The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-23

| especially interested me was my casual
meeting with Christian believers who
in their differing circumstances were
| bearing witness for Christ store
| keeper, called in to interpret for me,
| asked if | was not clergyman. and
when he found that | was from Homo
| lulu, said he had been a Christian for
many years, asked me most intelligent
| progress of the Hawaiian people A
fellow passenger on the steamer that
| brought me home, who attended the
religious service | conducted one Sun
day, told me that he had been for 13
years an elder in the japanese Pres
byterian Church of Yokohama. We
all know Mr.. Taro Ando, the first
Japanese Consul-General to these ISL
ands. / found that the story of his
conversion had next to the largest cir
culation of any religious tract publish
ed in Japan
Christianity has passed the day of
small beginnings, l was impressed
with the size, tastefulness and commo-
diousness of the school buildings in the
midst of ample grounds provided by
this department of their work. I know
it is mooted question how much of
the annual expenditure should be de-
voted to the evangelistic department,
how much to the educational and other
departments of Christian work. | have
no doubt that these large buildings
were demanded and warranted by the
developments of the work when they
were built With advancing civiliZa-
ton life is growing more and more
complex every year We are fulfilling
Christ's command to disciple all ma
tons not merely by the proclamation
of His advent and mission to earth.
but by establishing the different in
stitutions needed for the full develop
ment of Christian social life.
AS | visited the rooms of the famed
Doshisha University, established by
the sainted Neesima for the upbuilding
OF Christian character in preparation
for Christian usefulness, and thought
of what it stood for when he was at
the head of 1.-THE great doctrines of
the Christian faith, Redemption for a
rebellious and ruined race through
faith in Christ's righteousness, and
what it professedly stands for now,
individualism, nationalism, cosmopo-
litanism, could only wonder why all
this relapse and reversal had been per-
mitted. 1t was sad sight to me to
see those Christian teachers OF more
than ordinary piety and ability who
had made the Doshisha the power for
good that it was through all the En-
plre OF Japan, now abandoning that
seat of Christian learning, given over
to the delusive methods of the specious
liberalism. But they are not men to
be disheartened by difficulties and dis
cOuragements.
Leaving their homes and work, they
brave the discomforts of travel in the
country districts of Japan, and go far
Off to the regions the Japanese govern
ment is opening up to new settlers, to
carry to those people the glad tidings
of the Gospel and bring the light of
the Gospel to cheer and brighten daily
toll with the assurance of Gods own
presence, and the promise of His
grace. Among that people, unhamper-
ed by the bonds Of conventional usage,
they are meeting with marked success.
and building up churches at one point
and another, centres of light and power
in that community of increasing num-
bers and Importance.
DR.. Gordon, who had been busy in
such work in Hokkaido, Northern
Japan, said that one evening he was
holding meeting attended by many
students from Normal School, They
were disposed to argue against the
claims of the Gospel as a Divine Rev
citation of Supreme Authority, and to
claim for Confucianism the value of
practical adaptation to the needs of
men. While they were busy talking,
a young Japanese came in, and after
while began to take part in the discus
sion. He had been laborer on a
sugar plantation in Hawaii, he said
and had been converted to Christianity
under the labors of Mr.. Sasakura. He
said there was one comfort he had that
Confucianism could never gain. He
was away off in the Hawaiian Islands,
a stranger in strange land: but he
had this thought to cheer him, he had
Father in Heaven, in whose ever
watchful love and ever present guild
ance he had learned to trust. More
over, ne said there were not as many
festival days in a sugar plantation,
as in Japanese village. But every
Sunday work ceased and Christian be-
levers gathered together to sing and
pray and study Gods word. The re-
membrance of the Sunday past, and
the anticipation of the coming Sun
day and its gathering for an hour of
worship, cheered and helped him all the
week. And so he kept on talking of
the blessings Christianity had brought
to him, till the advocates of COnfu
cianism hushed their talk, and began
questioning with eager interest, this
enthusiastic convert and getting fuller
and richer details of Christian life
and hope.
And so as under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, the Church of Christ was
built up in one region and another
turned away from one locality, welcom-
ed in another, we may hope that Japan
is yet to be Christianized throughout
all its borders, among all classes Of it's
people. The vision of the Apocalyptic
Seer looking across the unsailed and
unSOunded seas of human progress
saw in the distant future, the Heavenly
Jerusalem, wherein is no temple, for
the constant presence everywhere of
the one object of alteration needs no
lnnO c1, - In;f So,