Too Busy to Go to Meetings Now.
By Chas. B. Reynolds
At this season of the year when our farms or our business require so much attention, how necessary that we should heed the admonition of our Saviour, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak," lest, while willing in spirit to do the work of the Lord, we are tempted through the weakness of the flesh to yield to the subtle wiles of Satan, and devote our every care, anxiety and energy, to the one object of worldly gain. Let this desire once obtain ascendency in our hearts, and Satan has an easy victory. He would whisper to us that we have labored, done all we could all the fall and winter, made all the sacrifice that duty to ourselves and family justify, and now we must lay our armor off and attend exclusively to our worldly interests. Oh! let us watch and pray, that we avoid this great temptation. There can be no laying aside the Christian's armor till the last battle be won, the final victory attained; no cessation of the fight till Emanuel, under whose banner we have enlisted, shall be crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. The time is near at hand. Do we believe it? Then let us redouble our zeal, our faith, our watchfulness, that we fail not of the reward at last. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end, that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Have we, in gratitude for countless mercies and the joyous light of truth, been diligent in the past? Then though we have only performed a duty, yet the blessed promise of remembrance is ours; but because of the wondrous love and mercy of God, shall we pause here? give up the race, with the glorious prize in full view? No! Yet if we would gain the crown, we must every one show the same diligence to the end. There are opportunities, necessities, to labor now. The Lord has no other special reason. His time of mercy is now. There are meetings in the summer at which our presence is needed, to which we should go in prayerful hope and confidence, having on the whole armor of God—go forth in love, loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind, and our neighbor as ourself. We must do this in very deed, not simply mean to, hope to, think to, but do it, now and always. Let us test it. Are we willing to make sacrifice of temporal gain? are we willing to spend and be spent in the endeavor to help bring our neighbors into the glorious light of truth? What though it takes time needed for the advancement of our worldly business! What though it cost us money! We desire to enter into the joy of our Lord. Can we hope to do so without sacrifice? "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14: 33. I can heartily adopt the language of Bro. R. F. Cottrell, in REVIEW Vol. XXXV, p. 141. "The number is increasing of those who are ready to receive the truth. Are we ready to bear it to them? Let us gird ourselves for the work. Let the work of the Lord be the first business of our lives. Those who fight the fight of faith shall overcome. Those who run the race with patience shall win the prize. An exceeding responsibility is laid upon us. Shall we feel it and act? Shall we work with a zeal commensurate with our privileges, or shall we be dismissed from the service, and be given over to the love of the present world." Some say, "It is useless expenditure of time and money to go to these meetings! I can't do any good!" You can do your whole duty, in the fear of the Lord, and leave the result to him; and he will bless you in the endeavor. You can testify to your love of God, but simply what the truth has done for you, prove by your presence your interest in the cause, help the weak, the skeptical, in private conversation, giving to all who ask, the reason of the hope that is in you. Do you say you cannot do this? Then the more reason, the more pressing need that you should attend meetings praying God to give you the attentive ear and the retentive brain, that you may be enabled to do it. Others try to excuse themselves with the words, "I have no gift in talking, can't make myself clear as some others!" you can speak of the love of Jesus, and of the peace you have found in believing. Let the solemn earnestness of your brief testimony, the purity of your life, make up for your lack of logic or language; but do not stay away. Go, go, in prayerful humility, but abounding in hope and faith. God requires not the proceeds of the ten talents from those to whom but one is intrusted; but mark, the unprofitable servant who bringeth no return from the one talent, shall be cast into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The ministers need your presence, your sympathy, your help, your testimony. One talent or ten, little or much, you and your help are needed; you, personally, brother! sister! They need all the help and aid you can give them. When you remain away, their hearts are saddened, their energies dampened, and they feel their burdens increased. Your absence is proof to them of lack of real interest and sympathy in their toils and weariness. This has a most discouraging effect. Instead of helping to uphold, you take strength from them, and add to their burdens. How will you answer this at the soon coming day of God? In these last days, may the Lord give us hearts of prayer and faith to cling to, and settle down upon, the blessed promises of God. When tempted by the wiles of Satan to idleness in the vineyard of the Lord, to prefer our worldly interest to the sacred cause of truth, let us "watch and pray," that we enter not into temptation." The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."