Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-06-20
], !, -, 80 y f,od and no seuse Of 70


tain no thought Of God and no sense OF re-
Csss yonrsslves with immortal spirits
and yotrr soul can be satisfied with moth
inc that does not terminate In God. The
chief end OF thorough going theist must
be the glory of God. And between these
extremes of atheistic materialism and the
ism Won can find no stopping place An.
earnest man who loves the consistency
that should subsist between creed and con-
duct. must take one extreme or the otner.'
II he esteem himself Partaker OF divine
nature, the glory of God Is the only emu Oh
life that can satisfy him.
And consider IN the third place, that IN
seeking to realize your high aim, you VIII
necessarily discover your need Of Divine
helm. As in living the animal life one
mnst avail himself of assistance furnished
hy the animal kingdom. the food that
keeps him alive and the forces ana re-
sources of the physical world, 30 IN hvinS
the lite of an immortal spirit, striving 70
glorify the Great Spirit. one must 1904 "
The kingdom to which he prineipaiiy De
longs for the spiritual helps without whict
EFFORT 10 glorify God according. TO His
revealed will demonstrate our need OF 90
aid. Or, according to the more exceiient
way. let one, believing the record OF the
gospels. see God reaching down his hand 70
hold us up and draw US unto himself ano
the same Conviction arises. The fact tnat
God helps men to glorify him is sufhclen'
evidence of mans inability, :
Now, the manner in which that help Is
extended to us is adapted TO make US, IN
higher than the original sense, partakers
OF The divine nature. The union of the be-
lever with Christ is real union Of spirits.
Into the heart of the believer in Christ
comes new power from God, giving new
exnressions OF our exalted place, awaking
new affections aud intensifying the great
purpose. Christ and the believer are vine
and branch; out Of the former into the lat,
ter flows like the life-giying sap the moran
and spiritual power which made Jesus the
only human being who perfectly giorineu
God. And again helpcomes proyidentaiiy.
Our interests become incorporated witn tne
mighty interests which enter INTO oou .
eternal plans. Everything which happens
becomes helpful to the Christian IN the
effecting of his high purpose. There Is q
sense in which he is lifted clear out OF the
realm OF the merely physical and animal,
and his partaking OF the
divine nature takes the form OF com,
plete independence OF circumstances. Good
or evil they minister into him.
Gentlemen OF the Graduating Glass, go
ont into the world and pursue your differ
eut callings and meet the varied expert
ences of fife; but never forget what you
are. have striyen to have you realize the
high place God has allotted to you In his
great universe, and the still higher place
you may occupy by ayailing yourselves OF
his gracious offers. But how far Il have
succeeded is known only to God and your
selves. l can only add my prayer that the
HOLY Spirit may give divine power to the
great truth and stamp it indelibly upon
your souls. Cultivate self respect upon
this basis. Hold your head upward and
scorn to perform any act which should
cause you to drop it to earthwart. Guilt
waite individuality upon this basis You
have sometimes, il may be while in Col
lege, followed the multitude t. do evil,
against the protest OF your conscience; tor
public sentimant is strong Determine
that YOU have done so for the last time. SO
estimate yourselves that you may be aole
TO say, after Daniel Webster 1.-The greatest
thought that ever enters my mind Is my
personal responsibility to God
And finally, the highest example OF
true, noble, successful life which can set
before YOU and commend you to initiate, is
that of Jesus. i know that he
closed his life on malefac-
tors cross. His followers were few,
fearful and scattered abroad, and failure
was about to be inscribed over that new
tomb in which His body was deposited.
But Jesus was a partaker OF the divine
nature. His life and mission were bound
UP in the plans of the Almighty: Goa,
with mighty power, interpoSed. andlyictory
issued from the grave of defeat Was the
life of Jesus a failure? But the secret oil
that life was the estimate Jesus set upon
Himself. He never for one moment In all
His life lost consciousness OF His relation to
the Father. AS you read the Gospel you
are struck with the perfectness with which
He maintained His character. To His
anxious mother who had searched for Him
three days, the boy of twelve expressed sur
prise that she should not know He must
be about His Fathers business. In the heat
of the hatred and opposition of malignant
enemies, out of the peaceful depth OF HIS
consciousness of His divine nature, arose HIS
calm words, 81 and my Father are one.
And when, in the mystery OF grace, that
Father had abandoned Him to His enemies
and He was dying on the cross, the same
profound conviction sustained Him. He
committed His spirit into His Father
hands and proclaimed the completion oil
the work committed to Him by the Father.
II YOU, gentlemen, will but initiate Jesus
in estimating yourselves, over your graves
no truthful being can ever write failure.
Our little Johnny had been given up to