St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-05
lALENIS AS IkuSIS.
President Bridgeman Moral
lies to the Graduates Of
Hamline.
Our Abilities Are Gifts in
Trust for the Benefit Of
Mankind.
Rev. Vail Philosophieally
Handles the Briggs Her.
esq Trial.
A Review Of the Testimony
A Review Of the Testimony
and a Prophecy Of the
Outcome.

Yesterday morning at 1920. in Ham,
line university chapel, President George
b. Bridgman preached the bacca-
laureate sermon to the senior class of '93.
Gu the rostrum were seated DR.. Cyrus
Brooks, senior member of the trustees;
Profs. E. F. Mearkle, L. Ii. Bachelor.
DIR. George S. Innis and Rev. F. B. Cow
gill.
Prof. Bachelor opened the services,
followed by Scripture reading by Prof.
Measkle, and prayer led by the pastor.
Rev. F. B. Cowgirl. DR.. Bridgman. in
choosing his text. appropriately took
Matthew, XIV. chapter IA. Is and 19
verses, Parable of the Talents" and
delivered with sincerity and earnest
ness. Among other things he said,
Natures phenomena form too vast a
language for US to comprehend, but they
have had many sublime eXpOunders.
Some have been eXpounders OF its laws,
others of its lessons. and of the latter
Christ Is supreme and alone.
The parable is much like the epic
poem-it describes with pathetic insight
the natural and the real, and by de-
scriptlon teaches. This parable has
special power. The capacities and pos
sibilities of our individual human lives
are its subjects. Man using for others
in noble industry or wasting in sordid
selfishness the powers and Oppor-
tunities with which he is endowed
that is the dramatic lesson Of this pict-
ure. The servants in this parable rep
resent ourselves, and one of the lessons
which Christ desires to teach is that
No int do Iiua rin hf 10 a
servant of his fellow men. We are to
serve mankind by serving our own gen.
Grafton. Our service, too. is necessarily
limited and local. The great mass OF
men have sphere beyond which they
cannot pass, but in which they can
spend their energy successfully il they
are willing to do so. 1t is important to
chose wisely our department i'll life,
then confine cure ffoIts in doing good to
specific sphere. We need not be in
doubt as to what is our appropriate
sphere in life if we are in earnest about
doing good and willing to follow the
Divine Providence. We are in the
world, then, to serve God in serving
men; to do this most efficiently we must
be at our best-we must seek the most
perfect development in manhood and
womanhood. The intellect. the Con.
science, Jne social aHectlOnS must
be thoroughly developed, and if to
fit us for the highest service
God shall put US into the furnace and
Iryus sorely, we are to remember that
through that very experience have
passed the greatest benefactors of the
race. Our experience. will furnish nc
exception to the rule; but when God is
about to make any special use of any
man, he first puts him into the fire.
There is also clearly set before us in
this parable the law of merit and re-
ward. The question. What are we
making of ourselves?' is quite as i'm
portant as is the question, What are
1--WE rendering to others?' and the two
are closely connected. Heaven asks OF
earth constant accumulation of merit
and the doctrine of this text is thai
| character in good deeds, worth in serv
| ice for others :are to have in all the
future rich'reward; and | want you
| to note that reward is dependent on in
dustry. If two talents are made foul
by industry and zeal they involve the
same reward as five talents that are
made ten. 1t is not the possession Jot
brilliant powers. but the noble use OF
the gifts we have that uplifts u.s." In
conclusion he addressed the class in {
few appropriate and well-chosen words