"CHOICE."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 78, 2 April 1900, Page 2

"CHOICE."

The ]Jev. A. H. Collins, preaching at Ponsonby last evening, selected his text from Joshua, xxiv., 15. The preacher said:—The words are often read as if they counselled a. choice between rival duties; but this is not the point. Joshua urges the claims of God, and there is not rational alternative. The first question in the Shorter Catechism is "What is the chief end of man'.1" and that is the first question in the catechism of life. A man etuinot use anything, least of all can he use life, until he knows something of its nature, capacity, end. Yet multitudes bestow more thought on the brand of tobacco they smoke than upon the God they will serve. A plan and purpose in life are essential. A man must mean to be a Christian, must strive to be a Christian, must elect to be a- Christian, or it is certain that he never will be a Christian. To be planless is to be powerless. Two things claim attention, and these two are choice and motive in religion. "Choose ye." From end to end of the Bible the plain fact of man's accountability for his choice is pressed home. We are not wholly free from responsibility for other people's religious state. But Qiir first and chief business is with our own condition and the choice we make. Go back to the very Ims. ginning of the Biblical story and you will see that all turns on the question of man's choice. Read the first chapter of the Genesis how.you will; call it poetry, parable, or history; it do«rs not y matter for my present purpose. The essential thing to be noted is that sin came by disobedience, in other words, wrong choice. But that implies the power to make a choice that is wise and right. The Ten Commandments, with their prohibitions and negatives, mean freedom to do what is forbidden. There could be no virtue in doing the will of God if man could do none other. The great, golden words of the Gospel, the diamond speech of the Saviour is cast in the form of welcome to a feast; but the invitation can be accepted or. refused. The gracious, wide, free Word of Jesus Christ, "Come unto Me," is made with the full knowledge that the invited can elect to stay away. If a man is compelled to act in a given direction, if he be, like the dumb cattle, driven, then it is folly to build churches, it is folly to preach righteousness, it is folly to punish vice, and as for religion, it is non cst. Make every allowance for environment, the power of heredity, and the force of temptation; but the voice of revelation is reinforced by the voice of conscience and reason when it says that choice and accountability are ours absolutely and irrevocably. Speaking of motive, Mr Collins proceeded to say:—lsrael stood at a grave crisis in their national story. Moses had watched beside the cradle of the nation. Joshua had led the strong men armed to victory arid possession, but his guiding, shaping hand would soon be removed. Would they serve the God of their fathers op fall dOAvn to golden idols? One can imagine the old man with the snows of winter on his hair putting the edse with soldierly directness. He wastes no words. The dialogue that follows is very striking. Joshua's caution sounds very strange to modern ears that are accustomed to feverish appeals to get men to say' they are "saved" and then report so man "conversions" in one night. He would have them scan their hearts narrowly and understand what serving God means. He would not count his converts till he knew they were converted. Sei'vice of God is matter for careful, deliberate, intelligent choice, and not simply the result of wild impulse or momentary panic. Carefully, deliberately, and with all the facts before him let a man come to the great decision. The Gospel means more than salvation from death—it means the adoption of a new rule, the importation of a new spirit. It is the beginning of a life that is rich, wide, full, free and endless, in its progression. Let memory speak, let Hope trim her lamp, let conscieiice marshal you along the road you should take. You can choose, and you can beat off and beat down the friendly power that would save yon. But is it wise?