The news & observer., 1897-06-08
ON THE SHADOW OF PETER
A BRILLIANT AUDIENCE CHARM
ED BY THE DISCOURSE.
POWER oP SILENT INFLUENCE
Responsibility of Men in View or Hic-
den Sensitiveness of the Worlds
Heart 70 Words ard Actions
of Others.
of Others.

i.
at the distinguished audience which
greeted this gifted young preacher last
Sunday night on the occasion of his bac-
calaureate sermon before the graduating
class of the A. and M. College. The
pulpit power of his father and uncle has
fallen into hands that have conserved it
well; the greatness of those two men, he
may never expect to exceed. For they
have made the name of Hoge luminous
in the list of great preachers.
Added to his special gifts of speech and
impressiveness, young DR.. Hoge shows
the traces of the accurate student IN all
his methods and the coloring of charm
ing reading in all his gentle glow of
speech. He stands like an orator, with
voice not unlike that of his uncle, Dr.
Moses D. Hoge, under whose loving eye
he grew up, and what is better, his words
are goodly with that heartfulness which
comes only from a man deeply conse-
Grated.
The auditorium was overflowed with
the beauty and fashion and family
heads of Raleigh, and at the close of the
masterpiece there was a profound sense
of having been lifted as if by strong
hand. And that sermon will last in this
community for many years to come.
The young preacher took his text from
Acts V. 10 as follows: "They brought
forth the sick into the streets, and laid
them on beds and couches, that at the
least the shadow of Peter passing by
might overshadow some of them.
This remarkable statement, said DR..
Hoge, would seem but drivelling super
stition did we not know something of the
circumstances surrounding it. And yet,
there are many things of today, he
thought, that would seem just as foolish.
Had it not been proved to be true by
scientific investigation it would seem the
most ignorant fetishness to declare that
it was the full-orbed moon, riding through
the heavens, that swayed the tides and
piled up the pillows of old ocean. The one
statement is not more remarkable than
the other.
1T is the silent, the unseen powers
that sway and control this world. The
earth is clothed in flowers and yerdure-
and by what? The calm, silent air and
sunshine and rain. If these forces con-
troll and work these miracles in God
physical universe, why not in the spir-
itual as well? Are we sure that our
philosophy is broad enough?
"If he would employ these silent forces
in working out His physical mysteries,
why should He not do the same in His
plans for the spiritual salvation of the
world? He has been forced to use the
weak. the foolish things of this world to
confound the wise and the mighty.
1t is not only by the work that
we intend to do that our lives are to be
estimated-but by the influence that we
exert upon the world. By this silent force
will we work veal or woe upon the lives
and hearts of those about US.
I'm education let no man fear compe-
tition. Build all the churches and schools
that you can; send out all the teachers
and missionaries you can, and still there
is great tide of ignorance to beat back.
These institutions are doing great and
good work, but there is a greater, bet
ter, a more powerful infuence-silent
power. but mightier far than all. 1t is
a mothers infuence-the deep silent
touch of motherhood upon the child-life.
All the education that follows cannot be
compared TO that. 1t makes men; it
makes nations. 1t is literally true that
the hand that rocks the cradle rules the
the world.
But is not all education largely the
power of personal influence? Is it not the
personal touch, the personal inspiration
that moulds us and Influences us for
good or evil? The silent influences are
greatest in education as elsewhere.
IF then, so great is influence, what a
solemn thing is life? 1t is more solemn
than death. We pass our existence
among extremely sensitive and delicate
human hearts upon whom every word,
every act leaves its impress. None is SO
weak. so poor but that he has some in
fuence upon some human soul. Then how
solemn is life? How careful we should
be. How circumspect should be our lives.
.We should direct our acts in that
direction that we would wish to have our
influence exerted. No man can be engag-
ed actively in wrong-doing and have any
influence for good. Let not only all your
aims, but all your acts as we'll be for
good. Live a godly life. Let first of all
your character be what you would have
those around you be.
s'Mirabeau acknowledged that he could
have saved France had he been a good
man. He was a brilliant man, genius,
but in the supreme hour his genius failed
him. He desired to serve and save his
country, but he could not do it. The peo-
nle had not the confidence in him that it
was necessary they should have in a
leader. His past life had not justified it.
and France was deluged in blood. y
"The greatest power for good in this
world is goodness. Character is the great
thing to have That is what this man
Peter had. He was poor man, one OF
the common people, unlearned and sim
pie. But it is by the common people that
this world must be saved and the great
things done. 1t was not by Peters own
power, but by his goodness, his char
acter that he was powerful to heal. II
was through Jesus Christ. We must
have a character consecrated to Jesus
Christ. My son, give me thine heart
Then you will make the world better
stronger, richer, purer-and it will be
better for your having lived in it,
The music at this service was by a
picked choir and was under the direction
of Mr.. w. II. Oyerton, secretary of the
Y. NJ. G. A. The programme for the eve
ming was as follows:
Male Quartet. ...... "Roek Of Ages, =
Messrs. Mitchell, Wharton, Oyerton
Bruner.