St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-21
OPPORTUNITY.
Rev. c. T.. Thwing Says 1t is the
Measure of II RespOnsibiIity.


Measure of Responsibility.
Rev. Charles F. Thwing took for the
subject of his baccalaureate sermon, de-
livered before the Minneapolis academy,
yesterday: "Opportunity the Means of
Responsibility"
TeXt-If | had not come and spoken
unto them. they had not had sin, but
now they have no cloak for their sim
John XIV: 22s
So far as we have the opportunity of
shaping our lives, so far we are respOn-
Sible for their forms. Our lives are in
tiuenced by circumstances: but we have
the opportunity of making circum-
stances. If we make these circum-
stances evil, we are responsible for the
sin which results. If the blind man
who reads through his fingers adopt
work which makes his hands as hard as
horn, he is to be blamed for doing what
he thus knows must put a cataract on
the eye of his hand. If we enter into
surroundings and conditions which are
bad, we are responsible for the badness
which we thus make a part of ourselves.
If we remain in surroundings and con-
ditions which are bad, and see that the
door is open leading to surroundings
and conditions which are pure, we are
responsible for the consequent corrup-
ton. Our lives are to be shaped by mo-
tives. They are the moulds which press
our lives into some form. They are the
locomotives which draw them from the
age of ten to the age of seventy. To
make these motives high and noble or
low and base, we have the opportunity.
| care not what is your condition; l care
not what is your past: L care not what
are your associations; your motives,
you can make them what you will.
Yours is the opportunity in the labora-
tory of your own heart, to transform
them into noblest and grandest princi-
pies, aiming for truth, for duty, for
God; or to transform them into meanest
and ignoble principles, based on error,
and ease and sin. Here you are master:
absolute monarch. And, therefore, you
are responsible for your motives; and,
therefore, you are responsible for your
life, so far as it is shaped by motives.
The acceptance or the rejection of
Christ is great principle in the shap-
ing of life. / shall not paint before YOU
that the rejection of Christ as a per-
sonal helper tends to make life barren
as the desert, cold as the pole, selfish as
death, narrow as it is base, and base as
the baSest appetiteS. | shall not paint
DeIOre you lllaI Ine acceptance OF Christ
as personal helper tends to make life
rich as the tropics, generous as the
sunshine, broad as the earth, high
as the heavens, strong as love.
l shall not paint before you the life
in which Christ rules as sovereign su-
preme. L might compare it to the sun,
for it is warm and strong: but the sun
knows its eclipses. might compare it
to the stars, for it tells of hope: but the
stars fade in the daylight sky. [ might
compare it to the magnificence of human
governments, for it is glorious; but
states rise and fall. l will compare it
to eternity, for it is eternal. Twill COM
pare it with heaven, for it is heavenly.
will compare it-think not the simili-
tude is irreverant-to God, for it is God
like.
To enter into such life is our oppor-
tunity. For entering or not entering,
we are therefore responsible. There
fore, for the shaping of our lives, so far
as we can shape them, we are response
ble. Therefore, opportunity is the
measure of responsibility. ''If had
not come and spoken unto them, they
had not had sin, but now they have no
cloak for their sin.'