The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-08-22

Rev. Mr.. Forbes Sunday Sermon.


THE
Rev. A. q. Forbes preached at Fort St. Church
last Sunday evening, on The MErdere''s ErrHse,
taking for his text Genesis iy9; "Am my brother
keeper r Following is a condensed report of the
reverend speakers sermon:
We read in the papers the long list of crimes
committed; robberies, thefts, murders, defalca-
tons in offices of trust and the question arises
who Is responsible? We find on careful scrutiny
that the very great majority of them all are con
nected with fast habits and loose living. And some
how, through it all, up looms drink, drinking sa-
looms and drinking companions. We read again of
casualties involving the loss of property or life, or
both, and we find a very large number of them at
tributable to the use of strong drink. Again the
question arises, who is responsible And the gen
eral answer is Oh, intoxicating liquor is resPon-
sible for all this loss and misery. Am ] my
brothers keeper Let men regulate their lives
properly and keep sober, and they will avoid
trouble and ruin This is like the answer of cain
when, red-handed from the murder of his brother,
God questioned him aobut that brother know
not Am my brothers keeper 2
All responsibility Is personal. II Is not the
liquor, nor the mere saloon, however decorated
and attractive, that is responsible. IL is the man
behind il all who Is responsible. And vet men VIII
make any excuse to shift the responsibility. An
intoxicated man mounts fiery steed and is thrown
and killed and forthwith the POOR steed l. held
responsible for his death. Another drops dead IN
the street in the midst of a drunken spree, and
it is called heart disease or some other disease
And so on through the list. The blame Is put any
where but where it belongs and the truth is Gov
cred up by any name but the right one.
You are not only your own keeper, but yon are
your brothers keeper, so far as your actions youI
words, your example may affect bis welfare. but
the immediate actor is not the only responsible
one. Responsibility is a chain of many links, The
maxim holds true in morals as IN law, " the par
taker Is as bad as the thief" The accessory TO a
crime is guilty as well as the principal. Human
laws can deal only with immediate matters of fact
They reach only that which comes to view. But
the laws of Divine Government reach every link
in the chain and will trace back the responsibility
TO unseen and often unsupported sources.
What responsibility do you owe to those around
your
l. In an individual point of view YOU owe Your
fellow men the inspiring word IN their times OF de
preston and encouragement. You owe them the
helping hand in their times of need. But with the
word and the deed you owe them still more-thG
sympathy of Christian love Let your heart g
with your hand and your words.
3 In social point of view you owe to thost
around You the example of an upright life united
and unyeldinG opposition to all evil, and the cul
tivation of the purity of home life.
8 In a business point of view, YOU owe to your
fellow men the spbordination of gain to right
principle. Let them see that you ashor all sharI
dealing and so-called tricks of trade Just much
as Won do the open theft or the pickpocket YoI
owe them generosity combined with justice. The
common maxim, business is business" as gen
orally used to excuse hard dealing is both wicked
and false. SO also the maxim, Be Just befor
you are generous 1t should read, Be Just anC
generous"
i'm national point Of view, you owe heavy
responsibilities You as representatives of the
Christian civilization of the Anglo-SaXon race her
come in contact on the one hand with the gentle
susceptible Hawaiian race, the aborigines of the
soil Just emerged from heathenism, and on tn,
other, with the yet heather races of the South
Pacific, and the vast millions of China, as alsC
with the civilized Portuguese from the islands
of the Atlantic. These are all your brethren. Thi
day has gone by when men refused to acknowledg,
human beings of different color or Language
from themselves as their brethren. You owe it t.
all these as well as to yourselves to 10 YOUR par
| in conversing the national life You owe 1t Il
them to take a square stand for the promotion o.
national virtue. You owe it TO them to set you
faces as flint against intemperance, immortality
and evil of every form, whether in the howell or OF
| the throne You are each part of the Nation b,
YOUR very residence here, by your business inter
ests by your family interests You cannot throw
off the responsibility by saying that you are moi
legal citizens here. No matter where your techni
cal citizenship may be, your practical citizenship
is here, and it is your duty well your right Il
make II felt for the true welfare of the hawaiian
Nation as including many different nationali
| tics. You owe it TO them TO use your utmost ef
forts to purify the sources of government, and {,
rectify bad government, and TO sustain every hon
est effort of the officials to execute righteous laws
You owe it to this nation to let your voice b
| heard with no uncertain sound against drunken
| ness and corruption and beastliness, in higl
places as well rs low and to use your best effort
10 avert the ruin which threatens the national life
| Thank God that some newspapers IN this com
! munity have taken a bold and manly stand 70
| righteous government and good morals, and ar
| noblv battling for the right Thank God that W
vet have a free press. But YOU cannot throw OF
| YOUR individual responsibility upon the pres
Are YOU doing all that you can TO keep your hand
clear of the blood of this nationr Or are you en-
deavorng TO shield Yourself behind the murderer