4 FINDING THE SABBATH TRUTH

As we went into the room they were in the midst of a testimony meeting. There were no fanatical, boisterous demonstrations, but calm sensible testimonies wet down with tears. Such a heavenly atmosphere greatly impressed me. Then in stepped Harvey Cottrell from Mill Grove, face beaming with the love of God. “Praise the Lord for his goodness to me. I came here last Thursday anxious to attend the meetings, but spent the whole time in bed with fever. At my request the brethren followed the rule in James, anointed me with oil and prayed for me, and I am healed. Praise the Lord.” With this quiet, simple statement the Spirit of the Lord filled the room. I said to myself, “That is just as it was in my uncle’s case.” My prejudice was fast yielding to the conviction that these people had the blessing of the Lord with them.MML 19.1

As I looked about the room I noticed there hung directly in front of me the identical chart I had seen in my dream, and as Elder J. N. Andrews arose to speak, I recognized him, too. He began, “The time announced for the preaching service has come. I had prepared to speak on a certain subject, but during the social meeting my mind turned to another. It may be the Lord’s will for me to speak on the texts which are supposed to teach that the Ten Commandments were abolished at the cross.” Elder Andrews did not know who I was. No one had said a word to him since I came in.MML 19.2

Beginning with Colossians he took my texts one by one, in the exact order in which I had them marked, and straightened them all out to my perfect satisfaction. In examining Colossians he explained that there are two laws, and the moral law of Ten Commandments is eternal, whereas the law of ceremonies pointed to Christ and ceased at the cross. A solemn impression of the Spirit of God came with his presentation. I said to myself, “This is the most consistent of anything I have ever heard on the law question. It will settle the whole thing for me.” And it did.MML 19.3

In later presentations Elder Andrews covered the subjects of the two-horned beast, the sanctuary and its cleansing, and the three angel’s messages. He took pains to make every point clear. Almost daily he visited and prayed with us. The Rochester company did much praying also for the interested ones. It was not simply the bare argument in favor of the truth that so deeply moved us as the evident presence of the Spirit which accompanied the presentation of those truths, and broke the fallow ground in our hearts. I could not keep away from the meetings nor resist the powerful arguments presented.MML 19.4

When I accepted the Sabbath truth in September, 1852, I still had appointments for three Sundays for the First-day Adventists. I decided to fill these appointments, but say nothing concerning the new light, for I knew I must be well prepared to defend my position. At each place I told them I would come no more.MML 20.1

My fourth Sabbath was spent in Rochester. On that day I publicly took my stand with this people for the third angel’s message, and handed in an article for the Review announcing my change of faith. In the meeting that day I first saw Elder and Mrs. White. They had been away from Rochester for about three months, traveling by horse and carriage visiting scattered Sabbath-keepers in New England.MML 20.2

This Sabbath meeting was held at 124 Mt. Hope Avenue. The room for religious purposes, place of residence, and printing office of the Review and Herald were all in the same building, and Oswald Stowell was the pressman. At this time he had been suffering very severe attacks of pleurisy and had been given up by the physicians to die. Stowell was in the adjoining room and at the close of the Sabbath service sent in a request for prayer.MML 20.3

After I was introduced to the Whites, they invited me to go in with them for a season of prayer while the rest of the company remained in silent prayer in the meeting room. We bowed by the bedside, and while prayer was being offered, Elder White anointed Brother Stowell in the name of the Lord and he was instantly healed. When we arose from prayer, he was sitting up striking his sides which before had been so painful. “I am fully healed and shall be able to work tomorrow,” he said. The same blessing that healed him fell in still greater measure upon Sister White. As Elder White turned to look he said, “Ellen is in vision. She does not breathe while in this condition. If any of you desire to satisfy yourselves of this fact, you are at liberty to examine her.”MML 20.4

She was kneeling beside the bed with her eyes open in a far-away look as if gazing intently at some object, not in a vacant stare but in a pleasant, intelligent expression. Her countenance appeared fresh and florid. Though she looked upward, her head would turn from side to side as she seemed to be viewing different objects. It was evident from many tests applied that she was entirely oblivious to anything transpiring around her. Her hands would move gracefully from time to time. She remained in vision half an hour or more. While in that condition she spoke words and sometimes distinct sentences; yet by the closest scrutiny, no breath could be discerned in her body. When she came out of vision her first three breaths were like that of a newborn child’s first breath.MML 21.1

After she came out of vision, she bore a testimony for that company there assembled. She spoke to me especially, delineating the working of my mind before embracing the truth, even of thoughts which I had expressed to no one. As I heard these things from her lips, I said, “Surely there is a power more than human connected with this vision.”MML 21.2

There were eight of us First-day Adventists who accepted the truth under the labors of Elder J. N. Andrews in Rochester. Before the Whites returned from the Eastern tour, one of these persons left the city and traveled on business in Michigan. In relating her vision, Mrs. White told us that she saw a man who, while traveling away from home, had much to say about the law of God and the Sabbath, yet at the same time was breaking one of those commandments. She said he was a person she had never met, yet she believed she would see him sometime since his case had been unfolded to her. Not one of our company, however, supposed it to be anyone we knew.MML 21.3

