The Penn's Grove record., 1905-08-11
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. ST. CLAIR HESTER.

SCA VICE III the Cuurcn OIL the Messiah
the rector, the Rev. st. Clair Hester,
preached on ''The Witness Of Good
Works" For the text he chose | Peter
I'LL: THAT whereas they speak against
you as evil doors they may by your
good works which they shall behold
glorify God" Mr.. Hester said:
The value to Christianity of the evil
dence of good works cannot be gain.
said or withstOod. 1t speaks for itself
and with a power and effectiveness 10
words car have. In the presence Of
such q demonstration of its truth, ar
gument, advertisement, exalted claims,
eloquent commentator are beside the
work, are not needed, T of small use
and minor importance. "a great ship
steams in from the sea and we NAV
view her as she lies still and quiet in
her berth, but upon her decks and
sides there are signs of the rough yoy-
age, upon her PROV and tunnels is the
salt thrown there by the high breaking
waves. Men may say of her she is too
large, badly proportional, improperly
constructed, her machinery is not of
the latest pattern; they may crticise
and accuse and point out defects, but
there is no denying that she has
plOwed the surface of thousands of
miles of deep water and brought her
precious cargo of freight and passen-
gers safe and undisturbed to their des-
tination.
This symbolizes in a way the position
of the Church of God in the world to-
day. And it describes after a fashion,
too, the s~ingularity, the unique promi-
hence of the Christian among the all
sorts and conditions of men constitut-
ing what is known ~variously as society,
the public, the body polite. Never
mind what the world may have or find
to say against you, my Christian
friend, if you do well, this we'll doing
disarms suspicion, gains the mastery
over falsehood, silences misrepFesenta-
ton and supplants enmity with good
will. If your works be good you do
not need to have recourse to~%eulogy,
notwithstanding or noise; the world
has need of them; men have an in
stinctive respect and appreciation of
everything conducive to the common
benefit, they will win their way. they
will secure their place, they, the works,
not you, will exact deserved recogni-
ton. A tree may be despised and spo-
ken evil of, but if the fruit be healthfuI
and sweet, pleasing to the taste, a
change in the estimate of it is sure to
come. By their fruits We shall know
them IS a true principle which cal
jimmy and envy cannot down, and from
whose righteous judgment there is no
appeal.
st. Peter in this text was writing to
Christians and churches existing in
Gentle or foreign countries and among
peoples of heather religions. Their lot
was anything but pleasant, their safe
ty anything but assured. The Chris
tians of those early days were common
~ accused of being disturberS, innova-
tors, Observation-Disclosures, of being law
breakers and traitors to Caesar, of be-
ing atheists and blasphemers of the
popular idolatry. Because the popular
hatred Of them they were compelled to
meet secretly, to exclude outsiders
from their places of worship, and this
led to reports that they INDUCED in
wild, obscene orgies. Because of the
phrase drinking of the precious blood"
used in connection with the commun-
ion service, it was said that they killed
infants and drank their blood in their
private assemblies. They were under
constant suspicion and surveillance.
Their enemies were ever on the alert
seeking to discover faults and incon-
sistencies; to uncover them in some
wrongdoing. st. Peter hopes and be-
lieves that this close observation of
the lives of the followers of Christ
may lead to the undeceiving of their
enemies as to their true character, and
that from this better understanding
there may ONE a disposition to inves-
tigate; to come closer, and, finally to
embrace their holy religion. He is con-
tident that prejudice aside and knowl-
edge in its place can result in only this
its glad and willing acceptance.
What an opportunity then in view of
these circumstances and what an in
%ducerient to live exemplary lives
that others, even their bitter enemies
and severest critics, might be brought
to know the only true God and Jesus
Christ, whom He did send. The apos-
ties counsel is to this effect-be true
to thy cause and to thy God, be good
and do good, not merely because 1t
gives you peace of mind and joy of
soul; not merely because it is to your
highest and best interest-this would
be looking on the side of self only-he
eliminates oil selfish faint from his
counsel by putting emphasis upon the
educative effect of Christian conduct
upon the sentiments and convictions
of hostile and heather neighbors. This
is your chance, he intimates; this the
means-your good works-impress
them, win them, help them, in this
way. by this means.
All these considerations, this motive,
these means are of present moment,
of up-to-date interest and may be OF
present application. Though living in
a nominally Christian age and land,
practically the Christian is still sur
rounded by an enyious, e~vil-speaking,
backbiting world. They who are not
with us are as critical, as watchful, as
eager to find wherewith to accuse, en-
barrass, expose as ever in the days OF
the apostle. Not only our OWL souls,
not only our morals and principles are
In our Keeping, but the safeguarding
and growth of the church, the purifca-
ton and moral uplift OF society, the
putting down of iniquity and sin and
yes, verify, the Christianization of the
home, the family, the community. the
city, the salvation of the world. Every
Christian is as a city set on a hill-not
to be hid-ahd men will be won to
Christ in proportion as each ard every
Christian feels Il responsibility for the
unchurched masses, for those not in
the Good Shepherds fold, and just in
proportion as each and every n comes
up to the measure of his responsible
ity. Translated into modern applica-
ton, the apostles meaning to you and
me is this: "YCu Christians, so regu-
late your desires and take account of
your ways that your life will be be
coming and worthy of your calling, and
thus the heather, the Indifferent, the
~estranged and prejudiced people around
you, %prejudiced against Christ, will be
prepared to receive the Gospel when
1t is urged upon Them" We may try
In a thousand ways to reach them, to
interest them in religion, to Christian
lze the masses. the institutional church,
the annual dinner Or reception, the
church congress, the revival and tent
and O~ut-of-iOor service, the musical
so,.viao arnofn pftuaI olOui1nDf dis