The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-21
REV. J.. f. STOUT DISCUSSES 1T AT
THE FIRST METHODIST EPIs-
COPAL CHURCH.
MIGHTY FACTOR FOR TRUTH.
WORTH ASIDE FROM ITS BE-
NIGN INFLUENCE.
THE REVELATION OF SOCIETY
In It's Weakness and Its Wicked
ness Made by the Almighty in
ISaiah's Vision.

Rev. ]. F. Stout preached yesterday
morning at First NJ. e. church from the
text. And 1. heard the voice of the
Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and
who shall go for US? Then said 1, here
am L; send me. Isaiah vi, SIS.
He said in part;
The vision given US in this sixth
chapter of Isaiah, from which the text
is taken, is one Of the most splendid of
ali those found in the Bible. 1t is an
attempt to transfer to us the impress
sion. al least of him to whom has come
a revelation OF Ged He has no ade-
Quate language in which to express
the facts borne in upon his inner life,
hence he can only employ symbols
that at their best can but poorly carry
the load of truth intrusted to them.
From his vision, related in the richest
language possible, we are given dou-
BILE revelation, one of God Himself, and
one of man. God is shown first in His
relations, surrounded by the exalted
angel hosts who haste to do His will,
and is described as well as human Ian
guage can depict that which is, by it's
very nature, beyond it.
The second revelation is that which
more nearly concerns US at this hour,
that which shows us humanity in such
q light that we can understand the
better the mysteries of our own hearts
and the obligations that rest upon us
as a consequence of the facts revealed.
1t is our purpose to follow the outline
of the vision in giving emphasis to the
truths taught in it. 1. The vision first
of all declares that in his own sight,
when he is in the presence Of God, man
is unworthy. When the prophet has
seen God he can but cry, Woe is me,
for I am a man of unclean lips, and
dwell in the midst of people of I'M
clean lips; for mine eyes have seen the
King, the Lord of Hosts" The Chris
tlan he to whom, in answer to the
conservation of self and the prayer Of
faith, God has revealed Himself ac-
cording to His promise, finds like
realizati Whatever he had pos
sessed of vanity, with reference to
his own purity, is swept away when
he comes to contrast himself with God
in this new revelation of himself. In
deed. human worth in itself is not
large factor in the establishment or
growth of the Kingdom of God. If we
had been left alone we had shown but
little that would have commended our
effort. We should never have listened
to DaVid'S psalms nor been entranced
by the stately measures of Job; tins
sun would not have stood still at the
command of joshua nor the walls OF
pets: the Red sea had never opened
10 the rod of Moses, nor the law found
It's way to earth through Sinai; the
lions mouths would not have been
closed to saVe-a Daniel, nor the fire
yielded up its prey from the furnace
into which the three Hebrews were
thrust; the three thousand would not
have cried for mercy at the preaching
of Peter. nor the Gentle world been
shaken at the voice of Paul. Indeed,
1t seems to be the divine plan to re-
veal unworthineSs- by glimpse given
to mcrtals of Himself that men might
see themselves, and so be constrained
to cast themselves on His mercy, that
they might be filled with His power
In the world self-cOnfidence Is at
premium, and by it many Of the
worlds marve1s are wrought, but in
the Kingdom of God self-denial Is at
a premium. and here the marvels are
wrought through reliance on God.
In connection with this revelation
is one on the uncleanness OF human
society. There is no help in the world
itself, for the man of God, that will
aid him to be like God and accom-
plish His work. I'VE dwell, indeed, in
the midst of a people of unclean lips"
When we call to mind the exalted
standards set by God for His children,
and remember the holiness of God
how all our earth methods have been
rendered unclean through human self
ishness. Not by the wisdom of this
world. evolved as it has been by the
digested thought of the centuries, is
the Son of God to be made a work
man that shall not be ashamed but
by method all Gods own. The fail
ure of the human method can be seen
to have been the direct result of the
clashing of conflicting human interests,
for so are the objects of our greed
named. There is, indeed, a universal
cry for something better at work in
the world than the earth method.
,. After the revelation of himself
there is one given of mans need, which
is for divine enduement. While the
prophet stands trembling and aston
ished at the revelation of God and
self, he beholds this marvel; "Then flew
one of the Seraphim unto me, having
live coal in his hand, which he had
taken with the tongs from off the al
tar; and he laid it upon my mouth,
and said, Lo this hath touched thy
lips, and thine iniquity is taken away,
and thy sin is purged." He has made
no change in himself. he is the same
unworthy man, but something has
been wrought IN him; he has received
the gift of God. This is but the Old
Testament way of telling New Tes-
lament truth. The touch Of the coal
is the paptlSm or the Holy Ghost. 1t
ushers him into q new experience, a
new consciousness. He does not less
depreciate the old self, but he appre-
ciates the new forgiven, neaven-pos-
sessed nature, which is the gift of God
10 him, as result of his own conse-.
Grafton 70 God. This is the one nee
essary preparation for the work of
God.
8. Following this is a revelation Of
world need. No sooner IS he con
scious of the touch of the coal than
Re hears the voice of the Lord saying:
Whom shall 1 send, and who win 20
for us % This is the Lords invita-.
ton for volunteers, FOR by these only
can his work be done All tGat has
been revealed hitherto has been ire.
paratory to this great work of mes
sage bearing for God II lS He 60