 41—Systematic Benevolence
- Chapter 42—Our Denominational Name
- Chapter 43—The Poor
- Chapter 44—Speculations
- Chapter 45—A Dishonest Steward
- Chapter 46—Fanaticism in Wisconsin
- Chapter 47—Concealing Reproofs
- Chapter 48—The Cause in Ohio
- Chapter 49—Entire Consecration
- Chapter 50—Personal Experience
- Chapter 51—The Cause in the West
- Chapter 52—A Question Answered
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Chapter 86—Address to the Young
- Chapter 87—Recreation for Christians
- Chapter 88—The Reform Dress
- Chapter 89—Surmisings About Battle Creek
- Chapter 90—Shifting Responsibilities
- Chapter 91—Proper Observance of the Sabbath
- Chapter 92—Political Sentiments
- Chapter 93—Usury
- Chapter 94—Deceitfulness of Riches
- Chapter 95—Obedience to the Truth
- Chapter 96—Life Insurance
- Chapter 97—Circulate the Publications
- Chapter 98—The “Health Reformer”
- Chapter 99—The Health Institute
- Chapter 100—Health and Religion
- Chapter 101—Work and Amusements
-
-
- Chapter 109—Publishing Personal Testimonies
- Chapter 110—The Health Institute
- Chapter 111—Sketch of Experience
- Chapter 112—Ministers, Order, and Organization
- Chapter 113—Further Labors
- Chapter 114—The Case of Hannah More
- Chapter 115—Healthful Cookery
- Chapter 116—Books and Tracts
- Chapter 117—The Christian's Watchword
- Chapter 118—Sympathy at Home
- Chapter 119—The Husband's Position
- Appendix
Chapter 91—Proper Observance of the Sabbath
December 25, 1865, I was shown that there has been too much slackness in regard to the observance of the Sabbath. There has not been promptness to fulfill the secular duties within the six working days which God has given to man and carefulness not to infringe upon one hour of the holy, sacred time which He has reserved to Himself. There is no business of man's that should be considered of sufficient importance to cause him to transgress the fourth precept of Jehovah. There are cases in which Christ has given permission to labor even on the Sabbath in saving the life of men or of animals. But if we violate the letter of the fourth commandment for our own advantage from a pecuniary point of view we become Sabbathbreakers and are guilty of transgressing all the commandments, for if we offend in one point we are guilty of all. If in order to save property we break over the express command of Jehovah, where is the stopping place? Where shall we set the bounds? Transgress in a small matter, and look upon it as no particular sin on our part, and the conscience becomes hardened, the sensibilities blunted, until we can go still further and perform quite an amount of labor and still flatter ourselves that we are Sabbathkeepers, when, according to Christ's standard, we are breaking every one of God's holy precepts. There is a fault with Sabbathkeepers in this respect; but God is very particular, and all who think that they are saving a little time, or advantaging themselves by infringing a little on the Lord's time, will meet with loss sooner or later. He cannot bless them as it would be His pleasure to do, for His name is dishonored by them, His precepts lightly esteemed. God's curse will rest upon them, and they will lose ten or twentyfold more than they gain. “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me, ... even this whole nation.”1T 531.2
God has given man six days in which to work for himself, but He has reserved one day in which He is to be specially honored. He is to be glorified, His authority respected. And yet man will rob God by stealing a little of the time which the Creator has reserved for Himself. God reserved the seventh day as a period of rest for man, for the good of man as well as for His own glory. He saw that the wants of man required a day of rest from toil and care, that his health and life would be endangered without a period of relaxation from the labor and anxiety of the six days.1T 532.1
The Sabbath was made for the benefit of man; and to knowingly transgress the holy commandment forbidding labor upon the seventh day is a crime in the sight of heaven which was of such magnitude under the Mosaic law as to require the death of the offender. But this was not all that the offender was to suffer, for God would not take a transgressor of His law to heaven. He must suffer the second death, which is the full and final penalty for the transgressor of the law of God.1T 533.1