The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1912-07-27

be Stlll, and know tnat am Gou.
God is intensely interested that man
should recognize him, not only because
man would thus greatly bless himself,
but God demands this recognition be.
cause he is sensitive to the apprecia'
ton of those whom he has created in
his own likeness and image. We must
maintain this, Notwithstanding the spe-
cious plea that 1t would be ignoble in
God to demand such recognition.
This matter can only be settled by
an appeal to authority, and multitudes
believe that the Bible is such author
Sty. In Exodus "a: IA, we read Thou
Shalt worship no other God, for the
Lord whose name is jealous, is a jeal-
Gus God" Joshua called the attention
OF Israel to the same characteristic in
God when he wished Israel to return to
God, to the enjoyment of their divine
heritage.
In the text God does not ask man to
know him; he simply asks that we rec
ognize him as God, and appeals in the
9th and 9th verses of this chapter
for the use of the physical senses:
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
what desolation he has wrought in
the earth; he maketh wars to cease
unto the end of the earth, he break
| eth the bow and cutteth the spear in
sunder; he burneth the chariot in the
| fire." Our attention is also called to
what we have heard with our ears, and
{ n fathers have told us what he has
done in the time of old. Were not
Gods dealings with the Egyptians to
ave that he vas God2 Was not God
back Of the blessing OF Is.
rael by BALKAN, while Balaam's
purpose was to curse? Has God
not set up one and put down
another? Has he not despoiled the de-
vices of the crafty that their hands
cannot perform their enterprise, and
has he not taken the wise in their
own craftiness, and is not the counsel
of the froward carried headlong? And
what shall be said of the occurrences
of modern history? Had God any
thing to do with the earthquake in
San Francisco; the burning of the Gen.
eral Schofeld, and the sinking OF the
Titanic? Of the latter event it Is
said that in the last moments of that
fated vessels remaining atioat, all
classes OF people prayed, and the band
played until the very end, Nearer, My
God, to Thee And what was this
but recognition of God. and possibly
with many, too late?
To say that God has nothing to dc
with these things on the ground Of
that 1t would be violence to the reign
of law, dishonoring to him as an in
finite being, and entirely relieve mar
of moral responsibility, is really mo-
worthy of serious consideration. The
consciousness of Gods immanence IL
all such things would be a deterren
from sin on the part of some, ant
would be an incentive to good on thu
part of others.
/ How are men to know God? Simpl.
by being still. BY searching, men can
| 49, AAiQ OiI GOu. kAo lawn WOulQ ~
in the fields at night and look up int
the starry heavens, it would not b
for the purpose of finding out Goo
but as he gazed he could not hel
but exclaim: when | consider tn
heavens, the work of thy fingers, tn
moon and the stars, which thou has
created, what is man that thou ar
mindful Of him, or the son Of man tina
Ethou visitest him ?" AS Moses woul
have Israel to recognize God, he said
Stand still, and see the salvation 0
God" AS Isaiah would have Israe
see wherein their strength lay, he sal
they should sit STILL SO the metho
Of knowing God is to just keep tn
eyes and ears open, to stop, look, lii
ten-God is here, there, everywhere
The results of this will be a NOR
serious consideration of ones obligs
ton to God The life of the Christia
will be made richer, and as the darl
ness Of the hereafter Ii approached
there will be a preparation to NEE
God, with whom, whether he will 0
will not man has much to do. T
know God, and him whom he has SEN