The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-12-26
Ante-Christmas Services
PAs7or cHu1As's oHErsrnls ADDHrss

PasroR CKUzAN's CHRISTMAS ADDREss.
The evening services at Fort Street Church on
the 2sd inst yFure well attended by an audience
dserly interested in the exercises connected with
the auto-C Christmas celebration. The exercises
were opened by voluntary on the organ by Myron
H. Jones, followed by the singing Of the Gloria y
by the choir. Rey. W. c. Merritt read psalm,
aud Mr. Starkcv and the choir iutoned an anthem.
the New Testament, followed by hymn sung
by the choir. Tho other exercises consisted of a
prayer hy Rev. W. c. Merritt; response, by the
choir: double quartette by the lady members of
thu choir; hymn, by choir and congregation
Christmas addross by the pastor; duet, by Mrs.
HaufOrd and Mr.. Starkeyi the closing benedic-
tiuu by the pastor, and the recessional organ eI-
eTcise by hr. Jones. Following Is the address
delivered by Pastor Cruzan on the occasion:
thank God for the angels salutation at Beth
ehCm, TO the world as II lay asleep under the
silent stars Well was 1t that the new lines OF
communication, opening between heaven and
earth. should be lines melOdious with song. Ride
at night along King street when koad sweeps
that network OF vires, and like hinge Eoiian
harp stretched over VOC, they will rain down soft
music, while they bear swift messages through the
gloom What wonder that Heavens JOY at the
Advent swept all the invisible earthward lines of
Gods love, and in sweet seraphic song the Glad
tidinEs voiced itself in the dull ears of men For
here vas a heavenly crlsis-a golden hinge on
which the worlds destiny to be svung-of
which the angels saw, IN part at least the stuPen-
dous meaning In the Morse mythology the great
rec OF Ages lglEasli- plos>otnS DNt many
a century ; and what blossom vas here-the
sweet Babe in the maRger at Bethlehem.
The world, too had grown ripe for his coming
Inc old religions worn out by corruption, were
trembling in blear-eyed decreptitude and tottorine
TO their final fall. The machinery OF gods and
oracles, and prodigies, was ereaking heavily with
force almost spent. e Two Roman sooth- h-sayers.
SAYS Cicero, can hardly meet in the street with
out laughing each other In the face The farce
vas about played out the curtain sas about ts
be runs down. The nations, brokeu-hearted, had
confessed their helplessness, and. as Iaciius de
claroi, =. were awaiting some new messenger from
Heaven. Filling the armament with the splen
did paguaatry Of cods and eoddeses, like children
bl0gInr Gorgeous bubbles into the air, they haC
seen the bubbles bgrst and leave them cesOlate.
Meanwhile the Roman despotism, 4 tremendous
iroa-t0Othed barrow, had been tearing down TIL
ridges raised by the bocndAries of the nations
/ each one a barrier against the nev Gospel,-and
uuwIittDgly preparing the heid which Is the world
/ t0g the Christian husbandmen TO sew where thel
would. The chosen people OF God, too, set at TIL
junction OF fhrfs Continents, and like the COLDER
milestone IN the Roman forum, sending ont dl
vcrging lines Of intelligence and influence over th'
world had beea II their planting Of synagogue.
| IN every city of the Roman Empire, building oct
/ ter and more wisely than they knew
] And no< II the fullness Of time He sones-f
| o 5Tbs Why! No thOughtfal persoa can bead
| with the Shepherds. over the ChTlsts manager
/ cradle without learuinS some helptul lesso-is-
l. And first, for the hnfne- Home, s1eh as "
have 1t, Is the product Of the Christian religion
Il Is true, the family relation vas honored unds
The Roman Empire. In its better days. But th
tenderness the love, the blending Of two lives II
one. the husband and the wife, No longer tyzil
but one flesh, and one in spirit too, Is pecuiiarl
Christian. You md 1t nowhere to-day, except Il
Christian lzuls- He1ihcniSnn, MohaTnInecarisll
| BfahTnAnisa, none Of these have eTsE giFen thei
foilgxe-s : home. where oneness and love rules
and EheEe the wife Is the eqral. not the slave o
the husband II Is meet that you garland yot
| homes next Iresliy with Christmas Ereaths- an
THAT roz hang the star and the cross IN your VIZ
dows for It was that first Christmas which mld
your home possibility.
, Bal more ih1n this ihc iiabe Of BethleLei
sznctiias infancy Before the Advent a yer
light estimate Eas PIT up1n childis lIfe. The
were destroyed without mercy sickly infant
we're regularly exposed to dsafh. Bat at last liz