[Believing it would be of interest to our readers, the editor of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES has asked Sabbath-keeping ministers and evangelical workers to tell in a few words the scripture or scriptures, the truths and principles, which constrained them to accept the unpopular truth of the seventh-day Sabbath. These testimonies must not exceed 500 words. Let us hear from all.]
XXX.
About twenty-three years ago I attended meetings held by Eld. H. W. Decker in New London, Wis., where I found that the plain truth was being preached. As it was made plain to me that the Lord had predicted the rise and fall of nations, mentioning them by name, it strengthened my faith in the Word of God. The new heaven and the new earth were of special interest to me. Heaven had always been presented to me as a mystical place, but when I found that there would be beautiful flowers, lakes, flowing streams, stately trees, delicious fruits, and everything that is desirable, a longing desire was created in my heart to have a home in heaven. Rev. 21:1-6; 2 Peter 3:13; Isa. 65:17, 18; 35:1-10.
My mind was aroused to know more of that beautiful place, and when I learned that there would be appointed times for worship, and that the Sabbath is one of the principal days set apart to worship before God on the new earth, during eternity, as found in Isa. 66:22, 23, I learned to love the Sabbath, and studied concerning it more diligently. God had made a memorial of all His wonderful works. Ps. 111:4. That memorial is the Sabbath. Ex. 20:8-11; Heb. 4:4. It being a memorial of such glorious things as Paradise and the New Jerusalem, it became more attractive to me, and the violation of it more sinful. What always appealed to me with special force was Isa. 58:1, 2, 12-14, where God calls for a Sabbath reformation, and for the transgressor to take his foot from the Sabbath, to cease to violate His holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight. It appealed to me, and I decided to keep the Sabbath. In Mark 16:1, 2 I found that the women got up very early, the first day of the week, but the Sabbath was passed when that morning came. I saw that the Christian women kept it according to the commandments after Christ had been crucified, and they kept it the day following the crucifixion which was on Friday—the day between Friday and the First Day of the week. These are some of the principal reasons why I commenced to keep the Sabbath and am keeping it to-day.
F. H. WESTPHAL.
XXXI.
I was born in the Methodist Church. At the age of nineteen I attended a series of First-day Adventist meetings in a town where I was working, and during those meetings was converted to God.
After my marriage, I went to my old home to live. One of our neighbors was a Seventh-day Adventist. Soon he began to talk with me about the Sabbath. I was much prejudiced, and did not care to investigate; but my neighbor persevered until I became aroused, and thinking to defend myself, took down my Bible to find evidence for Sunday-keeping. To my great surprise the evidence was not to be found. I did not know what to think, say, or do. The question came, Is it possible that I, a Christian, week by week, break one of God’s commandments? In a few days I again met my neighbor, and his zeal prompted him again to bring up the Sabbath question. He was soon aware of the fact that a change had come over me, and that I was now ready to study the question. He gave me reading matter, and for four or five months I read and prayed daily. I had learned to take everything to God in prayer. I felt that this Sabbath question was very important and that light upon it must come from God. The next spring (1874) I came to the place where I must either keep the seventh-day Sabbath or give up all pretence to Christianity. I could no longer resist the light God had given in answer to prayer, and profess to be a servant of His. My father was very much opposed to such a step, and nearly all the relatives of both myself and wife were against us. Should we obey God, or yield to relatives and friends? We decided to obey God, and the question was forever settled. No doubts have ever come since that time with reference to the Sabbath question. These scriptures were convincing to me: Mark 2:27, 28; Matt. 24:20; Luke 23:54-56; 24:1-23. Acts 17:1-3; 18:4-11; 28:17; and I have always been very thankful to God for the light given, as well as for the privilege of presenting this light to hundreds of my fellow-men during the twenty-five years of my ministry, and seeing a goodly number accepting it and rejoicing in it. Praise ye the Lord.
