^ E. Hatcli, Memoirs, 187.
* H. W. Clark, Meanings and Methods of the Sjnriliuil Life, 21,
ST. JOHN XVII. 3 269
^ Knowing Christ makes us live as God lives, so far as that can be for us. Knowing Christ makes us live as God lives — that is the miracle — sets us into worlds where limitations and sorrows and dyings cease to have any meaning. Know Christ, and the wearinesses and weaknesses by which an unceasing cry is wrung out from the world cannot touch your true life to harm it any more than they can touch God's; for Christ gives you eternal life. Know Christ, and you cannot die any more than God can die ; for Christ gives you eternal life. There is nothing partial about the blessing Christ bestows. Eternal life is a thing others dare not speak of ; but He gives that because He Himself possesses it, and, in giving that, gives all. One may look on this trial of humanity and another may look on that ; one voice may speak a word to make this struggle lighter, and another may possess some secret to strengthen the soul in that conflict — Christ, when we know Him, does not patch and mend life so, but just lifts us away out of all these things into the eternal worlds, so that trial and struggle and conflict are to us no more than they are to Himself, to God. One has the secret that will make life worthier, he thinks; and another speaks the word to make life happier, he thinks : Christ bids us just know Him, and all is done.^
(1) Knowledge of Christ implies obedience. — " To know Jesus " — what does it mean ? Here is a guiding word from the Apostle John : " He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his command- ments, is a liar," Then how many of us know Him ? " He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not . . . ." Then knowledge implies obedience. There can be no knowledge of Christ without obedience. Without obedience we may have a few ideas about Him, but we do not know Him. If we are destitute of obedience, then that which we assume to be knowledge is no knowledge at all, and we must give it another name. Obedience is essential. What is obedience ? Confining our inquiry strictly to the human plane, what is essentially implied in obedience ? When one man obeys another it is implied that he subjects his will to the will of the other, and works in harmony with its demands. The oarsmen in our university boats have to subject their wills to the will of the strokesman, whose stroke determines and controls the rest. The oarsmen have but one will. That is obedience, a will attuned to the will of another, and without that attuning of the will no knowledge of Christ can ever be gained.
^ H. W. Clark, Meanings and Methods of the Spiritual Life, 24.
270 LIFE IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
^ And once when he was walking with Francis and came to a cross-way where one could go to Florence, to Siena or to Arezzo, and Brother Masseo asked, " Father, which way shall we take ? " Francis answered him, "The way God wishes." But Brother Masseo asked further, " How shall we know God's will ? " And Francis answered : " That I will now show you. In the name of holy obedience I order you to start turning round and round in the road here, as the children do, and not to stop until I tell you to," Then Brother Masseo began to whirl round and round as children do, and he became so gidd}'^ that he often fell down ; but as Francis said nothing to him, he got up again and continued. At last as he was turning round with great vigour, Francis said, " Stop and do not move ! " And he stood still, and Francis asked him, " How is your face turned ? " Brother Masseo answered, " Towards Siena ! " Then said Francis, " It is God's will that we shall go to Siena to-day." ^
(2) Knowledge of Christ means love. — "He that loveth not knoweth not God." Then how many of us know Him ? No love : no knowledge ! May we not slightly alter the former word of the Apostle, and read it thus — " He that saith, I know Him, and loveth not, is a liar." It would be just as reasonable for a man without eyes to claim that he sees the stars as for a man without love to claim that he knows the Lord. Without love we cannot know Christ. What is love ? It is indefinable, as indefinable as fragrance or light. Our descriptive words are at the best only vague and remote. Though we cannot define a sentiment, we can sometimes suggest it by its effects, and this will suffice for our immediate purpose. Love is " good will toward men." Observe, good will toward men, not merely good wish ; willing good, not only wishing it ! To wish a thing and to will it, may be two quite different things. Wishing may be only a sweet and transient sentiment; willing implies effort, active and persistent work. Wishing dreams ; willing creates. Love is good will, the willing of good toward all men, the effort to think the best of all men, and to help them on to the best. That is love.