Inspiring stories in honor of the Sabbath…
“Those who up to this time (1847) had accepted the third angel’s message, were poor in this world’s goods, and consequently could do but little financially for the spread of the message. Elder White and his wife and Elder Bates saw the importance of personal labor among the scattered brethren, and also the necessity of preparing reading matter to place in the hands of the people, as an aid in leading them to the knowledge of the truth. Elder Bates was aided much in presenting the Sabbath question by his tract on that subject, as he went to different localities, and by the circulation of the same through the mail. He labored with the utmost perseverance. At one time, owing to a lack of money with which to pay his fare, he was about to start on foot to go from Massachusetts to New Hampshire. Just then, he received a letter from a young sister who had engaged to do house-work at $1 per week that she might have something with which to help the cause. After working one week, she was so impressed with the thought that
Elder Bates needed money that she went to her employer and obtained advanced pay so as to enable her to send him at once $5. With this he paid his fare to New Hampshire, by public conveyance. At every place he had good meetings, and many souls accepted the truth.” -Loughborough
“On another occasion Captain Bates was under conviction to go to a certain place, and actually took his seat in the train, having neither money nor ticket. He had been in his seat only a few moments when a man who was a perfect stranger to him came and handed him $5 to assist him in his work. Such providences were common in the life of this devoted pioneer, and he was always so sure of the divine help just when it was needed that he was never known to hold back from any enterprise that promised to help forward the cause he loved”. -M. Ellsworth Olsen
Taken from The Spirit of Sacrifice & Commitment, Section II “Early Sabbath-Keeping Adventism” p. 61-62