To begin this story, we must go back to the year 1844. In the town of Washington, New Hampshire, there was an earnest company of Adventists. They were not satisfied just to believe for themselves that Jesus was coming soon: they must have their neighbors know it, and persuade all they could to join them in getting ready for Him.CFJS 21.1

One day the young lady who taught school in the village announced that her mother was coming from New York to visit her. Of course they all were very glad to see this lady whose name was Mrs. Rachel Oakes, and they made her feel very much at home among them. And it was very natural that as they talked with her the hope that was in their hearts should come uppermost. So Rachel Oakes had not been there a day before she knew that they were eagerly looking for the Lord Jesus to come. After she had listened to their arguments and explanations, she said quietly, “I think you are right. Now I want to ask you one question. Why do you keep Sunday for the Sabbath?”CFJS 21.2

“Why,” answered William Farnsworth, “isn’t it the Sabbath?”CFJS 21.3

“No, indeed,” said Rachel Oakes. And then she took her Bible, as they had taken theirs to teach her the message of Jesus’ coming, and she taught them the truth of the Sabbath. For Rachel Oakes was a Seventh-day Baptist, and the Seventh-day Baptists had kept the Sabbath for hundreds of years.CFJS 21.4

After hearing what Rachel Oakes told them, the Adventists were much concerned about their duty in this matter. William Farnsworth took his stand for the Sabbath, Frederick Wheeler and others soon followed, and so began the first Sabbath-keeping among the Adventists.CFJS 21.5

Other Adventists in nearby towns learned of the Sabbath from the believers in Washington, New Hampshire. One of these was a minister named T. M. Preble. He was a very eloquent man, and the Adventists far and wide thought very much of him. He made up his mind that the Sabbath should be brought to the attention of the Adventist people more widely. So he wrote about it, and his article was published in an Adventist paper called, “The Hope of Israel.” This was in February, 1845.CFJS 21.6

Joseph Bates received a copy of this paper, and read what Preble had to say about the Sabbath. He set to work to study it, and he made up his mind that the seventh day was the only day God ever set apart for the Sabbath, and therefore that it was the Sabbath still.CFJS 21.7

But he wanted to see the brethren and sisters who first began to teach it; so he took a journey from his home in New Bedford up to Washington, New Hampshire. There he met the Sabbath-keeping Adventists; and studying the matter with them, he became very sure that the Sabbath truth was one God meant the Adventist people to know and to receive. Back, therefore, he went to New Bedford, full of the great news. The next day after reaching home, as he was crossing a bridge over a nearby river on his way to visit friends, he met an acquaintance, Captain Hall.CFJS 21.8

“Good morning, Captain Bates,” sang out Captain Hall, “what’s the news this morning?”CFJS 22.1

“The news is,” answered Captain Bates, “that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord.” And he began to tell his friend what he had learned. Captain Hall went straight home, called his wife, and they sat down to study the question. It was not long before they came to the conclusion that Captain Bates was right, and they began to keep the Sabbath too.CFJS 22.2

Thus Joseph Bates went on, telling the truth of the Sabbath wherever he went, and thus it was that when he was called to the conference at Hiram Edson’s in western New York, he carried with him the truth of the Sabbath.CFJS 22.3

But Joseph Bates knew he could send this truth much better if he had it printed; for books could go to a thousand places while he was going to one. And he determined he would write a pamphlet about the Sabbath truth. Yet how could he? for he was as poor as Himes, when the Signs of the Times was started. Perhaps he was poorer; he had only a shilling,—twelve and a half cents. When he accepted the First Angel’s Message, he was worth about eleven thousand dollars; but, believing with all his heart that Jesus was coming soon, he sold off his property and used the money in giving the message. And now he had nothing left but this York shilling.CFJS 22.4

However, he prayed about the matter, and he felt assured that God wanted him to write the little book about the Sabbath. So he sat down at his desk, with his Bible before him, and began to write. He had not gotten very far in his writing when his wife, coming in from the kitchen, opened the door and said, “Joseph, I haven’t enough flour to finish the baking.”CFJS 22.5

“How much flour do you lack,” asked her husband.CFJS 22.6

“About four pounds,” she said.CFJS 22.7

“Very well,” said he. And getting up, he took a six-quart milk-pan from the kitchen shelf, went out to the grocery store, and bought a panful of flour. He took it home, and went back to his writing.CFJS 22.8

In no time Mrs. Bates came in again. “Joseph,” said she, “where did this flour come from?”CFJS 22.9

“Why,” said he, “isn’t there enough? You said you wanted four pounds.”CFJS 22.10

“Yes,” said she, “but where did you get it?”CFJS 22.11

“I bought it,” said he.CFJS 22.12

“You, Captain Bates, a man who has sailed vessels out of New Bedford to all parts of the world, have been out and bought four pounds of flour!” “Wife,” said Joseph Bates, “I spent for that flour the last money I have on earth.”CFJS 22.13

