The Great Second Advent Movement: Its Rise and Progress

The First Adventist Sabbath-keepers

During the “midnight cry,” in 1844, the Lord began to lead the minds of his people to the keeping of the Seventh-day Sabbath. This doctrine, among Adventists, arose on this wise: Rachel Preston, a Seventh-day Baptist, moved to Washington, N.H., where there was a church of Adventists. She accepted the advent doctrine, and that church, composed of about forty members, through her missionary labors accepted the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. ⁴ This led to inquiry upon that subject. In the Cry of Sept. 5, 1844, we read, “Many persons have their minds deeply exercised respecting a supposed obligation to observe the seventh day.” This statement was contained in an editorial, in which a faint effort was made to establish the claims of Sunday-keeping. The subject was continued in the number of September 12, where we find the following significant statement, which led to serious and close study by many:— GSAM 249.2