The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-05
BOWDOIN COLLEGE.
THE BAccALAUREATE SERMON, By PRESIDENT
CHAMBERLAIN, ON "GooD AND EVIL"

THE BAccALAUREATE SERMON, By PRESIDENT
CHAMBERLAIN, ON "GooD AND EVIL"
BURLINGTON, Me-, July 4. 1875.
The exercises OF COmmencem mt week at Bow"
dom opened yesterday by the oaccdlaureate ad-
dress OF tie President, before the graduating
class. In accordance with the ancient and time
honored custo N, this address was elivered in the
old Congregational church, better known, per"
haps, as the "Cnurch on the Hill" wuIch stands
just outside the College campus, shaded BY Its
dropping elms.
The following Is an abstract OF
THE SERMON.
The discourse was suggested by the text-'If
therefore, the light that IL IN thee be darkness,
how great is thar darkness ?" Matthew W., 20.
Good and evil are familiar things, yet they gain
new force from this metaphor OF light and dark
ness; the analoglessare vivid and vital. carry
our thoughts TO workings and results. Thus IN
old mysteries there were SYMBOLS 10 denote the
passage from ignorance TO knowledge. BY these
names, too, old nations OF the Orient distinguished
between thems Ives and others looAed on az bar.
barians. The Persians-Gre-w orshIppers-deemed
themselves the blessed Of heaven. They were
Iran, Kingdom OF light and peace, wDile all around
was Juran, darkness and unrest. so Gods truth
Is light and Sa san's error darkness. something
more is meant by the expression in tha text than
the action OF single faculty In conscience or
moral judgment. This Is. doubtless. included in
the meaning; but 1t seems to reach beyond, and
involve not merely moral dscernment, but In
telect, Imagination, aspiration, impulse toward
the ideal good. We could enforce truth from
the narrower side, but we should miss something.
We should come short OF the sweep and strength
OF the lesson. The power OF Chrst's figures OF
speech was not In points OF nicely. His analoges
were broad and striking, such seize upon the
common mind They VIII not bear to be pushed
out in metaphysical rennements reduced to
scientific analysis. They make their point by i'm
preston, not by exacutude. First then, this
light within us is great light. 1t SHOWS US truth
in relation to cOnuuct. This is what we most
need In the may and perllous ways OF life. More
over, IL is authoritative guide. 1t declares the
way, the means and the measures by which alone
we can attain the true end OF our beng. our
danger Is that we shall follow that impulse of our
nature which is the most clamorous at the mo-
ment rather than shape our action according TO
the law OF our whole nature, recognizing what is
higher and lower. and, maintaining due sabordI-
This light ID quickeney. Cherished, 1t inspires
and vvaes. Obeyed, 1t Is the JOY OF lie. 1t IS NOT
the power 10 obey. The law flashed from Sinai
overwhelmed the faculties 1t addressed. 1t pro-
claimed with gores and terrors that could n Of be
borne, "rhis Il the way; walk ye in il'' But this
light comes ana dwels with US, the abiding
promise and forerunner OF the exceeding reward
surely this inward light ls a great light and NE
may bless Goo for IT, whose. indeed, 1T IS, SEAL and
sceptre, and crown But all this, blessed az It
IL, may be changed to darkness. And 1t IS great
darSness First, because II was great light; It
So we mss the sis or u1ass Of Il lie sno
greatly fau. Third, IL Is great destruction. IL
not Simply IN deata' but the power 70 kl The king
when darkened Will not surrender It's prerogative.
Made to be guide, IL viii stu be gaide, ana
when 1t knocks at last we must enter, though I'M
willing guests Well does Saviour exciaim,
'Aow great their darkness /" Tnlrd, and we
are responsible for the change. rue light was
our Keeping. God made nothing for evil but ALI
ior good. Inc free Will has wrought the wrong.
being nor good IN the universe All would be
necessity, dark. cold, eternal. SO II freedom is
not be blamed for evi which tue Tree spirit has
wrought through perversion. Tue blame is on 1T,
issue OF our blessings. The nam doctrine
OF this ~ discourse Is personal RESPONSE
laws. Spirit is above matter, above nature.
We are responsible Ior our faculties, FIRST, Of the
i, Tor sanity. The ooay is not evil, but made for
noble ministries; each should be subordinate to
Is health and. TO certain degree, uuuer control.
Tae laws recognized in training Tor the mastery
In athletic contests are the true principles OF
temperance. so oil the mind. We are TO keep
ourselves SOUND and sane. Pettlng ami counting
OF insanity snould be reouked. We saould not
cherlsh tns coWardly thought and weak will
which invite despair Third, wo are .rcspon-
slole for our affections. We are apt 10 say That
love must go It's own way, and countless treachers
les aud wrongs come from TINS. Inc Bible makes
love the subject o command. We are to love Goa
who Is all-worthy, and our nelRh0Or, who is
less So Love IS commanded az by a Law, and law
Is addressed 70 the viii hence We are bound to
love the loVlble and hate the hateful "A sound
heart is as important as a sound mind. Third,
we are responsible for aims and character. Ii Is
the distinction and glory OF man that he can
the cream We cherish, the forms or our
Every man has them, good or evil they are not
all OF heaven. We may not say what snail come,
put can what shall stay. over these we nave con-
m ri
ating, enlarging. uplifting. Fourth, we are re-
sponsiole also Tor our beliefs. This will be dis
and that BELIEF is controlled by evidence. This 10
an error We are aoftener governed by feeling
10 ourselves for our beliefs. Mere honesty, often
plind and maynard aud OBSTINATE, is no guarantee
less than to 1t. We are bound not only to obey
Its pointing, but see That 1t points right The
instruments capable OF guiding. Are we
not right to follow conscience, SUCH as 1t
Conscience has even braced men IN wrong. So
then conscience is under our cnarge, aud Tor its
by penalties. Inc lessons are that we sRouIS
heed our light and not suffer 1t TO be obscured or
perverted by careIessnes; or outrage. There is
near and dear. When we are able we must
prove all things. even these, and noL last ths
religion in whlch we were reared and it IS right to
accept It until Irresistible reasons prove some
country, rignG or wroRgu Is not to De decried.
Times win come when we must strike FOR life ON.
the instant and take care or health at leisure.
when conscience supports error there - criminal
Ignorance aud perversion. We confuse righs and
wrong by false sympathy we blame everybody
except the drunkard for his drunkenness. The
criminal at the halter we make nero and help
him TO be master Of the situation. THIS defeats
the intent oil the law. II II an argument against
capital punishment. We Bnoulo be careful utter
ing as IN receiving truth otherwise ne break
down the One spiritual sense Our sins OF this
Kind are many. We see IL In society, IN business,
In politics ard tue press. Our treatment OF our
light will determine destiny. That TINS ght with
In Ia divine we see, because Christ appealed 10 1t
for the recognition Of Ills doctrine and authority
BY the law OF that same light 10 tested accept
ance OF Christ. Even His merit cannot avail IoI
us unless we are true to our light
FATAL STAB.