Mrs. Bates threw her apron up to her eyes, and began to cry. She had not known before that her husband had spent the last of his money in the cause. Sobbing bitterly, she cried, “What are we going to do?”CFJS 23.1

Joseph Bates arose, and standing up to his full height, he said impressively, “I am going to write a book, I am going to circulate it, and spread this Sabbath truth before the world.”CFJS 23.2

“Well, but,” said Mrs. Bates, still weeping, “what are we going to live on?”CFJS 23.3

“The Lord is going to open the way,” answered her husband smilingly.CFJS 23.4

“Yes, the Lord is going to open the way,” she returned, “that’s what you always say.” And bursting into a fresh flood of tears, she left the room.CFJS 23.5

Joseph Bates sat down and began writing again on his Sabbath pamphlet. In about half an hour it was impressed on his mind that there was a letter at the post office for him, and he should go and get it. So he went out, and down to the post office.CFJS 23.6

“Is there a letter for me, Mr. Drew?” he asked.CFJS 23.7

The postmaster looked. “Yes, there is, Captain Bates,” he said; “postage due, five cents.” In those days people could pay the postage when they sent the letter, or not, just as they pleased. If they didn’t, it had to be paid by the person to whom the letter was sent. And here was the postage to be paid, and Bates hadn’t a cent.CFJS 23.8

“Mr. Drew,” he said to the postmaster, “I am out of money; I haven’t even the five cents to pay the postage. But will you let me see where the letter is from?”CFJS 23.9

“Oh, that’s all right, Captain Bates,” said the postmaster, “take it along and pay some other time,” and he handed him the letter.CFJS 23.10

“No,” said Bates, “I will not take the letter from the post office until the postage is paid.” For it was a principle of his not to go into debt.CFJS 23.11

But he looked at the letter, and said, “I feel that there is money in this letter.” And handing it back to the postmaster, he asked, “Will you please open it? If there is money in it, you take the postage out; if not, I will not read it.”CFJS 23.12

The postmaster opened it, and first thing to meet his eye was a ten dollar bill! He made change, took out the postage, and gave the rest of the money, with the letter, over to Joseph Bates. It was from a man who said in the letter that the Lord had impressed his mind that Captain Bates needed money. Joseph Bates walked off down town, bought a barrel of flour and some potatoes and sugar and other things, called a drayman, and told him to take the things up to his house. “Probably the woman will tell you the goods don’t belong there, but don’t you pay any attention to what she says. Unload the goods just as I have told you, on the front porch.”CFJS 23.13

“Yes, Captain,” said the drayman, “I will do just as you have ordered.”CFJS 24.1

Then Bates went down to the printing office, and hired them to print one thousand pamphlets for him as quickly as they could. This was to be the Sabbath book. He said he would pay as fast as he got the money, and would take no books from the office until all were paid for. Where he would get the money, he didn’t know, but he was sure the Lord would send it to him.CFJS 24.2

He stopped on his way home to buy some paper and pens, and by the time he reached his house the groceries had come and were on the front porch. He went in at the back door, and sat down at his desk again. Pretty soon in came his wife in great excitement, and said, “Joseph, just look out there. Where did that stuff come from? A drayman drove up here and just would unload it. I told him it didn’t belong here, that we had no money with which to buy such things, but he declared this was the exact number where it was to be left. And he left it all, and drove off.”CFJS 24.3

“Well,” said her husband, “I guess it’s all right.” “But where did it come from?” she persisted.CFJS 24.4

“Why,” said he, “the Lord sent it.”CFJS 24.5

“Oh yes,” she answered, “the Lord sent it: that’s what you always say.”CFJS 24.6

Then he handed the letter to her, and said, “Read this, and you will learn where it came from.” She read it, and then went out for another cry, but that was because she was ashamed of her lack of faith. And pretty soon she came back and asked her husband’s forgiveness.CFJS 24.7

Joseph Bates wrote his book, the printer printed it, and the money came in for it, all in good time. H. S. Gurney, who you remember went with Joseph Bates on his trip in the South, received some money on a debt he had thought would never be paid, and with a part of this he paid the last of the printing bill. And with the book the truth began to spread more and more.CFJS 24.8

So Joseph Bates began to teach among the Adventists the truth of the Sabbath. And as you shall see in the stories that follow, the Lord blessed his self-sacrifice, and soon brought greater light and power from heaven for the teaching of this testing truth. And those who from this time on came together in the faith of the Lord’s coming, the heavenly sanctuary service, and the seventh-day Sabbath, made the first of the people who have come to be known by the name, Seventh-day Adventists.CFJS 24.9

Elder A. W. Spalding tells this story in chapter 20 (pp. 237-247) of the out-of-print Pioneer Stories (Southern Publishing Assn, 1922). Some corrections in the historical narrative have been made by A. L. White to harmonize certain details with facts uncovered by later Spalding research and embodied by him in other accounts.

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