New-York tribune., 1890-01-13
SERMONS WORTH KEEPING.
XVII.
THE OCCASION OF DIVINE NTERPosITIoN
THOUGHTS EXPRESSED BY THE REV. wALTLE
N. WALKER, OF THE CENTRAL BAPTIST
IIURaI Il.

CHURCH.
The Central Baptist Church. in Forty-sccono-st'
between seventh and Eighth aves Is prospefihs uuc'
Tho eescient ministry If the Rev. W " Walker VINO
came to the church last october This Is MI Walker
er, nsS,orate A. he has recently graduated from the
Cbiraro Theological Seminary, but lie has aifeaoS
won high esteem for the able and eloquent sciloA9
he has preached. since he has been IT'S pastor u"H
new members have been added to the chuich ron
making $50 active members in the church at present
MIR Walker took for his text yesterday J. corinthians
i u. "For seeing that in tie wisdom OF Ooa 'Ic
world through lis wisdom knew not God, IL was uou
good pleasure through the foolishnesS OF the pfe~oh"s
10 save them that believe lie Sao'
MANS extremity is GodS opponpdityb by pifns Is
strenSth. 1t Is when every avenue OF escape seems
closed that through the nteiicrchIC 0l % nan nnIe,s
tSars is necessity for IT, When thrist was upon
earth lie healed any one VINO T1g1 ngrncS Uea
healing in any other way. lie never @ pcrIorH''I nut
miracle simply 10 display his macHl3u. po"yi ~ helm
when human resources We're eNnan5Su snS ~ heis And
from this fact we may learn lesson with IeiererCc @
TO the nature of Gods deai-& & ~1 th WorG through
ts wisdom knew not God, il was G0dS Soou pledNro
through the foolishness Of the preaching sS''
'I Had human wisdom suced to supply pEs.s mans m ne ne
tSSdHtf 1"t bwmsn wisdom was not sufficient. 1t
failed 10 meet the deepest nee1s OF l 80 te,ches
"t ,%e f,iIpre M human wisdom was the occasion
OF Divine interposition" And this IS the theme upon
which | Wish 10 CWclI lALo hIo'ii'''-'
THE NEED OF A KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
II was a failure 10 give man a knowledge ot God,
and so ask YOU to notice first that knowledge OF
God is necessary 10 mans highest weilDehs. We
ao not need 10 know God eXlaustively. for snch a
knowledge is infinitely beyond our reach VINO VI
Us could know the Almighty What finite mhu 'ou'u
grasp the perfection His character. or understand
the hidden things which belong to Him There Is a
true sense in which even to lis most devout dlsc!pes
l.
holiess into which cannot enter kno"icdIe ol
God 10 which we can never come. We may know i'"i
a, the Creator of this universe. We NAV hho" HiH
A. the Being whose hand followed out the ,ea' S.t @
established in their places tc eVeliSsun- NM hSven
may His handiwork IN te sIai Hci,,HVu i,' - '
and hear the ornament resonant with liis pTa51.
Eut these things cannot reveal 10 u, tc & Gn' t
Of Ills glory or enable us 10 uhGer>'.h&u & 'rc - ,
tion OF the infinite God. But II Is not upon lne IN n
possible knowledse OF God that OUT our iSe , lnolee
Is dependent. That winch We hceu .e - t.o. i'e,rt
which the Holy spirit gives u a generated Idrt,
Tue lae S' IS crtaI 10 salvation TAs knowled-e
Is not speculative but experimental IN IL hd'nFc; my
Of the head alone but @ Of me s@1 IA. 5 a. Of
him as a l,eing to be loved. aud trusted ana FNer-
enced ana obeyeq we vth aS ho' m ws1 are in ie
seas, His paths are in the great water. H. %
mystery Of the Infinite surrounds u. We may } nGi
see His presence. nor feel His hand nor near ii H.
voice. But must have such firm b. Hei ~ l III,
righteous character that even when the universe
gulf Of silence and yod OF Gatt> .,.t INN
There is only one being toward whom such Senit
ments are possible In order that W. NAV nave 'hi@
perfect confidence in God. must know thai ne, j.
