The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-12-23
The Power of Choice.

Extract of sermon of Mr.. Loren NJ.
Reno, in the Ringoes Baptist Church
December 20, 1908 "Choose We this
day whom We will serve. Joshua
a 10.
Service to God is matter of person
al choice. Joshua here offers to the
people the several gods for their con-
sideration. Choose which one YOU
will serve, is his statement.
|. Choice appeals to
/. Judgment. 1t is so in all life.
When man chooses his profession in
life it is his Judgment that acts. When
offered tive opportunities 10 choose
it is with the Judgment that YOU
decide which to choose.
,. Conscience 4 second element
rules here and this may be called con
science or that sence of oughtness or
obligation. II friend offers yon u
choice and You feel under obligation
to the friend to choose in favor of one
of the items, this will enter into eonsid-
Grafton with Judgment in yonr choice.
II Man is n religious being and will
serve something. If he rejects the
service of Jehovah he will serve some
thing else. Neutrality and compro-
mise are alike, each impossible.
III. Let rs now note some things
outside of Jehovah which man may
serve if he rejects Jehovah.
/. Pleasure. There are various stan
dards of pleasure, and some men serve
pleasure under one standard, some
under another, None of them are
elevntiug
,. Money Some men serve money
by boarding their gold like the miser;
some by spending it. But the man
who measures everything with money
and labels it !, is 10 that degree scrv-
ing money.
,. Power. Whether physical, men,
tai, will, or in whatever form il is
manifested power Is some peoples
god. This estimate Of man is form
ed lby the power he Inns over other
mon. Their character ~ shown by
their definition of power.
4. Indulgence. The indulgence of
ones appetite and passions it the
height of some mems god
:. Self will. Some men and some
women worship the power of will. If
they have once wiled to do thing
they will do it even if man or God
show them they are wrong.
These things are not wrong in them
selves, when used in their place and
in n moderate degree, but when they
become god to be served and worship
ed they are made the rivals of Jeho
yah and Jesus Christ
". Why does il seem evil to serve
Jehovah
|. Because of misunderstanding
of His service. One of the greatest
MISUNDERSTANDING is in the idea that
1t IL be-llttleing to submit your will to
another. This il true when the will
is submitted to an equal or an inferior
but the reverse is true If submitted 10
superior. The best horse is the one
which has wholly Submitted his will
to man because the man is superior 10
the horse. That is largely what has
made the true Arabian horse prince
among horses. The MODEST man is he
who has been enobled by exchanging
his will for Gods will He lisa prince
among men.
,. Because of a lingering affection
for things which must be left behind.
We forget that those things are ro-
placed by greater Joys and we forget
that he is mean and ignoble who il
not willing to leave something or much
for Him who left all for us.
God has made man noble by giving
him the power of choice, and thus
making him man and not machine.
He has made him noble in the highest
degree by giving him the highest pow.
ers OF choice and thus placing him
above the brute whose power of choice
is limited. lie has enabled man TO
choose his eternal destiny. What will
your choice be ?
"The awful choice of life or death is
given,
What wilt thon choose, what wilt
thou choose p