On Acquaintance with God
Job 22:21
Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come to you.


I. THE PROPER METHODS OF ACQUAINTING OUR OWN SELVES WITH GOD.

1. The first step is to acquire a competent knowledge of His nature, His attributes, and His will. We need not commend an inquiry into the metaphysical essence of the Supreme Being. But a competent knowledge of the moral nature of the Deity is both. possible and necessary to us. In nature, and in the Scriptures, God's infinite wisdom and almighty power, His perfect purity and holiness, His justice and faithfulness, His goodness and mercy, His general and particular providence, His determined resolution finally to punish incorrigible wickedness, and to award sincere though imperfect obedience, are set forth with such plainness that the most moderate understanding may gain all requisite intelligence concerning His Divine nature and attributes. God's will, and all that He requires from us, is laid down with equal plainness.

2. A sincere repentance of our past transgressions. This is a necessary consequence of the former step toward an acquaintance with God. The result of our inquiries will be, that He is a Being of the most perfect purity and holiness. All unreasonable and vicious conduct must be offensive in His sight. While we continue in impenitence, we have the greatest reason to be overwhelmed with terror and dismay. But the repentance must be sincere and universal, extending to all the particulars of our duty and God's commands.

II. WHEN WE HAVE ACQUIRED AN ACQUAINTANCE WITH GOD, WE MUST BE CAREFUL TO PRESERVE AND IMPROVE IT, BY FREQUENT PRAYER AND DEVOTION. Prayer and religious meditation is the proper food of our souls. This maintains that communion with God without which whatsoever is good in us will quickly languish and decay.

(R. Richmond, LL. D.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

WEB: "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you.




Knowledge and Peace
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