The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-11

would go towards corrupting legisla-
tors that they would establish a sa-
ioon Wherever they could find patron
age for 1t in Honolulu, unless the people
rise IN indignation and call quits And
are you going to sit,' said he, like so
many coWardly, contemplate puppy
dogs and let them bind you in the fet-
ters, or are you going to rise up as one
man and say that it must stop?"
AT the close of the meeting DIR.
chapman caused contribution cards to
be passed among the audience and ask
ed those who felt inclined to pledge
themselves for a stated sum towards
the anti-saloon league recently organ
lzed. Il once knew "a Dutchman said
he. He was one of my congregation,
and after listening to one of my ser
mons he went down into his pocket and
took out a liberal contribution. AS he
put it on the plate he said: I always
like to gif, ven I gifts at all, so much
dat it makes me say ouch!' Now, my
friends, that is what you want to do
give so much that it will make you say
ouch l have been saying ouch every
day for years, and l don't feel that l
am doing my duty unless l am doing
enough to make me say OUCH
The subscriptions were liberal, though
the exact amount subscribed could not
be ascertained last night. There were
number of cash contributions to this
fund, and after the hymn and benedic-
ton many from different churches
crowded about DIR. Chapman to bid him
farewell. He will leave by the Sonoma
on Tuesday.
THE AFTERNOON ADDRESS.
DIR. Chapman's address to uubelievers
and honest doubters at the Young Mems
Christian Association hall yesterday aft
ernoon was one of the most effective
mons preached by him in this City. The
hall was well filled and DR.. Chapman
held the interest and attention of all, a
number of his congregation being moved
to tears.
The text chosen was from the 10Th
chapter of John, being the story of the
conversion of Thomas, who was an hon
est doubter, and refused to believe the
story of the resurrection until he saw
the nail prints in the Savior's hands and
was allowed to put his fingers into the
wound in His side.
The resurrection of Christ Is the
keystone in the arch of Christianity,
said he. ''and atonement is the founda-
ton stone. Upon these are builded the
stones of doctrines and all Christian be-
liefs, but it all depends upon the founda-
ton. Remove or invalidate either of the
two stones and all the rest falls. If
Christ did not rise again all Christianity
fails. Well do the enemies of the Bible
know this, and they have made the story
of the resurrection their storm center of
attack; they have hurled their missiles
al it through the ages, for they know if
they can destroy the keystone the whole
structure of Christianity must fa1l.''
Following this DR.. Chapman spoke at
some length upon the story Of the res
direction. He said it was the hardest of
all things in the Bible for the honest
doubter to believe, because 1t was. first
of all, unnatural. "All nature is against
it, said he. 1t is one of the things that
can not be grasped by the faith of the
head-it must be by the faith of the
heart. 'All nature is against it, as l
said. True, there many things
which the believing person can see in
nature to make SMILES from to the
resurrection. The Alaskan SHOWS, how
they cover all the land in a shroud of
white, desolate, cheerless, cold, barren,
not a hope of 1ife-eternal desolation-
and then, my friends, by and by comes
the spring; the snow has melted; it dis
appears; green things shoot forth from
the ground; the grass grows; flowers
bloom-all is beautiful! What a perfect
example of the resurrection, says the
believer in the resurrectfofi Again, the
chrysalis 1t is upon the ground, brown,
~ dead-but waiti The warm spring
comes. and the sun shines; then the res
urrection, Forth from the brown. dead
chrysalis comes the glory of the resur-
rection and fits away on the wings of
the butterfly There again the believer
finds beautiful example of the Bible
story-but what of him who doubts? He
will say, Stamp your foot upon the
chrysalis, and what of the butterfly?
All, that's it, my friend, it is no evidence
1
ture is against it for him. He must have
two and two to make four, and, like
hesitating, doubling Thomas, he must
have the tangible evidence of the senses.
He must see and feel; he must first put
his fingers into the nail prints and into
the wound, in the Savior's side before he
will believe"
The lecturer then, by incident, pointed
out the differences in people and the
consequent difference in willingness and
ability to believe. He said there were
some whose hearts leapt to faith with
others must reach the conclusion
through logic only. To the latter class
he said he belonged, and that the honest
doubter had his sympathy, for he hao
himself wandered In the darkness OF
the wilderness of unbelief for ten years,
and that none knew better than himself
what it was to battle against unbelief.
He also stated the strongest doubters
become the strongest believers, once con-
vinced and quoted Biblical examples and
incidents of his personal experience
THE men and women whose lives are
given here" said he, taking up the BIZ
BILE "are very much like the men and
women of today, though We are not ac-
customed to thinking of tnem In that
way There are many like doubtng
Thomas but l think there are more OF
us like John-that very human, natural
man whose life we can so thoroughly un-
derstand All the disciples are very hu'
man. and we can see their lives as we
read them, but there is none of them sc
much like us as John-strong, impuisiVe
earnest, but constantly blundering anc
falling into confusion We can under
stand him. But still there are grea
many like Thomas. They must have
tangible evidence, and must see anc
feel or they cannot believe. They have
/ only the head faith, and can not under
stand the heart faith But may we no
!, be like Thomas again? When he did pu
, his fingers into the nail prints and into
the wound in the Savior's side, his con
version was complete, and his great
heart went out to Jesus, and he criec
out. oh Lord, My God! When he had
: his two and two to make four, his faith
, could never be shaken again, and his