ASSOCIATING FOR NAUGHT.
By T.
These are days of associations and organizations for all sorts of purposes. Some of these associations, confederacies, and organizations are good, and consequently are doing a good work. But some of them are not good, and their work can be only evil. The Lord has said something on the question of organizations and confederacies that should be carefully studied. His words are:— “Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.” Isa. 8:9-13.
The foregoing words of Scripture show that certain people shall be calling for a “confederacy,” but the Lord says that we shall not join in it. The confederacies here spoken against are not based on right principles. They are organized for selfish, ambitious purposes, and they will not prosper. None of these confederacies will stand, because the Lord has decreed that every evil thing shall go down. Then in these times when the nations are seeking to confederate for the purpose of overthrowing each other, when capital is confederating and combining to hold all the wealth of the world, regardless of the suffering it shall entail upon others; when labor is combining to fight capital; when confederacies and organizations are being formed to overthrow governments, etc., etc., those who desire to stand will need to know that they are established on correct principles, and the only place where we can go for absolutely correct principles, and know for sure that we are right, is to the Word of God itself. At first thought you may not see the importance of this matter, and may think that this, and that, and the other, organization to which you belong is all right. But do not make a mistake. The Lord has given us this warning in His Word, and He does not sound the alarm unless there is danger ahead. No matter what your views of the subject may have been, be entreated by the Word of God. It is the only guide that can be trusted in these stormy times.