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My Experience

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 25, 1865

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 25, No. 21.

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My Experience.

By J. L. Prescott

BRO. WHITE: I desire to communicate, through the Review to the saints scattered abroad, some of the dealings of God with me. My parents who were religious, early taught me to fear God and call upon his name. At the age of nine I was converted, and a few months after, joined the F. W. Baptists, where I continued a member in good standing, until faith in the first and second angels' message, caused me to withdraw from them. In the fall of 1854, I saw light concerning the development of the gifts, and was led to see that the church was not in a fit condition or preparation for the coming of the Lord. In preaching, my burden seemed to be concerning the gifts and the preparation for Christ's coming. But after some four years, it became evident there was a lack among us. Something was wrong. About this time I was convicted on the Sabbath question. A few months only had passed when it was my privilege to hear an investigation of the subject. It was argued that the law was abolished, a position which I had previously held, but after listening to the discussion for two days, I became so fully convinced of the obligation of the Sabbath that I commenced to keep it. This was six years ago last February.
A new era now dawned in my experience. After a few weeks' association with my former brethren I found I could not labor with them as formerly. They were prejudiced against the Sabbath, and in rejecting the law of God, they seemed to be building upon a sandy foundation.
About this time I moved to Wells, Maine, and soon became acquainted with Bro. O. Davis and family, of North Berwick. I was also favored with an interview with Brn. Sperry and Barr who now sleep in Jesus. It was a precious season to me. I became strongly attached to Bro. Sperry. But my prejudice against the visions of sister White, was a bar between us. I was unconsciously very strongly prejudiced by my former associations. Oh what a power to blind there is in prejudice! What a withering and blinding influence it has over its subjects. Although a believer in the gifts, yet I stood in doubt of the visions of sister White. In deep humility, and heartfelt sorrow, I make this confession.
About this time I learned that several of my former brethren in Portland had embraced the Sabbath. I visited them, and found they were investigating the gifts already manifested in, and endorsed by the body and were favorable to them. But my influence so far as it went, was against them. It is true I was not an avowed opposer, but as Christ has said, "He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad," so it was in my relations to the body. I had formed acquaintances with brethren in several places, who were in sympathy with the body, and I esteemed them very highly, yet I stood in doubt of the body as a whole, and my influence was against them.
Of my efforts with others to establish and maintain a separate Conference of Sabbath-keepers, I will not speak particularly, as Brn. Davis and Gowell in their letters referred to it, but allow me to say that at our last Conference held in Portland, the first of November last, happily, we were favored with the presence of Bro. M. E. Cornell, whom I cordially invited to preach to us, and he did so, much to our edification and comfort. At the close of the Conference we arranged for a meeting of investigation of the points of difference between us. At this meeting I acted a prominent part in raising objections to the visions. After the meeting I was contemplating a warfare against the visions and the body. In this state of mind I retired for the night. In the morning very early, I had a remarkable exercise of mind. A horror of darkness passed before me. I seemed approaching very near to an awful precipice and was about to make the fearful leap into the abyss. I instinctively drew back with a shudder from the view, and it passed from me. I immediately commenced reflecting upon my past experience and present position and the history of the Advent movement. I thought of the present condition of the different Advent parties. I contrasted the harmony of the work under the first angel's message with the present state of confusion. Then old father Miller's dream concerning the casket of jewels, which, while undergoing an examination by some curious persons, was overturned and the jewels scattered, then the state of confusion that followed as the spurious jewels, shavings, sand, and rubbish were brought in and scattered among the jewels, then as he mourned his loss, a man with a dust-brush entered, and the process of cleansing the room and separating out the jewels, &c., all passed before my mind. In the past history and present condition of the church I seem to see a partial fulfillment of the dream. The law of God seems to answer to the dust-brush. The good results following the use of God's law show that it serves as a separator between the precious and the vile.
The prophecy of Jeremiah xv, 16-21, to my mind clearly represents the Advent messages, and final deliverance of the faithful; but the point which bore with peculiar force upon my mind was the 19th verse, "If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth." The conviction came with great force that Bro. and Sr. White have been and are prominent in the work of separating the precious from the vile, and the promise is to such, that they shall be as the mouth of God, in other words, God will speak through them to his people. I saw that the gift of prophecy is among the instrumentalities which God sees fit to use for the perfecting of the saints. Eph. iv, 11, 12.
What a change now came over my mind! Everything bearing upon this subject looked entirely new. Praise God for his great mercy to me, in thus opening my eyes to see from the sure word of prophecy and his great book of providence, that he is, in these last times, addressing himself to his people through his own appointed means. I bless his name that he has thus changed my purpose, and saved me from that awful gulf of certain ruin; for what am I that I should fight against God!
I ardently desire to be found in harmony with God's will and providence, and in sympathy with his people in carrying forward the work of the third angel's message, and I hope through grace to share with them in the deliverance from approaching trouble, and in the glorious kingdom of God which he has promised to the finally faithful.
J. L. PRESCOTT.
North Berwick, Me., April 10.