The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-22
5"THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD"

(Seectcd for Tho Times-Dispatch)
"As the Father knoweth me, even so
know the Fathcr."--St. John, x:15.
Then shall I know even as am
konwn''-I Cor. xiii: 10.
The first statement Is from the lips
Of Jesus. He is telling the people Ills
relation to them on the one side, and to
His Father on the other. He says, He
Is like shepherd In charge Of sheep.
Between him, and the owner of the sheep,
who has put him in charge, there Is the
most perfect confidence and mutual
knowledge.
The second text Is from st. Paul. He
Is anticipating the completion OF life.
And what he prophecies is just exact
~ what Christ declares Is already pres
ent in Himself. Paul says. Some day
I shall know God as God knows me-.
Jesus says, las God knows me, even so
do now know Cod
Is this not a striking picture of the
general method of the Christian faith2
It Is the very spirit and soul of the New
Testament In all times. tho men OF
hope In their struggles have carried In
their hearts deep assurance that the
| thing for which they strove was possible.
The soul could break through Its sell
1shness, could dospise danger and pain;
could enter into communion with God.
This faith has lain for ages deep In the
human soul, too deep sometimes for
words.
Here stand our human lives. all dark
| and lustreless, and here stands One human
life In which has been lighted the fire OF
divinity. 1t spoke with human lips. It
worked with human hands Christ was
what man has felt In his soul that he
might be. Christ did what mans heart
had always told him he could do.
Nothing alone Is thoroughly alive.
Complete life subssts in the reaction OF
mutually. TO give Is not the perfect
life; It needs a. complement the full
nllment of taking. TO take Is not perfect
life; It needs the complement OF giving.
TO be known and to know-these two
together make the fulness Of the rela-
ton OF our lives to ono another.
..rhe Father knoweth me-" These
words summed UP a large part of tho
meaning and power Of Chrst's life We
| do not speak of that, which was unique
and singular IN Jesus. Nor of the pecu-
liar and separate relation In which He
stood to Ills Father, But only OF what
He shared with all mankind. Simply as
man, He felt the knowledge OF God,
reaching out; laying hold of him.
| It brought to Him independence, Out OF
| tho questioning and hooting OF the
crowd, He retired into the heart OF this
truth and WAS strong, It brought Him
unity. That comprehensive certainty OF
being known Involved the ranger and
the cross, with all .hat lay between, and
made one single total of It
II gave Film charity. Gods knowledge
of Him interpreted to Him Gods know
ledge of His brethren and taught Him
! to freely leave them to the same great
knowledge 1t was all this and more to
| Him. 1t was the element In which he
| lived. 1t was the DIR he breathed. It
was Ills life.
Was there no response to this know
ledger Did not the Son also know the
Father? Jesus was no agnostic. He knew
the Father by the direct perception OF
Kindred life. lie sent back alteration.
trust and lore IN answer to tbs re-
cogni2ed care which vas always pour
ing itself upon Him,
Now and then In the calm cool night
between the hot and weary days lie went
apart on tho silent mountain tops to
meet that God whom lie knew that he
might know Him yet more perfectly. le
knew the Father as nAtnfe knows ma
,urf, BY direct perception
II comes 10 as lnssorrawa and Joy In