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I. IN GENUINE PIETY THE INDIVIDUAL MAN HAS TO DO WITH THE GREAT GOD. He has to "follow on to know the Lord."

II. IN GENUINE PIETY THE GREAT GOD HAS TO DO WITH INDIVIDUAL MAN, "His going forth is prepared as the morning," etc.

1. He cometh to him as the "morning" — full of promise. What a delightful season is the morning. It rings the knell of the dark night, and heralds the coming day. How delightful the morning to the sufferer on his bed; to the mariner on the ocean, etc. God comes to the man that is "following on" to know Him; puts an end to the night of his guilt, and throws around him the first beams of a glorious day. He comes as the night to the wicked; He comes as the morning to the good. We would not have Him come as the noon to us. He would consume us with His glory.

2. He comes to him as "the rain" — full of refreshing influence. "He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." What a glorious change do the seasonable showers produce upon the parched earth! they change every part into life and beauty. Thus the Almighty comes to the good man, and he feels it to be a time of refreshing from the "presence of the Lord." Learn from this the glorious destiny of the good. It is a "following on" to know Him, "whom to know is life eternal."

(Homilist.)

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KJV: Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

WEB: Let us acknowledge Yahweh. Let us press on to know Yahweh. As surely as the sun rises, Yahweh will appear. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth."