ATLANTIC OCEAN, NEAR PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND, JAN. 4, 1876
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ATLANTIC OCEAN, NEAR PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND, JAN. 4, 1876
By D. T. Bourdeau
ATLANTIC OCEAN, NEAR PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND, JAN. 4, 1876
As we were detained in Vermont on account of sickness in my brother’s family, and as we found no one in New York city to assist us, we were poorly prepared for our passage on the Atlantic. The sea has been very rough most of the time, and at times our lives have been in jeopardy. It is due this French company to state that they have done all in their power, from their stand-point, to make us comfortable, granting us two waiters, and two state rooms instead of one, and saving us in our fare for passage about $100.00 in gold. We would cheerfully recommend this line to our people, especially to those among us speaking only the French language. One reason why the sea is more rough and navigation more dangerous in crossing the Atlantic in winter than in summer, is that in crossing the Atlantic in winter we have to pass about three days through very deep water, where there are several currents. This place is called by sailors the “Devil’s Hole.” Though this journey is far from being what the world would call a “pleasure trip,” yet we regard it as very useful in our experience. Our necessity has been God’s opportunity to draw near to us, and make bare his arm. God has manifested his mighty power in calming the angry waves and steadying the ship, when no human power could do this. The Spirit of the Most High has rested upon us, melting us to tenderness and gratitude in view of his goodness and tender care, so that we praised God aloud. Praise the Lord for affliction, if it will give us a greater insight into our characters and a fuller sense of the love and care of God, and of the riches of his grace. The God who steadied Noah’s ark is our God; and our ship is a floating Bethel. In our mission to France we shall be brought into most trying positions. But may we find the same God in France, and his grace sufficient for every emergency. We are deeply impressed that what we as a people need most is not new proofs of the truthfulness of our theory, but to push out into the large field of experience by sacrificing to save souls for whom Christ died. We need to venture more in this work, both laymen and preachers. We must walk more closely with God, and come to the Fountain for ourselves, and not be satisfied with a second-hand experience. The perils of the last days are upon us, and we must be firmly united to God by an experience of our own. It will not do to fall short of this. Men and women among us, who might be mighty in God, are failing for want of this, and are doing next to nothing in the missionary work. As one of the testimonies says, we are waiting for some unseen, mysterious power to move us, while we ought to act, act. We are too much inclined to look at our bad feelings, and to stop when called upon to sacrifice for our friends and neighbors, and to help save a perishing world. But it is right here that we must venture and lift, and, ere we are aware, our bad feelings will go to the winds, and the blessing of God, like a well of life and joy, will spring in our hearts. The Lord favoring us, we shall reach Plymouth, England, to-morrow, and France, after a short passage of two hundred miles, the next day. ON THE COAST OF ENGLAND, JAN. 5, 4 A. M., 1876. We are running down the coast of England, while I pen these lines by the dim light in our state room. We are quite well as a family and feel that God is good. We feel daily that God is fitting us up for the work that is before us, and mean that by his grace his object in leading us to come to Europe shall not be frustrated. According to a recent arrangement, French ships on this line, coming from America, touch at Plymouth to allow passengers the privilege of stopping in England to visit their friends. This gives us an opportunity to call on Mrs. B.’s relatives near Liverpool and in London. One of these is a grandmother aged ninety-four years; another is an uncle who is rather favorable to the truth, and a third is a wealthy wholesale merchant, who would be glad to see us. Our English brethren in Illinois have also recommended us to their relatives and friends near London, who are reading our tracts and papers. But we turn from these openings, knowing that duty does not call us in two directions at the same time, and that we have more than we can do in laboring for the French-speaking nations of Europe. Meanwhile we earnestly pray that God may speedily send instruments of his own choosing to Great Britain, to gather the many jewels in that important field. Since my mind has been especially exercised about going to Europe, I have felt that the sooner I left for that field the better. And the openings of Providence in enabling me to arrange all my affairs in less than two weeks have seemed to show that my convictions on this point were right. I have felt that I must join Bro. Andrews soon, to consult with him as to labors in Switzerland and France, which have been and still are properly one field of labor, to help in translating a few more French works which we need very much, and, finally, to do what I can as a help in starting a French paper. I have felt most intensely on this subject, and am willing to do all I can to push forward this important branch of the work. Our French brethren in America need to have a French paper published in their own country; yet they are willing to waive their own convenience for the present, and subscribe for a French European paper, and help us on it.