The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-05-18
Bethel Union Church Services.

Hearing and Doing was the theme yes
terday morning at this church, Rev. E. C
Oggel, the pastor, offlcia ting. The text wa:
the 22d verse of the LIST chapter of James
"But be We doors of the word, and no
hearers only" The following is an out
lIine of the sermon: Belief is one thing, and
practice is another Both are essen tiaI
The same is true of hearing and doing
There is in our day quite a disposition t.
hear. OF this we are glad, for hearing il
necessary. But is there no danger of toe
much hearing and too little doing? The
practical work of religion is important I
lean be done al once. There is no recession
! no backward movement of time. A child i:
Ia child but once; so with the middle-aged
and the old. So it is with life. Wasted
time and neglected opportunities will never
return.
First Hearing. By Divine appoin tment
we have one day in seven for rest and wor
zship. Let us thank God for the Sabbath
In the year 1882 the British House of Com
mons appointed committee to investigate
the effects of laboring seven days in the
week, as compared with those of laboring
only six, and resting one. They examined a
mum Der of witnesses of various professions
land employments. Among these was DR..
Fare, of London, an eminent and expert
fenced physician, whose testimony in sub
Estance was this 90 The ordinary exertions
sof man run down the circulation every day
1 of his life; and the first general law of ma
/ ture, by which God prevents man from
destroying himself is the alternating Of
sday and night, that repose may succeed
faction. But, although the night apparently
sequalizes the circulation, yet 1t does not suf-
Efficiently restore its balance for the attain
rnent of long life. Hence, by the bounty
1 of Providence, one day in seven is thrown
in as day of compensation to perfect by
it's repose the animal system This is said
of course of the body, and is important, for
it is the abode of the soul, and the body also
is for the service of God. But this day con
templates also mans higher nature. Hence
we have houses of worship and the ministry
of the word. And when Paul writes to the
church at Corinth; 'Christ sent me not to
sbaptize, but to preach the gospel; not with
wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ
should be made of none effect" he teaches
that the gospel is not a ritual on the one
hand, nor philosophy on the other; but a
message from God, through the preaching
of the cross to the salvation of men. And
therefore the hour we spend here together
is of tender and solemn interest.
econdly-Doing. This is faith idealized
in practice, and the result will be Christian
character.
What is the argument of James on this
point of doing as related to hearing? That
not the forgetful nearer, but the doer of the
word is acceptable with God. To illustrate:
One chances into mirror and sees disorder
In his attire. He says, 81 must attend to
this" but forthwith iorgets it and hastens
to his business or, in the time of plague,
one discovers the livid marks on his counte-
nance and says, d" 1 must take medical adj
vice." but neglects it and drops death
stricken on the floor. Merely looking into
the glass will not take from the countenance
1 the specks which the mirror reveals. The
mirror will not save your life, though it re-
veals to you that you are plague-stricken.
30 Is IL with US II we on4y near. Ny
Friends, we must be doors of the word. The
Master Taught that he who only hears
builds upon the sand, while he ''who heareth
these sayings of Mine and doeth them " is
wise, for he builds his house upon a rock
Hearing should only serve, as food to the
] body, to make us stronger and more efficient
for service. The pathway of Christian duty
lis pleasant. If we love ard practice this
fife of obedience we shall be able to say
Swhat the hero of Khartoum, Charles George
gGordon, the soldier-saint, on one occasion
said to the King Of Abyssinia, u am always
5ready 10 die -