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PERSEVERANCE IN ATTAINING THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

REV. H. STOWELL, A.M.

CHRIST CHURCH, SALFORD, MANCHESTER, OCTOBER 12, 1834.

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain; as the latter and former rain unto the earth."-HOSEA, vi. 3.

THERE cannot be a more interesting question, than that simple one which is asked in the catechism of the sister Church in the sister country. That question is, "What is the chief end of man?" Perhaps there may be many within these sacred walls, who never seriously pondered the question. Such persons, therefore, must be passing on through life, without having ever considered what is the end of man-what is the object towards which they should be continually pressing, and for the attainment of which they should devote all their powers. They are thus like a vessel abroad on the ocean, without a haven to which it is steering, and how can they ever hope to find the haven of eternal repose? But in the decision of the question, there is, indeed, fearful danger lest we should mistake what is "the chief end of man." Is it merely to eat and to drink, to sleep and to die? Is it merely to accumulate riches, to pamper self? Is it merely to provide for his family, and to get raiment and food? Is it merely to gratify ambition, or to pursue the phantom of amusement? Yes, if man be but the creature of a day, who has no existence beyond the present, and no hope beyond what this world can offer. But if you admit that man is an eternal being, his spirit as deathless as the God that gave it—that man has the destiny of futurity before him, and that it must be determined by his conduct here; that here the gulf is formed that shall be fixed for ever-then, surely, the answer to the question must be one, must be obvious: it is this-to know, to love, to please, to serve, to enjoy God for ever. That is the one vast end of man, for which he was made; and, therefore, if it be not accomplished, the end of his creation is defeated, and his own soul is lost.

The beautiful words I have read from the prophet Hosea, afford rich encouragement to those who, convinced that such is the end of man, desire to set out in good earnest, in attaining that great object-the knowledge, love, and enjoyment of God. "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain; as the latter and former rain unto the earth."

The words will lead me in the first place, to shew you, that if we would know God, we must follow on to know him; and, in the next place, that in following on to know the Lord, we have every assurance that our labour cannot be in vain. May his Spirit guide us into the knowledge of his truth.

TO KNOW GOD REQUIRES THAT MEN SHOULD SEEK TO KNOW HIM. The knowledge of the Most High is not instinctive and intuitive. Time was,

when it was thus with man: in his unfallen condition, he knew instinctively, as he spontaneously obeyed God: and had man begotten a race like himself, while in this state, no doubt his posterity, from reason's first dawn to life's last step, would have had a clear understanding of God, as far as man could understand him, and would have known all respecting God that it was interesting and important to man to know.

But the world by wisdom now knoweth not God; though he be not far from any one of us, seeing that in him we live, and move, and have our being. And though we have to do with him in every action, in every thought, in every relationship, and in every engagement, yet he is not remembered, and he is not recognised by us. Though the invisible things of him may be seen in the things that are created, even his eternal power and Godhead; yet who is there, naturally, unaided by light from above, reads the characters in the book of creation, that describe and discover God? And even though we have his Word of Truth, which reveals him-not dimly and darkly as does the volume of creation-but fully, in his own light and glory, as manifest in his Son, brought down to our capacities, and home to our thoughts; yet still the knowledge of the Word of God is not an obvious and an easy thing; it does not all at once flash the truth on the mind of man. If we would know God, we must seek to know him and the man whose knowledge of God has come, he knows not how, has come to him without any thought, without any solicitude, without any deep attention, without any application of his mind-that man may be assured that his knowledge of God is a false, is a fictitious, is an insufficient, is an unscriptural knowledge. And we may be equally sure, that if we have not been led to learn that to know God is the first great thing that concerns us, compared with which our fortune, our family, our health, our life itself, is not to be mentioned-if we have never been brought to esteem the knowledge of God at something like what the great Apostle estimated it, when he said, "Yea, doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord;" we have never sought for it in good earnest, as it requires, and as it must be sought, if ever it is to be found by us. Therefore, Christiau brethren, you may settle it as a point, that alike commends itself to reason and is borne out by Scripture, that if we would know God, we must seek to know him. How strange it is that men should think to know God and religion without diligence, whilst they think not to know any human science or profession without application, and diligence, and exertion! Does the medical man expect to attain to wisdom in his important pursuits, without days of labour and nights' of thought? Does the merchantman expect all at once to get acquainted with the principles of commerce? Must he not pass through its regular course of discipline and instruction, before he can be prepared and qualified for the part that he is to fill? Would to God that men were as wise for eternity as they are for time; and felt that it is just as needful and essential, if a man would become wise to salvation, that he should give application and diligence, as it is for a man to become wise unto any pursuit, or any purpose, in this present life! Your own selves will rise up in judgment against yourselves, if you have given to time so much thought and attention, and to eternity so little; if you have given to this world the best of your energies, and powers, and affections, and given to the Saviour who died to redeem you, and to the eternity that is before you, so little of attention, and so little desire, application, and reflection!

