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Accepting Truth

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Mar 17, 1904

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 81, No. 11.

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Accepting Truth

By B. L. House

An Experience
B. L. HOUSE
A BROTHER who recently accepted the truth related his experience, which is here given in hopes that it may encourage some one else.
After attending meetings regularly for several weeks, in which present truth was pressed home to the hearts of the people, the conviction of the Holy Spirit began to take possession of the man.
Afterward in visiting him I asked him about his experience, knowing of what the Lord had done and was doing for him. I asked him how he gave up his tobacco. He replied, “One Saturday night after the meeting, as I was about to take a chew of tobacco, I was impressed not to take it, and also never to take another. So I went home that night without gratifying my desire for tobacco, and I have not touched it since. But I soon became very restless, and on Sunday evening I craved something to eat, and finally asked my wife to get supper for me, which was something unusual.
“To satisfy my wife’s curiosity, I told her that I had not used any tobacco since the meeting last night, and then she gladly prepared my supper. But for three or four days I was nearly sick. I determined, however, to have the victory, and I got it. The appetite has now left me, and I feel well. This was before Christmas, and on Christmas day the only treat I was offered in town among the men was a cigar and a glass of whisky, both of which I refused.”
Shortly after this experience he began to keep the holy Sabbath, and to arrange his business in harmony with God’s law. Being in charge of a coal bank, he wondered how he could avoid selling coal on the Sabbath. He did not want to stay at the bank and watch the coal all day Sabbath; and if he should stay away, he was afraid people would come and haul it away.
Friday came, the bins were stocked with coal, and it did not seem possible to sell it all that day. But the Lord sent the buyers, and before the Sabbath all was sold, and the brother went home rejoicing, to keep the Sabbath in peace. And the Lord’s blessing has been seen since in helping him to continue to keep the Sabbath.
I next asked him about the tithing, and the use of swine’s flesh. He said: “When I decided to sell my hogs and to give up swine’s flesh according to Isa. 66:15-17, I promised the Lord that I would pay my tithe from the money and stop robbing God. I was busy at my bank, and did not have time to go and sell my hogs, nor to find out how much they weighed. So I just sent word to a man who wanted to buy some to come and get them. After he came, I told him to weigh them, and give me whatever was right and just.
“In my own mind I hoped to get twenty-five dollars for them; but I left it all with the Lord, and told him to sell them for me; then I went to my work, and thought no more about it. But when the money came for them, I took out my tithe first, and found I still had over twenty-five dollars left. I could not help but praise the Lord.” This brother cleared in the next week more than three other similar coal-bank men did who lived near him.
A short time before this conversation took place, I had asked the brother to offer prayer in the Sabbath-school. That was his first public prayer after conversion, and the night before and that morning had been his first experience in family worship. He told me of his remorseful feeling on learning that his children could say the Lord’s prayer when he scarcely could say it himself.
But the sunshine of Jesus’ love has come into this home, and with tears of joy and praise, this dear brother tells his experience. And God has given him his wife and children to be with him in this glorious message. To the Lord be all the praise.