New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-25
DRDWIGHT TO YALE SENIORS.
HE TELLS THEM THAT LIFE IS A STEWARD
SHIP.
HIS BAccALAUREATE SERMON A PROTEST AGAINST
MERE SUCCESS COMPARED WITH FAITHFUL

HIS BACCALACREATH SERMON A PRolboi h"hiN0i
MERE SUCCESS COMPARED WITH FAITHFUL
DEVOTION TO DUTY.
New-Uaven June a4-In the presence Of the gradu-
atlne class of Yale and many distinguished profess
sional czens Of this and other states, PRESIDENT
Dwight to-day delivered his annual baccaaurcate SER
mon Tho text was from Ist Corinthians, Nv, 10,
and he spoke in part as follows:
The words of these verses tell us what tho writer
limo they suggest TO us what he regarded the rie
idea of human living and working wnch stou u o Dr
own lives In the present epoch, and not the lives OF
paul and his associates, which rise before our thoughts
lives are aud ought to be, The foundation thought
OF life as presented by the apostle, is that Of stew
Soung friends which you may we'll allow have
an Impressive entrance into your minds to-day. Let
mo say TO each OF you you are not your own master
You belong TO another. II. as you move away from
this scene OF preparation ana en,Sr T ,I,I1
Indy under tho Divine guidance, you VIII be happily
conscious In the time TO come, that you nave enc me
But whether you be found with such willing sprit.
or not, the Divine plan will take hold upon you ana
win use you for It's own ends, until at some distant
day in the future when you take your own thoughts
backward to review your own history, you VIII SEQ
that power outside Of yourself he's had you under It's
control and has overrued your actions to another
end than that which you designed You may be
faithful or an 9ni a 1ss Will a a aqaas YOUR
will; but you win be, In some way, servant and
steward Of the Divine Master, for you VIII not pass
beyond tho limits of this plan, or turn aside or defeat
You go forth from this place of your preparation
If your purpose is right, and you have consscrat tea
spirit, you may go forward nothing dOubuD5i LOT
life is a stewardship. The place and tho part in It
are appointed for each one OF US by the DIVINE
Master. lie may assign To one the laying OF fOunda-
tons and to another tho building upon them; but tho
working, OF both alike Will be in subordinaton to
Him and VIII be essential to tho end.
A company like this before is never broken
asunder separated into its original elements, when
its members comprehend rightly the meaning OF Ire
and act coaliu IN thp rfp
spirit makes the unity of results. And believe that
TO be iruthreazng picture which we bring before
which the membership of such company consecratcd
to God, shall meet in the light OF clearer revelation,
himself, the way in which they have all moved to a
united In the later years than they were at the
You mistake tho great question as you go out from
this place II you ask first of all for success, DIS
tincti0n I'm the world, power over mon. These
things are not life. They are Of the external the
for yourself II you rightly choose IT, Is reality ap.
pointed by GoG You S & sense to H Of upon obi
CATION to God and to move forward In i to the carry
s you out G ms mo@e Coward H to tho
obligations resting upon me! Am trying to DIS
S as an %nderserSant Of the Divine Masters
Tho place to which you I or any educated man
be called L greater h1 da we arc Bnf Tcn a Ts
the duty belonging to 1t as fahulness, the peaceful
feeling ponetratcs even into the most energetic and
heroic action Of tho SOUL and the man becomes full OK
interest for present duty. 49,,
Gentlemen of the graduating class: Tho days which
bring 10 close the period of your academic liie as
undergraduates in this Institution have now arrived
With the kndllcst feeling toward you all and the
deepest interest your future welfare. have tried to
set this lesson briefly before you May not hope that
you viii! take Il to yourselves. and bear It with you In
the coming years You entering upon your career
nj mos. Interesting and important epoch In the
Nations life. The question Of righteousness ana
noble living and grand purposes In tho century
which IS 80 soon to open upon us-the question: that
is whether the next age Is TO be degenera'c IN
luxury and eelfshncSs losing Itself In THAI when IS
external to the souls Utmost being and therefore I'M
worthy OF the souls deepest thought or whether it
f. TO take upon Itself lOftier Character than mo
earlier ago possessed because II realizes In us cx-
pnricncc moro a-cOnrOllng influence or that III
vine truth which gori1ej every man whom II en-,
llrhens-ls tho question on tho determination OF
which everything OF highest valuc for the nations
must depend The decision OF this question VIII
rest In no small measure upon th> action ana attl-
,udr nf educated II IS well for You TO renell-
brr therefore, that all questions OF lfe 60 BACK IN
the last resort the question OF Individual personal
living and that It IS the personal living
Of honest earnest. believing. heroic mon which
establishes the power OF tho truth against rs adver
saries and extends its blessings through INC ages.
At some time I'm the fnturc-nOt far distant az INC
latest and prrchance very near-Hc VIII ask ana
answer the question rs to your obcdlence 10 the SUIT
mons Blessed indeed win you be II the answer
shall bear with It the promise OF larger ITO ana
HIGHER service. OF hsppcr thoughts and more delight
mi cxpcreuccs in the limtesS years beyond.