Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-08-17
HAVE GOOD WITNESS
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON
A Feeling Discourse by Rev. st. Clair
Hester.

Subject: The Witness Of Good Works.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-At the annual Guild
service in the Church Of the Messiah
the rector, the Rev. st. Clair Hester,
preached on "The Witness of Good
Works" For the text he chose Peter
it'll: "That whereas they speak against
you as evil doers 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 power and effectiveness no
words can have. In the presence of
such demonstration of its truth, ar
gument, advertisement, exalted claims,
eloquent commendation are beside the
work, are not needed, are Of small use
and minor Importance. A great snip
steams in from the sea and we may
view her as she lies still and quiet in
her berth, but upon her decks and
sides there are signs of the rough voy-
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 proportioned, 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-
dow nd Of fo
too, the singularity, the unique promi-
nence 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 Oh find
to say against you, my Christian
friend, if you do we'll, this we'll doing
disarms suspicion, gains the mastery
over falsehood, silences misrepresenta-
ton and supplants enmity with good
will. If your works be good you do
not need to have recourse to eulogy.
notoriety- seeking 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 healthful
and sweet, pleasing to the taste, a
change in the estimate of it is sure to
come. BY their fruits ye shall know
them is true principle which cal
umny 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 i'll
| Gentle or foreign countries and among
| peoples of heather religions. Their lot
was any thing but pleasant, their safe
| ty anything but assured. The Chris
| tians Of those early days were common
| ly accused Of being disturbers, innOva-
tors, mischief makers, 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 We're compelled to
meet secretly, to exclude outsiders
| from their places of worship, and this
led to reports that they fndulged 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 come a disposition to inves-
tigate, to come closer, and, finally to
embrace their holy religion. He is con-
fdent 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
ducement to live exemplary lives
that others, even their bitter enemies
and severest critics, might be brough
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 goo(