NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER.
By E. M. DAVIS
THIS injunction of the apostle has a particular force and application to the remnant who are looking for the soon coming of the blessed Saviour. It is evident that we are living near, very near, some awful crisis. We have run down the declivity of time to the brink of a terrible precipice. The sound of the trumpet is no longer uncertain. Look at our once peaceful and quiet nation, now the scene of strife, confusion, and carnage. “How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised.” Is it not plain that the Lord has taken the affairs of this nation in hand to punish it for the sin of slavery, although perhaps the cup is not yet quite full? Therefore do not the four angels hold the winds that no movement be carried out for the destruction of this nation only as suffered by the Lord to humble us as a nation. His servants are not all sealed. The 144,000 are not yet made up. Hence let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. But the full assurance is only attainable by the performance of every known duty. Is it duty to assemble together on every Sabbath? It certainly is. Again, let us hold fast to the profession of our faith. We profess to cultivate fellowship, peace, and unity, and talk much about charity and brotherly love. This constitutes a part of our profession; but dear brother or sister be assured that by absenting yourself from meeting Sabbath after Sabbath without sufficient cause, instead of promoting love, peace, and unity, the root and groundwork of strength, you cause grief and pain to the hearts of others of like faith. Says the apostle, “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.” And how? Hear him answer: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is.” This, then, cannot be the way to “provoke unto love and good works.” This, instead of holding fast the profession of faith, is wavering. (Webster says that to waver means “to be undetermined or unsteady in opinion or feeling, to be in danger of failing.”) According to this definition, to waver is to be in a very dangerous condition. This also agrees with James. He testifies that the wavering is tossed, driven, &c. “Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.” Dear brother or sister, how is it? Do you hold fast to the profession? If you do, then you never forsake assembling with God’s people whenever there is an holy assembly except by providential hindrances. Again, associated with the assembling of ourselves together comes the obligation of exhorting: “exhorting one another, so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” In the assembly of the saints is an appropriate place for this good work. How very little exhorting I hear away from the prayer-meeting. How little is said about the second coming of Jesus only in the prayer-meeting; for we are living some distance apart, as a general thing, and the business cares of this world prevent our often associating together except at the regular appointed place for worship. From this fact again, springs a deeper obligation not to forsake assembling. Is it possible for those that assemble only occasionally to realize fully the words of the Psalmist, to wit, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” How pleasant it must have been for the early Christians when it could be said of them that “they continued steadfastly in the doctrine and fellowship.” Is it any the less pleasant now to meet and exhort, edify, and comfort one another? Certainly not. But so much the more as we see the day nearing or approaching. There are several reasons why we should be very careful not to forsake the assembly. We are a nation or people “not desired.” The truth we profess and love, is by the masses indiscriminately hated and despised. By such we are termed self-righteous, peace-disturbers, turners of the world upside down. As concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. Acts xxviii, 22. If this be a fact, to gather ourselves together at every given opportunity to edify, comfort, and cheer each other while living and leading this inconstant life, is a duty obligatory upon us all. What comforting word and exhortation to faith and good works can we expect outside the Christian family? None at all. Then forsake no more the assembling. Paul speaking of the descension of our blessed Lord from heaven, the resurrection of the saints, the ascension of the living saints, and our being ever with the Lord, says, “Wherefore comfort [margin, exhort,] one another with these words.” As we said before, the prayer and conference meeting is the place for this good work. The solemnity of the time just before us calls loudly upon us as a remnant to put forth every effort, strain every nerve, and improve every opportunity of a privilege to exhort and warn each other of the coming storm. Much has been said through the Review about the great and terrible day of the Lord; yet I trust a few texts, at this time again, will not weary the patience of the reader. The nations are solemnly summoned to hear as follows: “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people; let the earth hear and all that is therein; the world and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies.” Isa. xxxiv, 1, 2. “The great day of the Lord is near; it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.” Mark here the character of that day. It “is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities and high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” Zeph. i, 14–18. Again in chap. iii, 8, the Lord says, “My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” “Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.” Isa. xiii, 6, 9. For still a more minute description of this terrible day, see Jer. xxv, 15–33, where the prophet after naming several kingdoms (verses 15–25) continues, “And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world which are upon the face of the earth; and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.” “Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth; and the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the earth.” “Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste. The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled, for the Lord hath spoken this word.” Isa. xxiv, 1–3; vi, 9–13; Jer. iv, 20–29; Matt. xxiv, 37–39; Rev. xvi. The seven last plagues. Rev. xix, 15; Psa. ii, 9. Many more scriptures might be adduced, but if the above solemn denunciations carefully read and considered will not make an impression upon the mind of the careless and the indifferent, neither indeed would ten times the amount of similar reading affect them. Dear reader, remember that soon, very soon, there is to be a famine in the land, not for bread nor for water, but for the hearing of the word of the Lord. Oh how much those suffering this famine will give for one hour of time in which an invitation was made to come to Jesus! How they would grasp it as for life! But no more sweet mercy is then offered for sinners; no more agonizing prayer goes up in their behalf, and although they wander from sea to sea, they shall not find the word of the Lord. Amos viii, 11, 12. He that is filthy must then remain the same. Jesus, instead of pleading before the mercy-seat for the remnant of Israel, will be robed in the garments of vengeance, and on his vesture and on his thigh a name will be written, King of Kings and Lord of lords. O that we might all make him now our refuge while mercy yet lingers. Jesus now stands knocking at the door of the heart. Do you hear his voice? Then open the door and let him in, and he will sup with you and you with him. O what a blessed antrepast to sup with Jesus! If we keep his sayings and teachings, he has promised to manifest himself in a manner unknown to the world. Consider one another to provoke unto love and good works. Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching. May the Lord give us help from the heavenly Sanctuary, to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” E. M. DAVIS.
Ionia, Mich.