Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-06-25

than all things else, makes life become nap
pier to the true man as the years pass on
ward. The minds life is to grow larger in
the coming time, as it is growing larger now.
hereafter, as It has been growing here. The
life of service and of duty, which con-
tinually becomes wider in its reach and re-
ward as we pass from youth to age, is to
reach out far more widely into she distant
future. The faithful soul's look backward
can never be equal in joyfnlness to It's look
forward. The tree Of life, with Its twelve
manner of fruits, yielding Its fruit
in every mouth and for every want, is plant
ed only by the river of the water of life. As
man believeth, so he is. When mans
thoughts are In the line of his highest man
hood and in the line of Gods love, and when
his thoughts give impulse to energy and
faithfulness in the divine service, the man
has the foundation of endless happiness with
in himself.
And this is the purchase of human life, &C
cording to its true idea, which the apostles
words give US to day.
Gentlemen of the graduating class: The
days which bring to close the period of
your academic life as undergraduates in this
institution have now arrived. In accordance
with long established custom OF the univer
sity you have met together on the hrst OF
these days to give your thoughtful attention
to the Christian teaching, as it offers to you
With the kindliest feeling towards you all,
and the deepest interest in your future well
fare, have tried to set the lesson briefly be-
fore you. May not hope that ron will take
it to yourselves and bear 1t with you in the
coming yearsf
You are entering upon your career at q
most interesting and important epoch of the
nations life. The question of righteousness
and noble living and grand purpose in the
century which is SO soon to open upon us,
the question, that is, whether the next age
is to degenerate in luxury aad sel6shness,
losing itself in that which is external to the
souls Utmost being, and therefore unworthy
of the souls deepest thought, or whether it
| is to take upon itself a loftier character than
the earlier age possessed, because it realizes
| in its experience more all-controlling inhu-
| ence of that divine truth which gloriGes
every man whom it enlightens, is the ques-
{! ton upon the determination of which every
| thing of the highest value for the nation
| must depend. The decision of this question
will rest, in no small measure, upon the
| action and attitude OF educated msn.
| AS educated men you will of me-
| cessity have your share in the
decision, and the responsibility for it viii
| fall upon you. 1t is well for you to remem-
| Der, therefore, that all questions-o of life go
back, in the last resort to the question Of
| individual personal living, and that it is the
daily living of honest, earnest, believing,
heroic men which establishes the power OF
| truth against its adversaries and extends its
blessings through the ages. The matter Of
1 personal life thus is the matter of the FIRST
and greatest consequence to each and every
one of your number, and this matter centers
/ in that faithfulness to duty which has its liv.
| ing source in the thoughts and purposes OF
/ the soul. To such faithfulness as his ser
wants and co-workers with himself for the
good of men and for the kingdom of God
Christ summons you as you begin your man
ly career. At some time in the futurs-no,
i far distant at the latest and perchanee very
near-he will ask and answer the question al
/ to your obedience to the summons. Blessed
| indeed will you be if the answer bear with il
/ the promise of larger life and higher ser
vice, of happier thoughts and more delight.
| full experiences in the limitless years beyond
Thus bid you farewell, The spirit of oul
/ university, breathed into its life nearly two
centuries ago by the Christian men who gave
| it its being, and breathed into their life by
the Lord Jesus himself, is the spirit of conse
Grafton to duty. May this Christian spirit o.
| the university abide in your souls as yor
leave this door and sacred place.