The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-06-24
Home Missions.
LYDIA BINGHAM.

I COTTcSl II sta
Respectfully yours, LYDIA BINGHAM.
Home Missions.
The Rev. Lowell Smith, ID. D., preached the
annual Home Mission Sermon, in the Fort street
church, on Sunday evening, June Is, from Titus
HIS. DR.. Smith is one of the elder of the
American missionaries to these islands, arriving
here in 1888, thirty-eight years ago. The sermon
was a thorough and faithful exposition of the
great truths of the Christian plan of redemption,
and an urgent appeal for zeal in the work. The
concluding paragraphs, which we give below, af
ford a clear and comprehensive general view of the
Home Mission work in these islands.
In conclusion l wish to call your attention for q
few moments to the present condition Of our Hawaiian
churches, boarding schools, sc.
1t will be remembered that in 1863, Rev. DIR.
Anderson came to these islands, visited all the mis-
sion families at their stations, was with US during
our annual meeting in June assisted in organizing
the Hawaiian Evangelical Association, and the Ha-
wsiian Board, whose operations for the last eight
years are more or less known to you all.
The Constitution of said Association embraces all
ordained clergymen, both native and foreign, of the
Congregational and Presbyterian orders on the va
rious islands of Hawaii and Of Micronesia and the
Marqusas Islands, together with such laymen as may
be elected from time to time by a two-thirds vote,
together with lay delegates appointed annually by
local ecclesiastical bodies.
Article 4th reads thus The object of this Asso-
citation is mutual counsel and assistance in the great
work of prOpagating the gospel and to enter into
common measures for promoting knowledge and reli-
gion and for preventing ~infdelity, error and i'm
morality"
Under this new organization, our large native
churches have been divided up into small ones 30
that now, instead of twenty,-there are ffty-six or
ffty-eIght independent churches, with their Sabbath
schools the most of whom support their own native
pastors and preachers, while a few of them are poor
and feeble and need some aid.
Formerly the Sandwich Islands mission annually
received liberal grants from the American Board,
Bible and Tract Societies, to aid in printing bibles,
testaments, tracts, hymn and school books. But in
future we are not TO expect much aid from those
Societies. Hence, there will be annually a call upon
our Home Department for funds to meet the increas-
ing demand for bibles, ~testaments, hymn books,
school books, &c.
Again, there are several localities on these islands,
where foreigners have erected small meeting houses,
and have requested this Association to assist them in
obtaining and supporting a minister of the gospel to
preach to them in the English language. Through
the fundamentally of our former Corresponding
Secretary, two preachers came to the islands one of
whom has been installed over the Congregational
church at Hilo, and is with us during this anniver-
sary but the brother who was installed at Wailuku,
has left his church and people and returned to
America.
But 1 am happy to state this evening. the Congre-
gational clergymen among US wishing to do more for
the English speaking people ON these islands than
this Association has been able hitherto to do for them,
have, during the past week, organized themselves
into an independent association /; the object of which
is one and the same with this body, namely, mutual
counsel and assistance in the great work of propa-
eating the gospel to all who do now, or may hereafter
dwell upon these islands. And may the SavioCr's
blessing rest upon them in their efforts to preach his
gospel to the destitute.
The Female Seminaries at Kawaiahao, at Maka-
wac, and at Waalua depend more or less upon volun-
tary subscriptions to meet their annual expenses.
Knit W0uln InnnIra VVbpfhpr there 10 mt wealth
philanthropy, love and zeal enough here to meet these
demands, without calling for aid from abroad? Sure
l am, that if all the protesting Christians among US
are living members of the living head, and if all
our churches would contribute as literally as some
few do, we should have no lack of funds to carry on
our Home operations with vigor.
| wish here also to observe, that the Hawaiian
churches have sent forth several missionaries to
Micronesia and the Marqusas Islands, most Of whom
have honored their profession as ambassadors of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And | give my testimony that
the reflex influence upon said churches has been
most salutary. When they have been p~rayerful,
liberal and jealous in behalf of foreign missions, they
have themselves been blessed with the reviving inhu-
ences of the Holy Spirit, and vice versa. And such
will probably will be the case in all time to come.
"There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth
and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and
it tendeth to poverty Prov. 11:24.
"Give," said Christ unto his disciples, sc and it
shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed
down, shaken together, and running over, shall men
give INC YOUR DOeOm. Luhc OsOC.
1t is very obvious, that if we wish to carry on our
foreign missionary work with efficiency and for a
term of years, we must not neglect the home held.
If missionaries are wanted to go abroad, they must
be raised up and properly educated at home before
they 90. To this end our churches and schools must
be supplied with good efficient preachers and teachers.
The wheels of Gods providence are rolling over
and onward ; revolutions, both POLITICAL and ecclesi-
astical, are taking place among us but, am happy
to state, without shedding of blood. The Christian
work, so long sustained by American missionaries,
is passing rapidly into other hands. Most Of the
pastors and teachers now are Hawaiians who need
our sympathy, counsel, and cooperation.
1t is matter of devout Thanksgiving to God, that
hitherto the congregational churches have sympa-
thized and co-operated most cheerfully with those of
us who, from the beginning, have borne the burden
and heat of the day. But, my hearers, you need
not confine yourselves to a monthly or an annual
contribution in cash, to aid in civilizing and chris
tianizing this people. Located as you are among
them, many can. and some do render essential aid,
as superintendent and teachers in the native Sunday
schools and as Christian neighbors, counsel0rs,
nurses, &C., to the sick and dying.
There is no good reason why any Of us should stand
all the day idle. 1t is obvious to us all that the depop-
done for their welfare must be done quickly.
Some of you are in the very prime of life. To
such, yea, to all Christian philanthropists, the COM
mand is, go work to-day in my vineyard be instant
in season and out of season in the good work of
saving souls.
With others it is the 9th and 9th hours-but the
command is. go ye also into the vineyard, and what
soever is right that shall ye receive.
And is it not the 18th hour with some of us? It
is emphatically true of such, that what we do for
Christ and our fellowmen must be done quickly.
For, in the grave whittier we are all going, there will
be neither time or opportunity to work for the saliva
ton of immortal souls.
President Grant was 40 years old on the 9th of
April.
Australia has now fourteen German papers, three