New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-18
cFRMONS TO COLLEGE MEN
BISHOP LAWRENCE AT HARVARD.
..<,yc LIFE IN ITS PRESENT CONDITIONS


SERVING ONES GENERATION.
Cambridge Mass June II (SpeciaD.-The Ri
nav DR.. william Lawrence Bishop Of Massachu-
~" preached the baccalaureate sermon 10 the
'.n,or class at Harvard this afternoon. DR.. Law
go took his text from Acts Kill 36: For David,
,.r he had served his own generation by the
a., Of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his
liners His words were In part as follows;
~atinr David as ne was. with his greatness and
an'ea2snesses and his generation as II was. with
rs social and national conditions me SeG b,s
!Sat could be said of him was thaI ne mn, ilnS
.ESe and did his duty in his own uay' ne serNeu
bis s o" thoughts. the ideals and the breads Of the
,ne today largely in the future w nat are
we eTr'r ~ classes. with its violence and blood
MED this rise of socialism THIS decay OF honof M, IN
po.ity:: his revolution of religious thought? Great
r in ,T bette, fer ana 5h f for the
Hovedi" 80 dwelling on these thoughts We somehow
take ~ Great revolutions in social. political and
s eIigons =; lfe The forward look moves our in
te Tss While this may all be true and while. in
T.: proporton the forward look has It's place the
uS--,e,ds members Of the class of a. Is that
~ are living in the present ana ,hat our dVty
ss,nre best who best serves the present
have have No. new p" thoughts now. I believe What YOU
care i is n simple straightforward statement of a
rev W so that you may think over them and act
1on them This wish TO suggest IN the three
phases our discussions as to the present and future
social conditions two points ard are srgegte phat
sn@oges are coming; the other that men are
who VIII SSw nsse Social niO one
o. Oh who will devote themselves 10 the uplifting OF
huma9p1 10, I srke me as vi" the first or most me
sie calls the men OF the present For whas Eo
We We am after Is that the great majority Of you
. sns Of ali young men have got to take up NE , IN
s present conditions; you have got to choose your
is,,ing be a doctor or a lawyer or broker, or
manufs o humble part in the great social organism
Yam great work then in lie VIII be not hrst 10
cha change as they are to broaden and ennoble the
SS,a within them. What l urge then Is larger
lcdl 5 OF your business, broader view OF
your now to the duty of the educated in the
political he TSe' rue conception Of the nation is
Sot that OF physical force, armies or wsalth. Du'
i ina , Ga o. justice truth and mercy and pledged
70 act with high honor toward other nauonS' \
naIon ne weakest people the world even though
II be at the cost OF pride ana ~ tSe
na,,ie and demoralize the nation Itself your ms.
5uy therefore. Is 70 see as iar as N you - ''@
- lave of conquest no pride in great navy no
10 l, o - act iha bully lead this nation 10 be UNI
lust untrue and unmerciful National righteousness
hT Gstc.ra e We are startled. as We have been
lately, Dy i c1i3ence too and then We blame the
leaders and the politicians can you DdCh ~, - w
thought ha, the people make the leaders W4 a.
ny a. Yourself and 10 the body OF the people
NAY It not he that the public evl IS only sXinp
The lie Of the public citizen as well as that Of
p.T well man. as 10 himself hat in his personal relations
his business his expenditures ana MS !uxureS 1he
citizen does not offend the conscience OF tge pcoIle
nor rudely disturb he conveniionaiitiss OF $500
tu, rather, If h be nan oi mere. ma
he sustain by his own example me c2lS0te, i, ~
people making them sensitive 70 every suSplcIon %
dishonesty and leading mem 10 se"-'eS''"''' SIM
p ThTee Simple points want to make. In ne nrs'
without the sweet reas }nao.eneSs Ne 500 I'd
vision. the patent love OF iruth ana me e'f,,
enthusiasm which goes with culture tne, reHs'on
Of the people Will become emotional vulgar anu
narrow. -, ...,.D,.,. era s,,,,-,, faith tho
esrnesiness the hope and the devotion when 2 oes
with the religion % the common people, ci', aS5
viii lose its civi,ity become Overripe. cynical ana
rsryeess Therefore. the man Of the iruest culture
will be the man OF The deepest Te.'glous pa ~
nents ana studying how little he believes, ne w." WI
Oun faith n09;s J9ins a Ie i no, not" as series
statements a list OF dogmaSS 3r a Dnncn r %;
yho embodies ali truth. justice and love; every good
and every perfect GIT from science, from culture,
thus will go hand In hand the development Of char
In The next place warn You agains, the stolid
commercial spir.i Which Is AaDle 10 come WIN WIN
s You Ssye changed Your religious com
yctons since You entered college, toward higher
s s 5 be g' s Ii Afi the c9anSi iae
with the great minds OF the past, and the hope OF
and noble resolves Twenty years hence some OF
your ideals Will have been lost Some Of your hopes
broken your interests bound up IN making living.
carrying on your business and satisfying your
clients Then the changes OF the market the news
paper days IN. the week, the Interest IN poll
Tics and the small talk Of the day may gradually
enwrap you and you become one Of those siohd.
undressing commercial machines that Ne meet
IN the Offices and cubs. / trust not To escape
this great truths which bound up In religion
be your companions The romance which
even in these commercial days goes into the life Of
Gods saints must move YOU The self-sacrince the
charity and the great hopes that SIN I'll the
lives OF Gods children must touch and inspire you
No man or community live on the spiritual
Inheritance Of The past without becoming spiritually
bankrupt The hope Of the present cannot De in the
religion OF the past but IN the faith and in the
lie Of the present
And IN the third place Cand I speak very pract-
eay) II you think thus II you believe that faith
and Christ have their place IN the present you
have an immediate and lifelong duty. that OF
expressing the faith IN your words and character
that OF giving 20 thu world In your life the truth
The purity. the public spirit and the self-sacrihce
81 Christ Himself