The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-07-09

lion VIII representative government. and ID.
days are gone when unelean and impure men
when tricksterss thieves and men without con
science can sil in places Of power Here, then,
IN the gospel Of Christ, Is the great lever which We
must use for the uplifting and purifying Of the
nation.
?. believe that Christianity viii give to this or
any nation the real strength and wealth Of manly
men, because its direct effect Is 10 purify domestic
life. The family is the centre Of society Man
kind y not multitude OF units. None Of rs stand
completely BY ourselves-we are born into fami-
lies The family is the earliest and most potent
school, 1he lessons. the examples the influences.
the atmosphere We there inbreathe, these shape
our characters and through rs, the character Of
the community in which we live. Home Is the head
of the river. II it is pure the stream will be pure.
and turbid.
Do you ask me "what is to be HawaiTs fu-
ture p answer, Just what her homes are, no
stronger, no purer, no wiserF Your child breathes
the atmosphere Of your home. Il becomes his
very hfe- He sees the world through your eyes.
Your life and spirit mould him. Your child,
twenty years from now will incarnate your home.
And what is true Of your child and your home is
true Of all. II the homes Of this nation are low,
coarse, drunken, passionate. carnal profane, sen
sual devish, the virs will enter the very veins Of
the body polite. Water never IS purer, or rises
higher than its source. Your uatodal life will be
no purer OF higher than your home life
Now, il is capable OF the clearest proof that
Christianity Is the only power that hasgiven purity
and lovliness to the household.
The 6rpiily is creation Of Christianity. Rome
ruled the world when Christ Vas born, but she had
no homes. Says Canon Farrar: "FGniifia to the
ear OF the Roman meant a multitude of idle, cor
rupt, and corrupting slaves ready for every
treachery, and reeking with every v;rc. Il meant
despot who could kill his slaves whsii they were
aged, and expose his children when they were
born. II meant matrons among whom virtue was
rare, divorces frequent, and re-narriags easy. Il
nffern r. Ff~sr srF.s
insolence, cruelty seryility and sin" Now Christ
by his teachings, revolutonised all this. de gave
sanctity to the marriage tie. He restored woman
20 her true sphere, breaking the chains Of her
slavery and making her the companion and help
mate Of her husband. He hallowed childhood BY
making his advent as n babe. be took little
Children in his arms and blessed them. By the
tender care of his mother no gave yeneration and
saeredness to age. The Medieval Knighthood,
and the gallantry of modern pollteness have alike
their roots in the religion of Jesus. For every
thing of sweetness and light, Of happiness and
purity that there is enshrinec in the word home
we are beholden 10 the Gospel. Not by any sudden
and violent revolution was this change effected.
Had that been the case, the world would to-day
have been more conscious Vt its obligation to the
Lord Jesus Christ. But silently, quietly, almost
uperceptibly, the influence of christianity filtered
into the family and there, touching the national
life at its center it quickened and ennobed society
at large.
And this has beeeu its work in all lands, in all
ages. Wherever christianity goes, it builds fhe
home along side the Church. In proof turn back
TO the pages of Hawaii's history. Did Hawaii
ever have home, or know the meaning Of that
word, until christianity came and made homes a
possibility?
Now, if all this be true-if the prosperity and
existence of this nation depends upon her homes
and be also true that christianity does build pure
homes, then once more We are brought face to
face with the fact that here in the gospel is the
great lever which We must use for the uplifting
and purifying of the nation.
3. Once more: believe that Christianity will give
TO this, any nation, the real strength and wealth
of manly men, because it stimulates and promotes
education.
Governments must either rest upon good bay
onets or good ballots. If upheld by the FIRST, the
Government will be an aaiOcraey where the only
law is the will of the King or Emperor.
II there it to be any such thing as free
dom, liberty, and constitutional restrictions and
law. then there must be good ballots. In other
words: Liberty and the rights of man, must be
built upon intelligence. Protestant christianity
goes everywhere, carrying her open Bible in her
right hand, and the spelling book in her left.
Luther set himself, not only to the reform Of re-
gious abuses, but to the education of the people.
In fact it may be said that the literature of Ger
many. now so rich and varied dates from him.
Calvin did the same thing for the French; and
before either of them, Wiclif and Chauser had
done much the same thing for the English.
Tyndal laboTed for the day when "the very plow-
boys should know more of the scriptures than the
priests" John Knox, who was as great a states
man as he was a reformcr, set down school in
every parish of his native Scotland. Alongside
the church, in America, the Pilgrims builded the
free school, and laid upon the teachers desk the
open bible. ThOy founded the college, and wrote
over its doors PRO Christie ct Eocl STA ~
When the missionaries c1me to Hawaii they slsO
dotted the islands over with schools, as we'll as
churches, and to these self-denyiug men and wo-
men, under God, this Kingdom largely owes her
school system; and that power which first gave the
Hawaiians schools, and the means of education,
IS still the most potent friend of education.
Christianity rightly values manhood. She counts
nothing too precious for its right training. She
demands that the schools of this nation should be
sacred trust. That the nations treasure, her
best brain, and heart should be layishly bestowed
upon them; that they shall not be prostituted 70
the selfish interests of any party, person or
clique.
For these three reasons then: 1. Because Christ
ianity elevates individual character. 2. Because
it purihes domestic life. 3. Because it stimulates
education, / believe that it is the most powerful
agent to produce manly men, the source of every
nations real greatness and wealth.
AT the risk of wearing youR patience, add a few
thoughts.
l. We must learn that nothing will pre-
serve society, rectify abuses, preserve our
rights and liberties but the living force Of
earnest men. righteousness exalteth ma
tiOn-" II also preserves nations and liberty.
But to do this it must be alert and active, not
merely passive Some one has said. " IL il better
10 be than do" Aye it is better but the best thing
IS: 10 Doth be ana do
2. Philip of Macedon boosted that he had con-
quered more cities with siIrer than with iron. We
would do we'll to remember that coin is sometimes
more potent aud dangerous to the cause Of good,
good government, and liberty, than cannon.
3. No man Is independent of political and social
immortality. You cannot shut yourself out from
it. You will feel it in your home you will feel il
in your business. Evil influences crawl, like the
frogs and lice of Egypt into every mans parlor
and sleeping aDartment-into the bread trays and
into the drinking vessels. Every father who has a
family TO bring up every mother who has a child
to rear every teacher that has under his care the
young, every young man whose ambition is honor
able, every editor whose motto is not the dollar
mark, and who cares more for principles than
party or clique, every man who loves his country
more than his business or his fortune, these all
and every one should stand bravely for the right,
and boldly denounce and smits evil, and frown
down impurity. All that they hold dear depends
upon their success in doing this.
4. Let US not give way to weakness, cOwardce
or dependency. 70 the trembling ono who says,
=" Its no use everything is going from bad TO
worse r l smite him ON his widowed lips and say,
Peace, croak1ng ravenr' God still rules among
the nations. No nation with a mission, or worth
the saving, has ever persisted. God holds the
hearts Of men in His hands. The one thing for
every true man to do is, to do his duty bravely,
and trust the results 10 God.