About six weeks later, the aforementioned brother returned from Michigan. As soon as Sister White saw him, she said, “This is the man I saw in vision of which I told you.” Sister White related to this man in the presence of his wife and several other persons what she was shown, then said, “As Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.”MML 21.4

After listening to Mrs. White’s rehearsal of his wrong doing, he dropped upon his knees before his wife and with tears said, “God is with you of a truth.” Then he made a full confession of how he had been trapped into violation of the seventh commandment at Paw Paw, Michigan, over 500 miles from Rochester. He said this was the first offense of that kind in his life and it would be his last.MML 21.5

For three and one-half years I had preached for the First-day Adventists, but supported myself principally by my own labor. When I accepted the truth I had about $35 in hand. I still made earnest efforts to push the windowlock business in which I had been successful. Now as I went from place to place with the business, the conviction constantly pressed upon me to make known to others the truths I had learned. With all the efforts I put forth, my business would not prosper. Sometimes my sales for a week would only pay my fare and hotel bill. This state of things soon consumed what money I had saved, leaving me without money to pay my fare out of Rochester. Finally, about mid-December, my money was reduced to a silver three-cent piece.MML 22.1

A cloud seemed to hang over the next Sabbath meeting I attended. As prayer was offered for the removal of the cloud, Sister White was taken off in vision. On relating the vision she had a message for me: “The reason this cloud hangs over the meeting is that Brother Loughborough is resisting the conviction of duty. God wants him to give himself wholly to the preaching of the message.”MML 22.2

I did not take my stand then to do it for I could not see how I could be supported in so doing. On reaching home, I told the Lord if He would open the way I would go out; but this did not settle it. Finally, on the strength of the testimony I said, “I will obey, Lord, and Thou wilt open the way.” At once all those perplexing doubts passed from my mind and I was happy in the thought that the Lord would provide.MML 22.3

On the following Monday morning my wife, who did not know how low our funds were, came to ask for money with which to buy matches and some thread. Taking the money from my pocket I said, “Mary, here is a three-cent piece. It’s all the money I have in the world. Get only one cent’s worth of matches, spend only one of the other cents, and bring me one cent so we will not be entirely out of money. I have tried hard, every way in my power to make my business succeed, but I cannot.”MML 22.4

With tears she asked, “John, what in the world are we going to do?”MML 23.1

I replied, “I have been powerfully convicted for weeks that the reason my business does not succeed is because the Lord’s hand is against it for neglect of duty. It is my duty to give myself wholly to the preaching of the truth.”MML 23.2

“But,” she objected, “if you go to preach, how are we to be supported?”MML 23.3

I answered, “As soon as I decided to obey the call of duty, there came to me the assurance that the Lord is going to open the way. I don’t know how it will be done, but the way will open.”MML 23.4

She retired to her room to weep and perhaps to pray; at least I saw no more of her for an hour. Then as she went out to make her little purchases I pitied her sad heart. No more than thirty minutes later there was a loud rap at the door. A gentleman inquired for me and I let him in. After introducing himself he said, “Because of my poor health I am moving to Ohio, and I wish to take along some small business with which to meet expenses. Mr. Garbutt recommended you as being able to purchase Arnold’s patent sash-locks. I want an assortment of eighty dollars’ worth and will pick them up tomorrow noon and pay you the money.”MML 23.5

Now all I would have to do would be to walk half a mile to the factory and leave the order. They would bring the locks to my door and I would receive the commission of $26 which had much purchasing power in those days.MML 23.6

Soon after the man left, my wife returned and found me singing. “You seem happy,” she commented. “Yes,” I agreed. “While you were at the store I had company. The Lord has opened the way for me to go out and preach the message.” When I told her of the order for the locks, with a flood of different tears she retired to her room to weep and seek the Lord. Soon she returned as happy as I and ready to do what she could to prepare me for my labors. On receiving the money, I purchased wood, provisions, and whatever necessary home comforts should I enter the field.MML 23.7

On the next Sabbath (Dec. 18) there was a general gathering of Sabbath-keepers of western New York, and during the prayer Sister White was taken off in vision. Among other things presented to her was a message for me. “You are correct in your decision to give yourself to the work of the ministry. It is now your duty to go, and tarry no longer.” Prayer was then offered that the Lord would further open my way.MML 23.8

Hiram Edson, who lived forty miles east of Rochester, had decided not to attend the meeting, but his wife was so impressed that he would be called away that she readied his clothing for any emergency. On Sabbath, Dec. 16, while conducting family worship, the impression came to him, “Go to Rochester. You are wanted there.” He asked his wife, “What does this mean? I don’t know why I should go to Rochester.”MML 24.1

Several times during the day when he went to the barn to pray, the impression would come, “Go to Rochester.” Finally, he asked his wife, “Is my clothing in condition to leave? I feel that I may be gone for several weeks.” She assured him that all was ready. After the close of the Sabbath, he took the train to Rochester. On arriving he said to Elder White, “I hadn’t planned to come to this meeting, but I have been strongly impressed today that I should come, and here I am. What do you want with me?”MML 24.2

“Well,” said Elder White, “we want you to take old Charlie horse and the carriage, and take Brother Loughborough around on a six-weeks circuit in southwestern New York and get him started preaching the message.” So the following Monday, Brother Edson and I started out with Elder White’s horse and carriage for a six-week trip.MML 24.3

PICTURE