The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-06-24

On cur part, than the first American Revolution for
cur rights With such a view solomon directed,
that mercy should he bound on the neck, as an
ornament, and written on the tablet q the heart,
as itself being the brightest honor and highest joy.
Could there be laid before Is. brought by angel
hands. the white robes and the diadeus Of the
redeemed in heaven, aud the fruit Of the tree Of life.
how eagerly would We take them (. Yet il is cur
privilege 10 daily receive these, and ret more,
ChriSt's own blessing, by humble ministries 10
others. Thus We might each day, out If every
event Of lie, Out Of the trials and Sorrows Of our
relations 10 cur feliowEen, draw some thought Of
Chrisi, Of hs patieDce, Of his love to Us, Of the joy
OF serving him IL love 70 his children, and thus ever
grow into the glory Of his character, and ever
receive the crown Of his blessing.
1t is the privilege Of the church to ;has rise 70 Us
highest welfare aud glory. There is one special
form in which there would thus be a blessing 10 IL
The words We are considering, teach of individual
effort with individuals. Of services to even one, 70
even the least one We are apt 10 think Of doing
good by large undertakings, by combining a multi
tude, by influence over the great, or by leading q
host bat when cur Lord moved among men, he
went humbly from man TO man. talking now with
the desPised woman Of Samsria by the we'll, and
now With publicans and lepers and sinners; and in
these days bis presence for reyiving bis church
seems 10 be most felt. where sometimes through the
influence Of reyiyalists, his followers are moved to
thus labor personally with even the lowest Of men.
Aud were there amongst US more Of 4 disposition 10
thus labor, less might be heard Of the complaints,
so common, over the degeneracy Of the Hawaiian
people, and possibly a remnant Of them might be
preserved, as a monument Of Gods blessing on the
cause of missions. No greater good could be sought
in connection with the quickeniug industry, now
anticipated in these islands, than the prevalence Of
such a disposition TO thus labor everywhere with
everyone. by which that hoped for prosperity might
be consecrated and made a blessing. Thus as We
were to make sacrifices for others we would receive
blessings TO ourselves. The hand, that we thus
would stretch forth in the missionary devotion,
would be filed with blessings to us.
Among the legends Of Christ's Sacramental cun
called the Holy Grail, which il was once thought
would bring peculiar blessings to its discoverer, vas
one OF a knight. who set forth in shining armor on
u noble charger, confident Of success in finding it;
and who is represented as having been met at his
gate by q squalid beggar, asking aims. Indignant
at such an intrusion on his grand undertaking, he
is SAID to have thrown him a coin, as he would have
cast 1t at a dog. Long after, he is pictured, as
returning unsuccessful, wearied, and worn, from
his search; and again he is met by the same beggar,
now asking only for a cup of water; and now
humbled and pitiful, he dismounts from his horse
and goes a distance to procure it; but as he gives
IT, suddenly the cup is revealed TO be the Holy
Grail; AMI the beggar is TRANSPORTED into the form
OF his Redeemer giving back the cup in blessings to ]
himself. Thus ever, as we turn from labor for
ourselves to that for even the least Of Christ's needy
ones, he himself blesses us.
But the thought, that should most actuate US.
should not be so much, that thus in our exercise Of
mercy we ourselves shall be blessed, as that thereby
we do homage to our Lord. l have dwelt thus long
upon the advantages to be received by ourselves IN
compliance with Christ's law of mercy, because the
chief objection to the cause of Foreign Missions
which we are considering this evening, is that bs
devotion to that cause we may injure our honf
enterprises.
Whatever may be said of the expediency
particulars measures for that cause, we must inf
from the truth we have been considering, that il:
for our good at home, that we Z
animated by that love of the needy for Christ's sak
which is the spirit prompting to labor in that caus,
and If IN this spirit we come to judge of its claim,
we shall readily see our duty.
As it we look from the wrong position the now
ments OF our solar system seem irregular and retr-
when if we could view them from the SUP,
they would appear orderly and beautiful; so those
which we arc apt to regard with aversion,
VIII, If viewed in their relation to Christ, sometimes
seem even attractive and blissful. With such q
view there could be no one so degraded or unworthy,
no inhabitant of the most obscure coral atoll of cur
pecan so debased, that We could disregard him.
With such a view the great Missionary Apostle eice
81 am debtor both to the Greeks an to
the Barbariaus,' while so far from the Greekstnd
having done anything TO bringlim \
under obligation to them, they had only ~perserted
aim and sought his life. But because of the innite
worth of Christ, he owed them every favor heDuld
10 them; and so he explained, saying, The EeO OF
christ constraineth US.
With a devotion like that OF his, our chief ping
n our labors of mercy would be, not so mug that -
We benefit our needy fellowmen, nor so mud that Z
We gain advantages to ourselves, as that we dwhat
'ur Lord r%ejoices in, as homage to himself By
ur own human experience we know a littlsf the
ceiling, with which he thus receives our serves, to
ven the least of his children, as favors to mself
When once a woman came to him, asb' 70 y.
le'' her ~daugbtGS .0ha-f"- a No -.
tofi