Esoteric V10: July 1896 - Iapsop.com

162 THE DIVINE WILt .. [October
toward that of the Father, thn11 knowing his tboughtll and receiving
the guidanctl .
. In Bible hiatory we flnd many evidence11 of the working of
this law. ltead David's prayer: "0 Lord God of Israel, th~·
. ~~ervant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to
Keilah, to tle~troy the city for my Make. Will the men of Keilah
deliver me up into his hantl11? 0 Lm·d God of larael, I
bes..ech thee, tell thy aervant. And the Lord said, lie will
flome clown. Then aaid David, Will the meu of Keilah deliver
me and my men into the hand of Saul'! And the Lord said,
They will deliver thee up." I. Samuel xxm. 10.-11. 12. Also
I. Samuel xxx. 8 : " And David inquired of the Lord, 11aying,
Shall I pnr11ue after thi11 troop? And he anRwe~·ed him, Pnr11ue:
for thou Mhlllt aurely overtake them, and without fail rt-c•oveJ'
all." Read l{ing Hezekiah'a prayer in II. Kinga xx. IJ.6.
Tho~e who pray to God for help and get no kuowledge concerning
t.heir course in rt~fet·ence to the at1uompliahment of the
deai1•ed reault ha\'e pl'actically p•·ayed in vain : "Ye aak. and
receive not, beoause ye aak amiss." Let us not be deceived
into making useless prayers; but, recognizing the ptn·poRe,
knowledge, aud wisdom of God, let ua hold out• mind11 negative
to him, with a loviug desire to know and do that which i11 heat.
The receipient must, however, remember nne cnnclitinn,
. which i11 that of cou'Jplete cleclioation and l\b11olnte obeclie1we:
•· Now the1·efort>, if ye will obey my vnine indeed. and keep my
covenant, then ye 11hall be a pecnliaJ• treasure unto mc above
.all people." Thus will the Fathet· work thrnngh u11 ancl accmn­
. plish his wm·k in us, making us mm·e and more like him~elf.
Nor dnes this dedication imply giving up the jnya of living,
.as so many muler11tand it to mean. h it rea~onllhl., to sn ppose
tbat, as man gt·ows more and more sen11iti ve to that nll-