The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-07-14

when VIC think too much of cur church
the Lord summarily removes it.
/ suppose another reason for the de-
parture OF that house was that 1t had
done its work. Church buildings, like
individuals, accomplish what they were
built for and then go one person lives
80 years another 10 years, another three
years. and when God takes an individ-
ual, whether at 80 or 40 or 3 years,
his mission is ended. This Last church
stood three years, and amy person who
knows what multmdes have there as
senblod, and what transactions for
eternity have there taken place, will
admit that it was well to build it, even
if we had known at the start that 1t
would only last from 1891 to 1894.
Another reason why I think this last
church went down was to keep me
humble. The Lord had widened my
work through Chris'ondom, and with
two receptions the week before the con-
hauation, the one city reception pre-
sided over hv our mayor, and the other
a national aud international reception
pre- sided over hy one of the chief men
of the nation, who had recently stepped
from the presidential cabinet and the
occasion IGNORED by addresses and let
tiers and cahlcgrams from men of world
wide fame in church and state, and the
whole scnuc brilliant beyond dcScrip-
tialI, and in compliment to myself, who
was brought up farmers boy, there
was danger that | might become pulled
up and my soul he weakened for future
work / did not yet feel any STRINGS of
that sort, and had only felt humble
/ gratitude for what had been said and
/ done by friends transatlantic and cisat
/ lantic, but | had ordered full reports of
/ the meeting laid aside for future perusal,
| and | had engaged the tleetest stenog-
| rapher | know of to take down every
word from the opening doXology of the
| first reception to the benedictiOn of the
/ last reception, and some time, when
/ less busy, / would take in all the elo-
duonco and kindness and splendor of
that memorable week. What might have
been the result upon myself | know not.
/ | have seen upon others the whitening
effect of human praise A cold chill of
| the worlds neglect is no more destruct-
| i've than the sunstroke from too much
heat of popular approval. The disaster
may have been needed, and it came so
close upon the adulation that it acted as
an everlasting prevention. In the light
of that awful blaze of that Sabbath in
May, 1894, no self sufficiency could
stand a second.
Another reason for the fires, think,
is that somehow, and i'll a way that |
know not, my opportunities are to
widen. After each of the other fires new
doors We're open. | prayerfully expect
that such will be the sequence Of the last
ntiagratiou.
Will the Brooklyn Tabernacle be re-
builJ? l know not. What or when on
VII ere shall-be my work | cannot even
guess, nor have | the least anxiety. Moth
ing but an inspired utterance of the
Bible could bear such repetition as |
have for the last ~ days given to the
words Of the psalmist The Lord reign
eth; let the earth rejoice.
have safely arrived ON the Pacific
tbd-l. ~ Nttlt NlluS lu'NAl'ii was NohNN'
me Just before reached here. | was i'll
deep slumbcr in a section of sleeping
car when the curtain was pushed back,
and venerable lady seized hold Of me
and shrieked, who are you, and what
are you doing here?" 1t was Il sudden
calling of the roll of passengers, and
did not feel like answering to my name.
The question was repeated III more
earnestness, with louder voice. | coult
not at first understand why the inferno
CATION as to my iden ity, but after gath
cring my senses together | mildly sug
gested that perhaps she had mistaken
my place for her own. This was nc
doubt the case, and she made a quick
retreat The fact is that the sections
and berths of a sleeping car are very
much alike. The new mode of hang
ing the number of the berth in large
figures on the outside of the drapery OF
the sleeping place is a great improve
ment, but midnight perambulation, even
under the best Of circumstances, is more
or less confusing. The mistake that the
venerable lady made is a mistake that
thousands of people make, for they thinl
some one else has their place. Most d
the struggle in the world is in trying tt
get some one else's berth. Better g
back contented and take the place as
signed you. In trying to get some ont
else's place we may lose our own with
out getting his. / cannot jeer at TIN
old ladys mistake, for that night on tn
Southern Pacific railroad ] bethough
myself that there are during every presi
dental campaign at leastel00 600 pee
pie trying to get the berths of the 100,
600 present occupants.
Goodby, my friends all over! On tn
other side of the world will think G
those who have put me under obliga
ton, and the first hour l have passe
the latitude and longitude farthest ava
. from home and begin to return | wi
count the weeks and days that stand be
tween me and the lowest step Of tn
front door from which, on the evenin
of May IA, departed.
~ Tn NNIuvr ~ Ar M,1D