The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-17
MIND AND MORALS.
commencement Season in Our
Colleges and Schools,
BACCALAUREATE SERMONS.
addresses at Harvard, Princeton, Rutgers, Brown
and New York Universities
THE NORMAL SCHOOL.
Proficiency Of Candidates for Admission from
Grammar Schools.
THE NORMAL SCHOOL.
HARVARD COLLEGE
sAccALAuRATE sLRMoN BY DIR. A. p. PEA
BoDY-MEN WHO ARE HiNpRANcEs TO PROG
REss.
iDY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALp.1

CAMBRIDGE, Mass, June 10, 1878
Commencement exercises opened At Harvard Col
hgs to-day, when DR.. A. r. Peabody preached the
baccalaura;e before the graduating class In
tho college chapel Dr. Peabody took for his text
the words in Isaiah xxxix., S-''Then said Hezekiah
Unto ISAIAH Good Is the word OF the Lord which thou
hast spoken He said moreover, for there shall bs
peace and truth In my days" Those words, he said,
show US a type Of character TO which may
we'll look occasion like this-not for example,
Indeed, but for admoniton. The jewish king from
whom have the text was a good man. in
small way. II has been announced to him by tho
prophet tnat, although no Will pass the
iduo OF bis DAYS in tranquility the direst
caamities VIII overwhelm his nation
and his own children Will be captives slaves in
Babylon. HIS reply Is one oil sc-co ngrat ulation
that these evils winch arc sure 10 com wlii
GONE ID his time Alter me the deluse; bur what care
u tue floods OF the great deep and the bottles Of
heaven Only remain closed WINE stay2
HINDRANcE TO PROGRESS.
Let me ask not precisely ihls ieeiug very largo
influence IN preventing or hinderIpg Improvement
VII the grave interests oi mankind? There Quot,
respectable Citizens good men, according to their own
mean, narrow standing, who always 10 favor
Oi things as they are, though there be growing
and thrca,enlne evils, storm clouds IN the horizon,
mutteriugs at distant thunder because they think
the CLOUDS will not gather or the thunder stroke fall
hlaher they gone Content with uietncss which
will last through their time, though thoy know very well
That it viii not last much longer. Sucn men are OBJ
stacles In the way oil progress, nindranccs phil
Rntbr0py, cyphcrs ia the motive force Of tho COM
munity ~ u yenrns for y iuturo better than the
present. But the same disposition assumes fire.
quenty an aggressive form. There arc those who
determine that, como what may, there shall 1t all
events be peace in tnclr day. such are the who
In Pubic lie stave of accumuating evils by
temporary, but which they think Will last
out their time and give them popularity
100 ,,mid or ietharcc 10 attempts 10 chccK It, They
pet the popularity they sock for the time, but pos
ler.y viii write their ofincn who purposeIy
etan tAn Nn iltut ~.
some alter them would reap the whirwind.
a4sf sHIFTEks or RESPONSIBILITY.
In private but important trials there those
who in the same sphere evade all perpexing ques-
hons, oil arduous responsibilities; who modify duty
Il, concerned Tho disposition Of wIiS S I
am speaking in every department OF life,
prompts to 40 more than WIN meet with I'M,
mediate demand or exigency 10 resort to all X nds Of
maKeshifs OF temporary expedients, TO aim ut mme-
dinte success rather than At thoroughhess and faith
lulnsss. This Same tendency 10 consult present
rather than permanent right good constantly aud
disastrously witnessed ~ tho formation OF habits
rhoss we choose are generally worth keeping; as TO
The rest tho word .'lal" 10 we'll used, aud
We retain them while we dis.pproye thsm
because u would givo trouble to drop
or change them.
4r.I MpEPEsDExcR IxcULcArED.
II bchooves you moro than all things else 10 mako
your conduct absolutely your own, the result
IN every act Of your own independent
the absolute right The practical questions
which you will ever be tempted 10 ask will be in
such form a. .h's &. far may ! modify
Il my Tuner, ana you viii sud pi thai
nsliDle motive 10 the right, and l know not
where that motive is 10 be found but In
Christianity and the powers Of The world 4, 4,
some The rigntmeanng person, who lives on day
Y day with the sole purpose OF making lie easy, is
APT 10 0ud himself suddenly cornercd-placed in
position where his only alternative Is to declare
aud abide ny principles wlion he does no.
vet taken among the enemies OF virtue. He has
hidden I'll he Can slide no longer. and now ne mus.
ako decisive stop without The preparation OF spirit
10 insure tho correctness Of that step.
MOTIVES TO rHoRoUGuxkss.
Let me now urge upon you somc Of the motives
which Should enforce tnoroushness IN all the parts
and details OF whatever II may DO gwen
you 70 wo know what crucial
probing tests our work Will bc cxpoAed. Tho
OF to-day 10 the shame OF tomorrow; tho peace
Of this year the torment oil the next; idcnsss
the boy the ignorance man tho negligence
and OMISSIONS Of youth arc tho uiscom Tort aud
our lie work. We have limo enough, but none TOO
cost OF tho prescut and 10 the detriment
Of the future. We are precisely what wo
make ourselves or suffer ourselves TO be. Peace
10 sought but faitnul thorough, conscientious duty
H no peace. But apart from these considorai ions
here ~ an intrinsic fitness in the sincere and thorough
doing Of whatever VIC do II ought 10 offend our moral
tusts our sense OF proportion, symmetry and beauty
20 BIO SUPERFICIAL to be mere eye servants; yet IN ono
most momentons significance OF the term let US DO nyc
bcrvsns let Us never forget the Supreme Task Master
whose command comes TO us iu every relation OF
nc, In every call OF duty, ana under whose omnipo-
lent eye all our work ~ wrought Hc who works as
10 HIS sight can DO no sham work, and
10 Him are We to look, 10 HIS important
providence Tor rocompense measured by
ndelty. Nor 10 II 10 be lar or but 10 immediate
award that we arc 10 look toa judgment That Is set
and books that opened. not u remote and vague
eternity, but now ana
TRUTH AND PEACE.
The king In our text than he really cared
10 say. "Tnerc shall be peace aud Truth in my days"
II was peace rather than truth he was rejoicing TO
peace, too that had unjerl, ing element
OF truth not veritabc peace, but a brief, hollow
truce with inevitable calsmity, dcsoation and woe.
Truth and peace are indeed insepsrablc. Not peace
aud truth, but truth aud peace. snould be motto.
Truth The way Of peace; peace the goal OF truth. DO
truth ever our AIM God viii care Tor tho peace, and
tho peace OF Sod that pasetn all understanding shall
be ours
PRINCETON GQIL.EGE