For the People Had a Mind to Work.
By Francis Gould
The above declaration was spoken by Nehemiah when he and his associates built the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah became very much grieved and distressed when he saw the desolation of the city, and his brethren given to reproach. By fervent prayer and confession of sins to God, he and his brethren went up and began to build the wall and the waste places, repair the breaches, and restore the worship of God. But the enemies of the Lord were there to oppose the work, and began to scoff and ridicule. Said one, Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Said another, If a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. The enemies of the Lord sought to call away the attention of Nehemiah from the work of God, that it might cease. Come now, therefore, said they, and let us take counsel together. But the prophet sent unto them saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.” The people of God wrought faithfully amid great opposition, and the Lord blessed them; “for the people had a mind to work.” We learn from the sacred Scriptures that in all ages of the world God has had a specific work to be done, and has raised up a class of individuals from time to time to do it. He has raised up men, qualified them, and sent them forth to proclaim present truth which has been adapted to the wants of the people; and they performed their duty notwithstanding the enemies of truth multiplied and many of the people of God were slain for the word of God and the testimony which they held. The prophetic pencil plainly delineates that we are living in a time when an important message is being proclaimed, a specific truth is being set before the people, the last message of mercy to man. The work of this message is to build up the old waste places, restore truth, and repair the breaches made in the great plan of redemption by the enemies of God. Honest men and women are taking their respective positions to do the work to which the Lord has assigned them. The enemies of God’s law and of his truth have sought to overthrow the work, and have failed. The work will be accomplished; “for the people have a mind to work.” Truth is a unit. The people of God are one. And if ever there was a time in the world’s history when they should get into good working order, it is now, moving out with decision of purpose and unity of action. A set of machinery is made subservient to the will of the inventor. If any part of it gets out of order, the work is retarded. If all moves harmoniously, then it is as it should be. The apostle recognizes the workings of this principle in the church: “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.” Rom. 12: 6–8. The gift of prophecy may be considered the leading gift, “for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” It occupies a conspicuous place in the church; but it cannot do all the work. Ministers and teachers have their proper place. Next comes exhortation. This gift is designed to fill a place that no other can. “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.” Mal. 3: 16. Again: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Heb. 10: 25. This precious gift is too often neglected. In the first place we are to meet together as often as we can; and secondly, we are to exhort one another. I think there needs to be a reform in this department of the work at the present time. There are but a few ministers in the broad harvest field. They can spend time to minister to the churches only occasionally; therefore it is important and necessary, as far as we can with the help of the Lord, to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.” The smallest gift in this direction cannot be dispensed with. I have found by observation, and it is a fact in my experience, that the more we improve upon our gifts, however small they may be, we are adding strength to strength, and gaining a rich experience. The gift of exhortation supplies a lack, or fills a vacuum in the church without which the church would be imperfect. Brethren and sisters, my heart beats in unison with the plan of salvation and with the people of God. Let us work in harmony, “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Eph. 4: 13. FRANCIS GOULD.
Stowe, Vt.