But the battle was only begun. Next Sunday when, as usual, Harry went to church, he met the curious glances of the members with some uneasiness, though some treated him as formerly. At the close of the evening service the minister invited Harry to come to his house to study over the Sabbath question. But the worst result that followed was an attack of physical and mental indigestion.SITI December 18, 1905, page 614.1

It was a tougher fight at home. He received letters from his father and mother expressing regret at the step he had taken. After a few weeks came the usual summer vacation, and he went home. No harsh words were used; no upbraiding. It was just the expression of regret of a father and mother that their son should turn his back upon his prospects and his church. There were no Scriptural arguments used, but his parents’ sorrow touched his heart, and shook his allegiance to what he believed to be God’s command.SITI December 18, 1905, page 614.2

Then his eldest brother presented an argument drawn from one of Dr. Cumming’s works, to prove that one day was just as good as another. It was this: Adam was created on Friday, the sixth day of the creation week. This would be Adam’s first day; and, therefore, Adam’s seventh day, or Sabbath, would be the fifth day of creation’s week. Harry did not remember that it was not Adam’s work and rest that measured off the week and sanctified the Sabbath, but that it was God’s. He did not know that the word “sanctify” carries with it the idea of a proclamation. (This he learned since by reference to many scriptures where the word is used in the original; e.g., Joshua 20:7; Joel 1:14; 2:1; 2 Kings 10:20, 21; Zephaniah 1:7.) And as a proclamation was made, it must have been made to the only people concerned, Adam and Eve. And he did not know that when God blesses a thing, no man, nor any number of men, can do anything to change that blessing. And, therefore, every seventh day of time, reckoned from the standpoint of the week marked off by the Creator’s work and rest, is blessed and sanctified, no matter what Adam may have done, or what men have done during six thousand years of rebellion against God.SITI December 18, 1905, page 614.3

Harry did not know these facts; but he did know that his parents loved him, and he loved them; he did know that they grieved over his threatened leaving of their church; he did know that it was painful to be at variance with his family, and cut off from, his ambitions. And as he did not know that he loved God less than he loved his parents, he yielded.SITI December 18, 1905, page 615.1

Soon the church opened her arms to him; soon he was preaching over a very wide district where his work was always appreciated. Soon the church began to look to him as a young man who was developing into good minister, when the current of his life, which seemed moving with certainty in that direction, was again changed. He was on a visit to a friend who was working in the same church when he picked up Mrs. E. G. White’s work entitled, “The Great Controversy.” He soon struck the controversy on the Sabbath. With terrible clearness the issue was again brought before him: The Sabbath of the Lord; or the sabbath of the enemy. Again the structure that ambition had raised tumbled about his ears. And the Lord led him on and disciplined him sometimes in prosperity, but often in adversity, till he was able to turn his back on selfish ambition forever. Then he was prepared to use all the energy that God had given him in any way that God would direct. He found the way often rough and thorny, and met with little ease, little applause, little temporal prosperity. But God had taught him to be content, to live for the good of others, and to look for his highest personal good in the companionship of Jesus now and eternally.SITI December 18, 1905, page 615.2

December 11, 1905