The Portland daily press., 1877-07-23
BY TELEGRAPH.
MAINE.

COMMENOEMENT AT COLBY.
Baccaiaureate Sermon by President Rob
ins-Sermen Before ihe Boardmnn Mis-.
sionary by Rev. HI. WI. King.
WATERvILLE, July 22.-The services of Com
mencement opened this afternoon with the bao.
calaureate sermon of DR.. Robins, at the Bap.
tast church. The text was from first Peter ii: g.
"a royal priesthood" The sermon, which was
one of the Doctors happiest efforts, was listen
cd to by large and attentive congregation.
Rev. M King of Boston Highlands preached
the sermon before the Boardman Missionary
Society of Colby University this evening. The
text was Matt 5. Xviii: "Be ye therefore
perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven
is perfect" -
Christ IS teaching his disciples the DISPOSE.
ton they should exercise toward those who per.
secute them. He has told them contrary to
the ordinary teaching of men that they must love
their enemies Heillustrates this teaching by the
great self-evident fact of Gods love to all men
irrespective of character or condition. If the
disciples of Christ would prove their relation
ship to God their spirit and conduct must bear
some relation to his. This is the principal
point of comparison in the text, i. e., they aye
to be perfect in the matter of love, broad
generous, helpful, forgiving love.
The application of the text may be made
general, 1t eDioins upon all men the highest
degree of perfection in all things, in character
and in life. 1t emphasizes the obligation of
individual growth, personal completeness, per-
feet conformity with the divine ideal. And
hence in societies composed of these personal
units the text has in view that social advance
ment and perfection which is the far-off dream
of philanthropists and reformers.
The theme which the text suggests therefore
is Perfection for man, and how it may be
attained"
Let us inquire, first, what is perfection. It ia
the perfection that God requires of all his inteli
gent creatures. Perfection is variable term.
1t denotes completeness in the sphere of ones
being or life, To be perfect as God is perfect
is not to be endowed with the infinite
and incommunicable attributes and perfec-
tions of God. There is for God himself
and every creature his own standard of
perfection. Among men perfection is ac-
cording to their fidelity in developing the ca
paoities which God has given us.and using the
conditions and opportunities of life. If men
were equally perfect they would not all be lust
alike. A difference is Indicative of universal
difference IN character, in taste, in capacity
and in the inner life. Wedo not see two human
faces that are exactly alike in feature. in COM
be equally fair and attractive. This wonder
full diversity is not the result of accident or of
failure or of inability to follow some single
model. Gods method and design appear to be
to have in greatest variety and at the same
time the highest perfection
LIS it different in spiritual things? Is not Christ
held up as the one model for us all? True: but
this common likeness to Christ is the bringing
OF every power, purpose, and act into subiec-
ton to the will OF God even as he did. In this
mazda 1ilra Ebrir Az.
they are made to resemble each other This is
the perfection that God requires of us ALL the
perfection illustrated in the spirit and life of
Christ. For man to be perfect is not to he in
hnitely wise and holy as God is; neither to at
tain tolthe stature of Moses, John. or PAM or
any other man. 1t is to use the gifts and opnor
tunitles which God has bestowed upop man in
accordance with his will and for his glory. AS
God is perfect in his sphere, sphere which en-
braces eternity, omnipotence and every attri-
Dute OF Deity 80 man is to be perfect in his
human and finite sphere. By this it is not
meant that perfection is attained by men in
this life, but 1t is to be their constant aim and
such Is the representation of the Scrip-
lures.
2. Every man has bis ideal of some SORT. soma
goal toward which he is pressing. Thare ~
farther shore OF human desire and effort To
some 1t lies among the pleasures
or riches of the world; to others in
the direction of mere worldly wisdom:
w SUN oonOio IL ay uo budI JusG visible line of
perfect being where the soul in the exercise of
all Its powers shall give praisein its every move
ment. rms impulse, which lies buried in hu-
man nature does not always result in progress.
either for the individual or for society owing to
the perverted judgments and deprayed tastes by
which it is often misdirected 1t is like the
instinct OF worship which is common to man
but which instead of guiding man to the one
true Goa, has builtup between that God and
ms soul the almost insuperable wall of super
sutton and false religion. So perverted ideal
does but waste the energies of life and leave
the Soul to its own destruction. We are filled
with restless energy which is pressing us for
ward toward something beyond, Well will IL
be for us if that something be true, lofty, spir-
itual. If any man is satisfied with present at
tainment, with what he is or what he has ac-
complished, he is blind to his own defects and
mas lost the ambition of life Ripe fruit is
garnered or falls to the ground and pershes
Inns a Is the law of nature. The shock of corn
thae Is matured, God gamers. Continued life
gives III room LOT continued advance and service.
.. Ihere IS danger to which we are ex-
posed oHthlnking that perfection for society and
Tor men can be attained by a certain nro-
cess OF education. Ignorance, it is ciaimad
is the sole and prolific mother of vice.
and in the general diffusion nj
knowledge is looked upon as the prest
corrective for all social ills, and the al-suffi.
Gent instrumentality for the elevation and
periecting Of men. No single word should be