Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-06-14
HARDIN COLLEGE.
Baeealaureate Sermon ut the Baptist
Church, by Rev. VI. E. Chambiiss,
Of Kirksville, Last Sunday.

Lux AVN VIEW SPSoSN S
and prayer, in which thanks We're rem
dered for Hardin College, and heavens
blessing invoked upon its graduates and
teachers, and its well known founder and
Ex-Governor C. n. Hardin,
and upon the church and its ministers.
The Rev. speaker began by saying that
desire for new and enlarged opportunity
was natural, and that, therefore, there
was little doubt the graduates, who were
more especially addressed, had often
longed for place among the sewers and
reapers of actual life, in which to try
their newly acquired powers. The hour
has now come when you can, with pro-
priety, assume the wished for position.
The world acknowledges your rights and
is willing to make room for you. Life's
ledger, with its debtor and creditor side,
stands open to record whatever may be
attempted and accomplished. Thus far its
entries are all against you. For what
you are, you are indebted to God, your
parents, teachers, school and benefactors;
but before you are the place and the OPP.
p~ortunity you coveted. In directing at
tention to these the speaker had no de-
sire to deck the future with garlands; his
duty was rather to lay open the helpful
ness that is to be found for LIES war
fare in union with Christ.
In Phil, oh. 4, yer. 10, were these
words: "I can do all things through
Christ, which strengthened mel God
may not call you to such work as was
Paul, the writer of the epistle, in which
these words are to be found. You may
never be made to feel. "Woe is me If I
preach not the Gospel" But, neverthe-
less, God has recognized woman's place
in Christian enterprise by blessing her
efforts; and who can tell but there may
be room In this grand field for you, for
which woman has peculiar fitness and a
recognized place side by side with man.
Oh, how boundless are the the oppor-
tunIties of the cultured Christian wo-
mans life. At home, In the church, in
foreign lands, by the side OF the furnishing
and the dying, what crowns may be won?
1t is woman's to bind up broken hearts,
and life means work with suffering-op-
portunities to be embraced, n charac-
ter to be. formed for an eternal destiny,
It was Paul who cried, "Who is sufi-
cient for these things!" Inc answered his
own question by declaring that through
| grace he was able to meet all the require.
: ments of this state Of probation and trial
e 81 can do all things through Christ
that strengthens me-"
Having a purpose to live fol, is a grea
. help. Life without purpose is, of al
I things, the most uncertain. 1t is a lea
t blown hither and thither by the wind
| a ship that has no chart, no compass
no hand on the wheel. But purpos
alone is not the whole. It is the hol
purpose that makes life supreme. Befor
{ conversion Paul was energetic; afte
F.. that he became sublime-flled with zes
q for the salvation of mankind.
l. In the man Christ Jesus, the help an
), power Of a holy purpose found its MOI
wonderful illustration. He came to ben
- eft mankind; but how was he received
!. First, the devil tempted him; those /
k would save resisted him. Alone he WI
1T left to weep over the destiny of Jerusa
EN-. Like a malefactor he was nailed
the cross; but nothing either deceived I
intimicated him. He swerved not uni
m at was finished"
a. A holy purpose besets an enthusiasm
that can be reached in no other way
'o quick in perception, rapid in executio
u successful in its designs. 1t gathe
Id strength from holy writ and is upheld
H. the power of the grace Of God; it Civ
energy to hope and gathers into n cha
mel all the efforts of life; it makes even
and achieves victories--but every victo
that wears its semblance is not success
A general, uponb being congratulated fol
We victory, answered. ayes, one more su
Re victory viii be my ruin" Oh, it is frigh
Il full to look upon the wrecks of tin
How often is the plant heard, "Oh tn
=. 1 might become a child again and q
lis Alright the time I have misspent;" and c
er how often in despair is life flung aw
an and the rush into the unknown MAJ
he Any purpose that does not make life hs
: monize with revelation will necessar
- make that life a failure. Oh, it is a 5
commentary upon human nature that
'st only needs removal of restraint to inst
an destruction.
oh There is a difference between mot
n. and purpose that ought not to be ,ov'
'loked. Motive begets purpose. Mot
is like steam in In engine-it is the SOU
Of power. Life needs strong moti'
such as can be found alone in the Il
r. that is begotten of Christ. In Christ I
ire heart is not taken up with self; it g
out after others. Through such X
,at Paul came to see a brother in every m
hit and more and more daily to identify hi
to self with and glorify humanity. p
was saved by grace, and loved the chul
ybt and all men for Christ's sake.
;.h What motive can be compared to lo'
- Love is the very fountain of mo
strength. 1t matters not what your
DIP. Iation of life is, you stand daily in need
ith it. Who is it that has not realized b
,tir important is sy .npathy2 Young ladies
ant the possession of the motives and p
poses the love of Christ imparts, alo
can power for life's work be found.
is that alone that car make life sublil
Such love seeks not It's own, makes
labor light, and imparts the will
power to do and suffer. What a mist
at the Jews made when it was said, 9
be saved others; let him save Himself If
zen be the Christ, the chosen of God"
hev was His o~mnipotent love that brou
Him to and kept Him on the cross.
was His purpose to be mans redeel
IN, that enabled Him to heap benedict
and upon His murderers. Oh, how alb
uld dant and blessed are the fruits Of Chri
is love. There is nothing in philosophy
any sort to be compared to It. It Blu
asylums, feeds the hungry, clothes