The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-12-28
d.. HJia Gives Account Of Ob-
grT3tialS in Orient.
STRENGTH OF CHRISTIAN FAITH
u-sufHciency OF Symbolism Of An
cienr Non-Spiritual
Religions.

aaE EHNlhE AA1--- A+A%AAe-A ~
ze-ra-ion and the most careful study
having spent some months in Japan
Revelation 2I-24 And the nations
al them which are saved shall wall
in the light OF ID"
IN the beginning" so reads the rec
ord az Holy Scripture in its opening
verse b the book OF Genesis, Coo
created the heavens and the earth
la rhe closing chapters Of Holy Wrii
ir the book Of the Revelation, we looH
through the eyes OF the Seer of Patmo!
up1n new heavens and new earth
Behold. I make all things new" i:
che declaration OF the Divine purpose
As IL reaches the era Of its consumma-
ri1-- There follows a symbolic repre-
zentatiuu OF a gloriied humanity
dwelling in a universe Of which the
Divine presence IS constantly and
clearly manifested 4 city. not gar
dan.-is the destined abode Of re
deemed humanity. But it is not a so
cal order. that is the outgrowth OF
mere natural forces. The heavenly
Jerusalem descends from heaven il
an the perfectness OF its organization
IN accordance with the divine purpose
and NOT as the product Of mere human
endearor. there comes into being a
new state OF society. II is not new, in
tte sense OF being utterly ASSOCIATED
u5-h what preceded. Il is new heay-
ems. and a new earth, that we recog-
ulze as objects familiar 10 our vision
bu- with O new lHs.re in appearance
q new style Of operation.
How often Is such an experience
rouchsafed in conversion, as the fore
taste OF this heavenly vision. When
The soul. from whose spiritual eyes, as
from the Apostle Paul's there have
dropped sas il were. scales through
the work OF the Regenerate Spirit, has
entered upon a life Of faith in the Re
deemiuE God. II seems as if the whole
universe were new The very all
seems instinct with life and light
Friendship seems 10 have a new charm
unknown before. To be of service to
Others brings a heaven OF delight into
The soul The idea OF God assuring the
soul OF His forgiving and sanctifying
love. seems like giving TO the soul a
new sense. TO see the spiritual per
TadinE and ensphering the material
We speak Of the American Continent
IS New World, revealed by the genius
OF Columbus 10 the peoples of Eu-
rope. and TO the geographical science
OF his day. Yet 10 every voyager, sail
Ing from his own familiar shores across
The rrackless ocean. the coast line that
rises from out the waves of some as
vet unvisited region, looms up in all
the stranEeness Of its own novelty
While after al il is land, land in its
familiar form
TIE birth night Of the Christ-child
Eas like the birth night Of any other
chld in its merely physical phenomena
but I'm its relations to the history OF
humanity. and in its attendant strange
occurrences. il stands out as the start
tne point Of new era
il was with some such feelings OF
s-auceness and novelty that / recently
landed on the shores Of Japan, and
mingled with its people. Sights and
sounds we're new TO me. but the Jap
auese nation boasts Of a civilization
old when England had hardly begun &c
exist japanese history reaches fal
hack into the ages, but careful scrutiny
passing hv mythical period of IN.
known duration acknowledges thai
since The 5th century Of the Christian
era NIkzdos. Emperors. claiming des
cent from the Sun-goddess Amaturasu
have ruled over Japan Yet the lineage
Is nor such as we Of the Occidental
world would call family descent
Adoption into the family perpetuatei
Tie lineage. according 10 Japanese no
tiuls- while we should say the famil,
line was extinct. If there were no chilt
born 10 inherit and transmit the fam
ilv name and privileges. This CLAIM
al unbr0ken descent for the Japanes
Nfkado is like other claims Of tn
japanese. founded on a misrepresenta
riUn as we should call il, Of the fact
il the case. but according 10 Japanes
ideas. as essential truth. as the lega
fc-i0n IN or deeds. for and IN con
siEe7zrion Of one dollar herewith give
rs the party Of the first part"
In that land Of the Rising SUM- a
the Japanese name their country
while the civilization was new an
strange 70 ne. II seemed also like tn
civilization o. past age, the vanishe
past q Egypt and Babylon. Yet i
thar civilization, instead Of the ele
Derts that give assurance OF perma
nencT as ven as antiquity, ! could sc
1he Indications OF change and of decay
The japanese themselves confess tina
neither IN Confucianism nor in Budd
hfsm is there power 10 regenerate an
save II is not merely because il is on
o. harmony with the civilization of th
19th century. and the world Of progress
from which Japan has for so man
ages been shut out. that such decay
imminent and inevitable. There is
deeper reason than this Lack OF han
--uur with the developments Of mod
en- civilization. Such civilization a
has for so many centuries bee
wrought ont IN Japan IS not in accol
dance With The Divine arrangement
and the holy appointments. oriaine
for a redeemed humanity, and fore
Swallowed il the visions OF ~the Ne
jerusalem
CO into one Of the Shinto temples G