But it is not merely that we should give diligence in order to know God; but it is also necessary that we should follow on to know him. The progress of the Christian is as the morning light, brightening gradually to perfect day; and assuredly no Christian man ever shall enter heaven, that hath not advanced, step by step, in the path to knowledge, obedience, and peace. If we would ask what is the grand crowning grace of the Christian-what is the test and touchstone of his sincerity that is infallible; we should at once answer, constant perseverance. If a man persevere onward to the end-faithful to death-he shall obtain the crown of life. But however fast and fair a man runs, if at last he halts, and never resumes the race-however much the man may have expended in seeking eternal life, if, after all, he makes shipwreck of the truth-what will it avail him? To him that overcometh, the promise of eternal life is made: and to know God in any degree of confidence and peace, to know him thus in a dying hour, to know in whom we have trusted, and to be thoroughly persuaded that he is able to keep what we have committed to him--we must follow on to know him. Beloved brethren, I do beseech you in the name of God, and as you value your own souls, keep this in mind. Alas! how many are there over whom the Christian minister must mourn when he sees them, as Christ saw many of his disciples-turn back and following him no more. And what is the secret cause? They have not been prepared to go all lengths with their Saviour: they have not been disposed, and made up their minds to "count all things but dung, so that they may win Christ, and be found in him." The novelty of religion-the mere influence of truth at first on their minds-the external source of excitement that the ministry of the word may furnish-the intercourse with Christian people, which at first may exert some effect upon them-these external sources of interest and influence, become familiarized, lose their effect; and then, if there be not the root of the matter-and then, if he be not led of the Spirit of God-if the man be not walking by faith, but by sight-if he hath not sat down and counted the cost, and seen that it would profit him nothing to gain the whole world and lose his own soul-assuredly he will become wearied in well-doing; he will begin to halt, to waver, to listen to temptation, to tamper with the world, to turn aside to political pursuits, or to give to his secular calling his whole soul, and become absorbed in it, or turn aside to vanities and amusements: in some way or other, he will gradually turn back; and if he throw not off the entire apparel of the Christian, he will still wear it as a form, without the power of God, having a name to live while he is dead.

Christian brethren, whatever you do, follow on to know the Lord. It is not many miscarriages, it is not many discouragements, it is not many abortive efforts, it is not many ineffectual attempts, that will bring the man short of eternal life but it is a man failing to rise again, however he falls; failing to persist, however he is disappointed; failing to wait, however he is kept as though God heard him not: it is the giving up the pursuit of Christ-having just put his hand to the plough, finally to look back-that will cause a man to make shipwreck of his eternal all. But, short of this, if a man does but persistif he does but persevere through every change of circumstances-if he does but persevere amidst the power of temptation-if he does but "follow on to know the Lord, then there shall be given him every encouragement that Scripture can furnish, to assure him that his "labour shall not be in vain."

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I pass, then, to point out, THE ENCOURAGEMENT AS IT IS HERE SO VIVIDLY

PORTRAYED.

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain; as the latter and former rain unto the earth."

"Then shall we know." And who hath spoken it? God who cannot liewho can enlighten the darkest mind, enlarge the most circumscribed understanding, elevate the most grovelling, and enlighten the most dark. No understanding so obtuse, but he can whet it; no memory so weak, but he can strengthen it; no heart so straitened but he can enlarge it; no evil habits so inveterate, but he can change them or rend them asunder. If He that spake first at creation's dawn, and said, "Let there be light," and there was light-if He who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, and bade the light of the Gospel to shine into the sinner's soul-if He makes the promise, "Ye shall know," then heaven and earth may pass away, but that promise shall not pass away; and every one that seeks its fulfilment, shall have it accomplished. Every one that asks on shall receive; and he that seeketh on must find; and he that knocketh on, and will take no denial, must have the door of mercy opened to him. If any man, therefore, lack wisdom, let him ask of God; let him still ask, and still wait at Wisdom's gate, and still lift up his voice and cry after Understanding, and seek for her as for fine gold, and dig for her as for hidden treasure: then shall he know the fear of the Lord; then shall he know the true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, whom to know is life eternal: for he himself has declared, "If you continue in my words, then shall you be my disciple indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

