The Portland daily press., 1892-06-29

1
| PRESIDENT B. L. WHITMAN.
false authority; (2) the redemption of
the soul by arousing it to the knowledge
and control of itself; and (3) the endow-
| ing of it with the possession of the de-
sired development.
"These thoughts claim us here,n said
President Whitman.
I. Development THE ideal man
is perfect soul in perfect
body. Every departure from that
may in an important sense be considered
abnormal. In proportion to such depar-
ture must the efficiency of life be les
sened. We have grown so used TO ac-
cepting. something below the ideal that
| perfection is in common application a
relative term. The truth Of the Tamil
proverb is suggestive: "a child that
can walk is a god to a child in the cra-
die" Men are not equal. Native en-
| dowments differ. Degrees of develop
ment differ. Partly conditions can be
| changed. Partly they cannot. Native
endowment is Gods matter. Develop
ment is ours. Our chief obligation lies in
relation to that. Concerning it we may
consider O Undeveloped and unshaped
powers. In most lives there are unused
| gifts. In most lives are germs of power
worth being made productive. In most
lives are impulses which need to be
| shaped into vehicles OF lasting good.
| Gaps and excesseS are mingled. Emil
nence is gained in one part at cost of sac
rifice iu another.
~ Some suggestions of experience.
Much can be done with simple material.
A mountain taken into pieces is nothing
| but atoms. Other than mechanical meth
ods must be employed. For certain sub
ordinate purposes mechanical methods
will avail; but a spiritual existence can
be subject only to spiritual laws. No
outward pressure can shape the soul.
Inward inspiration alone can do that.
Quicken the soul and the work is done.
In pursuit of its own ends it will then in
sist upon having the body trained, the
mind disciplined and every spiritual pow.
er led into service. All the elements of
life are to be taken into account. The
sensuous, the intellectual, and the voli-
tional, are alike the work of God. Only
in right development of them all is there
symmetry. One element of being may
rank higher than another for the pur-
poses of life. Indeed certain elements
are to be preserved even though at sacri-
| flee of all the rest. But we may well
bear in mind that sacrifice involves cur
tailment in some part. 1t may be neces-
sary, but necessity does not alter the
fact. If our right eye offends us we
must pluck it out; but that does not
mean that one eye is better than two. 1t
means simply that when both higher and
lower cannot be kept, the lower must go.
The cube suggests the true view. Turn
it which way you will. it is always a
a cube. The life properly developed
in every element IS symmetrical in
every view prese lted. The internal
rather than the external is to receive the
emphasis. 1.-THE great thoughts come
from the heart.' says Beauvenargues.
The acts of life rise there. "The ances-
tor of every action is thought" says
Emerson. The view of life is settled
there, for vision is of the soul, not of the
body.
''What the world teaches profits to the world,
| What the soul teaches profits to the soul,
| Which then first stands erect with Godward
| face,
When she lets fall her pack of withered facts,
| The gleanngs of the outward eye and ear,
And looks and listens with her finer sense;
| Nor Truth nor knowledge cometh from with
out"
3-The Model. Nothing helps under
| standing more than an example. We
| have one here. Whatever the world
thinks of the higher claims of Jesus it
willingly accepts the type of life seen in
him. The closest scrutiny thro' centu-
ries has resulted in uniform confession
that whatever else he may or may not
have been he was the perfect man. There
was in him perfect balance of powers
| We are not conscious of defect anywhere
in him as we read the memorials of his
life. Body, mind and spirit were in ac-
cord. His action was worthy. Great as
were his deeds, we feel that he was
greater than anything he did. And his
greatness was held to duty in a most
manly way. Justice, temperance, truth
perseverance. readiness to encounter
pain, regard for public good, exertion in
preference to sloth. Name the virtue
and it will be found in him. And this
type was possible only because there was
in him no conflict between spiritual and
physical. All elements were in right
order and in right development
Our aim may well be to initiate
him, for in looking the world over
nothing will be found to match the de-
velopment which gave to his character,
beauty and strength.
| "With good reason some man will say,
''This work is great" 1t is great. Some
man will say. "This work is hard'' 1t
is hard. The proverb is true of all de-
velopment. God sells knowledge for
sweat We attain thro' conflict. The
earnest man will welcome the strong
words the poet seer speaks:-
'When the fight begins within himself,
| A mans worth something. God stoopS o'er his
Satan looks up between his feet-both tug
He's left himself, i the middle: the soul wakes
and grows"