QUEBEC AND MICHIGAN by D. T. Bourdeau

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 10, 1901

QUEBEC AND MICHIGAN.

By D. T. Bourdeau

Further Labors and Profitable Reflections.

The thirteenth and fourteenth of November were profitable days to me and to others at St. Constant, Quebec. Here I met with and visited Baptist brethren I used to stop with forty-six years ago while evangelizing among Catholics. I had not seen these dear ones during this long period. Many had died during my absence. Some remained to rejoice at my return, to listen attentively and respectfully to a relation of facts on the advancement of the cause I had espoused, and to accept at my hands French literature on present truth. Especially was I treated kindly and hospitably by the French Baptist minister of the place. I would have spoken in his church at his special request the night of the day of my arrival, had not a fearful snowstorm attended with high winds, piling up the snow in heavy drifts, made it impossible to hold a meeting.

How many profitable reflections were caused by my halt and brief stay at this place! Almost in sight in a westerly direction was the parsonage of the Catholic priest who forty-six years ago divulged to me the astounding fact that the Catholic Church changed the Sabbath. It was this circumstance, brought about by a kind and wise Providence, that led me seriously to study the Sabbath question, and to arrive at the conclusion that the priest referred to had told me the truth. About five miles in an opposite direction was the sacred spot on which, having prayerfully and thoroughly canvassed the subject of the Sabbath from every standpoint, I, the same year, took my stand in favor of the seventh-day Sabbath, not knowing that there was a Christian in all Canada who observed God’s holy day. I, then and there, upon rising from my knees from a season of agonizing cries to God, decided, by God’s grace, to keep all His commandments, at the sacrifice of friends, worldly support, worldly honor, and life itself, if necessary. I then received a special baptism of the Holy Spirit, answering to the one I had received at my first conversion in 1844, when God, in mercy and love, gave me the Spirit of adoption.

It was not without a struggle that I broke away from former associations, and began keeping the Lord’s blessed and sanctified rest-day. This required a crucifixion that I had never fully experienced; and in passing through the trying ordeal, I experienced a second and more advanced conversion. This was the clearer and more precious to me from the fact that I was alone and was influenced by no human being. With a heart thirsting after truth, I obtained an experience that I have ever since valued infinitely above all that I sacrificed to walk in the light of the reformatory message of the third angel of Revelation 14.

This second-advent movement, like that of the first advent, had a small beginning. It was based on the fulfillment of prophecy, and could not be started until certain prophecies had met their accomplishment. Forty-six years ago this movement had only about one thousand adherents. We then had no well-equipped publishing house. We did not even have as much as a power press. We had no organized Conferences, no church schools, no colleges, no sanitariums, no medical colleges. What marvelous progress has been made in all these lines! We can truly exclaim, How wonderfully, miraculously, the Lord has wrought! Surely, we are drawing near the close of this glorious work, and soon Jesus will come.

I have lately enjoyed precious seasons with the church at Montreal; and last Sabbath the ordinances of humility and the Lord’s supper were celebrated for the first time with the young French converts at Namur. This was a great victory, and I was thankful to enjoy it with others.

I have recently come to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take a short period of rest from vocal and physical exertions, in doing necessary writing. To those who have inquired about my wife’s state of health, I would say, to the praise of God, that she is fully restored to what she was before her sickness.

My post-office address, until further notice, will be 629 South Ingalls St., Ann Arbor, Mich.

D. T. BOURDEAU.

Dec. 2, 1901.