Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Marriage and Subsequent Labors 77answer came: “These are they which came out of great tribulation,and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of theLamb.”When we began to present the light on the Sabbath question, wehad no clearly defined idea of the third angel’s message of Revelation14:9-12. The burden of our testimony as we came before the peoplewas that the great second advent movement was of God, that the firstand second messages had gone forth, and that the third was to be given. [79]We saw that the third message closed with the words: “Here is thepatience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments ofGod, and the faith of Jesus.” And we as clearly saw as we now see thatthese prophetic words suggested a Sabbath reform; but as to what theworship of the beast mentioned in the message was, or what the imageand the mark of the beast were, we had no defined position.God by His Holy Spirit let light shine forth upon His servants, andthe subject gradually opened to their minds. It required much studyand anxious care to search it out, link after link. By care, anxiety, andincessant labor has the work moved on until the great truths of ourmessage, a clear, connected, perfect whole, have been given to theworld.I have already spoken of my acquaintance with Elder Bates. Ifound him to be a true Christian gentleman, courteous and kind. Hetreated me as tenderly as though I were his own child. The first timehe heard me speak, he manifested deep interest. After I had ceasedspeaking, he arose and said: “I am a doubting Thomas. I do not believein visions. But if I could believe that the testimony the sister has relatedtonight was indeed the voice of God to us, I should be the happiestman alive. My heart is deeply moved. I believe the speaker to besincere, but cannot explain in regard to her being shown the wonderfulthings she has related to us.”A few months after my marriage, I attended, with my husband, aConference at Topsham, Maine, at which Elder Bates was present. Hedid not then fully believe that my visions were of God. That meetingwas a season of much interest. The Spirit of God rested upon me; Iwas wrapped in a vision of God’s glory, and for the first time had aview of other planets. After I came out of vision, I related what I hadseen. Elder B. then asked if I had studied astronomy. I told him I hadno recollection of ever looking into an astronomy. Said he: “This is of [80]