The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-25
AMHERST COLLEGE.

AMHERST COLLEGE.
BAccALAUREATE SERMON By PRESIDENT
sEELYE-LIFE FROM NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL
POINTS OF VIEW.
AMHERST, June "a, 1871
The oaccalaureate sermon was preached here to-day
by President seeiye. who selected the basis OF his
remarks first the eleventh verses, inclusive OF
the first chapter OF Eccesastes:-
rhe words Of the preacher the of David King in Je-
Vanity OF vanties Preacher vanity of vanities
What profit hath all his labor which he taketh
One generation passeth away. and another generation
cometh but the earth abideth forever
The arscth goeth down. and hasteth
20 his place where he arose
north; wbirleth about continually the wind
turns.h again according !. his circuits e.. !, an.
place from whence the rivers thither they
Al things full Of labor: utter IL: the eye
is satisfied with seeing nor the ear ned with hearing
that which done that which shall be done and there is
Is there nnythng whereof It be said. this is
ncwf II hath been already OF old time which was before
remembrance Of former things. neither sh.
there se any s q are win
The only son OF David who was King over Israel In
Jerusalem Solomon. Whether he wrote the book
OF Ecclcsascs may be matter of doubt, though the
plausible suppositon respecting its authorship
is, think, that which ascribes it to him, But, be
this may, no is clearly the preacher personincd
therein, and the book either his actual ut
what m,ght have been the mcd!tations OF
his old age respecting human life. Beginning his
the greatest monarch and wises man OF his
time but sinking aftcrward into profigacy and
bauchcry unrivallcd was the mag Hcence OF his
estate and the splcndor Of his wisdom, he seems
and TO repent OF his Jolly and 10 record
his remarkable experience ana observation
fnr fha gtrnnf af man ind lseSr
OF it all and what may be termed the comprehensive
teaching OF the book OF Ecclcsases, is, that human
lie only be truly interpreted by It's relations TO
divine law, and that created nature never I'LL the
soul which is satisfied only with the Creator
II look at lie ITSELF or aL these outgoings OF
nature as they move before us, everything seems
leetng, unsubstantia vaiu Vanity of vanitcs, van
OF vanes, all IS vanity, the sad singer and
the serious preacher everywhere.
With ths mournfui strain the preacher in the book
OF Ecclnsiastes begins his discourse He continues Il
by enlarging upon the same thought, which he copi-
ousy illustrates by conspicuous facts from his expe-
and his observation He ends 1t by lifting the
curtain different scene, aud giving glimpse OF
satisfying good and abiding reality ''Ict near
says the preacher stho conclusion OF the whole mat
tcr:-Fear God and keep his command ments for this
the whole duty Of For God shall bring every
work into judgment with every secret thing whether
1t be good whether IL be evil" This light from
conclusion Of the discourse shows the meaning OF all
the preceding part This glimpse of eternity changes
the entire vision Of time Gods tribunal OF judgment
transforms the shadows OF created nature and the
vanities OF human LIE into dread and substantial real
/ tiles. without these eternal relations there IS no
i abatement from tho mournful tone or this sad dis
course. Without the thought Of God and HIS SOW
ercgnty and relations to Him there Island TINS
the particular thought OF the passage selected
our present theme-nciihcr any impulse 10 labor.
any Indictment to knowledge nor any inspiration from
/ the love OF famc.
/ l. / say without the thought OF God aud our rea.
lions To Him there would be impulse 10 labor and
THIS in the widest The presence of
/ animal wants induce labor Tor their re-
hoI The animal lie, with endowment OF reason
aud no Knowledge OF God, has impulse to labor.
The activity OF the animal uncontrolled BY man is in
M kanSp ~
with iorethcught OF their use and collect them all
the same whether they use them or not The animal
work Neither does man in those phases
OF human liic where the animal nature seems TO pre-
ponderae Tho savage is as INCIDENT as he Is ignorant
The temporary cravings OF his animal nature he sat.
isles with as temporary supply. He either takes
thought OF work, or. II he does dcspises IT, he ant
mai u made 10 WORK only by mans Intelligence, and
works. not merely from the craving Of h,s physi-
cal wants, bat because the claim Of duty is laid
him and the sense OF obligation recognized. We
very apt TO meet with quite mistaken notions upon
this point Al first sight seems though The busy
wheels Of human Industry were started and kept in
motion only by the impulse OF human wants. but,
when look again. that these
wants themselves have no force, and would
not even be, endowed with energy
aud existence By somewhat beyond themselves.
kNowLEDGk
NO 10 osnSa hc
knowledge OF God. 10 talk OF the inspiration which
comes from the study OF nature, but not all The IN
mighty order ami harmony, not all ts vastness aud
variety: -
It's worlds worlds in myriad myrinds rolling
Round uS, each With different powers.
And other forms Of lie than ours,
are sufficient to givc Tho human mind any permanent
iucltemcnt It's study For what ~ naturcl Looked
ut IN itself alone all else excluded is uaugut
else than a cycle OF numbcress changes when per.
pctualy repeat themselves. Perpetual repetition Is
tie uuvarying and only law OF nature. Its repeated
changes be so vast that untold consumed
VA their stu,endous circuit, or minute that a
ment u hour, may sulco for their begln ng aud
ompletion but vat or minute IL ~ the same change
less round IN ALL Nature gives us this, but nothing
more. The thought OF nature contains nothing more
But where the Inspiration OF such "a thougnty
y Ill In world Of nature, where ''the thing that
hath been IL Is that which shall be, and that which
done Is that winch shall be done - "thero rs re-
membrarce oil tormer things, mother shall there be
| any remembrance OF things that are TO come with
/ those that shall come after There is only end
less repetition vi the same ongoing changes, no one
oil which anyth ing but momentary peculiarly 10
single Il from the rest Variety isiound only within
4 limited range-on the wide scales rcIgns nnbruken
uniformity. The same suns ana stars, the Same sum
mer flowers aud fruits, the same generations OF sen-
lie the great cycle oil nature repeat themselves
continually. els there anything whereof II may nc
said see, this new u hath boon already Of old time
winch was before US. y
TEE GRADUATES.
TO the graduating class he said:-'I cherish TIE
hope that thete truths with which you are familiar
may he 70 you increasing JOY and strength Ia this
are fame ana glory and aDding inspiration for yon
Your life ei DC kept fresh and vigorous and cn hus
ssc aud your work will be done with hope and buoy
ancy aud trccss energy, In just the degree IN which
The iRht shining IRON your spiritual endowmcnts ana
your avac relations. aud the lie which comes from