The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1883-01-31
Pastor Cru.an's Sunday Sermon
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A large audience was in attendance at Fort St.
Church on Sunday morning. The opening services
were impressive and in the prayer an earnest Pc
titiou was offered for the safety of the S.s-. Mr.
Cruzan chose as his text l Tim, las = Holding
faith and good Conscience etc. and after an
explanatory introductiye spoke substantially as
follows
The average of conscientiousness, and courage
to follow conscience. is far below the New Tesla
ment standard. Many able men in the pulpit hold
that in this respect the Church is going backward
that the power of Christianity tic restrain, guide
and inspire men Is constantly growing less. i do
not believe this Christianity now holds the heart
of the world with hrn,er grasp than ever before.
The world is coming higher in the scale of being,
and the Cross Is the great lever under IT, But the
duiest-eyed observer must this lack of consci-
entiousness. There are indications of weakness,
and among them: l. There has been within a few
wears \ striking list Of professed Christians who
have become defaulters and thieves Men who
have spent their lives IN teaching Others TO be hon.
est have stolen trust funds. 2. As result thee is
tendency TO make financial integrity not only the
chief of virtues, but the substitute for all virtues
). There Is a decreasing reverence for the moral
law in its entirety. Certain sins, such as intern
perance and fraud, were never more severely con-
demned. But men
-cempound for sins they are inclined to,
By dRmnius those they have no mind to-"
l. There is an increasing disposition to Affirm
that the moral laws that are binding have no pen
alties for the wrong doer-at least none to hurt.
We are asked to reverence method of Divine gov
eminent In which there is nothing to fear from
God because of sin, but which consists mainly in
efforts to coax men 10 be holy. DR.. Bartoe, of
Boston, saws that some preachers strive 50 hard
to make God the father of fragrant sinners that
they make him a grandfather, who really strives
with bon-bons to bride men 70 be good :" s. There
Is also tendency among Christians, growing out
of latter-day, highpressure REVEALS. to base
ligion on feeling instead of principle. All such
religion y must of necessity be poor weak, en-
ratio, baek-boneless thing. 6. And as the final re-
suit of which all these facts mentioned causes
policy takes the place Of pTiacif1>, as the govern
ING motive IN mems lives When money is cham
pioned by power; when sin, like Dives, is clothed
in purple and fine linen; when the current sets
strongly away from righteousness, then religious
mollusks say. What's the user They ask, what
Is expedientg- Caring more for popularity, or for
bread and butter, than for right, Pslicy governs
Like Judas they sell their master for thirty pieces
of silver
We are approaching a crisis in which, if the
Church Is weak, If men who profess to love the
right and TO govern their lives by it, do not stand
bravely by the right, then our most precious in
terests must perish What n the great need of
the Church, that she may stand bravery in her
strength /. The enthroncment of conscience.
Simple loyalty to the truth IN all things Let the
| question, What Is right = be the test with
which you try everything. .. Courage to follow
/ the Earth, said Christ. That Is, Christians are
to be In society and the state preserving power.
Bat what If the salt shall lose its power = II
ever there was time when strong, brave, virtuOus
men and women were needed, IT Is nov. II the
tide OF drunkenness and immortality, and sins of
all kinds which come in their train IS stayed, the
/ Church of God must stand great, living
/ break Eatef. We must stand by the right. We
/ must maintain and Practice the simple virtues
and graces of the Christian religion at all hazards.
| When the Goddess Jews the boldness of Peter
and John they felt its power, and knew its source
= They took knogiedgs of them that they had
/ been with Jesus such Is always the result
/ where Christians have the courage 20 follow con
science. defying the consequences