The Hawaiian gazette., 1891-06-09

home for forty years-with tender re
gret, for memories OF the past will crowc
Hpon US. bringing back to us the faces
ri those sanity men and women whose
Drayers we there listened to and whose
Cody life shall ever be an inspiration
10 rs and our children. And so we
come to this service with Joy and thanks
giving and song, initiating the example
Of the children OF Israel at the second
buildiDr of the temple; and when the
builders laid the foundation OF the tenn
pie OF the Lord, they set the priests IN
their apparel with trumpets and the
Levites the sons OF Asaph with cymoals,
to praise the Lord, after the ordinance oi
David King of Israel" And they sang
together bv course in praising and giving
thanks unto the Lord; because he is
good. for his mercy endureth forever to-
ward Israel. And all the people shouted
with a great shout when they praised
the Lord, because the foundation OF the
house of the Lord was laid. "But many
of the priests and Levites and chief oi
the fathers, who were ancient men, that
had seen the first house, when the found.
alton OF this house was laid before their
eyes wept with a loud voice; and many
shouted aloud for JOY" These same
mingled feelings fill our hearts to-day
but the uppermost is that of praise to
the Lord for He is good; for His mercy
endureth forever. With growing in
terest and with hearts glowing more
and more with love to the God whose
| House this is, let US watch from day to
day these stones as they rise, one by one,
into stately walls and lofty towers point
ing heavenward, until, the top stone
being laid, we shall again assemble to
dedicate the house and to ask Gods bless
| ing to crown onr labors.
REV. S. E. BIsHoP-Although named
to represent the standing committee, l
beg leave, first to say word in behalf of
the membership of the old Bethel Union
Church, who four years ago combined
| themselves with the much larger mem
| bership of the old Fort-street Church. to
constitute that great and strong Central
| Union Church. In their behalf l would
express our great satisfaction at this
more than ample fulflment of the pledge
at that time given that new editice for
our united worship should be built. To
carry out that pledge, you have much
enlarged the lot which the Bethel
! Church had already purchased, and will
have multiplied their small building
fund many fold. We of the old Bethel
rejoice in the zeal and Gberality OF cur
Central Union Church. And now in
behalf Of the standing committee, l
would say, that while greatly rejoicing
in your liberal zeal and your large plan
ming, and in the imposing stateliness
promised by these ascending walls and
tower, yet We ol this committee having
it as our special charge to consult for the
spiritual growth and for the benevolent
activities of this church, would, in all
affectionate humility, beseech this
church and congregation on no account
to forget that neither costly and noble
architecture nor interiors ornated and
commodious constitute either the glory
or the power of church; nor do they
in themselves render any church pleas
ing to Christ, or services BILE to his king
dom among men. 1t were bet
ter far, to assemble in the rudest barn,
with Jesus love richly glowing in our
hearts, and with lives radiant with gra-
cious labors for men, than to luxuriate
in costly hall holding ourselves in the
least unloving and aloof from the strug-
Cling and suffering world outside. With
such noble fame as this now rising
before US, comes the great temptation to
become absorbed in our pride and state,
and to cease TO follow our Master into |
lanes and by-ways. But We believe ycu |
will not yield to the tendency. The |
and stateliness of this temple |
well mainly remind you af Christ's i'm
perative demand upon its occupants to |
be central power Of Christian love and !
light among the people OF this commun-
ity. And as these fitting and shapely
stones, hewn from coarse and |
shapeless clinker heaps, are being
built into this noble structure, so |
may our beloved church housed here
in, ever gather to itself out OF a dark
and SHINING world great ranks of spirit
ual stones, ransomed and purified |
souls, building them up into the holy
temple of the Lord.
REV. W.B .OLEsoN-I count it a special
privilege that 1 am permitted to repre-
sent in these exercises to-day the consti-
tuency that is most vitality concerned in
the erection and maintenance of this
house Of God whose corner stone is laid
his day. In speaking in behalf of the
that shall assemble in COM
ng years in yonder building, l wish to
make plea and to impress RESPONSE
1ility, Being dedicated to God, and set
lpart for His use and His purposes, this
building must be as inviting and free to
Iod's children as the sunshine and air
hings which God wlthholds not from
my of His creatures. Yonder thresh-
lold must be freely crossed by men and
women irrespective OF station or belief or
haracter. No human barrier of custom
r of prejudice, or OF pride, or of self
ase, must be allowed to abridge the
OF Gods house to any soul
owever astray in belief or life. Let the
hurch maintain its standard OF ortho-
oxy with jealous watchfulness, but let {
be done with the amplest spirit of |
and winsomeness to all who {
eek the house of God. The house of I
-od must be ample in its hospitality to S
le erring and the unbelieving and the S
Let every soul in the COM G
lunity feel that in Gods house there is 7
ght and freedom and the saving grace c
the gospel of Jesus This is not TO be Q
club house erected for the comfort or t
ljoyment of a special class or coterie; i
ut it is Gods house, broad in all its L
venues of approach and wide as human t
ecessity in its hospitality. Restrictions Fl