And then, as if God by the prophet would still more impress this gracious assurance on our minds, he adds two beautiful figures, to make it yet more plain and striking to us. And it is no small mercy that God should thus graciously seek to assure us that we should know him: for there is nothing that will so effectually prevent a man to "follow on" as despairing in his pursuit. The mariner in the storm will still endeavour to guide the helm, and still urge on his way, while there is hope of reaching the haven: but once let hope give way, and his hand drops powerless, his heart fails him, and he gives himself up despairingly to die. So nothing will lead the Christian mariner still to urge on his vessel heavenward, but a full and firm impression that God who cannot lie, will not disappoint his expectation-cannot let his labour be in vain with respect to him. To this end, therefore, God adds line upon line, and precept upon precept. "His going forth is prepared as the morning." You know, my brethren, that, however long and gloomy the night may be, if you are watching by the deathbed of a sick friend, and saying, "Would God it were morning;" or if, tossing yourselves on a bed of anguish, you are led to ask, “ "Oh, for the light of the day to break in and shorten the time of my pain;" or if you are lost in a wilderness, and seeking to spy out a gleam of light that might lead you into the right path: however gloomy the night might have been, however the black clouds might hinder the sun from breaking in upon you-still you would say, "The morning must come: God has ordained that the morning should follow the night; and, however long and dark the previous gloom, the morning must come." Now, so is it declared here: as the morning of the day is sure to come to the afflicted and weary who wait for it, so surely shall the morning, the dayspring from on high, the day-spring from heaven, the day-spring of salvation,

visit the souls that shall wait for it, and who can say with the Psalmist, "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning: I say more than they that watch for the morning." Then "his going forth prepared as the morning." It comes, it has its appointed time: it may tarry; but wait for it, for at the last it shall come, and will not tarry. Heard you ever of one who died without finding God, although he had made it the work of his life to seek him? Heard you ever of one who declared on his death-bed, "I sought God all my life, and sought him in vain?" No; we may search all the records of death-bed scenes, and we shall never find one who bore testimony to the faithlessness of God. Thousands have written against themselves, and borne testimony to the madness of seeking other happiness, and making other things the grand end and aim of life. But never did you hear of a man on his death-bed bewailing that he had trusted God, and that God had deceived him-that he had followed God, and that God had proved a faithless friend at last. No; "his going forth is prepared as the morning :" and though the morning may linger long before it come, and though the clouds may long darken the hopes of God's people, still the morning of hope does break in on the night of their sorrow and distress; still it is "prepared" for them, and will come when it is most adapted for their good, even when God sees fit; and "the times and the seasons are in his hands."

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Brethren, how beautiful is the figure! “The morning." How beautiful is the morning! How joyfully it comes, after the dark night, to the traveller, or the shipwrecked mariner! At once his fears are changed into hopes, and his sorrows into joys. And so when the morning of peace and pardon dawns-the Sun of Righteousness arising on the sinner's soul, with healing in his wingsoh, then he has "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness:" then, indeed, is his "mouth filled with laughter," and his tongue with joy; as saith the Psalmist-"When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing." Yes, he comes like the morning to cheer the weary penitent who has waited long, who has begun perhaps to despair. It may have been darkness with him; but at last it comes, and then he feels that it was well to wait, and that his waiting is infinitely repaid. The gracious knowledge and blessing of God, we are assured, shall “ unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth:" like the rain in those eastern countries where it comes in the spring-time, when the seed is sown, to make it spring up, and make the furrows bring forth the tender blade; and where it comes again toward the harvest time, to fill the ear with its corn, and to mature the grain and fit it for the sickle. Thus shall grace come on them that "follow on to know the Lord;" in the outset of their career to water the seed of eternal life, to make it spring up, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear: and it shall again come on them in their old age, so that they shall in advanced life bring forth fruit, and be "fat and flourish, ing." So that they who "follow on to know the Lord," shall not want either the rain in the spring-time, or at the harvest. And thus, not losing a full reward thus preparing for an abundant entrance into heaven, they shall be found as a shock of corn in its season, abundant with the glorious grain, fully ripe, and ready to be gathered in. Oh, let us die the death of such an one, and let our last end be like his! May we "follow on," triumphing over every

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