The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-07-08
Commencement at BOwdOin.


The Baccalaurcate sermon was delivered be-
fore the graduating class on Sunday at p. M,
by Rev. DIR. Harris, late President of the Col
lege. The opening exercises were conducted by
Prof A. s. Packard, after which the speaker
of the afternoon was introduced by President
Chamberlain. Tba text was Mathew vi, %, %.
! fore, thine eye be single. thy whole body shall
be full of light, but if thine eve be evil thy
| whole body shall be full of darkness. If,
Therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness,
how great is that darkness!"
The speaker began by saying that education
has been prominent subject of thought and
study from the beginning of history; but as
there are many theories respecting its nature,
many of them must necessarily be incorrect:
| and that the purpose of his discourse would be
to draw correct views from the words of Jesus
himself That it is remarkable that in all
Christs teachings we find principles which,
| followed out, give us our best light and guild
ance, and that in this text principles are laid
down which lead to perfect education. He
then showed that to receive and apply educa-
ton correctly sound constitution is necessary,
| just as the eye must be healthy in order to give
| light to the body. As an example of diseased
mind-there are persons who from childhood
have knowledge of certain truths and as they
grow up they wrap these truths about them
selves as an armor to keep out other truths,
and thus become unhealthy like bark-bound
tree
That right education is not to roll ones self
| into ball like a hedgehog, and present what
we have learned as invulncrable points against
| further investigation, but to be continually
striving to get broader views of the truth as it
| exists. Our Saviour teaches that if men would
bring their minds into healthy condition they
must rectify their ideals Of life. Every man
has certain ends and purposes in view and if
his locals of these are right ones they will
unworthy, mis- auUempts Win prove fsifurtss,
| life lost life, and his soul lost soul. A is
eased eye avoids the light, and if light falls up
| on corrupt heart it will not illume the body
but will only light up the path to the attain
ment of treasures which in the end will only
be as ashes in the grasp. We are creatures Of
| Divine creation and to make the end worthy
| of attainment it must IN everything be con-
nected with things Divine.
If men could be conceived of as pure intel
| lects, they would have two motives for the ac-
| QUESTION of knowledge; curiosity and that sci
entific interest, such as impelled Sir Humphrey
| Davy to inhale Loxious gases for the sake of
experiment, and such as daily causes men to
make sacrifices in behalf of science.
But should we be justified in seeking for
truth for its own sake? This might be the
case if we were pure intellects but as we are
not it is impracticable.
As we cannot conceive of light except as it
| is manifested on natural objec is, SO we cannot
conceive of abstract truth as it is impossible to
separate the intellect from the heart, and trnth
| can only be known as it affects our hearts and
| lives.
But there are some men whose lives might
be expressed by an interrogation point. They
pretend to be seeking the truth, but they are
always seeking and never become established
on a basis of true knowledge. Truth is the ldu
of life, and every thing must be yielded to It,
Or. Harris then spoke of the mistaken idea
that some entertain that it is best to be ready to
believe anything, if it can be apparently prov
ed,and to listen to any argument however spec
ious. He then continued
Imagine Paul Ut Athens saying to one of the
Grecian sages 'Come, teach us your philose-
ply l am equally ready to listen to the Athe-
ism OF Epicurus or the theism of Christ or to
become convicted that Jupiter or Jehovah is
God. The destiny of man is not to ask ques-
tons, but to have faith in truth. Another evil
of curiosity is that it consumes too much time.
can imagine an entomologist, for instance,
who on finding some new species of insect ex-
claims, How much more glorious to investi-
gate the secrets of nature than for John Stuart
Mill tn discuss the principles of minority rep
fesentatfon or for a theologan to investigate
the relations of mon to his creator" Another
false idea is that the idea of life is thought;
that men should shut themselves from the
world into the region of metaphysics and do
nothing but think out great problems.
The speaker then criticised the savings of
Hamilton, who said that the great end of life is
the seeking of truth; of Malebranche, who said
i1 truth were bird, and he held it in his hand
he would let it fly away for the pleasure of
seeking it, of Leasing who said if he could
have his choice between the search for truth
and its possession he would choose the former
He then spoke of those who dabbe in science
and art for amusement, and said that as long as
man performs experiments for pure gratifica-
ton there is no more credit in hunting truth
than In hunting foxes. Such motives do not
lead to true WISDOM for wisdom is knowledge
rightly used. Lord Bacon did not teach people
induction, tor men have always reasoned thus
-unconsclousy perhaps, like the man who was
not aware he had, been talking prose all his life.
The advantage of Lord Bacon's philosophy was
that 1t taught people to seek truth for its uses
Our Saviour does not teach that the chief end
OF life is personal culture; for the man who
gives himself up to the perfection of knowledge
IN himself regardless of the welfare of others
around him, must be uncongenial and selfish
We see striking example of this class in the
character of Goethe. An iceberg extending
down into the depths of the sea and towering
aloft like pyramid, it floats along with ali the
majesty OF the ocean, rejecting all the glories
OF Of, the sunlight: yet still a mountain of ice.-
When news OF great revolution in France
and or decision by the French Academy On n
matter SO unmportant that we have all forgot
ten 1t now reached him by the same paper he
aliected, for have too high an opinion of the
man 70 deem 1t more than affectation, that he
was more interested in that insignificant decis-
ion than in the mighty events which were
changing the destiny of one of the great nations
OF the world
Education often leads to fastidiousness, con-
tempt for everything below our sphere. as in
the case of Emerson, who said if he could only
ma man riding on stage coach in Texas
and reading Horace, he shoul wish to bur
him; OF Ruskin,. who could not endure to live
TWO months In America, a country SO unfortu-
nate as to possess no old ruins.
Our Saviour does not teach that the chief end
OF life is power. We should not gain power bv
making tools of ourselves or others. We want
men and then lawyers, doctors, mechanics or
shOemakers, bnt men first.
DIR. Harris next spoke of the fallacy of striy-
ing for power, without any fixed plan of using
it when obtained. He said that Huxley def.
milton of education, although excellent In itself
is imperfect, as it does not tell now men should
use it,
Some one said that nothing is stronger than
the weakest spot-that if a column be made of
iron ever so strong, and has one weak spot that
spot measures the strength of the whole Now
perhaps the weakest spot In society is wealth.
although it is the great centre to which every
thing turns And when we see specific cases
of misused wealth, men fortifying themselves
behind castles of luxury, and shutting their
ears e; to the cry of the poor, we know that like
slle exhalations of Pandemonium, there must be
something o from which it arises and that in the
societ strata lies grasping greed pervading all
wbat e. al ah conclusion DR.. Harris said: Now
VIA a., Is .ne idea of true education as expressed
e. ~ Sui SAVIOUR! Seek We first the kingdom of
sh ana h as righteousness, and all these things
oaaia oe auueo unto you" and when you have
concentrated al your energies to that end your
knowledge will add to your culture. YOUR c SI.
ture will add to your strength and vonr Lno,ui