p. 88 | Untitled article by A. C. BOURDEAU

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, January 21, 1868

LABORS OF BRO. AND SR. WHITE AND BRO. ANDREWS IN VERMONT.

By A. C. BOURDEAU

It is with a good degree of satisfaction that we look back to the interesting and profitable meetings which were held by Bro. and Sr. White and Bro. Andrews in West Enosburgh, Vt., commencing on Friday evening, Dec. 26, 1867, and continuing till the next Monday, at 2 o’clock P. M. Owing to the bad roads which made it hard traveling with sleighs or wagons, some did not meet with us who otherwise would; yet it was thought that the brethren in this State spared no pains to attend these meetings.

During the entire series of meetings our hearts were made glad, by the assurance we had that God has wrought for Bro. White healthwise; and that he is using him and Sr. W. as an effectual means to accomplish a great work in the furtherance of the cause of present truth, and is giving them the needed testimony to awaken the church to a new engagedness in the service of God, correct the erring, cheer the desponding, help backsliders to get out of the snares of the enemy, and lead the unconverted children and youth of Sabbath-keepers to give their hearts to the Lord.

With heartfelt gratitude to our Heavenly Father I am happy to say that just this kind of work was accomplished among us by these servants of the Lord, aided by Bro. Andrews.

Sabbath morning at 9 o’clock we had a sweet prayer and social meeting. The remarks made by Sr. W. on worldly mindedness, and doing more for the salvation of perishing souls around us, were timely, and well calculated to make a lasting impression upon the minds of all present relative to the importance of this subject. Following this meeting Bro. W. spoke one hour and a half on the subject of baptism. In the course of his remarks he clearly showed that it is right and proper for Sabbath-keepers to be baptized in the third message, whether they were baptized by immersion before they embraced all the commandments or not; that those who have left the Lord, and backslidden from the truth since they were baptized, if they repent and get converted, and start anew in the service of God, should have the privilege of being re-baptized; and that children, aged even from five to eleven years, who have given their hearts to the Lord and desire to be baptized, should have their wishes gratified.

In the afternoon Sr. W. spoke nearly two hours on an interesting subject indicated by the words of the apostle in Rom. xii, 1, 2. The importance of our not being conformed to the world; but of being transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God, was clearly demonstrated in a manner to greatly interest the candid hearers from without.

In the evening after the Sabbath, about one hundred and fifty participated in the ordinances of the Lord’s house, after which Bro. White spent one hour in relating to the congregation circumstances and incidents of interest which came under his observation, and with which he was connected during the past year. This truly was a refreshing season unto us all.

Sunday morning we had another good prayer and social-meeting, in which Bro. Andrews’ timely and weighty remarks were appreciated, as they were also on other occasions. Then Bro. W. preached one hour, taking as his text “Jesus;” Matt. i, 21: “And thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins.” It was plainly shown that if we preach Jesus in a Bible sense we necessarily preach the law. “He shall save us from our sins.” “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 Jno. iii, 4. Again we are required to have, first, repentance toward God, because we have transgressed his law, and then faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence Paul says, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” Rom. iii, 31. And of the last church it is said, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. xiv, 12.

At 1 P. M. Sr. W. occupied one hour and a half, dwelling considerably on the health reform from a Bible stand-point. In the evening meeting, plain testimonies were given and earnest appeals made to professed Sabbath-keepers who were not connected with our churches, backsliders, unconverted friends, and children and youth; and quite a number of them expressed their determination to serve the Lord. We had thought of having this as our closing meeting; but the interest came up to such a pitch that it was decided to have another meeting the next morning at 9 o’clock.

Monday morning the meeting commenced with a good interest. The good work progressed till 2 o’clock P. M., when by request of Bro. White, six long seats near the pulpit were vacated, and then filled with those who during these meetings had decided to make a new start for the kingdom. Then those who felt it their duty to be baptized were requested to arise upon their feet, and forty-two arose, twenty-seven of whom were not church members, but mostly individuals who at these meetings had become deeply convicted that they should make a full surrender of themselves to the Lord. These were examined one by one, and received into the church by vote as candidates for baptism; and just before the setting of the sun, when the thermometer stood at 20 degrees below zero, we went down to the branch nearly one mile from the meeting-house, where I stepped down from the ice into a clear stream of water, and baptized eleven, among whom were my aged and respected father and mother. This was a solemn yet a blessed scene to nearly all the beholders. It is expected that quite a number of the candidates will be baptized in this place next Sabbath.

After these meetings my brother and myself accompanied Bro. and Sr. White and Bro. Andrews to St. Albans on their way to their next appointment; and as we parted with them, I looked back to our experience as a people during the past two or three years, and saw that our soul had almost fainted in us on account of the deep afflictions that these servants of God endured. But we cried unto the Lord in our trouble, and he delivered us of our distresses. Oh! let us praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.

Last Sabbath forty of the brethren and sisters from Enosburgh accompanied us to Berkshire, the distance of ten miles, where we had a good meeting in a school-house near Bro. Austin’s. Elder Stone and my brother were present and we all had good liberty in speaking to the church. We were glad to see the good work still going on, especially for those whose privilege it is to become more fully identified with God’s people.

A. C. BOURDEAU.

West Enosburgh, Vt., Jan. 8, 1868.