St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-10
The President of Manchester
College breaches a Bacca-
laureate Sermon.
Words Of Wisdom Address ed
to the First Graduating
Class.
Senator Pugh Says the Anex-
alton Of Canada Is a Fore
gone Conclusion.
Innumerable Carriage Wheels
Drop Into Lowry's Seventh
Street Cable Slot.

Commencement week opened at Mac
alester college yesterday at p. M. upon
which occasion the baccalaureate SER
mon was preached by DR.. T.. G.. Nc
Curdy, president of the college. The
sermon was of unusual interest, it being
the first baccalaureate sermon addressed
to a graduating class at Manchester col
lege. Upon the rOStrum of the large
society room in which the services were
held were: Elk Gov. Ramsey, Ii. j. Horn,
Supt. Kiehle, Knox Taylor; Rev. Nh.
Reynolds. of the Goodrich Avenue
Presbyterian church, St. Paul; Dr..
Willis &. Craig, D. D., Chicago; Rev.
Mr.. johnson, Aberdeen, OAK; Rev.
John Woods, Merriam Park; DIR. W. r.
Kirkwood, Profs. Wallace, Boyd, Pear
son, George McAfee and G. G. Herriott.
The graduating class occupied seats to
graduating class consists of ten young
men-Messrs. G. W. Ackard. j. w.
Cochran IT., U. G. Evans, J. G. Handle
ton, b. w. Irwin, S. M. Kirkwood, w.
p. Lee, P. E. McCurdy, f. S. Winter
and C. A. Winter. The Scriptures were
read by Rev. Mr.. Reynolds, of st. Paul,
and the opening prayer was made by
Rev. c. A. Hampton, principal of Jones
seminary, North Carolina, who is spend
ing the summer at Manchester Park.
DR.. McCurdy'S sermon was from the
text: "And whosoever of you would be
chiefest shall be servant of ALL" Mark
X, "A. He said:
The words are conspicuous for the
place they occupy in this discourse of
our Lord. They are related to what He
Himself affirms of His approaching
death and resurrection. James and
John instantly concluded: If Christ
rise again He must be king and if He
be king they must be peers, and one
of them would willingly be the 'Primus
par regni," the, chief of the realm:
Hence that wonderful request, Grant
Thy right hand and the other on
Thy left hand in Thy glory" Misdi-
rected ambition prompted this request.
Previous to this our Lord promised
his disciples exalted distinctions Oh the
throne OF dominion and of Judgment in
the kingdom that was to be; but more
recently, behold, amazed them by an
account of his approaching sufferings
and death. The ambitious James and
John, instead of being subdued by the
mournful prospect. were infiamed by
the glorious prospect. They thought of
their thrones more than of his cross.
AS on former occasion, so now our
Lord rebuked this improper effort for
prominence. Honors in this kingdom
are not matters of favoritism. There
are no arbitrary and capricious laws in
the kingdom of grace. Honors are the
result of fidelity, tested and approved.
Distinction is the reward OF grace trl-,
umphant, and obedience is the evidence
of grace in conflict. Disinterested SER
vice therefore marks the best type of
character and the only road to enduring
honorS. 1t f.f
EXCLUDES THE SELFISH ELEMENT.
1t is important for us to consider the
successive steps which lead to this COM
handing height.
First of all, an intense devotion to
truth lies at the foundation of any and
all lasting honors. Bear in mind that
it is of Gods truth that speak; truth
both doctrinal and preceptive, both con-
crete and abstract. We have no SYM
pathy with that class of narrow scien-
fists who in their zeal for the physical
sciences would have us substitute the
truth of nature for the truth of Gods
word. Nor would we eliminate the
truth of nature. We would hold them
both together and would make
them radiant and intense with
practicalness. We hail truth of all
kinds and the knowledge of it the gift
of God. One segment of it might be
found among the stars, another hidden .
in the earth, another flashes from the
clouds, another another answering to
I, Of N in, q
greSsional civilization and another
flowing down the ages in the literature
of history, poetry and song; yet all of
it may and should be aggregated and
made to burn Oh the altar of Christian
service. There is much in these times
to divert our minds from this cOncep-
ton. This age is full of materialistic
forces and tendencies. Things natural
and visible are in hard struggle to over
come the spiritual and supernatural.
The wonderful progress in the sciences
is claimed by many to have OutStripped
the necessity Of holding OH to the old
lines of religious beliefs. Pointing to
new literature and new phases of pOlit-
ical economy they affirm that man is
always in advance of the old lines to
which we would hold him. The spirit
ual and supernatural must yield and
on this plea we are asked to give up
our old Bible with its precious doc
trines and hopes, and to worship at the
shrine of a progress which leaves the
world without God, humanity without
Savior and death without a hope. The
demand is sophistical and without in
genuity. Progress does mark every
movement of our times. Mighty forces
are at work moulding thought, exciting
energy and debating motive. But it is
one OF the pleasing signs of the times
the skill with which Santified learn
ing steps into the very rush and
whirl of the world of progress and link
ing what is true therein with the word
of God, holds all up to his glory.
LET THE WORLD PROGRESS.
1t requires but little light to see that
the worlds progress is one thing. and
mans own progress is another and diff
ferent thing. The worlds progress is
along the lines of the physical and ma
terial, mans progress is along the lines
of the spiritual and supernatural. The
worlds progress is seen in what man
does; mans own progress is seen in
what he is, and in what he becomes.
Canon Liddon says: 1.-THE true progress
of man is the progress Of mans self,
apart from all the outward appliances
anu ACCOMPLISHMENTS VI lilC. dpdIG from
everything that is external to him."
That, therefore. is not the real progress
of man which we see in the advances Of
science, art and literature. These speak
well for genius, for intellect and vigor,
but not for the progress of mans self.
Mans self progresses when by divine
force he develops within himself every
noble and virtuOuS impulse until he be-
comes ChriStlike in character. I knew
not to what extent the worlds progress
will reach. will neither speculate nor
predict. Godspeed it to its greatest
contamination. only know it will not
outstrip the truth of God. Gods truth
came with the worlds dawn, and away
in advance of all progress it rests in the
frlou, of tho worlds sunset with a glory