possessed Of the sum total OF every ltt'eV''I' va "
nevnient in His purposes and righteous in all that
lie docs. Nay more, there must shine IN orr Z noS,,
the fire CLEANS of Gods redcmpive work >oheho"
men must know that sin is 10 hc atOned i0T' tal -
aemption IS 10 be provided. tia; dehver7nce iroA
condemnation is 10 be wrought out II NAV be onN
the dim knowledge of the early pariarch-. trust
ing in something which We do not uncer-iala.
q reliance upon the compassion Of one who loved Il.
with an infinite love. y may De- mercy ,aT "I
ask forgiveness for sins which We htF" coniiNtd'
hut for which we cannot atone >na Ngt t.ro ii i. ,
there must be not only the rccogniton Of lii' shlro
character but such knowecIe o, H tI"i linn s'''''
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD i DIVINELY GIVEN
Notice in the second place that this knowledge OF
.od human wisdom was unable 10 furnish. There j.
much which human wisdom has given TO hlha"t''
Civilization. the arts, the sciences, have te-H 81.
product. But 10 give man such a knowledge O. '''
A. shall enable him 20 come into r-h' relations VAN
his Maker this was something which = conld no' Go
~ +be Infinite Comforter the wl,c,i philosopher ai
teacher were as ignorant the humtl"st citld 10
The questioning Of broken hearts they could give 40
answer. To the dsrkeDed eycs OF IN bhiueheo III
manity they could give no rav o N-d' . ., A.,
True the world had II, Gcit->. bcl The c"racle' p!
The gods whom wOrsllpped ohN revealed "I'o
clearly the yiisble failure which human wisdom Mdu'
N peopled heaven with a tArons 90 dl'intG- ana
clothed Them with the worst passion, oi iht Aulntu
,se shrines Of sensnsity IDOL Of wood ani clay AID
stone only became the 0o!e'l, 'i ma. ~ws,u| &
Iiccnious practices were introduced.
The idea Of God became d.'9ioea rom .,ci VIC,
Indeed, the people seem never u nav 80.
spch thought with their conception q. IN. o'lU',
whom they served Rome qcLsd % iIr %rr TI era,
a Calgula, receiving divine hnnor- nom '.e siVa'',t
1nrsrI 9son FI e Sem 10 have Teen caCea when such
monsters OF niqulty bccain" inc "ul''tN 10 ""'0"
The world mistress, garlaudci With victory, tr
umphant over all her foes. If - call down upon hei
deities human beings who had waliowed in ine l'"-
est oesspopls Of crime Know tncle Neio pu.,yfoi ufi
depths as these But they spent their i've IN pan
thestic unbelief They stopped al Ihe ne s'%h M 90 90
true. You may take the create,t name, o; an'4uilN
men who have left 5 an dg haegle al % %gC tEey % have
,e cnnSention of cod I'm almost every department
edge In literature they were at least "nr c4D'I-
In ART they attained perfection u which wc cannot
anrrnximate But Of that knowledge which j, essen
tial 10 mans highest wellleinc they knew Infinitely
less than the youngest Christian child.
no clearer proof Of the lnsufcency Of human WI,
dom is needed than that which the history oi the on
history upon which that proof IS written is the -ad
dest in all the record, of the human race RELIGION
IS not only that by which men live hui iha by Nnh
thew die and upon whch taeir iutore hopes GeEend
And when rei-ion "no,n "','',.A ci.
virtue IL leads 10 wickedncsS ard 'me when ln-
stead Of lifting up 10 life with God, II drag lheln
down 10 death it is spectacle fsr more pitahlc
than tIe most pathetic tragedy which human genius
can create. Look the world history, ana hoW
many OF these false religions Do yop find lou can
scarcely count the number. IHerc arc fewer hNll,
rolling beneath the oceans waves than thefe are 2i
these false conceptions OF the Infinite And vet caci
has had it, worshippers each las had us lh'h-N .,
devotees. Truly has the Apostle said: The world
by wisdom knew not God
GOD READY WITH THE REMEDY.
We haze seen that knowledge of God is cs>cnt al
10 mans highest welbeing. and that human wisdom
utterly failed to give that necessary knowledge 20
mankind Notice finally that thi, fsi!ufc Of human
wisdom was the occasion ~ Divine in'crp1>uon.
God dealt with In view Of that which be knew
was certain 10 take place. lie did not walt until