The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-04
DECISIVE POINTS.
Rev. DIR. Stebbins' Sermon on
Lies Turning Places.
Awakening CT Conscience and Human Eyrc-
cracy the Stumbling Blocks-Edmitted
to the Fellowship OF Churches.

The Mission Unitarian Church on
Twenty-frst and Howard streets. was the
scene last night of praise service, IN
which Rev. DR.. HoratiO Stebbins welcomed
1t into the fellowship of churches. Dr.
Stebbins preached from the text;
And II 1t seem evil unto we TO serve the Lord,
choose we this day whom ye Will serve AS Tor
me ana my household, we will serve the Lord.
While the great leader. who made this
plea" said DIR. Stebbins, "was often
harassed by the wavering of his followers,
he was firm in his deciSiOn-a great reQul-
site for any leader on any plan of action.
sui each and every one Of us has often had
10 answer such questions and decide forever
the future of our soul. Each soul has asked
the questions, What will you do? Which
road Will you take?
BY EXAMPLE, NOT PRECEPT.
L wish to show a couple of the decisive
points of life. SinguIarly, the first one is
when the conscience first speaks; and at
this point, let NE say, it does not do to be
TOO severe to children. They should not be
appealed TO as responsible beings at first,
1or II forced. the children, in deciding the
questions OF right and wrong put them,
often settle them TO their doom. Look after
their health; see to their innocence of
them subordination to their parents and
teachers; let them fail into good habits by
example rather than by precept Children
GO much that is wrong, but 1t Is because
they are innocent that their deeds are not
crimes. 1t is when they grow thoughtful
wien they put their deeper selves into their
actlOnS-that they become matters OF con-
Germ. 1t is the deliberate acts-th0se that
cannot be cunfeSsed-that stamp the moral
character.
THE FIRST STEP.
The first deliberate lie is the first step
toward evil. The first theft be 1t ever SO
small, Is not long in following. Have you
ever forgotten the moment when you had
to choose between God and duty and the
ways OF fun and convenience? Those are
the crises of youth. Ia few years We ar
rive at manhood and wOmanhoOd, when we
are thrown on our own resources; when we
are forced TO go forth TO the task our eduea--
ton has prepared US. Then we are Tree
free! free! The boy who pants for Il
really pants for freedom. and if his habits
include the riehtful use Of money and
abstalnng from pleasures OF doubtful good
lie cannot go far aStray.
II do not say that when we become free
we are bound the pursue the course laid
down by parental pTecept Perhaps we
have Outgrown it. Learn their teachings IL
you will, you still have God and duty to
meet. So | reitcrate let the education Of
nv ON'ti SH w AiEhb b"o''S i.Ae"NA
than cOdllylng any system OF ethics III i'll
youth ore has been overwOTked or under
worked, If he has had too much money with
too little care of how he spends it, or too
little money and too much care of how he
invested it. VIII, Il free he will be lazy, or
protlgate, or StiDgy, no matter how many
precepts have been dinned into his ears.
SHOCKED BY HYPOCRISY.
Another period when he has 10 decide is
middle-life. 1t is the most dangerous Pc
rod Of all. 1t is when he sees the mean
ness and hypocrisy the villainy and crime
among men when he is tempted 10 regulate
his career by public opinion; he has arrived
at the pit where the majority of men sink
their souls in perdtIon. We 20 out expect
ing to fnd high principles in those we meet.
What, then, is the shock we experience
when we realize the chimera. More fall
and perish on this rock than any other. 1t
is the darkest day Of mans life, when he
says: Vanity, vanity; all is vanity. The
world is a cheat; conscience is a supersti-
ton; God is name under which men lump
their ignorance
GOD IS MAJORITY.
''Then ensues a period of calculation in
which the voice Of conscience is silenced,
while the question Of action is decided to
the degradation of Will and spirit. When
we say we will consult the average of hui
man actions and 20 over TO what seems the
winning side, we forget that God is ma
iorty."
rev Mr.. Van Ness (after the sermon)