New-York tribune., 1874-04-13
THE IMPORTANT CHOICE

"Choose you this daY whom ye VIII serve tJoshui'
chap. xiv, verse 49, He used the loho"'hs hne vi
argument:
Thero was n holy irony in these words OF the text.
Tho sneaker Joshua who had begun his career over GO
wears before Israes military hero among the savage
rocks of the Horeb region was now, win the irosts OF
century on his brow and the experience OF century III
his tone and tongue giving his last charge to the nation
Tho promised land was in actual possession; they
had occupied in peace and power for 20 years inc au
flowed with milk and honey. for the Lord had blessed
Them AT shiloh In center OF the country the son
OF Aaron stood Gods priesy representative anu
hard by Joshua the servant OF Moses abode the kngB
representative OF the Lord These two had been slaves
In Egypt and they could contrast vi7idy the
present glory and prosperity Of Israel with the
humble and unhappy past, and couid urIc
with feeling the nations gratitude joshua sum,
moned the elders priests, and officers TO hnal
interview at shechem, where % years before the pes
on entering the land had sworn allegiance To GOD Inc
aged leader took a prominent place, propaoy upon
projection OF Gerzm and recounted to them the STORY
of his life BY his words were aroused the gratefu emo
on and honest pride OF his hearers in the covenant
| which had made them the people OF the Lord. Iheh
Joshua urges them to careful obedience and watchul
ness against the sin which lying In wait to beset
them He graphically contrastshe service OF Jehovah
with the worship the heather gods, and tells them
with OF irony, "And II IL seem evil unto you 10
! serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will
serve :" if he had said II you abandon Jehovah you
"A
deiies the Egyptian divnites those whom Your fathers
discarded the gods of the wreched nations wn9se &
ministers Of Gods wrath upon them" The people
shouted in response, 1--WE will Jehovah for He s
our God" when Joshua brought moro ViViuly 10 'her
| minds the glories OF their God ,
| A few lessons may be learned by us from Joshua's
words lD the first place that when he says III
it seem evil unto you 10 serve the Lord choose you whom
We will serve" he does not add or else serve no one at
all" the very constitution or our natures we must
serve SOM gG, Dt bave hrsad some men have pre.
fnh hptig m
cum stances. Sudden peril or great trla has soon ue
veloped the fact that even proessed atheists were not
exceptions to the law governing the SO man may
hold breath for time, tut nature soon reaserts s
hing as Lis supreme end, and that whatever II may be,
is his god ne serves although he may not bow the
knee or say prayers to it, The seat OF service III Things
spiritual is the heart and whatever plays the tyrant
with the affections or he will IL truly god TO man
have known a man to whom the bottle was truly god
Is service drove hn from hcme and competence almost
10 Starvation driving him out OF every walk OF decenc
and thrift lie would cry out under the burden. anu
vet continue In the service. | have known
man 10 whom Mamnon was ,really anu nv LuIy 49, q
god. II destroyed his domestic happiness iie knew
II and sighed over it, but still served his god He spent
wears IN The hardest and most dstracng toll only Tor
he ruin OF bis children and his own growth IN hardness
No slave in CUBA Oiled terribly or was more un-
happy He tried 10 lift the yoke sometimes, but Nam,
he bent closely to his wretched labor These are
strong but IN principle and character they are
like all those WHO do not serve JehQVaD fIotsst ohy
makes the fctters gall more severely Men cannot d'
vOce allegiance from the Eternal God without the
enlargement aud embarrassmehts WniGn coWiS irOn
abnormal and unnatural courses or acuOh. whoever
dOes not look up t. God as his God serves ase GoG
Many say with sigh, d" ! wish were 'Irl'.lah.
They mean that they wish they could be as happy as
Christians, for II person really wished II ne would DE
OF orc Cod tA'' prefer 'u' 'S'''' ''''""' - ~
second II you reject Jehovah your God YOU haYe
very sorry gods choose FROM You must and do
make choice There are thousands OF special gods
but they do not satisfy even your own conscience BE
successful as You Wlsh ia your Efforts 10 OBTAIN HONOR
power and rcBeS, ana even then you VIII Do your own
condemning judge Your very saiStacuoh I win oe Dc
while the lower departments OF yOur nature VIII Oe
stuffed the higher departments oil your sou WIN oe "9r
rIu win their hunger. Your relations 10 the ln-
finite Ruler and Creator must press upon You IN spite OF
your industry IN trying TO shake OH helr Claims sec
ondy, the service of these gods VIII not give 9ou true
earthly prosperity. Itmly give yOu temporary eX-
ust Keep in a perpetual state OF excitement like that
drnkard in his cups to retain any sense OF ENJOY
eao' @ , - j vu he NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. or distracted ali
inc timc. You might well assert that can con-
stanty violate the laws OF health and yet retain a
healthy body to assert that man can feed on the
cphemeral eX elements OF the world and yet retain pros
Thirdly: These gods will Gy you in the hour of
your trld which to all OF us. They ma
eral gods; when need spiritual comfort, what can
they dO The heart broken with bereavement they can
not bind up. Tne mind embittered By calulnny and
wrong they cannot soothe The perpextie OF LIE they
cannot relieve. They cannot help the sufferer weary
with sickness ana tossed with PAIN The sinner under
burden Of his fearful responsibilities calls on them
hearers who fail you when you need theml Are you
ready for atctoni Are your gods going to help you
in the gloomy time when worldly excitement VIII Oe in-
possible
Again: these gods no furthtr tHan 10 gates oI
death The secrets OF those gates ana your heahess 10
them are only known to God. When only "a few nOurs
between aud them It may be 100 late 10 hnd the
living and the true God. The thought OF your present
service will ill you vita loahing and remorse on the
brink Of eternity. Etch one OF these false ENJOY yments
will be pang 70 you on your death-bed.
Finally, the whole matter of obedience TO God and
preparation for eternity Is matter OF individual choice
Choose sou the gods whom We viii serve. common
subtertuge OF the soulpressed to turn to God Is TO a
back predes uatiOn. on this theme many say call
things determined; cannot alter them by any act
nine" II il right to act this view why do yOu
act inyOnr personal and pecunary matters You
match burning on your piror carpet why hurry
put II QUIT Why not allow your house TO be burned
termined " You consider your philosophy OF predes-
tnaon very poor for practical use IN me relations Of
outward life Why make 80 much or II In your most
important relatiOns-thOse with GOdf III You stflVetO
improve your worldly affairs IN spite OF predesti-
nation, why not in heavenly affairs Your gross incon-
sstency VIII be clearly seen by you IN eternity ana bit
did not obey" You can choose the true as we'll
as the false the service OF God just as fully
as that Of the world. The gods you now
serve OF choosing. Nobody forced you 10
choose them any more than Christians forced
God. All franscendental metaphysics cannot
avail! the fact OF consciousness that and
would His whole Revelation with invitations 10
to him II were tied down by faith aud could
not come IL solemn power that each one OF US has
choose salvation and God and heaven or TO choose the
world and condemnation and hell. Every occupant OF
heaven chose heaven every occupant OF hell chose HE'LL
Choose you this day whom ye VIII serve" Inc re-
spOusblity rests on you, and yOd cannot escape ~
Choose this The preacher has authority TO speak
for the beyond the present Tue promise does not
beyond aud the invitation Of Divine love
goes further than the promise. Ihls day. VINO
responds
THE DAY OF GRACE.
TIE R,r TAOny'on chr Church (Pro,,idn Ept'pa)
M. af