Decision in Religion.

By the Rev. A. H. Stobo, Invercargill.

"And Elijah came unto all the people and said, How long halt ye between two opinions?"—I Kings xviii. 21.

When Cortes with a handful of Spaniards invaded Mexico, as soon as he had landed upon its shores, he burned the ships that had brought him and his troops. There was to be no indecision, no vacillation, no halting between thoughts of returning home and pressing onwards. Decision is an important element in earthly combats, and many a battle has been lost simply through the want of it. But if indecision be dangerous in the things of time, it is still more so in the things of eternity. Alas! how many are halting between two opinions. Just let me set two pictures before you, both taken from the Word of God, the first illustrative of irresolution, and the second of resolution in spiritual things. Picture with your mind's eye that mighty mass who have assembled on that eventful day to which the text refers upon the sides of Mount Carmel. There was all Israel, at least by its representatives. Some of those present were probably secretly worshippers of the true God. There were creeping Nathanaels, timid Melancthons, who, in those evil times, had hidden their heads. There stood in solitary majesty the austere and heaven-illumined Elijah, who had lately thought himself alone faithful among the faithless. There were also thousands and tens of thousands too indifferent to all religions to sacrifice anything for any of them. Many of them had, doubtless, taken up with Baal because that religion enjoyed the court's patronage. Some there were who were somewhat uneasy in their minds, for their consciences were not yet quite deadened. Many had adopted the religion, of Baal, because they wished it to be true, and because they were bent on the gratification of their lusts. Alas! is not this a true picture of the great mass of professors still? They are "ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth," saying with Felix, "Go thy way for this time," resolving and resolving and dying the same. With Agrippa almost Christians. Neither wholly one thing nor wholly another; neither God's nor the devil's; neither fish nor flesh; page 54 until the great Head of the Church, looking down upon them, tired and displeased, says, "Because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth;" because almost a Christian I will give thee but almost a pardon, thou shalt almost get to heaven, which is to go to hell.

