Adventists for Tomorrow

don

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Registered: 12-28-08

Posts: 1,121

William Ward Simpson

<b><font color="ff0000">William Ward Simpson</font></b> <BR> <BR>Last Sabbath one of our pastors told a story about a man who received counsel from Ellen White. She told him to try new ways; to innovate. He followed her advice. One of his innovations was to create large paper mache animals like the ones described in Daniel and Revelation. They created quite an interest in the Bible. <BR> <BR>After hearing the story, I decided to look for the information online. The man was William Ward Simpson. He was a Canadian who did evangelism in Southern California, raising up churches in Los Angeles and other cities. Ellen White spoke quite favorably of his work. Noting his success, she counselled the church at large on the need for immediate personnel assistance in such cases. Simpson married Ballenger&#39;s sister. Ellen White&#39;s counsel regarding Ballendger took the form of a letter to Simpson. Her letter to him is one of the clearest regarding how she viewed her role in doctrinal matters. <BR> <BR>Before going to California, Simpson worked in Ontario. He led in the work among the first nations near Brantford. He also spent some time in jail for working on Sunday. He wrote a letter while in jail and sent it to the American Sentinel &#40;forerunner to Liberty magazine&#41;. Here it is:<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1><b>quote:</b></font><p>FROM AN IMPRISONED SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST MINISTER.  <BR> <BR>Chatham Jail, Chatham, Ont.,  <BR>May 12, 1896.  <BR> <BR>EDITOR AMERICAN SENTINEL: I received your letter just upon being locked up in my cell for the night, and to me it was a welcome visitor.  <BR> <BR>I have been in jail now over a week, and as I recall the many bright experiences of my life, none seem so precious to me as the week just past. I don&#39;t feel as though I were deprived of my liberty, because Christ has made me free from that worst of all bondages, sin. Oh, how glad I am for this assurance! Men may condemn me and keep me locked in a prison cell, but the thought that Jesus does not condemn me fills my heart with joy and gladness. I love and prize the favor of God more than the favor of man. The Lord says,  <BR> <BR>&#34;Fear not the reproach of man, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.&#34; With these words of encouragement I can say as did the prophet of old, &#34; God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, he also has become my salvation.&#34;  <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/10/1638.jpg" alt=""> <BR> <BR>They give me to eat a piece of bakers&#39; bread and a basin full of skilly &#40;a sort of old-fashioned oatmeal gruel&#41;, generally three times a day. Occasionally they give me a little prison soup for dinner. This is served through a hole in the door just large enough for its admittance. I have not been able, as yet, to bear the smell of the skilly, much less eat it, so pass it back. The jailer says there is no use of his making skilly for me if I do not eat it; so for the last four or five days he has given me bread. He says that I will call for skilly yet, but I don&#39;t think so. I thank God for the bread, and before eating it I ask him to bless it to my use and nourishment. I am sure that he hears my prayer, for never before did food taste so good to me; and while the other prisoners, who have not been confined as long as I, complain of being weak and hungry, I never felt stronger and more satisfied than now. <BR> <BR>For thirteen hours out of every twenty-four I am shut up in a small cell just large enough to contain an iron cot. I am glad that they cannot make a cell small enough to shut out the presence of the Saviour, nor keep a man shut up so long that the Lord will grow weary. As long as I have the assurance that Jesus is with me I cannot be made miserable, but can say with Paul that in whatsoever state I am I will be content.  <BR> <BR>I can see now, why Paul and Silas, even under the most painful suffering, and lying in prison, could sing praises to God; for when God blesses a man, the sufferings inflicted by man are forgotten. I know this by experience. The presence of the Saviour scatters the darkness and gloominess and makes the prison seem like a palace. It makes the bed of iron soft, and my sleep is sweet, and as I arise every morning and dress in the striped garb of the criminal, I am more determined than ever to serve Him even unto death. It may seem strange to some of the readers of the SENTINEL why I should suffer these things rather than keep Sunday. I shall be glad for the privilege of informing any sincere inquirer after Bible truth why I hold to the views that I do. Man has taken away my privilege to preach vocally, but I am thankful that I have still access to pen and ink. Should any desire to inquire further into the reasons of the hope that is within me, I will esteem it a privilege to correspond with them.  <BR> <BR>WM. SIMPSON. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/AmSn/AmSn1896-V11-21/index.djvu?djvuopts&page=3" target="_blank">http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/AmSn/AmSn1896-V11-21/index.djvu?djvuopts&page=3</a><!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>