e's
self shut in alone with God. This is the trysting-hour with our Friend.
Here He will reveal Himself to us, and reveal our real selves to
ourselves. This is going to school to God. It is giving Him a chance to
instruct and correct, to strengthen and mellow and sweeten us. One must
get alone to find out that he never is alone. The more alone we are so
far as men are concerned the least alone we are so far as God is
concerned. It must be unhurried time. Time enough to forget about time.
When the mind is fresh and open. One _must_ use this key if he is to
know the sweets of friendship with God.

_The key-book_ is this marvelous old classic of God's Word. Take this
book with you when you go to keep tryst with your Friend. God speaks in
His Word. He will take these words and speak them with His own voice
into the ear of your heart. You will be surprised to find how light on
every sort of question will come. It is remarkable what a faithful
half-hour daily with a good paragraph[34] Bible in wide, swift,
continuous reading will do in giving one a swing and a grasp of this
old Book. In time, and not long time either, one will come to be
saturated with its thought and spirit. Reading the Bible is listening to
God. It is fairly pathetic what a hard time God has to get men's ears.
He is ever speaking but we will not be quiet enough to hear. One always
enjoys listening to his friend. What _this_ Friend says to us will
change radically our conceptions of Himself, and of life. It will clear
the vision, and discipline the judgment, and stiffen the will.

_The key-word_ is obedience: a glad prompt doing of what our Friend
desires _because He desires it_. Obedience is saying "yes" to God. It is
the harmony of the life with the will of God. With some it seems to mean
a servile bondage to details. It should rather mean a spirit of
_intelligent_ loyalty to God. It aims to _learn_ His will, and then to
do it. God's will is revealed in His word. His particular will for my
life He will reveal to me if I will listen, _and_, if I will obey, so
far as I know to obey. If I obey what I know, I will know more.
Obedience is the organ of knowledge in the soul. "He that willeth to do
His will shall know."

God's will includes His plan for a world, and for each life in the
world. Both concern us. He would first work in us, that He may work
_through_ us in His passionate outreach for a world. His will includes
every bit of one's life; and therefor