Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1911-08-31

In these days when knowledge 10
spread through the whole earth. while
the making cf many books goes mer-
rily on and MUGS study is a weartness
to the flesh. II may be timely to call
attention to the Importance Of Know
ing God.
While man Is In this mundane life
there are many things which owing to
the limitations Of this lie he shall
never know. Il Is not for him to
know the time and the seasons. but.
10 he be wise. he may understand the
signs Of the times Yet We ara ex-
pressly told that far away above even
the imaginatious OF the human mind
in It's ghostic fight In the one great
indestructihle truth that a man may
nay. that a man must-know God
II man would cease bis moleiike fer
retirg after the mysterious earth
worms Of philosophy. and come out
Of his pessimistic darkness. and Try
TO know God and to serve him now.
many Of bis doubts would resolve
themselves. II a man does not know
God. he has missed the one great. I'm
portant thing: he has not Jet found
the key BY which be may enter the
holy place Of his own life.
How he came here. Why he came
here. why. be goes from here and
whittier he goes-these things be
knows not
The work Of God speaks IN no IN
certain tones on this subject. Il tells
rs that knowledge Of God is de-
pendent upon a spiritual awakening
and a revelation from God himself
We are told that there was a time
when Samuel did not know the Lord.
for the word OF the Lord was not ye,
revealed to him" We are further
told that there came a time when
Samuel did know the Lord. and all Is
raei knew that samuel knew the
Lord And the knowledge OF God so
impressed itself on the lay mind that
the servant OF saul testified Of him:
Now. there Is a nan OF God in this
city A man vho knew God. WHO
walked with God: who made himself
felt in the national and individual life
OF Israel
The key which David handed 70
young Solomon was the key Of Di-
vine knowledge And thou. Solo
mon. ny son. know thou the God Of
thy father. and serve him with a
perfect heart and a willing mind
Jeremiah told the men Of his day
that worldly wisdom. might and rich
- never would bring a man 10 glory:
thar II any man would glory. Let aim
glory IN that he krowsth the Lord
Gods controversy with Israel
through his prophets was concern
ing their lack OF knowledge. Isaiah
goes so far In his rebuke as TO ac-
cuse them OF the densest stupidity
and calls upon the heavens TO hear
and the earth TO give ear. He Is
astonished that the or knows his
owner. and the ass the place for his
fodder. but Gods people do not know.
The depravity Of that day was not
on account Of the lack OF religious
The smoke from the
morning and evening sacrifice went
up as regularly as the days came and
went
Il was 4 time OF decent. cecorous.
ssthetic. eye pleasing. ear tickling
service: but il had no core; there
was no heart IN IL Il was all exter-
malt was something which the Lord
could not get away with. Il was
ahouination TO him. and We have no
reason TO think that God has changed
his mind IN this year OF grace. They
offered incense: God wanted clean
hearts and pure lives. and these come
from knowing God The apostle
Paul denounced the church At Cor
nth for this very thing. and q strange
denunciation IL Is TO come In his
matchless argument for the resurrec.
ton.
Awake to righteousness and sin
not. for some have not the knoviedxe
OF God I speak this 70 your shame. :
Is IL any less diSgraeefuI in any Chris
tan community. IN any Christian
land. not to know God, We trux not,
But the great reason given by the
narehIess Son Of God ought to set al
men seeking for God II Is given no,
TO the disciples. though heard hy
them II il spoken IN the holy place
OF prayer Any man. be he a sin
cere man. In most sincere, Is AZ hts
best. Is approaching his zenith. when
IN his closet. after shutting the door
he prays to his Father. This 10 nc
fitting place for cant. dilestanrisu or
sham IL Is the one real moment Of
his life. and the Son Of God tells hss
Father that 1t Is life eternal 20
know the trge God. and Jesus Christ,
whom he hac sent
Friends. what an opportunity! To
grow In the knowledge Of the Father
and the Son: this Is worth while To
know God experiaentally-his pur.
poses IN creation and in redeeninx
grace - this Il life eterraI And
Jesus Christ" The knowledge Ia
yet one. for there is no saving knovL
edge apart from him. Just a. there
was without him nothing made that
was made All men know him. but
all men do not know him What does
this knowledge meant
Salvation alone TO him He alone
paid the price Of sin His blood alone
cleanseth from sin He rose for our
justification and be will demand q
reckoning for our knowledge. our
faith aud the use to which we put
them now There is no promise OF life
for ignorance and the solemn duty de-
volved upon every Christian And
emphatically comes the obligation 10
know. obey. love. serve and deny our
selves for the living God II Is life
eternal so to do.
II We set before ourselves the hixh
resolve that. God helping as. We shah
know him better. the old hymn. Near.
er. My God. TO Thee viii have a fuik.
er. srander meaning. and when the