The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-02-24

in whose life these virtues were ex-
empIifled. You have doubtless long
since confessed your guilt and indeed
are glad to be held not guiltess.
Friendship, the virtue on which YOU
lay the greatest stress. originally be-
ionged in the human heart. 1t was
the agency of sin ard cultivated pride
which drove it out and left the natural
man with disposition TO selfishness
and self-worship which grew with the
years and finally brought the race 10
a place but little removed from the
beasts of the field and the birds of
the air.
Since history opened. recording the
dealings Of God with His creatures,
Re has been laying the foundation for
the regenerated life. IsraeTs bondage
in Egypt. and again In Babylon: the
hoiocaQsts. the massacres. the fnquisi-
tions and the prosecutions attending
peoples everywhere. have served as
schools in which the truth must needs
be taught that. naturally. every man
is against his brother And the les
sons have. in a sense, been learned.
So strongly have they been forced upon
the k4AAE&AEGi ARaaA A&sN StEd3ESk Oh A1rta
have pronounced the results. Lord
Bacon in his day declared. There is
little friendship in the world" And in
the morning Of the day in which your
knights of Pythias order was born.
Mr.. Rathbone read from. some un-
known author that friendship is
dead
But with the lesson given. God has
also prepared the way for the regen-
Grated life. Socrates. Plato. Pythag-
oras, among many others, could see
the need and drew from all known
sources such remedies as were avail
able. But it remained for our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ not only to
emphasize the need, but TO open wide
the door of salvation and strength.
I sum your Interpretation of friend
ship, benevolence and charity TO mean
that there should be between all men
a mutual friendship which will con-
strain one to love another, even unto
death in his stead. TO be so benevo-
lent as to bury another's faults and
speak only of his virtues. And to be
so kindly disposed in charity that one
viii not turn even an unworthy sup
plant from the door Of hospitality.
IN all these the doctrines Of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ rest. be-
side those OF Pythagoras. and the two
are going forward hand in hand, 10
what 1 believe to be an early conquest
of the world for righteousness and
truth. Christianity is leading men
everywhere to see the necessity of a
regenerated heart, the result Of which
brings them in harmony with God and
His wonderful law of love. Such in
stitutions as yours emphasize the
golden rule. the observance Of which
is so essential in illustrating the
brotherhood of man. Through these
influences men are coming more and
more TO discover true happiness in
faith. hope. love. friendship. benevo-
lence and charity. all ia practical OPP
Grafton The day of better things is
here. At no time in the history of the
world has true charity been so appar-
ent as at present. You need only to
look about you in order 10 verify the
truth of what I speak. God is help
ing charitable institutions and chart
table institutions are helping God.
That means victory. and the sun is
already risen for the day Of conquest,
in the name Of Jesus our Lord.
IN closing, may I exhort you that.
while you pursue the noble work Of
your order. and may properly make the
cardinal principles Of your institution
watchwords for your daily ministra-
tons among your fellows. aside from
all these virtues you must receive from
heaven the burning, the refining fire Of
the regenerated life in order that you
may be helped on toward God and
everlasting joy. stop not with Pythag-
oras. who himself was but man, but
press onward in your pursuit after un-
DYING friendship. benevolence and
charity. to the Christ Of the scrip
lures. WAC alone can speak the words
Of eternal life.