New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-22
THE YALE BACCALAUREATE.
THE HIGHEST TYPE OF MANHOOD.
PRESIDENT PoRTERs SERMON TO THE sENIo
crAss-FAIrH AND FIDELITY.

BatteIl Chapel taking his text from III Peter, V, .:
"And besides this giving all diligence, add 10 your
faith virtue and to virtue knowledge; ana 10 kho"F
edge. temperance and to temperance, patience anu 10
patIence godllness and to godliness brothery KIND
ness and to brotherly kindness charity For II these
things be in you and abound they make you that ye
shall neither be barren unrutful in the knowledge
OF our Lord Christ" The preacher said In part
Matthew Arnold in his fine essay on Marcus Aurelius,
raised the interesting Question wnet ih o sect
which persecuted during his reign In any sncn way
10 understand Its characteristic spirit ana aims anu
ventures the suggestion that this was impossible, else
his attention could not but have been arrested by inc
noboAcss OF the onr. while his heart would have been
touched by tho gentencs OF the other. Chrstianized
stole would have expounded his new faith IN terms not
unlike these which find In tho first chapter OF TINS
epistle We might imagine the Master OF the world to
have entered Christian assembly and to have listened
to exposition or - new faith from thoughtful be-
lever; iad he done so, he would have heard phos-
ophy OF life siaiar to what we fnd in this chapter
We call this philosophy OF lie yet It is none the less
gospel because IL is philosophy, and Is none the less
philosophy because is gospel for 1t states the Old
problems which had vcIed the earnest thinkers from
the beginning and solves them more satisfactorily than
philosophy recognizing the fact that the world reek
Ing with ssru tioD through lust and that dellverance
great promises call forth This love and gratitude I'M
pels To peculiar kind OF life, sketehed In prominent
features OF uty-the Christian idea OF successful llfe
FIRST OF all this life is founded upon faith mo direc
tion add to faith virtue tho revised version
faith coordinate with other virtues. but derives from
faith these various excelences OF character Falth
Christian ideal prcsupposcs religion, personal
trust and love toward Christ the Object OF love and
allegiance, in which blended houor and
gratitude. lovc and hope. THIS faith Is
historical fact 1t is more than credit to any fact or
assent to any truth. II mn act AT loving devotion 70
person mis- aims the heart This latin,
obscure though tmght have been throDbed with the en-
ergy that was even then Dcgnnlng 10 renew the mora
faith I'm Christ as person That enabled them 10 do ana
suffer as they did
More thar this Is true Christ n person exempli-
fed and honored type OF character which the world as
n. found it, had rejected desDised It honor
these virtues which we call Christian that lie used the
whole ais person. backed "A 1t was with mira
and invested with the charm OF mysterious author,
iiy We forget tina; these virtues, which we now call
Christian, were eharacterlstlcs dessPsed by tne
Stole and loathe1 by the Pnarlsee. Also we forget
that Christ exalted these virtues TO the throne Of the
worlds homage aud conquered place Tor them IN Tue
heart OF ChristendOn sun further ~ was Dy inc iorce
and energy OF faith In the Real Christ that men nave
learned To honor aud love the Ideal Christ ATHEIST anu
guostc secularst aad Wording, unite In hOm-
age before the deazed myth or the romantic dream IN
which criticism aud philosophy profess TO have found
the secret of the mystery.
its hi, apprehension of faith loving trust In
person enables TO understand the power FOR good
ness which lies IN trusting chaho9u Mhen ~ acts OF
speaks Itself ont IL never perhaps, so hard Tor
sense present but IL never 40 hard Tor such
men To do without faith The greatness OF the universe
and the highness OF God make - greater need that God
should come down 10 man, that man may rise 70 Cod
aud the more bewdered and helpless Is man IL christ
did not como, and has not gone again 10 God. Wan,
without faith never before 80 helpless AMI alone
Though he knows moro OF the universe tho past and
| trust, man never 50 miserable a. now 49,,
We pass next TO the eNennliacation OF falth
| I'm character and conduct aud asa what
| arc the Enthusiastically Christian duties. aud
recognizes a. our aim end in fo He attempts no
compler cataOgur OF huntn virtues, and We hnl none
in the N,w Testunsnt. Therein Is oyiuCrd the Divine
ds,ernn,ent and forecast. OF tho virtues named
! BIZ the Apostles arc recognized ~ characterIstchy
Christian and Ia so far. novel. having been Of nfre
| ournt occurrence among tho pagan Greeks because
there neither thoughts nor ideals 70 require them
| Faith, being presupposed 10 the condition ana SUD
structure the thought might occur that the supposed
pagan excellence of courage or manly energy has no
place such connection, ahd yet was thris ever cou
ae In warrior or martyr IN woman child taat could
compare with that with which the Christian faith has
This IDEAL when taken whole. Christian ideal
81 The f wS o t, deal mas bse1me more aud more
| cordially approved by respected opiniona
| chapaotcrized by these features. whatever sac
rincrs II may involve, or losses ~ ana may aP,
tvty without In all forms OF act aud SUFFERING Will be
ne OF gnt snI ,.s s man e bear most 81 tho evils
viii patsnce and sefcOutroL The gospel does not dis
icas ,sea 20 the schools OF common aud eVpor
rnr. A Christian common sense. radiant with Christian
love eIalts human nature 10 ia highest manifestations,
and give, tue huublest man In tho lowicst places a
| dignity that commands respect ,,.,,.
