The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-27
sSncs to operate upon the, state in their own
CUP OF THE PASSOVER.
Rev. j. #. Stout ON Its Obligation ON
Humanity.


"The Passover Cup was the topic
of Rev. j. F. Stout's sermon at the
First M E. church yesterday. He said:
God chooses a cup for every man, which
in turn is to be chosen by him If the purpose
OF the Father is completed in him. That cup
represents as in the case of Jesus, his OPP
portunities. burdens and blessings. 1t is i'm
possible to separate the three since they
are divinely related. They are bound up in
one sheaf, and no one can have one without
another. The opportunities of Jesus were
great. He to have the chance OF CEN
turtles to wrest a lost race from the grip of
sin and death; He was to see of the travail
of His soul, and seeing its complete fulfill
ment was to be satisfied. having the con-
seriousness of having not only wrought the
will OF God but comprised a victory the
contemplation of which set the angels to sing
ing and redeemed men to shouting. His
burdens were to be as great as his His OPP
portunities. They included his weighty re-
sponsibilities. His disappointments, His
pain and unutterable agony-included His
life passion and death under circumstances
unexampled In the worlds history the cup
into which He looked in Gethsemane and
which He drank at Calvary. His blessings
too, were as great as His opportunities and
burdens. 1t is Gods way to relate these
things in law of compensation, that he
who suffers most and attempts according to
the will OF God, the most, shall have most
of blessing.
Gethsemane and Calvary are in the highest
sense waymarks in every life which is given
up to God, and this is not more true than this
other TACT, that resurrection and ascension,
as signs OF the divine triumph, follow the
down-going of self into the valley of the
shadow OF death. Jesus had no more laid out
for Him His life work conditioned on His
acceptance than Moses Abraham Elijah and
all the host of the redeemed This cup rep
sents as well what the world needs from the
individual to whom it is presented. It Is the
result OF the divine judgment as to what he
can best do to relieve the worlds burden
Moses is not to rule Egypt, though circum-
stances seem to point that way God can
find other kings for the land of the Pharaohs
Moses Mo is to lead Israel out Of captivity, using
all his splendid gifts to unity the people and
prepare them for their promised home. David
is not to give his life to the harp and the
words OF prophecy; he is to be the great king
VINO shall establish Israel on the throne of it's
power, and at the same time teach them re-
lance on God in all things political as in
things that have to do with the religious life
OF the people. Luther is not to be a mere
monk cuIt1vating a habit of introspection;
ne is to be the apostle Of the reformation
wesley must not be a mere ascetic high
churchman; he must be the great evangelist
leading coming generations not to a smoking
aitar, put to the heart of God revealed in
Jesus Christ These just as certainly as that
Jesus was not to have for Himself the king
doms OF the world, and the glory of them
but was to come to power by way of the
cross. What loss would the world have met
II any one of these had turned his back upon
the proHerer and refused his cup? He did what
the Worlu needeQ MINI to do, and so filled in
his niche. Whatever cup God prepares for
you or me, that represents the sum of the
worlds need of us.
!, me cup represents what is most fitting for
the man to whom it is proffered. mans
best happiness is bound up in his success; his
success is bound up in the thing he is fitted
by nature and grace to bring to success; SO
then he must listen to the voice of divine
wisdom, and drink the cup God chooses for
him. Who are the happy people? Not the
self-sa1sfied, the pleasure-sated, the care-ha-
raised, but Gods burden bearers In their
obedience, there is, in connection with their
sorrows t holy joy that is unspeakable and
Iull OF glory. Contrast in the pretorium Pr
late and Jesus, or in any age the self-seeker
and the burden bearer, and you will always
find that the highest, hottest joy is with him
who performs the part assigned him by
benevolent Providence. There is nothing to
cup of Jesus but the Joy he had In the
struggle and the triumph, so there is nothing
to contrast with human burden bearing. with
all 1t represents, but the conscious abiding
joy which is the outgrowth of divine favor.
and the triumph that follows, for says Paul:
I reckon that sulferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with
the glory which shall be revealed in u.s."