Bible Review V15: October 1916 - March 1918 - Iapsop.com

1917 DISCRIMINATION 227
tain to this height of development by the attitude of
devotion alone. Knowlege also is essential. We remember
that at one time the Master said to his disciples, "I
have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them
now." "Cannot bear them;" that is, they would not
understand even if he told them. That same knowlege
that he spoke of is necessary to us to-day if we would
attain to the heights of Divine sonship and the dominion
over all nature.
It is true that the attitude of devotion is necessary,
but the fact that of the many thousands of truly devout
souls in the churches we know of none,
nor have we
ever heard of one, who has attained that dominion that
was ordained concerning man and was manifested by
the Lord Christ.
not a thoughtful people.
As a rule very devotional people are
For the simple reason that "devotion"
is very largely a matter of the feelings and emotions.
But the loving, emotional nature necessary as it
is, is not sufficient, the emotions must be guided by an
active, knowing mind. It is~true that the writer of Corinthians
stated regarding knowledge, "it shall vanish
away," but there is a
knowledge, a knowledge
of Gcd
and of his laws, which shall never vanish away, but
which will increase continually. It was of this knowledge
that Jesus spoke when in his prayer to the Father
he said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast
sent."
We do not remember that it was ever said that by
devotion alone however sincere one could attain a knowledge
of God or attain to endless life.
If devotion alore
were sufficient, many, many of the thousands of the
devout ones of the past would have attained to Godlikeness
and to the dominion: but as we said before,
know of none who have so attained.
we