Morning journal and courier., 1890-06-23
YALE BAouALAuRnArE sERmoN

Dwight, sunday Forenoon, June 22, 1890.
 First Corinthians, xiii: s-ls-Love never faileth: | ut whether these be prophecies they shall be done neither there Do knowledge, 1t shall Do done away. or we know in part and we prophecy in part: | ] in part shaii De done away: when was a child | speko as child, felt as . child, thought as Q | hild: Nov that am become man l have put | s5t; but then shall know fully even as also was
 The two chief words of these verses, on rhich the greatest emphasis is placed, are he central force of the souls life; the other ndicating that which the mind takes to 1t. elf and makes it's most valuable possession. The thought suggested by the verses in con- leotion with these words arc thoughts of the ,erfect and that which is partial; of that which abides and that which passes away; of he greater and the less. The thoughts and words together are presented by the writer Q , his readers after manner adapted to the peculiar conditions in which the readers were At the moment, and with special reference to sertain gifts upon which they were placing too high on estimate. The language acoor- dingly had, in some aspects of 1t, particu- lar significance which is lost for our time, when the gifts and judgments respecting them no longer exist. But an impressive meaning Hes back of that which pertains te the words as considered in their first applica- tion. They bear within them teaching of the reality of things for all whose life moves in the higher sphere of learning and know ing, and serve to adjust their estimate of life to the true standard, even as they did in the case of those to whom they werc written 90 long ego. Especially significant is their les son fer a company of earnest and hopeful young men, whose term of preparatory edu- cation is ending just as their youth is open- ing into the manly years. For them the questions of value and proportion, of the grsatness or littleness of what awaits their choice, of the proofs that life is worth living and the reasons why 1t Is worth living, are questions which the critical season now reached, and now rapidly passing, forces upon the mind. On the right or wrong an- swer to these questions the future. in all that is of highest importance to the man and his manhood, will depend, and the conscious ness of this fact Is awakened within them as 1t never has been before. The seriousness of the hour makes every man In such oompa- ny questioner. The tenderness of tho hour disposes him to listen for the answer. It seems fitting, therefore, my young friends of the graduating class, that the last words
  leave it's walls should bc tho words of these verses, and I may ask you kindly to follow me, as offer for your thought the sugges- tiens which they bring with emphasis to nay own mind and heart.
 CD The first thing which will impress the careful student of the verses Ia the distinct ness and earnestneas with which the partial character of knowledge is presented. With force of expression and with the energy of repeated statements the writer declares that all the knowledge in which the readers had been pridinR themselves was only imperfect and half developed-havipg no fullness and no unolouded light in itself. Their knowing was like the child's knowing, soon to be lost In something greater. It was like the seeing of reflected image In mirrow rather than the clear vision of the tIlth. It moved in the sphere of an enigma, whose solution is full of difficulty and ever suggestive of pos. sible error, aad not in that of plainest reve lation, like the seeing face to face. Its modes of utterancs were of the same oharao- ter with itsslf The prophesyings were but partial deolarations-the speaking forth of some portion of the truth, some small Dor. tion perhaps, which was made known in a happy moment, or the interpretation of some single saying, the significance of which had before been hidden in the darkness. The tongues were still mere imperfect than the for they not only dealt with tho same single and separate points of truth, or inward life, of which the latter gave a partial revelation. But they were vslueless even for this purpose, except as another power wac added to tho possessor of them namely, that of Interpreting their meaning These peculiar gifts which were exciting such strong desire for their possession would cease after time because they would be no longer necessary, and the partial knowledge which was gained by means of them would pass away Into larger and higher knowl ment and estimates to tho realities of things
 The lesson for us is one which has wider reach, indeed, relating to knowledge of every thought and having no reference to the spec- ial gifts which are now unknown. Yet 1t is the same lesson. Our knowledge is but par- tial. It is not the perfect or the grsatsst thing. would not press this thought upon you. however, In the way of argument or full discussion at this point. The apostle other thoughts. moved forward towards the end for which he would use them. would try to move after the same manner, and would only remind you, In . flow words, of your own experience and its teaching. You have been searching into the rscesses of now for . long period, and 1t seems to you no doubt, and you have moved in your thoughts and studies somewhat widely over the fields of truth. What is the upon your mind to-day, in rs- view of the yearsa Is 1t not that the begin- niuRs were enigmas, which as you solved them, revealed to you only some minor things, to which more must be added in or- der to make 1t serve Its true purpose fer the mind. This is the order of our knowing. We lay hold upon one requirement, and so soon ss 1t is ours we fud shat 1t points to II plctensss, but even to its living force as the power for further knowing. We arc at the stsge of the alphabet always, because we are gaining at each new step of our course only that which VIC may use as an element in larger gains. The acquisition of to-day is but the instrument of to-morrow. You stand at this hour, my young friends, at tho In your halfway thinking, and in the con- sciousness which you have of manly power you may look upon yourself, fer some psss- ing moment, as possessed of Q knowledge which is all sufficient, and which enable you to be victorious in your career. But this Is not your deepest thought. As the serious, ness of your manhood comes upon you and the responsibility of life seens to open bs- fore your visien, you realize that the season of your education has given you only the implements and the elementary things. You know that your life is to be made what 1t ought to be and what you hope 1t will be- come, only as you press on beyond these things and you then as the means of secure Ing what is beyond. The education of the early years does not give knowledge in the full sense of the word. It gives the survey of the field of knowledge, and the impulse and inspiration to go forward in 1t. We know only in part, and we know that we are moving on towards the time when the par tial shAll have been done.
 @ Let us look, however, at the suggestion with which the apostle urged this thought upon his readers, rather than at what per. tains to 1t simply in and of itself. He did not dwell upon the partial character of knowledge as If he would insist upon this idea for It's own sake. He had an end in view quite different from this. He was look ing towards the thought that knowledge, growing and great as 1t might be in itself, was nevertheless imperfect and destined to pass away into what was greater-a secon- dary thing compared with love;-to be used under the guidance and in the service of love. With this movement in his thinking, he would not, indeed, have his readers over- value knowledge but he also would not have them under-value it. He saw the evil at- tendant upon the undue estimate of the good thing, but he was, nevertheless, fully con- scious of the goodness which there was in 1t. So far from intending to depreciate as use- less or unworthy the gift which 1t carried in Itself, h0 made the word of his exhortation to be: Desire it earnestly. Only remember, as your desire goes out after 1t, that there is something better.