New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-16
PRESIDENT ANDREWS TO BROWN.
THE TRUE TRIUMPH IN DEATH-THE READINGS


Providence, r. t. June II (Spccal.-The usnal large
audience which fills the venerable cdhce q the First
Baptist Church listen to the baccalaureate sermon
met Yesterday afternoon In that place special In
teres thrown around the occasion A. the new pres
dent was TO preach his first baccaaurcatc sermon 10
the graduating class. The text selected by Dr'
Andrews was II Timothy. iv. g., Il now ready
70 be offered ETC. II is natural said the preacher for
man to iecon at the prospect of death Natural In the
s;rlctest sense Of the term If sin had never been.
If men had remained holy every one Of them from the
creation till the present, death In it>clf considered
would t he thing Of terror Just as 1t Is no" IN Inc
brnte creation What now ntcnslAes the dread If death
4, sin We are acnated from God. and the prospect
OF meeting God add 10 the terror % dying instead
OF annihlating that terror. The sting OF death IS
SIN but the tone and the Of the text arr no The
effect that Christian faith tends 10 reduce AID over
this almshtc horror and TO make tho" who pro
fess such faith ready 10 die. And yet il Is very
evident that Christians not the only WI" nave
attained fcares,ness Of death. Hundl,d, thousands
Of men have lived. now living stIaDgcrS = Christ
and to His TRUTH and u His spirit well, who could
say each truly a. Paul. am ready H. be
offered Christian wllngncss 10 die /, the best willing
ness TO die. the only Willnguc-s. Who are some OF
these men who are willing 10 dicl First there Is
man ready to leave the world because the world has
gone wrong with him. He ha, lost his dearest earthly
friends. been stripped Of his property disappointed IN
his plans parted with health and sick Of ufc. he longs
10 get ont Of it, lie is practical pcsslmist HIS
readiness to die marks the coward not the brave
Second, there the theoretical pes,imsts who tell
lies In the very idea Of life to be miserable
II Is the theory Of schopcnhaucr and his followers aud
what a wretched theory it Isl Third. ascending
step still higher to the old StDc who regarded
1t a matter Of Indifference whether man hvch "i
died; take calmly and philosophically things as they
come. This was their religion, and how poor TIE
character Of the stole frnness compared with that q"
the Christian Fourth We 90 step further ana
come 70 Materaism with It's warming for more intellect
ua light, and state Of being beyond th lie in which
may be found solution Of LIES tDrInentng mystcrlc'
The feeling Is noble, grand one, but imneasnihby
inferior 10 that which prompted the apostle 10 make use
Of the language Of the text We turn now 10 the reoos
which Influenced Paul in HE desire 10 die First he was
resigned TO the providence Of God BY that providence
be believed that his whole life had been shaped aud
moulded; and IN the prospect Of it, end he conid
bow cheerfuy to the will OF God because 1t was the
will Of God. Elouently the preacher pointed ont the
difference between this spirit Of the apostle
and that Of the four classes OF persons
to whom he had referred. second ,, ne
yeaITled TO be holy, and this IA pcficctiO he Won"
not be until he mad entered the fc beyond tils.
Here again he was under the influence Of iecIhs
with which the man weary Of lifetle PeSnist W.
stole and the PlatonlSt-had sympathy. lIilId We
supreme and crownns comfort O: The departing apo,%
was the sense Of having accomplished something ~, Wv
had 30 spent his time here that men would
cease TO blc;, him. lie had put the ~or'a ~ !"
way feel his influence for good and 10 feel ~ Io
ever. lie had kept the faith he had aS -oirIcr o
the cross fought good fight, and to the last Ne hr
perscvercd in his good work. To the best OF NJ
abtLiy he has reproduced the life Of Christ "enuIho
Christian unscl ,neSs has given his whole cpur'c
on earth It's peculiar character, and tlat tic ~
premc moment has arrived and the hour on ue
parture IS striking. retrospect Of such life 1oOns l
soul with peace and robs death Of every loo'" ant
sting and lash and every other powcr 80 hurt. one
practical remark suggested by the discussion wa
motives which underc such willingness. Is not hcce
sarily high or worthy attainment at All. y So
ond remark Is that Christian who :!'es IN rear VI
death ought 10 be ashamed. one other tI0ugh' -ucrc
must be something more than what has been sup
gcstcd. ~ one IS able calmly end ntcllgchtN ~
die he must be conscious Of having tried 10 DO some
thing for Christ. Paul glorics not at an ~
tho AtOnement directly, but in the fr1it Vi
the Atoncment. We must be consecrated. genuine me
active Christians II would die with INA,
supreme and divine composure realized In the death OF
Paul. Very many professors Of religion are 'om
munsts in respect to the Christian lfc ana us re-
wards and II requires something than pIcachInii
70 reach and convert most Of them. i deh, ncd a
the other world will convince them that the klngn3n
Of Heaven Is not administered on cOmmunlsuc prI
ciplcs. IL furnishes no equal division OF uncdla
earnings no wages 10 idcIs no bread for utoncs
You must work II you eat You must fight II 40"
wOuld reign.