St. Paul daily globe., 1894-06-04
BACCALAUREATE SERMON
OF PRESIDENT BRiDcMAN At HAM,
LINE UNIVERSITY.
WORDS TO GRADUATING CLASS

Backward to Their Cause and
Forward to Their Consequences
The World Will Excuse Big
Otry in the Ignorant but Not in
the Educated.
Seated in half-circle in front of the
pulpit, surrounded by potted plants and
vases of cut flowers. the nineteen grad
yates of Hamline university yesterday
morning listened in the chapel to the
eloquent baccalaureate sermon of the
president of the university. Rev. DR.. G.
II. Bridgman. On the platform, to as
Sist in the exercises. were: Rev. DR..
Cyrus Brooks. the old Methodist pio-
neer; Rev. DR.. II. l.. Osborne, Rev. F.
l.. Cowgirl, the local pastor, and Prof.
Griffin, of the university. The commo-
dious chapel was filled to its utmost
capacity with friends of the university
and of the graduates. When the grad.
yates stood to receive the farewell utter
ances Of their president they presented
charming spectacle, the bright dresses
of the young ladies being in pleasant
contrast to the somber, regulation black
of the young men. Half of the grad.
yates are ladies'.
Congregational singing. after the good
old Methodist fashion, prevailed. the
last hymn appropriately being ''BIest
Be the Tie That Binds" After the
| reading of Scripture and the singing of
two hymns, DR.. Bridgman arose, an
nouncing as his texts the following
passages of Scripture:
And of the children of Issachar,
which were men that had understand
ing OF the times to know what Israel
ought to do" l. Chronicles xii, 80.
"WisdOm reSteth in the heart of him
that hath understanding Proverbs
XIV, SO.
'True Wisdon'' was the keynote of
his discourse, which consumed about
| forty minutes in its delivery, and was
liberal in its tone and eloquent in its
wording. The following are extracts:
Wisdom has its seal in the heart, and
works out the purpose Of a devout soul
through the faculty of discrimination.
You should recognize the fact that the
ideals OF the Christian life-its creeds,
phllapthrapies and shifting enthusiasms
-afe all affected by the spirit of the
times. Explain otherwise, if you can,
the outstanding and well-attested fact
that times marked by great political
movements have also been invariably
times OF religious and spiritual activity.
Hasty conclusions once seemed to
opperate against certain Biblical state
ments. but further knowledge and more
patient investigation have made plain
the fact that there never has been and
never can be any conflict between sci
ence and religion. Tne scientific spirit
is discriminating the more essential
from the less essential iii religion. 1t
is In obedience to the scientific impulse.
that Christian men are endeayoring to
point Out the order, harmony and beauty
which reign iR the spiritual world.
| When the Christian life is vigorous i
concerned with present and practical.
duties creedS are less and less required.
1t Is historically true that creed-making
periods come always after deep relig-
iOus movements. They belong to the
duller periods. Look at the apostolic
age. 1t got along very well without them
then. The church insisted upon the
vital questions of life aid demanded
only that the saving verities be held.
Mysdear young friends, you have mental
culture and personal .'piety, and this is
we'll. bat it is also Imporlan tilat you
be observant, thoughtful, reflective and
discriminating. Look into thingsa
trace events backward to their.
cause, and forward to their con-
sequences. This age wants men and
women who are worthy or 1T, who can
understand it and do something to i'm
prove it: men and women who, like the
tribe OF lssachar, understand the times
and know what the people ought to do.
| Recognize always in the current of hu-
man affairs the scheme and operations
| of all all-Wise and Providence.
Renounce the atheists creed and mode
| OF speech. Through the multitude of
| secondary causes God works out His
| plan. Amid political upheavals, scien-
| tific discoveries, artistic creations, the
conflict of systems ana the progress of
society,how delightful to realize that we
are in Gods laboratory, surrounded by
the unfinished yet glorious productions
| OF HIS conSummate skill.
| Several reforms must be brought
about by individual regeneration. They
4 who world reform society must come to
their work with pure hands and clean
hearts. AS cultured men and women
you cannot escape from your responsi-
bility. The entire past. with the tolls
and sacrifices of all ages. is your heri-
| tage. Live for the present age and send
forward an influence through all future
ages. .EiveaHfor glory, honor and I'M
mortality. Let nothing satisfy you.
either for yourselves or for others, but
| what is eternal. q: