Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-02
SUNDAY READING.


strong appeal from the text, Choose
We this day whom We will serve - and
he tried to make US believe that we
had not made any choice, and ought
10 choose his way. Perhaps he was
right. But it depends Z good deal
whether we start from the point of the
theological school, that is, that every
body inside is right or from the
point where common men find them
selves. We venture the assertion that
very few preachers know how COM
mon men think and feel. No man
chooses the great responsibilities of
life. They come to him and never
say "by your leave" The general
responsibility CT living, no man &C
cepts or refuses. He finds himself in
Carson or San Francisco or out at the
State Prison, 4. the moment he COM
mences to think about how he stands
on any particular day, just IS child
finds himself out n the Orphan S
Home or in his fathers house. We
are no; called into council. Response
hility with all its issues and magnif-
cent promises, is laid upon man
lust where he is. Where 10 shall
live and grow up are fixed for him.
He finds himself born citizen of the
United States CT an emigrant. He
was not consulted as to whether he
would like this or any other country.
He is born into civilization, or finds
himself in a w:clliup, tumbled out of
q papoose basket into the midst of it.
Duties and obligations of life are i'm
posed. Sensible men face the facts of
life. Responsibility is here, not off
somewhere else. In this free country
man, who is a man. and wants to do
right, has TO iesd the life of a free man,
a civilized man. He has duties, and
he does not choose them,) of a citizen,
a son, a brother. husband or father.
lie may stsggor under them-nlay not
like them. Honest men have some
times wished they had never been ed
ucated. And many men have blamed
their Creator for their existence, and
have regretted that they were not born
in barbarism. And a man q: times
NAV well shrink from the response
bili,ies OF civilization. But there is no
chance for Sinking. We think the
preacher made great mistake in in
Guiding all on the outside, as so many
heather TO be gathered into the fold.
In a Christian country we are born
Into Christian responsibilities, and in
them comes our choice. 1t is all very
well to urge men "to become Christ
isns." In a vague way it is all right
enough. But it's one sided. There is
no choice in the case. As a man IS
born into the responsibilities Of citi-
zenship, he is born into Christian re-
sponsibilitiss. Christian ideas char
scterize the government, the social re-
lations and the home. We can't get
away from them. Christian words
snd prayers and precepts and Christ
ian practice "a little of it, are all around
US. Things are thus because this is q
Christian country. Church doors are
open, bells OF invitation call, bibles are
distributed, ministers arc around.
Eegiecting chem does no: remove
them. Disbelief does not change
them, and take them into account
with everything else We have. It's
Just tho same rs citizenship response
bility, we choose IN IT. We belong to
it. So we object to being urged to be-
come Christians as though it was
new responsibility which is not ours
until we choose il. We admit the re-
.ponsibiIity and think every man
ought to rise to il and in ii. We OBJ
jecs to being heathenized, when, with
out orr choice we are already Christ
ianized. Christian duty is to meet
life as that life is given. To shoulder
duty. Not to fight against what We
are or where we are. Men make them
selves heathens by Sinking the duty
given them, and living weak shiftless
lives, and shutting their eyes to things
unalterable. Our Sunday sermon is,
tina. of meeting the duties of Christi
anity as we should those of citizenship.
Instead of being heather, We are in a
way Christian and we are not to decide
whether we will be Christian or not,