The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-19

SERVICES
Strong Talk at the
Christian
Church.

The following is a brief summary of
Rev. a. E. Cory's sermon at the Chris
tan Church Sunday night at tbs p M
Mr.. Cory preached especially to young
people and their relation to their duties
in life. His text was as follows:
Brethren count not myself to have
apprehended. but this one thing l do, 1
forgetting those things winch are be-
hind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, 1 press toward
the mark for the prize of the high call
ing of Goo in Christ Jesus."-Phil. 3:
13-14
In speaking to you tonight from this |
familiar text 1 want to turn your minds |
to thought concerning yourselves and the |
development of yourselves. The apostle |
to the gentiles was success. He sue |
ceeded because the principles of his life |
which are named in the text quoted. |
The one thing that filled his life was
purpose and that purpose was put into
action. He cared little for the past
His heart ached no doubt because of
| misspent hours but he lived not in an
guish over bad past but tried to make
| the best of his present and the future
that was to be given MIN. Many lives
are ruined because they live in mourning
over the past. The hour and the oppor-
tunity of life Is today.
/ Many lives cannot repeat with Paul
| This one thing I Use this text to
| apply to the development of every part
| of our earthly career. We must know
| from the lessons manifested about us
that everything animate and inanimate
has some purpose Are human beings ami
NAL alone or are they more than lnat?
The purpose of every animate soul is to
manifest that they belong to the highest
Kingdom known kingdom
God. When a young man or woman
chooses a purpose let it be that which
will develop in them the highest attri-
butes that God has given us.
1t is needless for me to say to you that
every life that amounts to anything
has chosen purpose-and done this
one thing" In choosing for life's battle
let us not choose for bread alone. Our
judgment and our conscience must be
prominent factors In the choice of
mans life work. The Judgment should
lead a man to that for which he is best
fitted regardless of mercenary motives
and the conscience educated In Chris
tian land will lead man In that path
way which Is righteous. Above all means
choose purpose In early life ana choose
lone that has the sanction Of God.
1t is not enough however to merely
choose purpose. 1t must be developed.
The choosing is the seed planting but
that is not enough. 1t must have sun
lshine anu rain No doubt purposes are
born every day in lives that amount to
little but the fault is they die again
A good purpose should never die or be
changed l realize that the time comes
when it is wise to change some purposes.
When a mans faith-hiS circumstances
or his power changes and he finds that
the purpose is in conflict with these
things | believe 1t is better to change.
But in the change there are two supreme
tests: first, will benefit my fellow men;
second, will it benefit me? Change of
purpose means an upheaval of lives and
unless the world and ourselves are to be
made better We ought not to change
/ 1t is not the changing of purpose that
ruins SO many lives but it is more likely
to be the lack of purpose or the thwart-
ed one. Every life has its crisis and if
We lack purpose in that crisis we will
fail. 1t means much to have purpose.
but it means more to carry it out When
the plans and passions are thwarted
l realize we are not always responsible.
Our own weakness wifi be perhaps the
nnal. cause which has led to the purpose
| being thwarted We must realize that
no matter how others advise it is given
to us to live our life. This may become
very selfish principle and ruin us or 1t
may be the foundation for the building
up of Godiike lives. God has purpose
Tor each of us-and I believe that by the
searching of our hearts and capabilities
and py waiting upon him we can ascer-
tain His will. Others may seek to plan
your life; but remember no matter who
plans 1t, you must live it. You are con-
stantiy responsible to God whether or
not you are pressing toward the mark
Tor the prize of the high calling of God
IN Christ Jesus. Every man should make
that his ultimate purpose Purposes to
WIN success or heaven must be put in
motion True purposes move towards
GOD Their motion is direct and with
the greatest possible force. No better
principle can be applied to every phase
OF our life than that one given by the
apostle to GENTLE He believed In a pur-
pose and believed In putting It in motion
when he said: This one thing 1 do"