Untitled article by D. T. Bourdeau

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, March 17, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXXI, No. 14

REPORT FROM BRO. D. T. BOURDEAU.

By D. T. Bourdeau

SABBATH, Feb. 1, I spent in Quarterly Meeting with the church of Richford and North Sutton, at the house of Bro. Cyrus Smith, and spoke twice, besides taking part in a social meeting. Eld. Albert Stone was also present, and preached with liberty. Since this esteemed brother and father in Israel has given himself wholly to the work, his labors have been greatly blessed to the strengthening of the churches and upbuilding of the cause. May the Lord still make him a blessing to his cause and people.

While at this meeting, my mind was deeply impressed with two important points: first, the necessity of properly relating ourselves to our property; and second, the danger of resenting the plain testimony, and the evils resulting from so doing. Many do not realize the connection there is between their worldly affairs and their spiritual prosperity and their salvation hereafter. They do not stop to plan with reference to their age, health, and the shortness of time, but act in their worldly matters as though the Lord were not coming in this generation. Such are in great danger of getting overcharged with the cares of this life, so that the day of the Lord will come upon them as a snare and as a thief in the night; they having spent their best energies in a worldly direction, to the neglect of their health and best interests, and without making such sacrifices for the advancement of the cause as the Lord required at their hand.

Some are too slack in their business transactions, and suffer means to leak out of their hands, that ought to benefit them and the cause, and that will be demanded of them with usury in the great day of final settlement; while others are too close and exacting, bringing reproach upon the truth by their selfishness and penuriousness, and will hold on to their means until they are not needed, to further the work of the last merciful message to man, and it shall be said to them, as they awake to their condition and urge their means upon the servants of God, “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.” James v, 1–5.

Some make the cause an excuse for their closeness and grinding the face of the poor; but the cause is not dependent on covetousness and injustice. Better, a thousand times better, be just and benevolent, and exert a salutary influence, than to resort to closeness and penuriousness under the pretense of doing more for the cause.

Again, when some have made a rash move, and lost thereby, the Devil would take advantage of their minds, and either lead them to discouragement, or to go to extremes in labor, etc., to make up for past losses. How many have lost their balance and lost their souls in consequence of a wrong course pursued in their worldly matters. But this need not be the case. Those who have erred, can learn lessons of wisdom from the past, and pray God to be kept from running into extremes.

The aged who have means are not beyond danger. They are more liable to be controlled by their strong traits, and to be influenced by the counsels of the ungodly. This truth is clearly exemplified in the lives of many in the Bible, who were noted for their piety in early life; but when they came to old age, they failed so gradually that they did not realize the change they were undergoing, and could not guard against their strong tendencies, and were either led entirely away from the Lord, to be lost, or so backslidden as to be saved by the skin of their teeth, if saved at all. Hence in view of this danger, David prayed: “Cast me not off in time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.” “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not.” Ps. lxxi, 9, 18. How important it is for the aged to make a proper appropriation of the means the Lord has intrusted unto them, to meet the wants of their children, if they have any; and advance the cause of truth, that there may be no occasion for contention among their heirs when they are no more, and that in the day of final accounts, when all will be rewarded according to their works, they may be found to have laid up a treasure in Heaven.

In regard to the danger of resisting the plain testimony, we read among other things, “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Prov. xxix, 1. Those who resent the truth spoken in love, and for whom there is still hope, can either learn to yield now and avert the threatened danger, or pass along until they will have to feel the scourge of the Almighty. As we read in Testimony to the Church, No. 7, pages 21, 22: “There was war, bloodshed, want, privation, famine, and pestilence in the land; and as these things were without, God’s people began to press together, and to cast aside their little difficulties. Self-dignity no longer controlled them. Deep humility took its place. Suffering, perplexity, and privation, caused reason to resume its throne, and the passionate and unreasonable man became sane, and acted with discretion and wisdom.” May God help us to submit ourselves now, that we may not realize by sad experience that it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Sunday, the 23d inst., having given two discourses at home the day before, wife and I went to East Richford, to rest our minds by visiting the brethren in that place. In a short time most of the brethren and sisters in the place were present, and I spoke to them over an hour with freedom on the reality and certainty of coming events. Our series of meetings in Enosburgh is still progressing. I have given thus far about fifteen discourses. The interest in the church is quite good, and I trust our efforts will have their designed effect.

D. T. BOURDEAU.

West Enosburgh, Vt., March 4, 1868.