East Charleston, Vt by D. T. Bourdeau

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 21, 1873

East Charleston, Vt.

By D. T. Bourdeau

I HAVE just held two more meetings in a private house near Westmore, Vt. The Lord was with us. Six at least have taken hold of the Sabbath.

We had an excellent meeting here, last Sabbath. One interesting feature in the meeting was the presence and testimony of brethren from Irasburgh, &c. We were forcibly impressed with the fact that these brethren have something to do besides paying Systematic Benevolence. Their worldly affairs should be so arranged that they can devote a considerable portion of their time in building up the cause in new fields, &c. They can visit, sing, and pray, and give young believers the benefit of their experience. After engaging in this work awhile, and learning the value of souls from personal experience in laboring for souls, they could not be satisfied in burying their talents in the earth. Two or three such men, watching and ready to help where help is needed, could save the time and strength of one preacher to push the work in new fields, or to labor in other branches in this great work.

Time-and-labor-saving machines are highly recommended in this age of physical degeneracy. Well, the missionary societies, recently formed, were designed to save time and strength in the noblest and most important work that mortals ever engaged in, in proclaiming the last message of mercy to dying men, and preparing a people for translation at the coming of Christ. And shall we set in motion these mighty agencies to advance the precious cause of God? or will the cause lag for not using the instrumentalities placed under our control for its advancement? We need missionary labor in the East, if anywhere. We need power and earnest, well-directed labor to break up the influence of old associations, and remove prejudice caused by fanaticism, and foolish and repeated time-setting, &c. We have the means in our power to do this. Shall we use them? The prosperity of the cause in Vermont will depend largely on carrying out the object of missionary societies.

D. T. BOURDEAU.

Jan. 5, 1873.