If a child habitually neglected its father, and did not take the trouble of knowing his mind and will, it is easy to foresee that, when a difficulty presented itself, this child would not be in circumstances to understand what would please its parent. There are certain things which God leaves in generalities, in order that the state of the individual's soul may be proved. If, instead, of the case I have supposed of a child, it were a question of a wife towards her husband; it is probable that, if she had the feelings and mind of a wife, she would not hesitate a moment as to knowing what would be agreeable to him; and this where he had expressed no positive will about the matter. Now you cannot escape this trial; God will not allow His children to escape it. “If thine eye be single, the whole body shall be full of light.” Whence it is certain that, if the whole body is not full of light, the eye is not single.
You will say, that is poor consolation! I answer, it is a rich consolation for those whose sole desire is to have the eye single and to walk with God—not, so to speak, for those who would avoid trouble in learning His will objectively, but whose desire is to walk with God. “If any may walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.” It is always the same principle. “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” You cannot withdraw yourself from this moral law of Christianity.
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” The mutual connection of these things is of immense importance for the soul. The Lord must be known intimately if one would walk in a way worthy of Him; and it is then that we grow in the knowledge of God's will. “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.” Finally, it is written that the spiritual man judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
One Christian is in doubt, in perplexity; another more spiritual, sees as clear as the day, and he is surprised, sees no difficulty, and ends by understanding that it lies only in the other's state of soul. “He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off.”