MEETINGS are a great feature of the intercourse between men today. Only a few months since was witnessed a huge demonstration in Hyde Park against the Education Bill, while many other meetings have been held in that famous rendezvous for the furtherance of Temperance Reform, the discussion of fiscal and other problems, and for the airing of various grievances which seem to be part of men’s life-programme. As today, so in past ages. Reference to God’s Word will show us that modern methods are not far removed in character from those of early times, as for instance in 1 Samuel 22:22And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. (1 Samuel 22:2) it is recorded that “every one that was in distress... and every one that was discontented gathered themselves unto him.”
Reader, you can learn therein a lesson; to say the least, the choice of leader in their case was a very wise one, for David was a man after God’s own heart, and seeing that those who banded themselves with him had Jehovah as their supreme leader, theirs could have been the confident challenge: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
As some of the circumstances of today are in a state of upheaval, we feel constrained to ask if you are dissatisfied with your present lot? Have you a craving after material or spiritual things which up to the present has not been satisfied? What are you doing to ameliorate your condition, or imbibing to assuage your thirst? Nowadays, one no sooner enters the domain of labor than efforts are made to obtain a recruit to trades unionism, whilst any expressed desire to learn of things eternal is immediately damped by the laughter of scorn and derision. Men are loudly shouting, Educate! Organize!! Agitate!!! Friend, we beseech you not to be drawn into the vortex., Listen to Jesus by whom all things were created, and by whom all things consist; go to the Fountain Head for the solution of your difficulties. He is saying, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Surely that is a loving invitation eminently suitable to the distressed, the discontented—to the worker, and to him who wants a foundation.
But possibly the struggle after the things of this life has not yet been seriously forced upon you; the necessity to go out into the world has not in your case arisen, yet in spite of this, you still have a yearning, a restlessness, which all your searchings cannot relieve. Some in this condition have been known to explore in many directions—spiritualistic, secular, and religious—but all to no purpose; if such be your case, we would invite you to one of God’s meetings. In Acts 10:2727And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. (Acts 10:27) the Spirit thus describes the scene: “He (Peter) went in and found many that were come tether.” They were assembled too for one purpose, and if in earnest, yours should be as definite. Cornelius declares (vs. 33), “Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.”
Are you before God? If so, follow Peter’s address, which told how that “Jesus of Nazareth went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him.” Jesus, whom wicked men slew and hanged on a tree, God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly; and even after such cruel rejection, Jesus commanded that Peter should preach unto the people through His name: “Whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” This is God’s remedy; there is no need to study the sciences for rest. Enroll yourself in the band of “whosoevers,” and peace will be yours:
“Joy and peace it is to know Him,
Think, oh think! how much you owe Him.”
Another gathering spoken of in Scripture is to be found in Acts 19:3232Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. (Acts 19:32): “Some therefor cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.” Truly a picture which faithfully portrays the world of today. The worship of mammon in this day of millionaires, the keen attention to sport evinced by a crowd of sixty thousand assembling witness a leathern ball kicked about on the turf, and the discussions of sciences so-called, are but part of the seething cauldron in which the devil would engulf men if he could.
There is yet one other assembly which we would ask you to consider, a meeting the like of which the universe has never seen—stupendous in its magnitude, awful, almost too awful to contemplate. The curtain is drawn aside (Rev. 20:1212And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12)), and John, by the Spirit, describes the scene:
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
Are you discontented or distressed? Then come to Jesus, who says, “Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out.”
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money: come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk, without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not?”
Would you hear words whereby you may be saved? Listen to Jesus, for of Him it was said even by men of the world, “Never man spake like this man.”
Would you seek to find rest? Then turn from the world’s turmoil to our God, who is not the author of confusion, but of peace. We implore you not any longer, to run the risk of being found in that company described in the last great gathering, but rather now to take advantage of God’s offer: “Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.”
H. J. F.