The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-28
LIONS. IN THE WAY.
Topic of Rev. j. r. Stout's Sermon
49, Yesterday.

Esg Yesterday.
Rev. IF. Stout preached. at the
First M. e. church yesterday morning
from the text:s THE sIothful man saw
eth, Thereais aillon without: I shall he
slain in the streets. ''-Proverbs xxii. Ia
In part saids
Then spake the Lord to Paul in
the night by a vision, Be not afraid but
speak, and hold not thy peace. for T
am with thee, and no man shall set
ON thee toslhurt thee; for have much
people In this city.-Acts xviii, 9-10.
These two texts present the same
teaching, one by Inference and the
other directly. The proverb laughs at
the man who foregoes action from fear
OF some possible lion In the way. and
imagination can make a lion Of any,
thing. The quotation from Acts as
serts the necessity of courage in the
work of God Bunyans pilgrim, in ap-
preaching the palace Beautiful" is
stopped near the entrance by the sight
or two lions, one on each side of the
path, who by their fierceness seem to
make impossible his further advance.
While he hesitates and fears, he hears
a voice saying, rs thy strength so
small? Fear not the lions. for thew
are chained, and are placed there for
trial of faith, where it is and for dis
covery of those who have none; keep
in the midst of the path and no hurt
shall come to thee" Paul is approach
ing Corinth, and in his fear receives
the admonition quoted. as a,.7 -s
Paul found, first of ALL as we find
the active opposition of the self-de-
ceived. There were, and are religionists
who are so builded in their own ideas
that they will not give the truth Of
God, as revealed in Christ, a hearing
In Corinth they were the Jews, who
had their notions of Messiah so firm
ly established that they would not ac-
cept crucif1ed Savior.
The second lion in the way is the at
titude of the philosophical school
Philosophy purposes to solve all hui
man problems by thinking. Christ aids
philosophy by revelation, including the
revelation Of Himself as the image of
Cod and the redeemer of men. He
affirms that the problem of Salvation
is beyond the power of man, but the
philosophers, sO1called, will not allow
that anything can be too hard for
them, and so insist on placing their
findings initIfe place of the revelation
in Christ Jesus3f and the answer OF
Jesus to- theo questions of the human
heart is the only real answer given In
all the cent The sneer of the
philosophical school is. still a. lion in
the way. hos s.
-es The Indifference of the masses is
still another obstacle to the servants
distinctions of the religionists, nor yet
for. the findings of. the worlds great
thinkers, but. oppose a stolid indiffer-
ence to the appeals of the preachers
and the demands of the truth as it is
in Christ. They, too, are preoccupied
with other things the soil is giving
life to thorns and so must the seed Of
IL hn oh lac
The active opposition of the vicious
is a lion that roars loudest of all.
There must be the most bitter enmity
between the gospel as represented by
it's advocates, and puryeyors to the de-
basing appetites of the flesh. 1t Is the
war between righteousness and un-
righteousness. The very announce
ment of the platform Of right is enough
to rouse to immediate and violent
action the hosts who live by and for
evil, and by the very circumstances
there must be opposition. The hosts
Of the vicious will organize wrong to
oppose right.
But as the trenches Of Lee formed
the reason why Grant marched toward
Richmond, so the forces of evil are the
reason for the active campaign Of the
sons of God The obedience of Paul
and his consequent success Is an inspi-
ration to US today. Look at the method
OF his attack and De mace wise IOr
your day. ~ -s s-sss1-5.e
Paul felt the divine constraint, and
who does net2 While he realized the
greatness of his task. the obligation to
preach the gospel in Corirth was upon
him.. and he felt It. Corinth at last
listened. Many Of its people believed,
and were made glad in the knowledge
of Christ. Stillifthe carping members
of the synagogue stood aloof Still the
philosophers continued to cry foolish
nessl Still the rabble fastened along
the way to DEATH to their danger indif-
h1e and the vicious, many came to
raved against the truth, and yet from
synagogue, and philosophers, and rab-
ble.a and the vicious many came to q
knowledge Of the truth and glorified
the God of Israel, and the work Of
Christ had gained a foothold in volup-
tuous, sneerfhg and wicked Corinth.