Couldn't Find the Testimony.
By Alex. Carpenter
BRETHREN AND SISTERS: I think the Holy Spirit led me to seek my Saviour, and I embraced a hope in him when but a lad of fourteen, and joined with the regular Baptist church. I was a regular member of that church for over twenty years, and took considerable pains to give to every one that should ask of me the reason for my hope with meekness and fear. Four years ago last June, my wife experienced religion and joined the Baptist church with me. She studied her Bible on the subject of baptism, and was satisfied that there was but one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. After she joined the church she was led to study the Bible to find Sunday-keeping, and settled down that there was no day to be kept unless it was the seventh, as a Sabbath. So when Sunday came, she had something to do and acted in accordance with her convictions. I told her I wished she would not work on the Sabbath. She replied that if I would show her from the Bible that Sunday was the Sabbath, she would obey. I remarked to her I could do it (I thought I could), and made a proposition as follows, (for I wanted to settle the matter by the Bible, for I felt I did not want any other creed): 1. I must show from the Bible a Sabbath. 2. What day it was. 3. If changed, when and where, and by divine authority, if valid, or else the change was good for nothing. She accepted my proposition as fair; and I took my Bible and commenced my task. I had no difficulty in establishing my first and second; but when I came to my third, I had more of a task than I was able to perform from the Bible. I was faithful for nearly two years. She would often ask me how I got along with my investigation. I said, Very well; but I felt my Sunday Sabbath began to totter before the Bible. I was then driven to search church creeds, I got all I could, Bible Dictionary, Ripley's notes, and all, but was led to ask myself, is this all we have for Sunday? It is a flimsy creed. I was not satisfied; I must go back to my Bible, and the last passage that I found to base my hope upon was 1 Pet. ii, 13. I took my Bible and searched all the references, and wrote them down, that I might see them all together, and I could not see much change of the Sabbath in them. I stopped studying the Bible on that point, and took to history; for if the Bible had no change, I wanted to know who did change it. I therefore bought the History of the Baptists in all ages since the Christian era, by David Benedict; and when he came to give the history of the Seventh-day Baptists, quoted from Mr. Utter, I got the information I was seeking for, and found we had been following the decree of one that had no business to change the Sabbath. I felt that my third proposition must come down, so far as Bible authority was concerned. I wished to be consistent with myself; for I had always declared that, no matter what my creed was, if it could be shown from the Bible that I was wrong, I would follow it no longer. I thought I wanted to obey my Master's word, let what come of my creed that would. But in this case I was tried. I was led to halt between two opinions for some time. My relatives, my brethren in the church, and my business, all came up before me, and almost alone, I felt cast down; for I could not yet see my way clear, thinking that perhaps the time had been changed, so there was no telling about the matter. I made up my mind to say nothing about it, and stifle my convictions. Two years ago this fall, the little tract written by Bro. Andrews on the perpetuity of the moral law, strayed away from Oakland, and fell into my hands. Thank God, it was meat in due season, it was just what I wanted, and needed. I read it in silence and felt to thank the Lord for the little messenger. I asked my wife to read it. She did so. I asked her what she thought of it. She said she believed it to be the truth, and asked me what I thought of it. I was too much overcome to answer at that time. My prayer was for strength, I was led to reflect on my Saviour's words in Matt. x, 35-38. The question at once arose, if it is the truth, why not obey? And when the next Sabbath came, we did obey. We kept the Sabbath nearly a year before we saw any one that kept it so far as we knew. When we saw from the Review that Bro. Lawrence was to preach at Milford, we went down there, fifteen miles, and, praise the Lord, found a little band of brethren and sisters who seemed to love the Lord and serve him in spirit and in truth. We had a good meeting, though Bro. Lawrence did not come. I stated our circumstances to the brethren, and they thought we had better write and see if some one could not come here, and give a few lectures. We have a good house that can be had, and the people are anxious to hear our position. Let some one come, if possible, praying the Lord to raise up a band of brethren, that shall keep his commandments, and walk in all his ordinances blameless. May God bless all his people, and create in us clean hearts, that we may teach transgressors the ways of the Lord, and sinners be converted unto him, is my prayer. If any one can come, let us know it, and I will meet him at Dexter, on the M. C. R. R., as that is our nearest station, and will see him provided for, while with us. ALEX. CARPENTER.
South Genoa, Liv. Co., Mich.