D. T. BOURDEAU by D. T. BOURDEAU

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 19, 1867

D. T. BOURDEAU

By D. T. BOURDEAU

TESTIMONY NO. 11.

THIS testimony for the church has come to hand. I have perused it with care and great interest, and feel to thank God for the rich instructions it contains. How consistent and free from extremes is that portion which relates to dress. While it protests against slackness, it encourages that neatness, plainness, taste and modesty in dress which are in consonance with common sense, sound reason, and Holy Writ, and which must in time be exemplified by all our good sisters in the message. Some, owing to their extreme caution, and, perhaps, pride, will be in danger of moving too slow in adopting the mode of dress recommended, while others, through a great anxiety of doing right, with a lack of caution, will be liable to more rashly, go to extremes, and thus hinder the cause which they are so desirous of advancing. Those who have seen what is held out as the “American Costume,” can readily discover the wide difference between it and the mode of dress here recommended:—the one being a palpable violation of the prohibition, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man,” &c., Deut. xxii, 5, while the other makes that distinction between the sexes which modesty, reason, and the word of God require, and secures all the advantages which can reasonably be expected and derived from dress.

The remarks concerning “Our Ministers,” their lack of devotion and consecration, their worldly-mindedness, as well as that of the people, the Health Reform, and our duty to come up to it more fully in our practices as well as in our sacrifices to advance it not only among our people, but also among suffering humanity at large, are not less important and timely than those on dress. I have examined this part of the testimony with great solemnity, and I trust with some humility, trying my character by it; and I would cherish humble gratitude to God for his great love and condescension to us at this time, and mean by his grace to heed the instructions he has graciously given. Truly we are a highly-favored people to thus be noticed and instructed by the Lord. The Lord loves us; “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not.”

Thank the Lord, hereby we may know that we are the sons and daughters of the Most High. But we must improve by the corrections we receive at his hand, and not rebel and harden our hearts, lest he reject us for ever. Let us be zealous, repent and reform. This I mean to do. I do not feel above this testimony; for I do not yet claim to have attained to perfection, though I have made some efforts to walk in the light. Our work is close, searching and comprehensive, and the message to the Laodiceans will apply to us until we have fully overcome; for it is by this message that we are to be perfected. It is therefore not strange that close, cutting, practical truths should be brought to bear upon us from time to time. Yet it is by no means necessary that that part of the message which describes the people of God as being lukewarm, blind, and destitute of the holy unction, should apply to us until we have fully overcome. It is our privilege to be zealous in overcoming, to see ourselves, our true condition, as far as it will be for our good, and enjoy the Spirit's aid on our way to perfection.

How plain is it that the testimony before us bears the stamp of genuineness. If it came to us recommending a mode of dress that was immodest, extravagant, unreasonable and unscriptural, encouraging in ministers and people indifference, worldly-mindedness, love of gain, telling ministers to have separate interests, and blunting the truth to not hit favorite preachers, encouraging the brethren to run after every new patent, and invest their means in unprofitable enterprises, to be stingy and mean in their deal with one another, and with unbelievers, and to praise preachers to their faces to ruin them, to disregard the laws of their beings as exemplified and recommended by the Health Reform, and make no sacrifices to have them vindicated for the benefit of suffering humanity, then should we be justified in pronouncing it spurious, and unworthy of our notice and confidence. But, as its work and tendency are exactly opposed to the work above described, we feel compelled to receive it as genuine, and as agreeing, in its nature, with the Testimonies to the Church which have preceded it, and have, in harmony with, and through the word of God, been a mighty means of raising Seventh-day Adventists to their present state of unity and consecration.