The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-12
The Annual Commencement ExsS-
discs at the Institution II.
tho Valley.
Rev. Frank q. Brush, Presiding
Elder, Delivers tho University
Sermon st tho Opening.
The Exerclsss Will Continue Each Nay
Until Wednesday-vIsitors From
She City.

II .. M. when ths university sermon va
delivered BY Rev. Frank =. Brush. Az
four p. N. Rev. VIM. g. Hohopps Addressed
the Y. p. Is. q. r. Of the univesaity. In
the evening a'numbss Of young people we're
present from Helena. The TEXT OF NJ.
Bsush's sermon wss from .Provsrbs N:l7.
Iron sharpsnSth iron; 20 . man sharpsneth
tho countsnancs Of bis friend" 40 saio;
1--WE have hero . striking and pecul'as
phrasing OF Z vital truth. Thia truth 70
that . certain precious culture results from
the contact and collision Of soul with soul.
Al iron sh%arrsneth iron.' to use ths pic
turesqus putting Of the Provssb write. %
mind sharpens mind, soul polishes soul.
spirit psrfeots spirit in that wonderful q.
psrisnce which We call human intercourse.
This, a. II seems TO me. IL tho thought OF
tho sacred writer, One stimulates the other,
polishes himself by mutual spiritual inter
course and friction with his fsllow and
contributes by such an interchange
Of ones own psculiarities with those Of bis
fellow TO the spiritual development Of
BOTH The thought may be still further
dawn out. "A man by himself ID no man;
he 10 dull. he is very blunt; but II bis fsl-
low come and quicken him by his presence.
speech and example. he II much more COM
Portable. skilful and better than he vas
when he was alone.' In . sense that y very
broad and indeed universal. ~ 10 not good
for man to bs alone In q state OF isolh-
tiou man vegetables. withers and decays. 1T
ID only through intimate association with
his kind that he comes to the finest flower
Of his culture and 10 the diyinsst perfectinR
Of his nature. The Bible has q wonderful
way OF laying hold Of the most vItalizing
and masterful energies of human culture
and imposing them into the service of re-
liRion for the contamination OF man. 80.
too, there is not = force in tho nntural
world freighted with blessing to msn which
may not DO utilized for supreme spiritual
veal. Thus IL IL in this particular calm.
This principle Of tho friction Of man upon
man, which yields largest and richest re-
suits in all tho lower domains of human en-
deavor. is employed to secure the divinest
issues in the shaping. refining. finishing and
lowing this principle into the spiritua sphere
let US note some OF it's applications upon
lower planes; and. first, lot us witness ito
operation on the field OF mental training.
It ID the severe and ccasslsss rubbing OF
mind aaainst mind which imparts strength.
hardness. brilliancy to the mental powers'
Ou0 Oku0o VI ~ OSssS Ses
munion with God In nature. They see the
infinite mind disclosed in the material uni
verse and through collision of their fnito
minds with his. thought becomes Quicksnsd
and opulent. spirit aspirss. the whole being
IL lifted up = il!nminea. 30 h'Pies
heavens and in spiritual ecstasy exc!sins
With ~Ioftiest emotion, 20 God. I think thy
thoughts after thee.' The poet Wentworth
beautifully describes the 'sonssorating
effects Of early dawn in verse that mirrors
the feelings OF his own SOUL
who, coming out upon Inspiration Point, IN
the Grand Cany on Of the Yellowstone. fell
upon her knees and wept and worshippod
when conf. on.ed with the majSsty and
beauty of Gods thought as materially ex-
pressed In ths towering many-colorsd' walls
of that magnificent nature temple. 30 II 10
as we come into vital touch with GoA's
mind In ial manifestation. Tho con-
tact deepens, broadens, enriches our mental
energies, ~elevates and enlarRss the heart.
Oils the spirit with a vision whose rare and
wondrous beauty transforms the whols
being and exalts II to perfect unison with
the divine. Another class OF minds wiil
itary and absorbed study. in the silent II
brary Of tho great master Of thought. Rob.
ertson, of Brighton. ono of the brightest.
strongest and most suggestive ana f~ertiliz-
ting EnR!ish preachers of this century. used
to speak Of lighting his torch Ct another
other minds against his own caused q mental
glow that frightened and intsnsined into .
flaming splendor all bis own.
'Yhcre arc thinkers who act as an electric
stimulus upon our mental organism max
ing it corusoate and burn. In NY y per-
fonal leading l find 1t extremely dihleult
10 finish one OF Emsrson's esssys. Here
some thought grips my mind and
carries il far afield; theEe another thought
calls up latent thoughts of ny own, strikes
them into the fire and away they soar into
the empyrenn. So it ia thns Emerson, Car
lyle and Ruskin, through their inspirAtorial
power, have quickened and formulated our
best, saness and most influential modern
thought. This il the peculiar and pre-
eminent power OF tho Bible. II 10 sur
charged with u vivid, rushing. flaming life
that v~italizes aud impassions all Who re-
csive its impact. Unchain tho Bible and
discharge its full energy upon tho mind and
you have Luther and the reformation. Lib.
crate this book and let it operate according
to the scientific law of the survival of the
fittest' and you find it historically demon
strated that this word of God has ever
awakened and cultured the mental and
moral life of the most civilized. progressive
nad commanding nations on the face of tbs
enrth. The skeptical cant abous the oramp-
ing influence of the Bible upon human
thought is the most arrant nonsense and
woful humbuGge'y ever perpetratrd upOn a
suffering world. Tho Bible-it il tho book
of high vision, OF mastcrful and inviRorut-
ing thought and mpellinR rover:
il is the constant companion md uncoAs-
ing inspiration OF the worlds q, eatest and
uoblest thinkers. Who're the Bible l. en-.
throned you will infal.ibly find freedom
md power Of mental movement, moral pu-
rity and genuine progress.
But for ordinary people this sharpening
of nature is best realized. perhaps, through
contact with living. embodied personalities
Of genius and power. These God-Rifted
persons arc instinct with vitality. throbbipC
and thrilling with electric influence, and
those who touch them feel the inflow OF the
mystic fire and are awakened to Astounding
and victorious life. 1t 10 this power that
creates and qualities the grsnt teachers of
tho world. Education means the drawing
out, the stimulating Of the latent powers Of
the soul and the moulding Of the life 10 di-
vins ideals. Education 10 not tho crnm-
ming Of fncts into a pupils mind; IL IL be-
getting aud fostering the impulse TO intel
lectual activity; IL IL teaching the proper
use of tho mental faculties; it 10 the plac-
ing of life on the spiritual plane. 70 our
tsnchers must not be wooden n meohan!-
"Presi6ent Garfield made q wise and true
university for him would DO
log with Mark Hopkins Al ons
end md the studsns ~ the other.
1 think the best college work 10 often done
In our smaller institutions, whsto THE fac
ultv Il ri limiteh numha,. Whnra thu aupli-