The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-11-12
THE VERY BEST SERMON
Mr.. Yatman Tells of a Modern
ProdigaI.
ASSOCIATION HALL CROWDED.
Some Pointed Remarks-Plain Anglo
saxon Advice Affecting Word
Pictures Advice to the Young
ChrIstlan-Stand Firm in the Right.

The Y. NJ. G. a. hall began filling
up last night about o'clock and by a
quarter of there were no vacant
chairs. Mr.. Corbett opened the SER
vices by announcing the twenty
fourth hymn. After two others were
sung he asked the audience to sing
"Hold the Fort but he would first
have H. @. Rhodes, tell where the
hymn got its origin. Mr.. Rhodes
gave the story of a battle near Chat
tanOoga at fort or stockade where
there were $1,000 ZOO worth Of am
munition stored. The place was at
tackled and it was thought the Union
soldiers would yield to the superior
numbers of the rebels. While the
fight was in progress General Sher-
man approached and signals made to
him that help was needed. The reply
came back "Hold the Fort" GEN
eral Reynolds, after the war went to
his home in Chicago and afterward
related the circumstance to p. p. Bliss
the famous writer of gospel hymns
and he wrote the words to the song.
At the conclusion of the hymn last
night Rev. +. w. Damon asked Gods
blessing upon the evangelist in his
work here.
Mr.. Yatman then announced that
the meeting this afternoon at o'clock
would be the last for the general pub
lie to be held in the afternoons. We'd
nesday, Thursday and Friday would
be devoted to women from every class
of society. He would be glad to have
the ''swells' come in, but the meet
ings were not for them exclusively.
The subject for these meetings will be
" Woman Her Special Work" It
will really be one address, but as it is
pretty long and he wanted every one
to hear all of it he divided it up into
three parts.
It was noticed that Mr.. Yatman was
suffering from severe cold and hoarse-
ness and the effects of his continued
hard work, but before he had spoken
turned and he was at once the "happy
Mr.. Yatman" who has delighted so
many hundreds of people during his
sOjOurn here. He called upon the
people who professed religion on Sun
day to keep their promises and to be
genuinely converted to Christ. He
recommended them to join with any
church where they could do the most
good. He dwelt largely upon the fact
that so many young men had pre-
sented themselves and asked the
assistance of parents and friends in
their giving themselves fully and
freely to God. Help them to get
into church and keep the pledges
they gave. He asked Gods blessing
on the meetings, not especially on
those over which he presided but that
it may come upon Gods work of grace
which he hope might sweep over the
islands.
The speaker alluded hesitatingly to
certain sentiments which seemed to
exist here about Christ and Christi
apity. 1T must be remembered that
the church does not belong to indivi-
duals but to God and, when ycu go
inside the church sometimes and you
find things not just what you would
like, remember it is not the church
that makes it so but the individuals
who call themselves Christians, but
who have never given themselves to
God. The congregations of the
churches here are made up OF various
temperaments, and there were certain
things apparent which would bear
correcting. L may be doing wrong"
said Mr.. Yatman, "but / am firm
believer in sound Anglo-Sax ad-
vice, and I want to give you some of
it nOw-it is, keep your mouths shut
when things are not pleasing; bear
with it for, as / said before, it is the
not the institution. L re-
member when [ was on the farm that
l bad to feed our old brindie COW, and
briar would get in with
the hay, but 'old brindIe' would eat
all round it and leave the briar in the
trough. l ought not TO say it, per
haps," continued Mr.. YaUman, "but
/ have met people here who really
have not as much sense as our old
brindle; they dive right in and take
the briar and never touch the hay ;"
"Now that / have told you this L
feel better. 1t is like refreshing
rains and we will now go to work.
You all know how much easier 1t is to
pull weeds after rain"
The sermon last night was 1.-THE
Prodigal Son." In it Mr.. Yatman
alluded to the joy Christ feels at the
return of prodigal. He drew pic
ture of the father and his animosity
toward his son who had gone away
and the final reconciliation. He re-
lated a touching incident which hap
pened in Wichita, Kansas, where a
mother came to him and asked his
assistance in finding her prodigal son.
Mr.. Yatman goes he re-
lates the case, so that if the boy should
be present he may assist him to get to
his home.