The Portland daily press., 1889-07-01
THEY CAME REGARDLESS OF The HEAT,
And Crowded the Church to Hear
President Peppers Sermon.
openlngof commencement Week at
Colby University.
General RutIer and other Distinguish
ed Men will Be Present.

WATERvILLE, June 30-Colby commence
ment exercises were inaugurated this after
noon at the Baptist.church,t the Baccalauriate
sermon being preached by President G. d. B.
Pepper, d. d. Notwithstanding the intense
heat, 960 in the shade, the church was crowded
to overflowing. This evening Rev. L. c.
Bernes of Newton Centre. Mass, preached
a very practical and interesting sermon at
the same place before the Boardman Mis-
sionary Society. Large numbers of alumni
are here and many more have promised to
come. The presence of Gen. Butler will at
tract many citizens who rarely honor Colby
with their presence. The junior presenta-
tion on the campus and the exhibition in the
evening will be the features of interest to-
morrow.
The text of President Peppers sermon
was:
And they shall bring the G ory and honor of the
Nations into it.-Rev xxi 26.
The following is an extract:
The college, he said, comes to the close of
another year. Another class has completed
the four years course Its members look to
past have been mainly preparation. Beyond
is fruitage. We share their interest. We
share their hopes, and give them our prayers
Ihelr future is to be but a part of the COM
mon lot. The. individuals life is blended
with the life Of society. Each lives in all
and all in each. Especially is this true of
those who by culture have fitted themselves
for leadership and public life. The occasion
therefore suggests to us wide view in har-
mony with that which was given to John in
in part in the words of the text, "And they
shall bring the glory and honor of the ma
tlons into it,, into the holy city of Jeru-
salem, which "came down from God out of
heaven, having the glory of God"
II mistake not, these words in this con-
nectlon teach what is abundantly taught in
other scripture, and amply tested apart from
scripture, namely, this, that all true progress
In this world has. hitherto been and here
after shall be. simply realization of the
divine idea OF things revealed in holy scrip
ture. We well know that there prevails
somewhat widely quite different notion an
exactly contrary view. Progress is con-
ceded, is asserted, is traced along all lines,
IN all departments and spheres. There is
not. however, an agreement that this
genuine, is that which scripture makes
known, which has in scripture, and so in
Christianity, its principle, its law and its
goal. How common the notion that the idea
OF It is alien to the Bible, and the realization
Of It apart from and even in spite of the
IL
ward. Shall we throw aside the old book,
pr walk in its light2
II Notice first that the fact of progress is in
~rripture made clear and emphatic. This
CT obtrudes itself upon our attention by
cts fvery structure of scripture. The Bible
self one OF the most impressive examples
- | lr0gress.
to us not book written out in full at one
he finished at a stroke. Its beginnings
we Il the dawn OF time; its completion CEN
we az after, in the falness of time fvretold
ar eNsetokened. Open the old book wher-
all aflt will between the first and last page,
ne inghe Till the same. 1t stands not 'front.'
of tpe SS s8asf. haWeiHfse ftst, but 'front.'
- ing waFtbe golden age that shall be and
the,areise regained, and revealing the
ev0rintening and broadening way into
tkseSaood. 1t is indeed a so1idly realis-
tic pk 1t Is largely historical. 1t looks
dee don into the heart of things as they
hae ba.lnto the sin and guilt and cor
rrptioInd misery-int0 them and through
item, d estimates them at their full value.
We've revealed in scripture the princi-
:, pie Of true progress-ts efficient cause.
% We " become familiar with the fact that
advsment is found in two quite distinct,
thOBclosely related spheres, and Is equal
ly fnrkable in both. We find it In the
: resn t nature, wholly apart from the ac-
, tio0the human wills, and also in the life
ofiakind where mans rational action CO.
oTaes with other forces and contributes
II tihresult. These two kinds of progress
~ oAeelopment are closely related, and to
Il t,mointlJ it has become common to apply
d ts anne. evolution. The forces of our
L vrlt and presumably of the whole uni
yrsehave worked along an advancing line
reilts of an even higher order, we have
een) be an idea alike familiar to scripture,
o aence and to men at large. We cannot
|Dutsk for the efficient cause for this; for
Itheower or powers that determine it. One
| OF to answers we may accept-that it is
blir force only, or that it is rational will.
Moan can accept and rest in the answer
thas due to an unknown and unknowable
poyr. The development which most inter
estls is that which appears In the life of
mhood, and which has come through
huan agency in connection and co-opera-
ti0with other forces. In this development
weonsciously and purposely participate to
redve and impart. to perfect our own man
ho1 and to help to the perfection of other
li,s. This is our chief, if not our only bus
inss in this world. For this are our schools
fonded and maintained; for this Is the
wrk of the schools done by teachers and
| ppils alike.