Litchfield enquirer., 1858-04-08
Beecher in Burtcns.

There are few intelligent rcaders whatever their prejures who will not admire the following argu- ment and appeal we make the extract from Mr. Beechers address to the throng of business men as sembled at one of the monday prayer meetings in Burton's old Theater.
 Any man who knows enough to love his children, his father, mother, brother or sister has theogcal1 Knowledge enough to love the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the question IS this |: Do you choose to do it If we were to put this question to any one of you. Do you real y choose to love the Lord Jesus Christ ? suppose every man of you would say, II do" But stop, there is great distinction between desiring thing and choosing thing man may desire without choosing you suppose there is man in the Tombs who does not de- sire to be an honest man But he does not choose to be; there are other things which he desires more than that he desires money more than he does honesty he desires the means of debauchery and revery more than he docs honesty. There is not probaly man given to his cups in the city of New York, who, if you should ask him, Do you not desire to become reformed and temperate man ?-I suppose there is scarcely g man who wo uld not say Yes. He desires but does not choose it; there are other things he desires most, ind which stand nearest to him.
 Take any man who is poor, ragged vaga- bond, and ask him, Do you uot desire ricles, and hy industry, too? Of course, he says he does. But he docs not choose it, and you ca,,- not make him choose it he does desire to be rich, but he desires to be lazy much more than | that-therefore he is a yagabond. A man desires to be scholar, but he does not choose 1 it. bccau e he lkes his le isure much better than application. Almost every man desires some 1 thing which he does not choose. We are full 1 of desires, but we only choose those things that we are willing to give ourselves for. We go forward by the proper instrumentalities and take it, and that man who is willing to destroy everything that stands in the way of the ob- 1 ject he desires, that man can be said to have 1 chosen it.
 Now, put the question to you, do you de- 1 sire the love of Christ? Do you desire it more than your business, more than your pleasures, more thai. ambition mor than selfish indulgen- ces, so that you are willing to say before God, l desire it more than all the things in the world ? Do you choose it SO? If you do, know not why yCu should not take it at once. 1ou are competent to choose your business i; you don't need to ask any lawyers, doctors or AiuiStSlS Ill oIucF IO uO Lllat. Ou are cOiil- potent to choose out your own course in life you are competent to choose your own pleas 1 ures, aud you never think of asking any other man to tell you how to secure them. Why do you not stand upon your own power, or upon Gods power, which will work with your pow CT, and become a Christian by your own wolf tion, just as you become lawyer, physician, merchant, traveller, scholar?
 Why do you not take three minutes of pow CT and of choice. by choosing to become a Christian Suppose man should say, |" desire to make that choice today" the things he ought to put into that choice are these =
 First-I do, ill the presence of Almighty God, with all my soul det rmine, God is my witness do determine that will make His wish, through the lcve of Him, the supremest law of my life within and without. I will do that. Secondly-I do here, in the presence of God, solemnly determine, and record my deterrnina-
 tion, that in all my conduct with my fellow.
 men, will be goverened by the revealed wish
 and law of God. I take this to be the deter.
 imitation: Il serve God and love my fellow.
 men, aud in obedience to God will make that rule the law of my life" Now, how many oi