The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-29
FAIR WEATHER AND GOOD
TIME IN OLD HONOLULU
Continued from Page u

| thing in life for which 10 be thankful.
unless one can know the outcome and the
end believe that this Is only a tempo
4 rary phase of thought through which the
world is passing, and have only the
profoundest sympathy for those who are
suffering from it,
| And now the question l wish to ask
I this morning, and to endeavor to an
swer, Is a question springing out of what
nave been saying. Is there anyone TO
whom We should be thankful? If there
| Is, how shall we express our gratitude; ;
shall il be in words or deeds?
In the first place. then. is there anyone
to whom we should be grateful? 1t was
easy enough in the old days, with the
theory of the world that then prevailed,
| and with the old conception of God, and
/ of His methods Of governing the uni
verse, for men to be thankful to God
because they had no thought of what
We are accustomed. In philosophic and
scientific terms. 20 speak of as second
causes. the laws or forces of nature
laws and forces that are deaf and cannot
hear, that are blind and cannot see, that
are heartless and cannot feel. They
recognized God at first hand, as being
who wrought directly all the movements
and changes of the universe. 1t was God
whispering in the breeze, riding on the
wings of the wind. who made the clouds
his angels and the flames his messengers.
Our forefathers who settled New Eng
land, and who founded Thanksgiving
Day, were not troubled about natural
laws, about the forces of the universe.
They did not question whether God could
hear them, or whether it were possible
for him In answer to prayer to interfere
with the natural order of the universe.
II the crops were thirsty, and the ground
parched the minister prayed for rain
without any thought of any law of ma
ture that he neei take account of. And
II the rain came, they thanked God with
just as much simplicity as they thanked
a friend when they received the things
they desired. But all this has changed
with the progress of human knowledge.
We now find ourselves confronted by this
great mechanism of things which we call
nature. this system of law and order that
scientists tell us is not interefered with
by any prayer that no cry of the human
heart can touch or change. And so,
when calamity comes, We are told that
we must bear IL stoically, as something
that neither we nor anybody else could
help. And, when blessing comes 1t comes
as the result of this natural order of
things, we are told; and no thanks are
due to God
Suppose you wish to make a voyage to
the mainland If the ship is not well
built will prayer it is asked, remedy
defect in her hull, or adjust any disar
en- the boiler so as to make it bear more
than just so much pressure of steam? If
you are crossing the Atlantic and an ice
berg comes drifting down from the north,
and your ship is enveloped in fog, so
that you cannot see a boat-length ahead,
and you come into collision with 1T, we
are told that this is a part of the nat
uraI order of things. that could not have
been foreseen, that no power could have
prevented. And we are told that 1t is
precisely the same in aveery other De
partment of life. The farmer plants his |
crop; but he knows it is a matter of the !
condition of the soil, of the quality of |
the seed, of the amount of cultivation, |
whether he will get a crop or not. If
he neglects these things, amount of |
praying will make any difference with !
the result. And so men have come to /
think that they are not dealing with God, |
but with the natural forces Of the world: |.
and that it depends upon them,upon their /
their skill their industry, !
their faithfulness. whether they Will re-
ceive the reward of ter labors. To |
whom then, they ask. shall we be thank
full? ! and the impersonal forces of ma
ture have done il all. And then take the I
question of mans relation to his fellow
man. If he does not feel that he has any
need for being thankful to God, he is apt !
to feel that he has no more reason for
being thankful to man. / sometimes hear
man say i came INTO TINS WI w
without asking to be brought here: L
1we no thanks TO anybody for tnat. Life
was thrust upon me: ] did not ask Il. !
As came up into the world, beyond the
,are of home which enabled me to get
IN my feet, I have had no reason to be
grateful 1 have fought my own battles L
nave never received n dollar from any
,ody. nor particle of help. for which l
lid not give an equivalent In service. l
AVE wrought out the results of my life
myself. / only am responsible for my
lestiny. good if it be good, and bad if
{ be bad" 1t is not strange when men ,
hink and speak thus. that they should !
ay, as did King Nebuchadnezzar when
he walked upon the roof OF his palace :
nd looked out over the city: rs not ,
his the great Babylon that l have
uilt2'' The world IS full of so-called 7
elf-made men--who feel that they eve ,
hanks TO nobody for what they are. This :
; the way it looks TO the thinking man ,
{ first when he is confronted with the J
modern conception of the world, and ,
-hen he looks out over human society ;
nd sees each man struggling for him +
elf Not long ago a business man said O
o me: IF YOU would come and sit in :
" office and see the kind of men l deal :
nth. see their attempts TO overreach me i
, bargaining with not trace of benev- !
lence in them, each one looking out for ;
imself. you would have less optimistic .
lew of life. What do ] owe those VINO q
ONE TO me To do business only when it !
to their advantage to do so, who offer h
lie a bargain only when they can make 7
1mething out of it. seeking always their :
Yn welfare. not once thinking of mine?' n
is not strange that men look at the I.
orld in this way. I +
Yet listen to me, and see if there is not p
mother side to this question, just as {
tactical as business is supposed to be, y
he Tunlfinli- /.
lSt as COMPREHENSIVE aS the Il
alton table. just as real any fact !,
hich you are accustomed TO deal with in G
,ur lives. Il
Not thankful to man, Consider for a =,
oment and tell me if there is any one NJ
ing that you have and enjoy that you G
not owe in the first place to other 81
en- and women. Is there anything OF n
-. ...--, ..-r, So ..snn This Is mine: / =