Notes of Mr. J. N. Darby’s Journey, and an Outline of the Work of the Lord in Germany, Switzerland, and the South of France. Taken at the Tea Meeting at Rawstorne Street, 24th November 1853.
IT is of great importance that we should most deeply feel that the work God is doing on the earth, it is He Himself that is doing it. It is true that He uses us as His servants in it, but there is always the danger of SELF appearing in anything that connects itself with man, who is merely an instrument―but so far as man is hidden, God is glorified, and all goes on well. Therefore, in thus speaking of the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:1111Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:11)), the trials and difficulties of those engaged in it never appear, and of course cannot be known, for you cannot enter into the details and various shades of the work.
It is quite a right thing that the saints of God should know that the power of God’s grace is still working in drawing sinners to Himself, and by the power of His Spirit He is driving away individually the gross darkness that covereth the people. Therefore it is right that the saints in distant places should have such intelligence of the work as to feel fellowship with those who are thus contending against Satan’s power in the world. For while waiting for the Lord’s coming from heaven to set everything right, our lamps should he brightly burning, and our hearts filled with the consciousness that, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes, whatever things are wrong now will then be set right, and never before. For Christ shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied. And the whole desire and devotedness of our hearts should be set on this one point. It is true that the very thought of souls being brought to the knowledge of the Lord should rejoice our hearts. As the witnessing of God’s grace still working in the midst of abounding evil, this stirs up the soul and gives it fresh energy to follow on in the work of the Lord, and besides this it also gives fresh energy to the soul of God’s servant, to be found working in God’s line of things, for God has His own thoughts concerning everything that is now taking place on the earth, but He will work according to the counsels of His own will, and who shall let it?
But still the more we go on we shall feel, and rightly so, as David says: “I have seen an end of all perfection” (Psa. 119:9696I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad. (Psalm 119:96)). But when He comes who is perfection itself, then the hearts of such will be satisfied, for if we feel what salvation is in ourselves, having been brought to God, the thought of one soul being brought there is endless joy.
The Lord is working in these last days (I fix no time, long or short) in a most manifest way in quickening souls, and in a way more remarkable than ever He did, for while the world is in trouble in various ways, men are thus led to seek their rest elsewhere. Souls are being shaken and disturbed by things around, and are the more cast on Him to find their rest. For without pretending to say when it may be, it is evident that the bonds of everything are weakening, and the men of the world know and feel that all outward bonds are dissolving, not of evil, for they are growing stronger, but all ties that held society together in good feeling are daily dying out. Men are meeting in synods and are entirely at their wits’ ends to know what is to be done when all their external things are gone. None question that there was a mighty work of God’s Spirit at the Reformation, which has lasted these three hundred years, but there has long since ceased to be that life and energy, so that they do not know what will be done when Roman Catholicism comes in in power. Evil has come in, for there is an astonishing reaction of evil principle at work at the present time in Europe―take an instance, that of Romanism (Rationalism?) in Germany. At the same time there exists the full consciousness in the Evangelical Church of the want of energy to keep itself alive.
Then on the other hand it cannot but be seen that there is also at this time a remarkable energy of God’s Spirit, producing heavings in the large inert masses of professing Christians, and also working individually, by an amazing energy in one and another springing up among them, and this works for good, and if they are not allowed to work there God takes them somewhere else. For if a man will not work while he himself is out of the evil, God will work by some one in it, for He will have instruments. I have also seen places where, through the slackness and languor of Brethren, the work has been given to others; this has not surprised me, for if you are slack in seeking souls He may discipline in this way. God will not wait to quicken souls till you have energy enough, but will use somebody else, for God must have souls, and it is most useful for us to see this, for if this is the way in which God is working, I am most anxious we should all look soberly at it, and lay it to heart, and go to the source of all power for fresh strength and energy, for in the midst of the greatest languor God can arouse and give fresh strength. In speaking to you of the work I will mention the places as I visited them last year on my leaving England, and will endeavor to take you all there with me in spirit.