The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1880-06-07
BAccALAUREATE, SERMON.
Delivered BY President Thomson be
fore the Graduating Class, Sunday,
June 9th, at s r. N.

Fl n 1850 Y HI Il y
SUBJECT The Perfect Manhood 80
EpAessians AZ, GAap. i, ~ and 0<,ses.
Canon Farrar calls Paul the Apostle Of.
Progress The text furnishes an exam
pie Of the eminent propriety offhis term.
Paul here bfosdIy States Inc ulGmal pr
pose Of the Gospel 70 Be the production
ofperfsek men, Jesus Christ being the
standard By which to measure that per
fiction The giving o5the church Of
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors
ind teachers was to secure the perfecting
ef- the saints the work Of the ministry
finds its completion in the edi6cation, the.
building up in strength and grace and
symmetry Of the body Of Chris, which is
the. church. BY this upbuilding, We are.
toe come into unity Of faith. and charging
knowledge Of the Son Of God, until we
attain into perfect manhood, thnto the.
measure ofthe stature. Of the fitness of
Christ" All the machinery Of The church,
all its teaching. all its knowledge, al its
doctrines have a single end in view, viz Il
the perketins or men after the model q
Christ. The development Of strong, rips,
full orbed menis the final end Of the Cos
pei, as were announced by greatest
apostle is. .z Il
\. Issnot this teaching in sympathy with
what We. call the progress of the nine.
teeilth century :. The thought Of this.
sge clssters about man His nature,
his origin, his misson, his education, the
Significance Of bis existenee, his ultimate5
destiny the.e are living, SITTING qaes
tons .-
Mans lordship over the earth is every
where fully confessed The woad wss.
rnsde for him, and he vas not made fori
the World The sie1iheonee 81 the world
sistn foDad ia man The world d sdeptt
cdto nan, i VI; eyidently pfspard feri
man. Cradle. seheol hopse, workshop,
store-house, battle ground Man, then,
IS not aspiring loo loAily when he aspires5
TO sovereignty over the world BY rul-#
ing the world, and the influences Of the.
world, he develops bis faculties, and
marches toward perfoction.. s.s
The text, the thought Of thu age. and
the occasion that calls us here emphasize
the theme chosen for our meditations;
THE PERFECT MANHOOD.
The perfect manhood is not ssdeternin-
ed by the possession or lack Of physical
qualities. The display of a perfect set Of
muscles is no proof of high manhood.
There are animals, stronger, swifter,
DETER, more graceful, more agile than
man. Mere physical courage N not nee
essarily manhood, In the ability to fight
for their food, for their young. for their
homes, many animals are superior to
man. .r
Manhood does notereside I'M our social
instincts and capacities. Man has indeed
an irresistible desire for society. De
,prive him Of society, and he will ultimate
5ly die Of despair, Or become an idiot. The
aanimal desires society. How the horse
sneigbs when his absent companion is re-
burned to the neighboring stall Cattle
feed bsst a fr0ves Sheep htten bsst Il
lloe Bees have organized ~ ILL.,
with laws and penalties Ants i've In
communities. and practice the system Of
cooperative labor Birds sing in com
panies They migrate in crowds
The distinctive test Of manhood is not
to Be found il, our mere possession Of in
tellectral faculties. We talk learnedly
about the instinct of animals Now, what
ever we mean by the word instinct it
is pretty clear that instinct does for the
animal what intellect does for man. The
animal has a sense Of existence. Il is
conscious Of its wants. Of its pains. Of its
pleasures In man, we would call this
consciousness. Animals have percep-
ton, and some. Of them very acute per
ception. Ask the hunter and he will call
Up one BY one his dogs, tell you that they
have the finest perception. They have
memory, if you are travelling homcward
over road which you have travelled but
once the. surest way is t. give the lines
to the horses, you may cal this instinct.
sagacity q what you please but the
horses BY memory take you home. They