Wr have ALREADY anfic pated concluding thought
the relations Of our ideal ne to the future Our
thought has brought us to inc threshold SO S"'iy ana
naturally not 10 knew that we nave crossed II ~ an
ThSi. what the Christian life Involves natural aud
oasy entr another sphere OF activity and living
OF revelation OF glorious sSsues an wy I','J
nf Tie soul richly prepared Tor All by tho discipline or
|
nature Of that future life. We Laye no data Tor scientific
trorikng 10 work upon or FOR the imagination - initiate
ints brilliant phantasins But we kho" tha we sna Do
ike Him whom now I've Tor. Tor We shhl SEQ INN "a,
.,rve i Master loving allegiance shall respond with
ferycnt conservation 10 the distinct manifestations VI
Christ 10 h- a.tou-hed visOH IL IS equally rational To
believe that 10 VINO have anticipated the htnos
pherc OF that lie by large inspirations 1t shall DO
| Eo,,.liKe from the first. IL Is possible,
| nav. more, IL Is rational 10 believe that this
will be fact To bo assured OF ts nope ms ogc cue
y.
,o facts OF modcrr lie N that men OF science ana
49, are "a ready 10 hing away their Immortality
the r.t challenge proof aEd TO dispense with It's
inspron aud lis comfort al the mere suggestions OF a
msieri.n which is far from being demonstrated and
am Agnosticl-m whose dOgmatism has tnc AIR OF any
| thlng rather than modest Goubi. Bat that oar new
sIoics should part readily VITA Its inspirations AT the
snr.tlous OF improved hypptheSes, betokens greater
brartlrssuess OF feeling than Profoundness Of insight
natural and reasonable to frame ideal OF tho future
and 10 exalt such ideal to hops epd promise, 1t Is
reasonable for you Ihese eVvttla u'ys "@w very
definite llncs your life. They sharply ana distinctly
terminate the past and as posvr 9iae ,ns i9sne As
ING backward you SEQ distinct picture, crowded with
| hand dark ANA sombrc the other. but In all It's
| ahangcs glowing with an Intense ana energetlo ndl-
vIns and social NE. As look forward 20 the future
| IL Is hidden from you by curtain beneath wlon aud
through which you cannot look. In vain doyou attempt
even TO draw In outline the scenes that await YOU 10
forecast the empoymens, tho lrendS tho loves, inc
sorrows tho Joys. the succosses ana dlsappointncnts
purpose that shall characerlze that NE and IN so mr
iesiiny shall It be a life OF strong. distinct and
faith In Christ who "a accepted Ivy all noble
sous "A the doal OF human excellence. by ilth IN wiom
| "a IN, living aud real Christ all Chrisondom
a. now moving forward 10 nober and higher achieve
ments Shall your faith be 50 applied 10 your own ire
hat van shall be transformed into His brightness Re
umbcr that fruitfunoSs OF life In any form depends on
energy OF the individual faith. and that faith depends
nm The ndelty with which the convictions are obeyed
above all that the present HE III us main eat
- ia nroougca and perpetu tted In the future; that
an Intelligent courageous, useful prhyieriui, uhselhsn
and forgying life on earth which ia ied from nVng
ring by living faith. opens wide ehtrahco
~, ~, kinpiou which cannot 10 moved
INT each one OF you from THIS hour make sure
q, such life Tor himself is my sincere wish and prayer
! as bid you farewell.