Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-08-14
&eading fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
loHglhai'J
OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

-
" :--------------
lorIgna.]
OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
Frequent and careful meditation upon God
is eminently becoming in all who profess to
be Christians. The more fully we become
acquainted with the nature Of the Supreme
Being, the more extensive will be our knowl-
edge of ourselves. "Know thyself, presume
not God to scan,'' is dangerous doctrine
We must know something concerning the ma
ture and attributes Of God; for it matters not
whether our knowledge of ourselves, or our
knowledge of God is first in point Of time, we
can have no correct knowledge of ourselves
until I'VE have learned something respecting
the character of God.
The sources from which all our knowledge
of God is derived, are his words and works.
The latter may be regarded as collateral or
coroborative evidence of the former. With
out the Bible, man, in his fallen and degraded
state, can learn nothing satisfactory respect
ing either the existence or attributes of God.
The works of God, as manifested both in crea-
tion and providence, plainly declare the exis-
tence Of a Supreme Being who made all
things, and who governs and controls all
things, when the announcement is first made
in the word of God. The proof of this is the
fact itself None of the wise men of old who
were not in possession of the Scriptures, had
anything but the most vague and underlined
ideas respecting God Many supposed that
there were two Supreme Beings, the one kind
and merciful and good, whilst the other was
evil in disposition and cruel and tyranical in
action. Others thought that there were in
Vulnerable gods; and not few, and these the
wisest and best of the ancient sages, were Of
the opinion that the world was created and
governed by chance.
In our natural ignorance, which has been
brought upon us by sin, we are unable to
make any other use of the works Of creation
and providence, than that of examples to il
lustrate and confirm what is taught in the
Bible There is no defect in the revelation
which is made to US by the works of creation
and providence. The defect is in US. We
are in the condition of an individual whose
sight has failed so much that he is unable to
read the clearest print. Sin has blinded the
eyes of our understanding, and with propriety,
it may said, that the human family are des-
troyed for lack of knowledge
Before we can form correct idea of God
as revealed to us in the Bible we need the
enlightening influences of Gods Holy Spirit.
The great truths of the Scriptures lie concealed
until they are discovered to the mind by the
spirit. This is the promise of the Saviour:
"When the spirit of truth is come he will
guide you into all truth, for he shall not
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear that shall he speak" John 16: 13.
The work of the spirit consists in part in re-
vealing to the mind the truths that are re-
vealed in the Bible. No new revelation is
made. The Bible contains all the revelation
that God will ever make Of himself to the
human family; but no human miad, it mat
ters not how great may be its powers, can
discover the great and glorious truths which
God reveals in the Scriptures concerning him
self. There is more than mind necessary to
discover the living and true God.
Our knowledge of God under the most ia
vorable circumstances is defective. Those
who know most of him know comparatively
nothing. Every creature is finite, and God
is infinite. The wisest men know but little
of the works of God, much less do they know
of God himself.
Practically, great deal depends upon our
of God. Without faith, we are
positively informed, it is impossible to please
God. Where there is no knowledge there
can be no faith. In the order of nature, and
in point of time, knowledge precedes faith.
Hence, a correct knowledge of God is necessa-
ry in order to salvation. Our knowledge of
God gives complexion to our piety. Those
who are ignorant of God may be very super
stitious, but in no proper sense Of the word
can they be truly pious. True. and genuine
piety consists in being like God. Religion
assimlates the worshiper to the worshiped.
How can we become like being of whom we
have no correct knowledge? Such a thing
is impossible.
MAY WOMEN PRAY IN PUBL1c?-May
women pray in meeting? asks a Presbyterian
country pastor, through the columns of the
Evangelist, who finds his own experience
says-yes, but knows that the church at large
would give an opposite answer. This is what
he says:
81 60 to my prayer-meeting on the appoint
ed evening, and there I fnd-because [ am
favored-six or ten men and thirty
or forty women. My neighbor tells me he
had at his meeting once thirty women and
one man besides himself. Now, in accord
ance with his Interpretation Of one text of
Scripture, our church says to the woman,
You must not pray and to the one man or
the ten, you alone can pray But I know
in my heart that there are Christian women
in my meeting that can pray better than any
man in it. / know that the women's prayer
meeting in my church melts often into tears,
while the church-meeting is often as dry as
Sahara. Now, is not this dear Presbyterian
church of ours paralyzing, in many places, its
right arm, the prayer-meeting, by its unbend-
ing strictness in this respect? Is there not a
fault among us? Is it right for our church
to say to Christian women, we will eat with
you, will walk with you, will visit with you,
will talk with you, will praise with you, but
we will not pray with you p "
Here is question which will, doubtless, be
duly answered by some other Presbyterian
pastor speaking for the church; but in regard
to those meetings so unequally attended,
could thew not be considered as womens