Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-11-27

tue oOopOi bdo tiduticoliJ t"N~h iieN'' |
hold of the minds and hearts of men.
Instead Of the disappearance of
so confidently predicted, it |
has more than doubled its adherents in
the last eighty years. The story of the
cross has charm to-day that nothing
else has, The great themes of religion
have fascination still, after ages of dis
cussioh. The Revised Bible sells by
millions ofcopies. Farrar's Life of
Christ and "Life of St. Paul" sell in
the Seaside Library alongside OF the
most popular novels. Next to Fiction
Theology holds its place above every
other subject on the changing presses
and on booksellers shelves. What
other subject would have sufficient hold
upon the hearts Of Americans to cause
5000 of them to leave their homes,
and their avocations, and come up to
Boston and give week to its conside-
ration ? Yet the meeting OF the
American Board, and Christian Mis-
sions, was such magnet. What other
man, talking upon secular, or scientific,
or philosophicalthemes, could drawsuch
crowded houses week after week, as can
d. l.. Moody, with his plain simple
Gospel sermons
(4) And the faith to-day is Of a
better quality than ever before. 1t is
working for the criminal, the pauper
and unfortunate more wisely and
Systematically 1t pushes down to
reach the poorest and the most neglec-
ted. 1t no longer has its eyes so fixed
on the heathen in Africa and India
that it overlooks the heathen in the
slums OF every great city. The rough
and ready methods of the Salvation
Army the noble knight errantry Of
Edward Judson leaving rich parish to
20 into the dreadful heathendom Of
lower New York the burden and
necessity for the evangelization of the
great cities which the Church now bears
on her great heart the vast and grow
ing work of the Y. M. c. A. the re
lentless war waged against intem-
prance; the endless Kindergartens,
training schools, coffee-houses, and the
establishment of "Homes" Of various
kinds-all these things show how dead
in earnest is our modern faith for prac-
teal usefulness.
(5) And God is blessing his Church
with wondrous increase At the end
of the first century 100000 converts
rallied about the standard of the Naza-
rene. By the close of the third cen
tury there were 5000, 900. The fourth
saw the number $4,000, 900. In the
fifteenth century, the numbers had
doubled, and there we're 100, 900, 900.
In 1900 they had doubled again, and
there we're 200, 100000 Then the
Church entered upon the present mis-
sionary epoch. With what result? In
1880 the numbers had more than
doubled again, and there we're more
than 48o, 900, 900. More eoapsyts han
been made, and mere membeys added Il
tie Christian Chayches in tie last eight
years, Than in tie eighteen centuries tia.
byeesdedI And yet some people think
that Christianity.is losing its hold upor
the world
Nay. The Gospel is not losing it.
power over the minds and hearts o
men. We are following conquerinl
Leader, who has larger victories to win
And for the victories Of the past anc
the grander victories of the future,
am thankful
3. Tam thankful for all Gods P,0vi
dsaees during the year do not know
| cannot know what God has seen Fl
to bring into your life: This l know
there was much that was bright, ant
gladstone, and joy-brnging; perhap
there was much that was hard, anc
tear-bringing and disciplinary.
Z" Sometimes mid scenes Of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden's bower bloom,
BY waters still, DER troubled sea-
4 Still It's Gods hand that leadeth me-"
And for it all we will thank Him.
1 Many things in Gods Providence
may seem dark, and yet one thin
is clear: God Io0es rs and II
loges this nation He loves each on
of you, and seeks your best good
Plant the right foot of your faith OIL
that solid rock. And now let me Civ
you resting place for the other foot
In the mines of hardship, and trial, an,
discipline, God has put his brightes
jewels. Job never would have bee
immortalized in sacred song and story
J had he not lost property and family
} and health. No thanks to the devil il
J Saul for his prosecutions, but that wa
, the only school in which David coul
be fitted for throne. David chafe'
under the discipline; he became a
outlaw. But God held him to hi
; destiny, and he achieved greatnes
, through warfare, exile, suffering, an
peril Cromwell, in an easy-going age
would have been a plain countr
squire but in a time of wrong, an
\ wickedness, and oppression his heroi
) soul found the furnace-hres whic
smelted it into greatness,
: All here we plant our feet c
faith on these solid rocks God
: loving care, and Gods love an
J great thought for us in Deciplin
\ ~. 4