Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists

Influence of a Tract

An interesting experience related to us by one of our Danish brethren, shows how the truth is sometimes advanced by the very efforts made to hinder its progress. Bro. C. C. Hansen had been convinced by reading the Bible, that the seventh day is the Sabbath. And as the Baptist minister had been presenting to him the Bible argument for immersion, his mind was exercised on the subject of baptism also. About this time Bro. Brorsen visited the place, and gave to the Methodist minister the tract, “New Testament Sabbath.” When he had read it, he gave it to Bro. Hansen, in the hope that by showing that the Bible presents as forcibly the duty of keeping the seventh day, which is universally disregarded, as it does the duty of baptism, he could lead him to renounce the idea of being immersed. He argued that the Sabbath is disregarded by Baptists as well as others, and it could be no worse to set aside immersion than to reject the Sabbath. But the result of this effort was the reverse of what the minister wished. Bro. Hansen read the tract again and again, wept and prayed over it, and instead of renouncing baptism, he decided to keep the Sabbath. At first he thought it his duty to keep Sunday also, and in the attempt to keep two days became discouraged, and gave up the Sabbath. But just at this time Bro. Brorsen came to his help, and explained from the Bible the true relation of the Sabbath and Sunday. Some time later, he was much impressed by reading in the Advent Tidende an account of what I had seen in regard to some in foreign countries receiving the papers and tracts, reading them, praying over them, and finally taking their stand on the Sabbath, for this exactly described his experience. HS 184.2