1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

he tells us that he was made a minister to make all men see whatis the fellowship of the mystery which, from the beginning ofthe world, hath been hid in God."O, how glorious are these things to those who search for them asfor hid treasure. Truly, here is the knowledge of (about) God.Men in mining have lights fixed upon their heads, and they bendlow, sometimes prostrate in search. We need to be humble andhave our minds illuminated with the Spirit. When men havefound silver in the mine it has to be separated from materialswhich are useful in themselves, but detract from the value of theprecious metal unless separated. So the child of God, likeTimothy, needs to "rightly divide the word of truth." Let us, dearbrethren, continue our search after wisdom, which shall result infinding "the knowledge of God," for "it cannot be valued withthe gold of Ophir, with the precious Onyx or the Sapphire."The gold and the crystal cannot equal it, and the exchange of itshall not be for jewels of fine gold. And when we have found itlet us not waste nor hoard it, but "put it to the exchangers, that atHis coming He may receive His own with usury."J. C. S.====================R179 : page 3"OUR HOUSE.""For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle weredissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made withhands eternal in the heavens," 2 Cor. 5:1-2.From a not hasty but careful perusal of the Scriptures, we aresatisfied that the view generally taken of this passage, (with thecontext) by the nominal church, hitherto, is erroneous.This may seem somewhat immodest; we do not so intend. If wehave any light it is received, not inherent in us, "that is in ourflesh dwelleth no good thing." If we have apprehended the truth,it is because "He, the spirit of truth," leads us, for "the naturalman receiveth not the things of the spirit, for they arefoolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because theyare spiritually discerned." 1 Cor. 2:14. The Church is not toblame for not seeing before; how can one be expected to see inthe night anything more than the outlines of the landscape; butnow the day dawns, "let us not sleep, as do others," 1 Thes. 5:6.The prophets uttered some things which they did not fullyunderstand and which it was not necessary they should fullyunderstand, because they were for us; 1 Peter 1:10-12.But about this matter, Paul says (as mouth-piece for theChurch), "we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle