The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-14

The ship that sails forth on a voyage
may encounter gales and be swept out
of her course, and come into port al
last wrecked and broken. But if she
has safely brought her rich cargo
through it all the owners say that the
voyage was worth sailing. But the
ship that has lost it's cargo-throWn II
overheard perchance to save it's sails
and comes into port with hull and
rigging preserved in perfect order, but
with nothing to show for the voyage
the owners will say of that voyage, it
was not worth the sailing.
So life may be swept by tempests
of sorrow and disappointment, turned
aside from it's course and forced to
tread paths that it would not have
chosen. But if it comes into port laden
with the harvest that it reaped from
its sowing in other lives, God says of
it that it has been worth while. But
that life which has thrown overheard
IFS cargo of influence to save it's sails,
and comes into port with nothing to
show for the voyage, may have saved
itself a vast amount of hard work, may
have escaped great tempests of defeat,
still if there is on board the ship of
that life no rich harvest reaped from
the sowing in other lives, God says or
it that through and through to the end
it has been a failure.
Our experiences of joy and sorrow,
however important they may be in
their place, are not the things that
determine values as we may believe
God reckons them. May I seek to give
you my thought by way of still another
illustration? Yonder on the mountain
side is a little spring, and far down
thousand miles stretches the broad
ocean. Out from the spring comes
tiny>rivulet that broadens and deepens
as it winds it's way on towards lis
destination. Pouring in torrent over
some steep falls, sweeping smoothly
through fertile regions, lost in the
heart of some great forest where the
trees overreach the water. and the Wlid
beasts come down to quench their
thirst; bearing on it's bosom the COM
rnerce of great cities, the river seems
all the time mysteriously conscious
that it's destination is the sea, and IL
never rests until it pours itself out INTO
the mighty deep that reaches up TO
receive 1t.
Back there at our birth springs the
rivulet of life that flows on until II
pours fself out into the Infinite sea OF
the spirit life. Now plunging over some
steep fall of passion; now sweeping
smoothly through peaceful days ana
restful nights; lost at times in the heart
of some vast forest of loneliness whose
deep shadows play upon the waters;
bearing upon its current the IaDors
that come with each day, that lie
through it all should be deeply con-
scious that its destination is the inn
mite sea beyond, and it should never
rest until the current of its being IS
poured out into those mighty waters
that bound the continent of Coo on
every side. The dancing waves on the
surface of that river were of small I'M
portance when measured with the
great purpose Of the river itself I'm
derneath was the continuous sweep or
the strong current.
And the waves Of joy and pain thaI
lift themselves out of the deeps of our
lives. important as they are, should
not be considered great when measured
with the purpose of life itself. If De-
meath the joy and sorrow there sweeps
the current of its rela-
lions to its fellow men, then will that
current gather unto itself the abun-
dant richness of all those experiences
through which it f1ows,-on and on IN
til it pours out it's fulness in that per-
feet day down at the feet of God