The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-11-30
POINTED SERMON
Preached by Rev. James M. Mon
roe Thanksgiving Day.
AT FIRST METHODIST CHURCH
Closer Relations With
Nations.
Should a United States Protec-
torate be Sought-The AL
mighty as an Ally.


preached by Rev. James NJ. Monroe o
the Christian Church, at the Uniol
Thanksgiving services of the Metho
dist and Christian Churches, held a
the Methodist Episcopal Church
And 1 lifted up mine eyes unto heav
en- and l blessed the Most High, anC
l praised and honored Him that liv
eth forever, whose dominion is an ev
erlasting dominion and His kingdom
is from generation to generation. AnC
all the inhabitants of the earth are rep
uted as nothing; and He doeth accord
ing to His will in the armies of heav
en- and among the inhabitants of the
earth, and none can stay His hand OF
say to Him, What doest thou?-Danie
4:34-35.
One of the three national conVoca-
lions of Israel was the Feast of Taber-
nacles. 1t was their national Thanks
giving. Coming after the harvest, the
people, with one accord, engaged in
Thanksgiving to God, the source of all
their blessings. It was the annual oc-
casion for praise for the bounties of
the fields, for temporal blessings and
especially for national prosperity.
After landing at Plymouth Rock, the
Pilgrims adopted a similar annual
thanksgiving festival. This was OBJ
served by the Colonists, and in 1862 was
made a national institution in the
United States. From them it was adopt
ed by the Canadians. A national rec
ignition of God, as the God of nations,
seems to be so fitting for Christian
nations that the President of this young
Republic has, by proclamation, made
this a day for national Thanksgiving.
We are now assembled in harmony
with this call of the Chief Executive of
this Nation.
May we not say that this act of the
Government is a recognition that God
is our God and that this is Christian
nation? Is it not national recogni
ton of our dependence, as a nation,
upon God, deep sense of gratitude to
Him for blessings and an invocation
for Divine guidance in the future?
Inasmuch as this day has been made,
by act of the Government, a national
institution, it is altogether fitting, up
on this occasion, to consider the rela-
ton of nations to the Divine Govern
ment.
God is the author of civil government
and to His will all human enactments
should conform.
Whatever may be thought, as to the
desirable of securing closer relations
with the United States Government,
there can be no question as to import
ance of securing closer relations with
the Divine Government.
To secure peace and prosperity, ami
cable treaties with the foreign powers
ars essential, but the most important
treaty for this Government to make
is with that (pointing upwards) for
eign power.
Friendly relations with the nations
of the Orient and the Occident are de-
but the interests of the Ha-
waiian Islands will be best conserved
with the Heavenly Government.
Should a United States ProtectOrate
be sought, that nation may not accept
such supervision. But no nation ever
sought in vain the protectorate Of Him
who upholds all things, and the ma
ton that remains within the shadow
of his throne to secure.
If permancy to the commercial and
civil affairs of these Islands would be
secured by having the next President
of the United States as an ally, much
more by having as an ally the King of
Kings and the Lord of Lords.
This official action of the authorities
in fixing a day for national Thanks
giving to God is a move in the direction
Of securing closer relations with the
Divine Government; it is an effort to
secure the Almighty as an ally; it is a
for a Divine Protecto-
'ate.
Running through history from Gre
alton to the cross and from the cross
until now. is manifest the thread of
Divine purpose. This golden thread
If promises reaches over the centuries. |
History is a record of the relation of |
nations to this unfolding purpose of |
Tod Both the evolution and the de- |
erioration of nations have depended !
lpon their attitude toward the plan of !
Aviation Any nation that with the |
roIly of faith has reached up and con- |
lected with the live wire of the Divine |
will. which has stretched down over |
he ages has been carried forward to !
lational prosperity.
1t has been only by discOnnecting the |
roIly and connecting with the dead |
wire of human expediency that nation
/ prosperity has ceased. All through |
history the live wire has been over
Iead 1t has been available. Accord
ng as nations have connected with it,
S disconnected have their records been
made up.
From the standpoint of the cross,
history is Ineligible. Viewed from
ny other point history has no unity.
rom the summit of Shasta the trend
f the Sierras and the location of the
esser peaks are seen to conform to
inform plan; seen from any other
ONT, mountain peaks seem to have
cen dropped here and there at random.
rom the summit of Calvary events i