How They Became Convinced
By Anthony Beans
[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.] THE year I was twenty-five, I fully decided to be a Christian, and united with the Presbyterian Church of Corinne, N. D. I would go twelve miles to attend their preaching services, and on my return from one of these services I was accosted by two small boys, who urged me to turn in and visit them. I had given them several reasons why I could not comply with their kind wishes. But it only made them the more urgent in pressing their request that I should stop. I finally agreed, and as we came near the house, the door opened, and a pleasant woman greeted us, and kindly asked me to come in, which I gladly did. We had not been visiting long, when our conversation turned to the Sabbath question, and the lady asked: "Did you ever think whether we were keeping the Sabbath that the Lord would be pleased to have us keep?" I responded, "Why, certainly we do." And in justification of my position, I said, "We keep Sunday because Jesus rose on that day." "But," said my hostess, "did Jesus tell us to keep it because He rose on that day?" I replied that I thought He did. Then she said, "I have some little tracts that would help to make it clear, and if you will promise me to read, I will give you one." I said, "Certainly I will read it." And as I left, she gave me a copy of each of our denominational papers, and about a dozen tracts, most of which were on the subjects of Sabbath and Sunday. I can well remember the tract, "Which Day Do You Keep, and Why?" whose title struck so directly at the root of my difficulty. And another which made the subject especially clear and forcible, was entitled, "Elihu on the Sabbath." My Sabbath-keeping friend earnestly requested that I would promise to read them. The roll lay in my trunk almost a year, when I again remembered the promise, and set about to read them. When I finished reading them, the question of the true Sabbath was perfectly clear, and I began to keep it. I can not thank the good sister too much for the question, "Do you think that we are keeping the Sabbath that the Lord would be pleased to have us keep?" nor for the good tracts and papers that so ably expounded the subject. "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of Me." John 5:39.