Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-28
RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS.
IN ST. PAUL SUNDAY.

INCULCATEDI IN ST. PAUL SUNDAY.
How the Pastors Discharged Their Steward
ship--Submission and Obedience--Wha
Christ Offers to His Followers--How Shall
We BE Cleansed--The Shadow of st. Peter.
The St. Paul churches we're reasonably
well attended yesterday, and below will be
found reports Of some of the more notable
discourses:
First Baptist.
The First Baptist church was well attend
ed both morning and evening, the pastor,
Rev H. Cross, preaching at both services.
In the evening he preached from the words:
"And I will bring the blind by q way that they
knew not; will lead them in paths that they have
not known: giL make darkness light before them,
and crooked things straight. These things will do
unto them, and not forsake them."-42d c., Isaiah,
16y.
There are few things in which the deceit
fulness of the human heart more strongly
evinces itself; >than in the readiness with
which man allows the moral superintendent
of God, and to the ingratitude with which he
practically denies it. That God is the God
of mystery-that He is shrouded in dark
ness which no eye can penetrate, is the spirit
if not the language of a universal creed. To
the Christian this is especially true 10 him
the works of creation, the scheme of re-
demption, the methods of Divine grace are
full Of mystery; there is mystery in him and
in everything around him. And yet what is
the practical influence of this conviction
upon our minds, whenever God is bringing
us by a way we know not, and leading us in
paths that we have not known? Does it
make us follow Him more implicitly? Does
it cause us to grasp His hand yet more firmly!
Not always I am afraid. There is still the
desire on the part of the Christian to sketch
out his own plan Of life. He thinks that he
knows the way and at all events would like
to see the end of the way, and if he cannot
see it, his faith forsakes him; he thinks that
God is dealing unkindly with him and he
fancies the only cup of happiness which
earth has to bestow, is being dashed from
his lips. Oh! when will mems lips and lives
mite in repeating the same lesson? When
will mems conversation prove, that they feel
that which they would consider it practical
infdelity to deny, that God is "holy in all
His ways, and righteous in all His works?'
Let us then learn the lesson of submission
and obedience which is taught US in the pas
sage before us. If it be true that Goods
way is in the Deep and that ''His path is in
the great waters and that ellis footsteps
ore not KNOWN" we surely must arrive atthe
conclusion that our truest happiness is to go
with God into the deep, to keep close to Him
whilst we are passing through the great wa
tiers; never to think of venturing upon these
untried depths alone, or yielding to tho rash
know hpttor
than God can tell us, the way that leads to
everlasting happiness. Our text asserts three
things. That God often leads His people by
m undesired and unexpected way: 81 will
bring the blind bp a way they know not; |
will lead them in paths that they have not
known God leads us to infer that this way
shall in the end prove to be the way of hap
piness to them that walk in it, for He says:
'I will make darkness light before them, and
crooked things straight God gives the as
surance that through the way and to the
end of the way His mercy shall never for
sake us. 'These things will do unto them
and not forsake them"
God often leads His people by an unde-
sired and unexpected way. suppose this is
true in the experience Of all. The mysteries
of Providence which distress us most are
those which come nearer home. We sup
suaded perhaps, that we are desiring moth
ing at Gods hands, but what would be per
fectly consistent with our Christian profes
sion, and perfectly lawful according to the
dictates of Scripture. We know that we arr
not lovers of pleasure, we are not devotees O.
gold, we are not the slaves of ambition, WI
are not inordinate pursuers of any object OF
which we could not ask God to smile; why
then, may we not be allowed to chalk out ou
own path in life, why may we not be per
mitted to construct our various fabrics o
earthly happiness? Why, brethren! Be
cause if we did, we should be sure to built
them on the wrong foundation; we SHOULD
mistake sand for rock, and should construc
fabrics for eternity out of the perishabl
elements and materials of time. But God
in mercy, will not let us perish thus. H
sees us while we are early and late pilin
stone upon stone He sees us, as it were
preparing a costly ruin for the tempest an,
the flood Then, before it is too late, befor
we have persisted beneath the pressure Q
our own cruinbling edifice, God is pleased t
"bring us by a way we knew not, and lead u
by path that we have not known to
crock that is higher than we." There W
may build; and though the floods may de
scend, and the winds blow, and the rain bee
against that house, it falls not, because it
built upon a rock.
Marvel not then, my friends, wheneve
God is pleased to lead you by a way that 20
knew not, it may be by a way that 70
would not have desired. Life is full {
changes. Every day and every hour we liz
illustrates tie purposes and the wishes
millions; of millions who seem to think TIL
in this particular providence, the only aven1
to earthly happiness is closed up again
them. And all this is because they a
blind. They know not the way by whi'
God is bringing them, or they would Il
think He was taking their best hopes ava
One, for instance, is surrounded by relation
and friends who are near and dear to hill
without these he thinks life would be no lif
their interests seem inseparably bound
with his, and he cannot see in what sense
by what means their continuance with hi
should ever become stumbling block in t
way to heaven. And yet, in moment G.
'leads him by path which he knows n,
and takes away from him the desire of
eyes with stroke" Another, perhaps, b
an entire family dependent upon his in,
vidual exertions; their hopes, their prospet
of usefulness in life, nay, it may be tn
moral training for eternity would seem
depend upon the continuance of his heal
and strength and his power to watch o1
them with perpetual care. Yet, in. a N
ment the Christening hand of God is up
him, causing his beauty to consume away,
it were moth fretting q garment. A
what is all this but God "bringing the bli
by way they knew not, and by way IL
God never intended that they should knc
at least in this present state. There