The Portland daily press., 1888-07-02
COMMENCEMENT AT COLBY.
Rev. Or. Hovey breaches the Bacca-
laureate Sermon.
President Pepper Gives Some Sound
Advice to the Seniors.
Exercises In Many Maine
Institutions OF Learning,

WATERvILLE, July 1.-Taday was the be-
ginning Of the commencement at Colby Uni
versity and abe prospects are that the com
mencement will be OF more than usual
interest. There will be many Of the
alumni Epresent and large attend
ance Of the friends Of the graduating class.
The Baccalaureate Sermon was delivered at
the Baptist church, by Alvah III. Hovey, ID.
D., LII. d., of Newton Theological Seminary.
His text was Corinthians, AIS:
While we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen; for the
things which are seen are temporal but the things
which are not seen are eternal.
The speaker said: The universe is dual,
like the tree and its shadow on the lake. HUI
man vision is likewise dual, the senses reveal
to us the world OF relative shadows. The
vision of insight reveals to us the world of
permanent realities. We are prone to look
at the shadows revealed by our senses and to
overlook or disregard the realities revealed
by insight, reason and spiritual instinct.
The laws Of thought are eternal. Truth Is
ever the same, love is eternal This permas
nence of the unseen is recognized by sclen-
fists and unbelievers in Christ. Back Of all
their beautiful theories and wonderful dis
coveries, they recognize hidden power, a
marvellous principle called life, which no
scales can weigh, and no eye can see. no
mind can comprehend. They are right; the
unseen and eternal is God; in all and over
all. The soul Of man has an instinct for i'm
mortality; an unsatisfied and constant desire
for permanent good for the eternal, unseen,
real. Even that which appears permanent
to the senses Is eagerly sought after-a piece
of land, home for old age, reputation
here to live after us.
The struggle for these tends to educate
the holy instinct for permanent good and
fits one for home life in the endless future,
and makes this life period OF training for
eternity. In any other view these earthly
longings and struggles are but vanity and
vexatiOn of spirit ending in defeat.
He who seeks not for the unseen with
its beauty and permanence is lost to the
Joys and glories of this world and the
world to come. 1t Is our duty to cultivate
the power Of this insight by Withdrawing
from the world Of the senses; at times in
prayer and communion with the unseen.
1t Is said we best prepare for heaven by
ing Is false and misleading unless our
earthly duties are done in the service and by
the light we may receive from the unseen
world.
No one can be a faithful interpreter of
the unseen world to men, who has not ac-
customed his soul to its rational light. who
has not learned TO hear fathers voice
coming down out of its sacred stiffness.
Men should ever cultivate this spiritual
vision, by turning their attention from the
temporal to the eternal, to the permanent.
Thus the unseen shall become visible and
be the only realities Of this life even. We
live in two worlds: the material and the
spiritual; let us keep our spiritual eyes
fixed upon the higher world that we may
initiate the life of the Saviour, who never
lost ciobf of a cpirifnal world and
faltered in carrying out the divine purpose
of His existence here.
1t may be said that the other world was
more real to His vision and life than 1t can
be to us-that the springs OF action were
purer in His soul than In ours. We ask for
an example Of one who started from the
same point as we. We have such an one in
the writer Of our text-the Apostle Paul.
You have all read the story OF his life. His
untiring energy in the cause OF truth, his
matchless courage, fiery enthusiasm, and
restless earnestness in the service of God.
What were his incentives? He looked not
at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are unseen. lie forgot the
things which are behind, and stretched for
ward to the things which are before. The
eternal verities OF the unseen world were the
inspiration and guide OF this marvellous
preacher.
Human nature has not changed. To pray
well in secret Is to preach well in public.
Nc WHO opens MS HedIb 10 UOu Will Dc dUic
to open It afterwards to the people. The
things which are not seen lie all about us.
Look upward, look inward, with the spirit
ual eye, that you may do Gods will.
At the conclusion Of DIR. Hovey's sermon.
President Pepper delivered an address to the
senior class on the Importance Of honesty
and earnestness in purpose and act This
evening, Rev. w. Fl. p. Faunce of Spring
field, Mass, preached before the Y. NJ. G. A.
and missionary society.