Now, let us look at the picture of resolution in religion. Take two examples. One is of an aged man with one foot in the grave, who after the trial of a long course of walking with God, declares his unalterable resolution to persevere to the end. Joshua xxiv. 15. "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." The other example I have always thought one of the most beautiful and affecting in the whole Word of God, as occurring in the period of youth, when the heart is so apt to be undecided or to be ensnared by the allurements of the world. It is the noble resolution of Ruth (i. 10-20). Orpah sorrowfully kisses and takes farewell of her mother-in-law, but Ruth cleaves unto her, saying, "Intreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; where thou diest I will die, and there I will be buried; the Lord do so to me and more also, if aught but death part thee and me." (I.) The first thing that we wish to remark from these words is, that the lukewarmness and indecision of the Christian world are virtually a halting between God and Baal. Baal signifies master or lord. It answered generally to the Jupiter of the Greeks and Romans. It seems to have been a name given to several idols, and it is probable that there were more than one idol that were worshipped by that company of eight hundred and fifty priests who were present on that day. The question to be decided on that day was, Who was to be God, who was to be served, who was to be followed, who was to be worshipped? That is still the grand question. But here an objection may arise; perhaps you may be saying that you do worship the true God. Is it an outward worship only, I ask you? That is not enough. Who has your heart? that is the question. The heart is the battle-ground around which a war is raging. Picture in your imaginations that impressive and memorable spectacle on Carmel—the frantic priests calling for hours in vain—Elijah approaching at the time of the evening sacrifice, and the lightning-bolt that descended in answer to his prayer and decided the controversy. The minds of men have been lately much occupied with that great contest which has been waged in Europe between two powerful nations. Could you draw aside, O sinner, the veil of the invisible world, you would see a page 55 more important contest going on for your heart, or, as Bunyan expresses it, for the citadel of Man-soul. We read in Scripture of a strange weird-like contest about a dead body—Satan and Michael the Archangel disputing about the body of Moses. The contest is no more for a dead body, but for a living soul—even for your soul, O sinner! Who is God? who is to have your heart? that will determine it. (II.) We pass on to notice some Baals, between which and God men are commonly found halting. 1st. If Mammon be God, then follow him. If that be the god from which you are expecting your happiness then follow him. Be open, decided, resolute. Give him your Sundays as well as your week days. Keep your money ever flowing in worldly channels, and ever accumulating. Take a greed of barren gold, and seek the wretched satisfaction of dying a millionaire if you can. Be consistent. But, alas, if mammon be not God how fatally, how wretchedly are you deceived! If there is a world beyond the grave, a heaven which that has got no key to open, and a hell out of which that cannot keep your soul or save you, then beware! Alas, there were halters between God and mammon in Christ's day. Matt. vi. 24. "No man can serve two masters. . . Ye cannot serve God and mammon." 2nd. How long will ye halt between God and the world? By world I mean the world's spirit, the world's sentiment and opinion. Many are continually uneasily moving between the two. They dare not break with the world, they don't wish to break with Christ. They dare not be singular, for what will the world say?—they dare not be decided for Christ, for what will the world say;—they will go to heaven if any Lord So-and-so is going, but if he should happen to be on the road to hell, they can't think to part company with him; —they dare not in many quarters avow the name of Christ for fear of the world's ridicule. Ah! how potent are these shafts of ridicule! How many have been turned aside by them! Thus eternally faltering between the two, between the world and Christ, like a ship between two currents, they make no progress. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God; whosoever will be the friend of the world is the enemy of God." Do men reproach you? Ah! now that is some proof that you are in earnest. When you hear reproaches that is well—1 Peter iv. 14—"If ye be reproached for the name; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you." 3rd. Many are halting between God and the pleasures of sin. "Lord convert me," cried Augustine at one time, "but not yet." There is some Delilah, some enchanted cup which the devil has put into their hands. They walk in the light of their own fire, and in sparks of their own kindling, and so they keep circling and circling page 56 around that flame like the moth round the candle till at length they fall into it. Ah! there is need of strong deliberate resolution here. Pleasure has the voice of the syren, and well has ancient Homer set forth its fascinations when he represents Ulysses as causing himself to be bound to the mast of his ship that he might not be lured from his course by the song of the syrens. It is grace alone that will save you from the fascinations of sinful pleasure. Make your choice, therefore, and stick to it. 4th. Many halt between God and the love of self. Their own ease, it may be, is their idol;—they are easy-going professors;—that cannot bear hard service, to take up the yoke, deny self, and follow Christ. Like Issachar they are as the strong ass couching down between its two burdens, and content to have it so. It will be a long while ere such Christians turn the world upside down, and it sadly needs such turning, for it has got on its wrong end. Why can't you let alone that cry? We have a generation who hate intermeddling when the contest is waging between Christ and Belial. Again, many halt between pride or self-conceit and Christ. They love the applause of their fellow-men too dearly to renounce it for Christ. "How can ye believe," said Christ, "which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor which cometh from God only." How many are prevented from accepting Christ through the pride of their own reason. Are we blind also, said the Pharisees? Are these the only terms on which we can accept Christ, that we are to become fools that we may be wise? Yes! See the Saviour setting that little child in the midst of these wrangling disciples, and teaching them a lesson, which many a synod and assembly of disciples needs still to be taught them. Matt, xviii. 3, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (III.) It is now high time to decide this question. The hour was drawing nigh when the long dispute in Israel was to be finally decided. The lightning flame flashing from heaven was soon to show which was right. Judgment long delayed fell swiftly on those eight hundred and fifty priests. Sinner, the hour is drawing near, when this question shall he decided for you. God will not always put it off. Tell mo on a death bed which is which;—let that sinking eye, and that faltering tongue tell if they can, and they will speak the truth. Ye stouthearted that are far from righteousness, whose words are strong against the Lord now, could we hear your last accents you would tell. The judgment day will soon tell, when the fires of the Lord's presence will for ever decide this question—Who is on the Lord's side, Who?

• "The Lord shall come, the earth shall quake,
• The mounta to their centres shake;page 57
• And trembling from the vault of night
• The stars shall pale their orbed light.
• * * * * * *
• While sinners in despair shall call—
• Rocks hide us, mountains on us fall—
• The saints ascending from the tomb
• Shall joyful sing,—The Lord is come!