The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-24
WISDOM OF GOD.
Rev. j. F. Stout ON Paul's Conception
of 1t.

Js -
Rev. J. Frank Stout, D. D., preached
at First M. E. church yesterday morn
ing, taking for his subject, 'The Wis
dom of Cod" A short synopsis Of the
sermon follows:
The text was: ooh the depth Of the
riches, both of the wisdom and know
ledge of God"-Rom. XII. 80. This
passage Of Scripture, he said, Is one
Of the ecstatic and poetic EXPLANATIONS
which mark the writings Of the great
apostle Paul. 1t is hard to follow his
argument of contrast between the Jew
and Gentle, which precedes the text,
and, in the light of present Christian
thought, discern its full force as he
seems to feel it. but we can all appre-
ciate the exclamation growing out OF
his own inner apprehension Of the gos-
pei which includes both Jew and Greek.
There is a definite contrast implied III
the text and stated elsewhere between
the wisdom Of man and God. The Wis
dom of man is fooliShness to GOD, and
the wisdom Of God is foolishness to
man; the wisdom of man is limited by
his lack of knowledge concerning the
external world while the wisdom OF
God is founded on absolute knowledge
of all conditions and relations; that or
man is based on mistaken notions con-
corning himself, while that of God Is
based, not only on absolute knowledge
of the human heart, but also ON that
practical experience in the flesh, gained
in the living and dying Of the Son OF
God. That of man has for its purpose
the advance and advantage OF the SELF,
on the assumption that his welfare
must depend on his own cunning and
force, while that Of God has for its
end the sinking of self, as showed In
the life of Jesus among men, that life
which is pattern life for all; that Of
man has for it's method an endless
struggle to empty into self all the bless
| ings and favors Of earth, while that OF
God demands that he shall give him
self to service with such ideals as shall
exalt service above personal greatness;
that of man unlocks all difficulties with
aggressive self-centered effort, while
that of God attempts the same with the
| conservation of self. One only is right.
| Victory is only with the processes OF
| the wisdom Of God.
That the wisdom Of God can furnish
| the only safe rule Of life appears from
| the facts that God has a complete and
unlimited outlook on life, that human
| experience in all the generations has
proved the folly Of the processes of the
wisdom of men, and that Jesus himself
turned away from all the wiles Of
temptation which united to turn him
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the method of God as his path to vic
tory The wisdom of God is identified
by Paul with the cross, and the cross
with the gospel, so that we can study
some Of the factors which make up
| that wisdom which is declared for our
use. One basal fact to be remembered
is the divine teaching, "All things are
for your sakes." Man is the object OF
| divine love and care, and the wisdom
| of God is declared in all it's particulars
| in his interest. The gospel estimate Of
sin as soul poison is an expression Of
| divine wisdom Of the highest order,
and the teaching that righteousness
represents for man the highest good
| and glory is worthy Of all credence.
| The browning fact of wisdom is found
in the motive which is declared in the
gospel to be all-dominant, the motive
| Of love- The evolution of this motive
is the story Of the gospel. The Christ
| life and death give us picture of love
| in action, impelling, as motive force,
| this greatest conceivable soul. that Of
| Jesus Christ, through inconceivable
| crises of -abnegation and suffering
| in the pursuit Of one great object-the
| salvation of men. This same love is
| offered as a motive to any one who will
| receive 1t by Him who is the source
and inspiration Of love and power. 1t
| appeals to that which IL least wrecked