Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-06-19
PRESIDENT HYDE
Delivers Baccalaureate Before
Bowdoin College Seniors.
Honorary Commencement Parts---
State College Graduation.


Brunswick. June Especial. This
afternoon at 1 o'clock President Hyde
preached the annual baccalaureate sermon
in the Congregational church before the
seniors Of Bowdoin College.
1t was mastery and polished effort, de-
livesed with that earnest eloquence that
characterizes President Hyde in the pulpit.
Following is his text, and an abstract Of
the sermon:
But when he came to himself he said,
will arise AMI 90 to my father. Luke IL,
1918.
There are three stages in the spiritual
life of man: world-conseiousness, self-eon-
sciousness, and God-conseiousness. As IN
nature we have first the blade, then the ear,
after that the full corn in the ear so in the
spiritual life we have first childlike absorp-
tiou in the sensations that come streaming
in from the outside world; then the self
centered ambition of the youth, eager to
subject all things to his own impetu0us and
imperious will; after that the devotion of
the matured power of self-assertion to the
service of that higher will of whom both
the order of nature and the ideal Of man
are the revelation and expression.
The transition from innocent absorption
in the world as it is to the self f-ccntered am
bitiop which strives TO make a world exactly
to our private liking, whether it is viewed in
the race or the individual is rightly re-
garded as temporary fall.
| After the fall comes pain, after the feast
! ing comes hunger, after the wandering
comes homesickness, after sin comes re-
morse and penitence. Seeking to find our
selves in outward things we find only our
incompleteness. We cannot be satisfied
with the husks that so perfectly satify the
swine. MAN unhappiness comes Of his
greatness.
The half truth of pessimism is this con-
trast between the infinity of the soul and
| the finitude of all outward things; ami the
escape from it is to be found in the union
/ of the infinite longing of the heart of man
with the infinite fullness of the life of
| God. We can find permanent satisfaction
in nothing short of the recognition that the
, outward world of matter and the inward
ideal of the mini are expressions of the one
Infinite spirit, whose thoughts we can think
after him, and whose will we can adopt as
our own end and aim.
We come to ourselves only so far as we
arse ana 80 TO our Father. Inc unc0n-
scious innocence of childhood and the self
seeking ambition of youth are stages in the
development of the mature character. They
have their temporary use; but they exist TO
be transccnded They should remain only
| as subordinated and Incorporated elements
in a generous and unselfish service of OBJ
jectivr and social ends.
Unless we put away the childish things of
mere passive innocence and IDLE curiosity,
we remain forever weak and frivolous and
useless. Unless we likewise put away the
useful things of self-centered ambition and
desire for fame and wealth and place and
power, we remain forever dwafted and
stunted, and our work becomes shallow
! superficial and pretentious.
At this transition point in your lives may
you all have wisdom and grace to rise
above mere seIf-indulgence and mere self
assertion to that high devotion 10 social and
universal ends which in these modern days
is what we all understand to be the pracii-
cal expression of the true religious life
May you so realize the incompleteness of
the finite that you may seek the Infinite
May you so come to yourselves that you
may arise and go to your Father.