The copper era., 1911-09-22

whom Thou hast Sent.-John 17:3
 Tn these days when knowledge is spread through the whole earth, while the making of many books goes mer- rily on and much study is weariness to the flesh, it 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 life he shall never know. It is not for him to know the time and the seasons. but, If he be wise, he may understand the signs of the times Yet we are ex- pressly told that far away above. even the imaginations of the. human mind in its ghostic flight In. the one great iDdestructible truth that a man may nay, that a man nlust-know God
 If man would cease his molelike fer reting 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 his doubts would resolve themselves. If a man does not know God, he has missed the one great, i'm portant thing; he has not yet found the key by which he may enter the holy place of his own life.
 How he came here, why he came here. why, he goes from here and whither he goes-these things he knows not.
 The work of God speaks in no un- certain tones on this subject. It tells us that knowledge of God is de pendent upon spiritual awakening and a revelation from God himself. We are toldis that there was a time when Samuel .i9aid< not know the Lord, for the -woEdAqf the Lord was not yet revealed to him." We are further told that there came a time when Samuel did know the Lord, and all Is- rael 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 man of God in this city" A man who knew God; who. walked with God; who made himself felt in the national and individual life of Israel +..-
 The key which David handed to young Solomon was the key of Di- vine knowledge. And thou, Solo mon, my son, know thou the God of thy father. and serve. him with a perfect heart. and a willing mind'- Jeremiahastolds the men of his day thet.asHorIdl VI aY4 sdqmv njghtzand rich. es never would bring a man to glory; that if any man would glory, Let him glory in thst' Ne lrnoweth the Lord"
 Gods controversy j. with Israel through his prophets was concern ing their lack of kno@ledge. Isaiah gees 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 Rstonished that the OK 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 observance. The smoke from the morning and evening sacrifice went up as regularly as the days came and went
 It was a time of decent, decorous. esthetic. eye pleasing ear tickling service; but it had mo core; there was no heart in it. It was all exter- nal-it was something which the Lord could not get away with; it. was abomination 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 a strange denunciation 1t is to come in his matchless argument for the resurrec- tion
 Awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame" Is it any less disgraceful in any Chris tian community, in any Christian land, not to know God? We trow not!
 But the great reason given by the matchless Son of God ought to set all men seeking for God It is given not to the disciples, though heard by them. It is spoken in the holy place of prayer. Any man, be he a sin cere man, is Smost sincere, is at his best, is approaching tisy zenith, when , in his closet after shutting the door. he. prays to his Father This is no fitting; place for cant. dilettantism or sham. It is the one real moment of his life, and the Son of God tells his Father that: 1t is life eternal to know the true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he had sent
 Friends, what an opportunity! To grow in the knowledge of the Father and the Son; this is worth while To know God experimentally-his pur- poses in creation and in redeeming grace - this Is life eternal And Jesus Christ" The knowledge is vet one for there is no saving knOwl-