In connection with what our brother has said on Matthew 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20), I would like to ask you to turn for a moment to the words of Jesus in Matthew 11: “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight.” We thus hear Him speaking, first to the Father, and then to us. His tender heart was grieved by the unbelief of the privileged cities of Galilee. And does He not feel now the unbelief and rejection all around — yea, and all that we are called to pass through at this very time?
How true it is that the unspeakable privilege of being gathered to His name, to Himself, is hid from the wise and prudent, and the Father hath revealed it unto babes! “No man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and He to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” Now, is it not blessed to see how the Son thanks the Father for having revealed these things to babes? Having done this, He now speaks to us.
I know these loving words of Jesus are much used in the Gospel to weary sinners. Are they not equally true to weary saints? You say, I am so weary with all the strife, and division, and contention — so many speaking such perverse things! Does not our Jesus know it all? Yes, He knows all that Satan has done, and can do, to scatter those whom the Father hath gathered to His name; and, He knows the weariness and perplexity of many so dear to Him.
What does He say to them — to us? He says, “Come unto Me.” He knows the labor and burden of spirit, and He says, “I will give you rest.” He who gathered us at first from every sect still says, “Come unto Me.” We have heard Him giving thanks to the Father; now He says to us, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” What words are these even to us at this time, in the midst of an unbelieving and distracted Christendom! Very separating, as well as comforting, are those words of Jesus, “Come unto Me.”
There are three things the Lord presses upon me connected with His present thoughts and testimony — the Rest, the Well, and the River. We have looked a little at the first. We cannot be of service in the testimony of Christ, unless we are at perfect rest in His own dear presence. There we ever give thanks The greater the efforts of Satan to disturb and destroy, the more we discover the ever-loving care of Jesus, and enjoy His presence. As a dear afflicted sister told me a few weeks ago, she would not have been without all her afflictions and tears, because of the tenderness of that heart, and the softness of His hand, that had wiped them all away. Oh, what a contrast to the wise and prudent, even of the professing church, is the happy peace of the babes who know and rest in His unchanging love! This is just what we need at this time, in meekness and lowliness to learn of Him. He who gathered us long ago still says, “Come unto Me.” Talk of all being over! beloved brethren, this path shines brighter and brighter to the perfect day. Have we not found it so? Is not the presence of the Lord in the midst of those gathered unto Him as deep a reality as at the first? There we still find rest to our souls. Surely, if this suits His heart and the Father’s, it suits ours.
We will now come to the well. Turn to John 4:1414But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14): “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
How is it that there is often so little blessing amongst us when we come together? Is it not that we ignore this scripture, and come as empty vessels to be filled? Does the Lord teach us that, having the Holy Spirit in us, we are still empty, thirsty vessels? Is it not a wonderful thing for our bodies to be the temples of the Holy Spirit? What a contrast is an empty vessel and a springing well — “springing up into everlasting life”! Can there be lack of blessing where this is known and believed? There is nothing like it on earth. The Holy Spirit so satisfying the heart with Christ, that we never thirst for aught beside joy and blessing, ever fresh, never stagnant —“a well of water springing up.” Is not this the same as fifty years ago, or in Acts 4? while ever valuing ministry, let us not come as leaky vessels, needing a man to fill us up. Oh, let us remember the lesson of the well — ever fresh, ever springing up into everlasting life.
Now let us come to the river. If we have learned of Him, and are in that lowly state of soul to enjoy the unspeakable rest of His own presence; and if we know the Holy Spirit abides in us, a well of living water; if we have thus come to Jesus, as saints gathered to Him, having found that nothing that is of man can long satisfy; if we have drunk in His presence, He now says a wonderful thing: “He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:3838He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)). If a well is ever springing up, it must flow over somewhere. Jesus says, “SHALL FLOW rivers of living water.” How little have we awoke to this! Have we not almost forgotten it? He knows the state of this barren, thirsty land around us, and He says to each one who has found rest, and has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, that he shall be a river; yea, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
May each beloved brother be a river. Remember, it is not ourselves, but the Holy Spirit, of which He spake -all mere human ministry, however polished and exact, is only like ice. These scriptures have a special voice to us now. Have we not been too much limited, occupied with ourselves, and that as empty, rather than entering into the wondrous truths of the rest, the well, and the river? Rest to those gathered to Him is as real now, in the midst of the raging tempest of Satan’s hatred, as it was in the beginning. The Holy Spirit abides to the end, and the rivers of blessing of living water still flow to a lost and guilty world.
But from all we see, and hear, and learn from the word, would not the Lord have those rivers of blessing flow out to the whole church of God? Having learned rest in Jesus, and the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth, may He be graciously pleased to use us to others, and to Him be all praise. It is a matter of immense importance, when sent to any given place, to seek to be a river to every child of God in that town or village. And then, in the boundless love of God, to seek to reach every sin-burdened soul in the district. Too often we think merely of ourselves.
From Words of Faith, 1882, vol. 1, pp. 67-70.