Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-06-29


"Whs;eyef the expIsaatisn Of how il
comes t. be 30; whatever its eons<q aezces
10 aoy hereafter; the mast slgnidcsns moral
fscs which men have sssn face to face 10
the fact Of the sublime sacrament Of the
nanlinsEs which Jesus published. The
brightest truth that the world ever ssv,
shines out Of the emsfysnce Of the real
man among partial '@en and spurious men.
| "fhe light vhich you ought to see, the
| perception with which ethical religion may
we'll begin. 10 that the spiritual poise, and
symmetfy. and excellence Of Issus, are the
noss splendid realiz stiors that We know. Of
rational, and right, and finished life. You
may begin your religion. IL yen viii, with
the perception that the difference between
Jour holiness and that Of Jesus is the meas
ufe Of the diminu.icn Of your manhood.
And this is the condemnation This
tigat 10 in tie world AID men lore darkness
instead.
II said would shs~ yeu & selt-evidant
truth for the starting point Of religion. /
sh;nk have kept my promise You can
not dehy the sovereign worthiness Of good.
ness without condemning yourself ia your
own judgment. Moral ackEowledg nens Of
this sovereignty Is the beginning of
religion.
II remarked 3 few moments ago that
religion 10 not system Of thought Re-
lisicn 10 rather the voluntary adjustment
OF moral being to immanent moral fact.
But adjustment cannot proceed far without
parallel development Of thought, xbou, the
ascendant fact. So soon, however, - We
use moral fact as the material thought, We
enter the storm belt Of inceisant mistake.
l remember this, ard sdmi, that the authof-
ity OF the conclusion lie not a. immediate as
that OF the perception from which it is
derived; bat want to tell you that 50 far
as can analyze my own thinking, the pro-
fdundest and most nearing conclusion that
the life Of Jesus has enabled me to reach,
the conclusion which seems to me most
comfortably to comprehend all o'her
thoughts, the conclusion which has done
more than any other TO steady me against
the bufetings OF philosophic doubt. is q
'Ational sequence Of personally acknowl.
edsing the sovereignty Of goodness. II
mean the belief that this universe ia finally
obedient to the principle Of good and not to
the principle Of evil.
The writer who was guide in the study Of
moral science has said that The essence Of
religion is the belief in the goodness Of
God" You will RENE mber that ventured
to transpose the phrase and to tell you tha
l should express more precisely all that
feel able to comprehend about religion il
l said, the essence of religion is the belief
in the Godness Of good. will not defend
the substitute, but something like it has
been refuge for the gentless and saint
iess Of men. They could 10: see through
the worlds evils to the good God. II be-
lief in the goodness Of God, as ansintellect- |
usi judgment, were the essence of religion, |
these gentle spirits lived and died without
religion. But, while they could net dis
cover the God who WAS good, they found, |
in struggling with the bad OF the world, |
that mercy 10 good, and justice is
good. and charity i. good. and pa
tience. and fidelity, snd ssesdiastness,
are good and gratitude is coed, and dill |
gence, and honesty. and purity, and tenn
perance, and hope, and faith, are good, and
self sacrifice is good, and servica, and belp,
and defence, snd teaching Of needy fellow
men is good, aud, though they knew not
how TO say God, be Tnou my good" they
gloriously began religion in the living, life
long prayer: GOOD, be thou my God"
at is sharp pain to me to think that any
of you who will date back TO thes, college
years some OF the mos persistent infu-
ences Of your lives; you whom have had
the privilege of speaking to about the most
serioua subjects that concern men; may
possibly be turned from tie discipleshp Of
ChTisi by . needless confusion of thought
about where that diseipleship may begin.
And SO do not say, you cannot begin relia-
ion until you can proclaim the creed God
is good l say rs'her, you can begin
religion, il you will faithfully enter The
path Of that light from Christ's life, which
shows you that good is God, snd good will
surely lead you to religion and to God.
II cannot utter to you any more advanced
thought, nor any thought that will advance
you further thsn the truth Of Jesus, II am
the light Of the world. he thst followe,h
me shall not walk in darkness, but shall
have the Light Of Life
While you have the light, walk there.
fore in the light, lest darkness come upon
you.
In the evening az 7i5 the snnu,l sermon
before the Bosrdman Missionary Socie,y
and Young Mems Christian Association was
preached by Rev. Charles A. Towne of
Auburn.
On Monday the presentation day exer-
cises Of he jdbi0r class will occur at 2 30
2. M, on The College Campus. Junior
exhibition at 7,45 in the church. and meet
ing OF the board Of trustees at Chaplain
Hall At I 80 p. NJ.
Already there are macy visitors in the
city who have come here to bs present at
commencement exercises. The week
promises to be very brilliant one in the
history Of the University, which was never
before in such prosperous condition IS
tcdsy. Every succeeding year is adding to
L..