Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-03-09
THE PWL PIT.
"A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
BISHOP D. Il. GREER. D. D.: LID.
Subject: Standing Before Christ.

Subject: Standing Before Christ.
Brooklyn, N. Y.--Coadjutor Bishep
David H. Greer, DID, LID, preached
in Christ Church, his first visit to
Brooklyn since his election to his high
office. Sunday morning. His subject
was, standing Before the Master"
He chose his text from II. Kings V-25:
HE went in and stood before his
Master" Bishop Greer said in the
course Of his sermon:
You will recall, perhaps, the c0nnec-
ton in which these words were spoken.
Elisha the Prophet had cured a man
Of his leprosy, who wanted to give the
prophet some suitable reward, but the
prophet refused to take it, and said:
"As the Lord liveth 1 will not receive
it." And the servant of the prophet
is not of the same mind, and when the
man departed he said to himself: Nov
will go and take somewhat of him"
And so he did, and then when he had
stored it away in some secret place,
as he supposed, he came to where his
master was and went in and stood be
fore him. Ard;a he came, my friends,
so we must come to another prophet
of Israel, another: and a greater one.
who, although sof Israel born, is the
Master of us ;all, to whom all hearts
are open, before whom there is no
secret, and before whom We must
stand. This is my: subject for a little
while this mnrning,, "Standing Before
the Master"
There is great world struggle going
on to-day, which aalthough it assumes
many different forms is yet the same.
1t is great struggle for ereedom-a
struggle which, to be sure, has been
soins on to sOme extent in every age,
but which in this particular age ap-
pears on larger field of action with
greater number rof actors partici-
palng in it more ccOnspicuOusly per-
maps, and which is carried on now as
never before with an earnestness more
earnest with a purpose more resolute,
and its pitiful effort: at times, with a
pathos more pathetic, human life is
trying to set itself free from misery
and from bondage, and to become SOW
erelgn lord of itself. This it is trying
10 Go by various means and methods,
W weapons of war fon battlefi eldS, by
bullets and by ballots, by social agi
@tlons and by political discussions, by
great material and industrial advance
ment and enrichments, widening out
anu expanding and thus broadening
lhore and more its scope, it's power, its
aomlnlon, and. through it all, it's free
aonl from bondage and control.
.Alld within certain limits that is good
1nu right, and much to be desired.
nut freedom is like fire. When guard
t, en, restrained and kept within control,
nfS good for service and performing g
mahy useful Offices and tasks; but
MAeh 1t is not controlled and becomes
eon1agration, then it is no longer
useful and serviceable, but injurious
anu destructive. And are there not
sollst signs appearing here and there,
lptoNdoically, lt III spots in our modern
- winch show thai the freedom fire
~uay is getting beyond control, be-
OniinS oOS q confagration, burning and
u4,S4nllns, .na not only some of those old
in hla = obsolete traditions which stand
tbos sle way of progress, but some of
no,I, se ola and pure and good and eter-
thalS thrS true traditions without which
Sah be no progress at all
ora souns man in this city, in The Bor-
"nsA 81 Manhattan. a youn~ man of
ana i,uLH u, and refinement and position,
sit1. LIE graduate of a leading mniver-
a. remarked to me not long ago:
,ons,s s lohs as l can manage to keep a
coptn:Ie cptsdoIe outWard appearance, and
fl.otlFe to live so as not to lose the
wbr ,Uf ana good will Of public opinion,
as should ] not live to-day precisely
not please. Am I not free? Ana /
mrsaies Iie sovereign lord and master OF
nst1,al, And if I find in me certain
ties al "a tendencies, instincts, proclivi-
dn1osa ano passions which ] love to in
~ aet Which can indulge. why should
tba ol indulge them? Am [ not free,
splf5 sovereign lord and master OF my
own whose business is it but my
pnhi,aa ana what, indeed, shall hinder!
that opinion? But I am assuming
thinap papllc ~ opinion will not know any.
knoTs.a ABOUT it. Religion? Why, who
Tho Te|s p:i, anything about religion to-day
cen+l,ole nlole: Well, this is the twentieth
Am ~ and the Bible is on the shelf
pleasda not free to do precisely as ]
Of Nus e as the sovereign lord and master
lttlhaa L speech, perhaps, was to some
sAsent typical Of a growing con.