Personal Experience in Accepting Present Truth
By DANIEL NETTLETON
In my last article I told how the Lord led me to see that the seventh day is the true Sabbath, and the desire I had to keep it. I believed that the Seventh-day Adventists had the truth, and was glad to find a people who were looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of Jesus, whom I loved. After much careful study and earnest prayer, I fully decided to keep the Sabbath, and gave up the world and all it promised me. I was just entering manhood, and, like young men in general, planned great things for the future; but I had learned to lay all my plans at the feet of Jesus, to be given up or carried out at his pleasure. I had left the dear old farm and father's home, and was then working in a general store. There was but one family of Sabbath-keepers in town; in fact, there were very few in the State. Nebraska was a mission field at that time (1875), and belonged to the Iowa Conference. I kept my first Sabbath with this family. They were very happy, and so was I. It was a stormy day, but there was “sunshine in my soul.” I have had many good Sabbath days since, with hundreds of our people at camp-meetings and conferences; but that Sabbath, passed with that faithful family, was one of the happiest of my life. “The church of the living God is the pillar and stay of the truth.” The family is the unit of the church, and the church is the light of the world. “God setteth the solitary in families.” O the good that one true Seventh-day Adventist family can do in any community! The homes of our people are the missionary centers of this message. The fire kindled on Abraham's family altar is still a light in the world, in one way fulfilling the promise, “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” The light of our sanitariums, publishing houses, and colleges would soon go out if the light shining from our family altars was extinguished. When I began to keep the Sabbath, I wanted to be baptized and unite with the church. I had to wait, however, until a minister came. There were not so many Seventh-day Adventist ministers then as now; but they were earnest men, and about their Father's business. Finally, Elder C. L. Boyd visited us, and we esteemed it a great privilege to entertain one of God's ministers. I shall never forget his earnest prayers and words of instruction. He not only expounded unto me the way of God more perfectly, but helped me to find a place in the work of God. It was a happy day for me when he led me down into the water, and I was buried with my Lord in baptism, rising to walk in newness of life. O how beautiful and glorious was this new-found truth to me! I wanted all the world to know it. As I saw a lost world rapidly approaching the great day of the Lord, souls unsaved and without hope in God, and as the calls came from different places for ministers and workers, I said, “O Lord, send me.” He did send me, and he has given me many souls as the seal of my ministry. Some of these are now ministers and workers in the message. I have baptized many believers; but I believe the happiest day of my life was when, for the first time, I baptized one who had been converted and accepted the present truth under my ministry. There is no joy this side of heaven like the joy of one who sees a soul for whom he has prayed and labored accept Christ and his truth. Many years have passed since then, and I, with my brethren in the ministry, have many times experienced this joy. We love to think and speak of these experiences, especially as we near the eventide of life. God has promised that “he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” I have spent nearly all my life in new fields; and notwithstanding all the “light afflictions” incident to the life of a pioneer Seventh-day Adventist evangelist, I would not go back and choose another occupation if I could. I hope to finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus. If any young man reads these words who believes God has called him to this6work, I would say to him, Do not delay! Do not enter some other calling, that promises greater reward or a more pleasant time. Enter at once the work of soul saving. There is no higher calling and none that offers greater rewards to men, than that of the gospel ministry. “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.” I wish we could see more of our young men giving themselves to the work of the ministry. “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.” “And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.” “Ask not to be excused, there's earnest work to do,
Stand ready to be used where God may station you.
His invitation kind to thee has oft been given;
Accept, and thou shalt find 'tis sweet to work for heaven.”