The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-24
BY TELEGRAPH.
MATTERS In MAINEs
Commencement at Colby.
President Robins BaccaEaureate.
Especial to Press.l

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS WCck OpSuto tOuay Wilh thO
baccalaureate sermon by President Robins. AT
O'Clock in the afternoon the Seniors marched
into the Baptist church and took the seats as
signed them. No abstract can do justice to the
sermon of DR.. Robins. 1t was delivered in his
fervd and impassoned eloquence, command
ing the undivided attention of the large audi
ence.
President Robins BaccnIaureate.
The design of the preachers discourse was to
answer this question, When Christian young
man enters upon a course of study, what end
should he propose to himself?" Three mega
tive answers were given.
1. The Christian may not seek knowledge for
its own sake, because man can fulfil the law of
his being only when the end of his action is be-
You'd himself.
2. Nor is the Christian student justified in
seeking an education, in order that he may the
more certainly win for himself the prizes of
life; for this end is no less selfish than the first,
and is hence as sinful.
3. Nor again is the Christian student justi-
fed in seeking an education for the sake of the
power to benefit society which he may suppose
it will give him; for in this case he gives to a
subordinate. and dependent end; he gives to
society what can of right belong to God alone.
Those only can do their fellow men good in the
highest sense, who seek this, not as sufficient
end in itself, but in subsection to the will of
God, who alone knows what is essential to Sc
cure human welfare.
By this series of negative answers, the way
was open for positive reply. The right end
to be sought in an education is to be discovered
in the right end of life. That is made known
10 the inspired commandment uttered by Paul:
''Glorify God in your body and in your spirit,
which are Gods. But how can creature
glorify the Creator? Certainly we can add
nothing to His essential glory, but we can add
to His declarative glory, Just as the work
of an artist gorifes the artist.
Sincn then the end of life ia IN Olnrifv
God, to fit men in character, to fulfil SO lofty
destiny is the only true and adequate end of ed
ucation. Toward this all Intellectual culture
should be directed.
If this be admitted to be the true end of in
tellectual culture, it is equally clear that with
out intellectual culture, such character is inn
possible of attainment. For character is that
'assembl8ge of qualities" which man has
acquired by the thoughts he has cherished, the
desires and affections he has INDUCED, and the
actions he has performed. Neither natural
tendencies, nor the grace of God in regenera-
ton properly constitute character. These are
the germ OF character, from which it is to be
developed by each man for himself in the sub
exercise of his free agency, These are gifts;
that cannot be given. 1t has NO existence save
as the result of the action of him who possesses
it.
If this then be character and this the mode
OF its attainment, it is plainly evident that the
kind ami degree of it, which is possible to a
man, is determined by his knowledge of the
right; for how can man do the right, that it
may enter into the formation of his character,
unless he knows it. in order that he may do it.
There is in us no sense or feeling of the right
by which a man discriminates moral good and
evil, as by instinct Whenever an act is de-
clared to be right there is always an intelectu-
al Judgment passed upon it, according as it is
tried by moral law, either revealed or discover
ed in the nature of things. Manifestly there
fore the wider mans knowledge of moral
law, as written in his own constitution Of body
and soul, as revealed in the relations in which
he stands to God, and all creatures and as i'm
pressed upon the world which he inhabts-
the greater his power by mental discipline to
discover and grasp principles, and draw correct
conclusions from them, the better fitted is he
to discover the right, and so to build up char
acter of moral symmetry and beauty.
The fitness which knowledge and mental dis
ciIline. give to discern the right will, it is
granted avail nothing to that end, unless ac-
companied by love of the right and DISPOSE
ton to do it. Hence it commonly happens
that persons of very limited knowledge and in
tellectual training, attain to loftier heights of
character than the well educated for to use a
commercial simile, they employ their limited
capital of knowledge, to better advantage than
those more highly favored in learning than they
But it ought not SO TO be. For if with wide
range OF knowledge, and the power to grasp
principles, and the aesthetic refinement which
culture gives, there is united and equal dispo-
sltion to discover the right, and an equal docil-
L
certain that the type of character possible
must be vastly n0bler, purer and more beautiful.
The secret of the only perfect character that
the world has ever seen, was the union in the
Son of God of perfect. knowledge of the will
of the Father and perfect devotion to that will.
The second point made was that character
should be the end of education, because
the real value of a mans work in the world is
exactly measured by his character This is
evident, since just in proportion as there in q
departure from Integrity, holiness, perfection
in mans character, will the impression which
he makes upon society be bad precisely as any
DEFECT IN seal is revealed in the heated wax to
which 1t is applied. 1t is fact of the pro-
foundest significance that even when an earn
est-and perfectly sincere declaration and de-
fence OF the truth are made its practical traEs-
forming power over man is determined by the
degree in which it is exemplified in the charact.
er OF those who utter it. If then the church
Is destined to conquer the world in all of its
departments of thought and action, If govern
ment. wealth, science, literature, art, are to
submit to the sway of her King the truth with
which she has been put in trust must receive
hvlng demonstration in believers beyond any
yet seen since the Master himself walked
among men. A higher Christian life!-is the
cry OF the church as she perceives the urgent
need she has OF this weapon with which to
meet her enemies, and hears the voice of the
treat Exemplar coming down from the far dis
tances in which he still walks alone, saying:
-. be ye perfect. even as your Father which is
then must be not that which those Ignorant of
tne condition, would obtain at single bound;
not thus is the mount of vision won." But
rather must the better intellectual discipline, the
intense intellectual activity, and the accumu-
iated stores OF learning OF our time be put un-
der contribution for the conception and deyel-
opment OF better balanced, a broader, high
81. purer type of manhood, uniting the
. intelligence with the profoundest
with fSa b ane wisdom Of serpents
supreme need of the world to-day in all
spheres of action social, political, religious, in
TINS nigh character in its leaders and guides
men OF minds we'll disciplined and well fur
nlsneo, OF pure imagination, of sensitive con-
science, of subdued will, whose trained intel
lect, and keen moral sense, and broad and
accurate knowledge, will enable them to dis
crlmlnate, sharply, between good and evil in
t tnelr most subtle and specous forms, whose in.
tense love of righteousness and burning hatred
Oh lniqulty will make them prefer death to sin,
and any education which has not for its
browning end the training of such leaders and
guides is unworthy of the name, for no other
can do the work for which the redemption of
the world waits.
:. line preacher regarded the startling revela-
!ions OF corruption in our social, and especially
IN our political life, which have given the CEN
tennlal year bad pre-eminence and greatly
moderated the ardor OF our bOasting over the
bewildering achievements of the first hundred
years OF our national existence as especially
designed of Providence to impress upon our
people the nations imperative need of trained
men, OF the loftiest character, to fill the high
est places OF trust. God is saying, in terms as
distinct as the tones of fire bell in the night.
that all our marvellous material prosperity, our
Wanted system of public instruction, and our
advancement in science, literature and art will
profit us nothing unless our higher institutions
OF learning send out men trained, not in intel
lect only, but in hearl-good men, men of faith,
men OF truth, men hating covetousness and
scorning brides, men of incorruptible integrity,
In conclusion the preacher addressed the
young men of the graduating class, reminding
them of their peculiar privilege, at going out in
the world in the hundredth birthday of the
nation, and exhorting them to serve their ma
tive land with courage and devotion equal to
that of those who gave up their lives upon the
battle field for its establishment, by devoting
their culture to the sublime art of living
worthily,. to the attainment of the loftiest
heights of character. -
Ito the Associated Press.1
injured by a Rocket.
SOUTH BERWICK, Jnly 23.-At the raising of
democratic flag here last evening, where