The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-13
BEING AND
NOT GIVING
What God Demands Of
us All.
MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE
ne Sermon BY the Rev. Mr.. erdman
al Central Union Church
Yesterday.

m. following IL. In part. the sermon
...essd by Rev Mr. Erdman at the Cen
al Union Church yesterday morning
m. tsvt 10 which wish to cau your
.tt.,fion this morning 10 found In the
I,b rnhpter % Hosea and sixth verse
ref { desire mercy and not sacrifice;
Inc me knowledge OF God more than
Y,fat offerings"
The picture 10 which the prophet Hosea
stroducea We H. sorry indeed he de-
i.fs- there 10 no truth. nor mercy. nor
.sowledse Of God In the land. There Is
..usht but swearing and breaking faith
md knlug and stealing and committing
iunory From the highest to the low
I'd the nation IL represented as being ut
ely corrupt n was stlil wealthy from
.Bs prosperous reign Of Jeroboam. but
tt wealth was being squandered In do
.sushory The political conditions we're
.,d. enc usurper following another IN
,ulfk successlon. But worse than this
tss The social moral and religious oondi-
Htn
The royal court was thoroughly cor
ept Tho king and the princes amused
ib, naeives with the peoples misdoings
stsad % restraining them. The princes
usfs pleased with tho lea and wicked
ssss % their followers. The king was
united with tho scornsrs who scon Mt
tlrtus and religion. when We come 20
ne priest class there IL no change. They
srform their functions only Tor hire. and
.eef back the knowledge Of God from the
aaople They encourage them IN their
fn Zoe h means Increased revenue Yea.
aafe the priests turn bandits and plum
~. "as troops % robbers wait for a man.
% tho company % priesta murder In the
Fay toward ehechem."
with king and princes weak and dc-
aauohed with murderors and thieves for
1des,a what good shall We hope 90 ind
monT the peoplef With impassioned
ceiling the old prophet cries out. MY poo
si are destroyed for lack OF knowledge"
ne watohword IL our tcxt-"t desire mer-
ID not sacrifice. the knowledge Of God
rdfs than burnt offerlngs." His entrea-
~ 80 come let us return unto the Lord !:
be- hath torn and He will heal u.s." hut
ne peorle stop their ears and rush on
ssrd 70 their doom. destruction by AS
gra
Nov We 90 not need TO look far TO find
rem which these evils sprung. They did
1gt measure up TO Gods standard Of SER
go because they had a degraded concep-
ioa OF Jehovah. No people % whatever
raso IN The human scale. IL better than
10 God
Tho man who believes God too loving
sther 10 he strict. too tendcr-hearted
10 coudomn-that man viii live. ruled by
own desires. not by Gods lie viii
.vef make earnest efforts for righteous
.,,s viii never aght hard against sin.
jus was Just the trouble with the Jews
z U0sea'a time They had lost the lofty
.otetntIon of Cod their fathers had. and
1tkod upon Him simply az one OF many
IDS ny them Jehovah was now thought
p a. merely a nature-god. DE was Il To-
NJ betty. iut In the midst Of this awful
NofauCU % god and mlscouception OF
.us standard. Hosea cries out IN the name
r iehuvHha''t desire mercy. not sacrifice.
nt The knowledge Of God more than
lfnt offerings"
IN th.s watchword % Hosea 10 summed
% Gods standard % service Sacrifice II
.pt refused altogether God would be un-
fue 90 Himself n that were the case.
ur from Abraham down sacrifice was a
0nstltuent part % true worship. but
ffo we have sacrifice put IN is right and
roper place Sacrifices. which means
its ere not what God most desires from
nen. nut the chief thing L. mercy and
fue hnowiedse % Him.
Toe generations the people had practic-
u more on less idoiatry. The influence Of
10 heather nations had been strong. the
fln % Jehovah worship had grown weak
Vow Tits standard Of nfs and service
pa down In our text was not for Israel
lone ~ ls UNIVERSAL II IL eternal We
hay foad the Scriptures through from
M On end and ind no other. There Il
rly ihIs one standard IN the Bible. Coo
cav. 4 M tho tfe principle through
Woes Christ reannounoed ~. enforcing
~ rrccept and parable. today God re
fas ~ 90 us. ~ IL the great STANDARD
gI AT ages. The principle ~ familiar
"opff u IA the old principle % heart
.ftee versus lip-service the old stand
ii ~ Inward obedience versus outwar,
hf'rmIiy We find u 80 easy o. con
IN our actions 20 a standard but 81
hcalt 20 transform our hearts into ODE
'a.e ~ has long been thus. Whei
pre-. came lie found the most religion
4" living IN fragrant disobedlouce {
s Fi1ndafd. The great point % con
10y between Him and the Pharisees wa
N lcro. Time and again when thes
Gusts would criticize some act becaus
tta 1nt I'M strict conformity with thei
Nv rules. Christ would rebuke ther
l Af. but 40 ye and learn what thi
a.elli I desire mercy and not sacri
They had utterly lost sight Of ODD
e Of The heart IN their struggle
use very act measure true 20 thei
no their supreme conceit and self
''ols1osa the obligation TO show met
md loving kindness was unknown
.H standard 10 high. NJ calls for tru
u.,t'Y In the practices Of the Old Il
-ul's .n The lives OF the Fharisee
y Naa hypocrisy. Said Christ we
you scribea and Pharisees hyp,
Tor ye 1.-THE mint and snis
glmmin ana have left undoue n
shuor matters % the iaw-judgmei
mercy and faith" We desplse a hyI
. man who IL one thing and pr,
70 DO another. Yet how frequent
~ guilty Of this very sin. Sabbai
sabbath We come up 90 Gods ter
W hring our sacrifice and present
,lr Lord, and then We return 10 o,
n'a1 With the same old selfish avari
Anows no mercy or loving kindnes
mcrilce was offered because Il W
700 form 20 DO thls on the Saba
nlt there was no heart worship IN
~, Win n. How are We better I'M
lh'risees. % whom Christ said. I'VE
UNTO YOU. ye hypocritesr' God DO
Nant our gifts. lie will not rocci
Worship unless our hearts 60 with
ue''res The loving Kindness. the tend
~ which are counterparts Of his ov
70 and mercy.