Many things depend upon temperature--the psychological climate
of the soul. Sometimes in mountain regions you will see clouds
gathering around the mountain peak, and staying there in spite
of a strong wind blowing. You wonder how that is. It is cold up
there, and the warm air, vapor-laden, climbing up the side of
the mountain, reaching that cool region, makes clouds as fast
as the winds can blow them away. Which thing is an allegory.
There are psychological climates which make clouds, and there
are other psychological climates which make clearness; and
cloud and clearness do not depend upon purely intellectual and
syllogistic operations, but upon something deeper by far--the
attitude of the will toward God and righteousness. That is the
significant thing. And there we come upon a doctrine which we
have only recently begun to emphasize speculatively, a doctrine
of pragmatism, a doctrine which Christianity has always held,
that “if any man wills to do the will of God, he shall know.”
And I fancy he will never know in any other way. It is the
will. One must “will to do the will” of God; then he shall
know. Of course, it does not mean that he shall know all about
the metaphysics of the Athanasian Creed, or the “Thirty-nine
Articles.” But it means that he who thus wills to do the will
of God shall come out into practical assurance, on the right
track. It means that he is not alone, but the Father is with
him.--Prof. BORDEN P. BOWNE, _Zion’s Herald_.
(3188)
=Temple Extravagance=--See EGOTISM.
=Temples, Christian versus Heathen=--See RELIGIONS CONTRASTED.
=Temporary Helps=--See _Shoring Up_.