New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-18
PHILOSOPHY OF UNSELFTSHNESS.
PRESIDENT HILLS SCHOLARLY ADDRESS TO
ROCHESTER, STTDENTS.

PRESIDENT HILLS SCHOLARLY ADDRESS TO
ROCHESTER, STUDENTS
Rochester. ~ Y. June II (SpeciaD.-PTesdent
David J. HILL OF the University Of Rochester. de-
lvered his NTH baccalaureate sermon at the First
Baptist Church this evening He chose for his text
the words TO whomsocver much is given. Of
him shall much be required"-Luke xii. 4S Ex-
tracts from the discourse follow;
As compared with the periods OF geological time.
the life of man. and even the entire span OF human
history seem like a breath between two eternites
and yet there is of the infinite In one moment
continents were reared from the depths of primeval
oceans and the slow-creeping centuries over
whelmed and petrihed the records OF UNCONSCIOUS
life. The whole earth was TRANSPORTED when the
kingdom of the spirit was first opened to mortal
vision for In coming to knowledge or hmseIt
to Of relation TO the Father OF
Spirits. to whom nature is mere outward mani
festation. while the human soul is related to Him
by a bond of direct kinship and community OF
God first truly bestowed himself upon his crca-
ton when His Image awoke to consciousness In
working in infinite darkness, but a Benefcent
universe of being and reflected in the soul of
Sars Into hT h the a Sf
eliminates In cOmpanionship and the VIII OF the
Eternal becomes the conscious law OF action FOR
And when man enters upon his heritage of divine
gifts he becomes cooperative in the work of higher
Creation Tremulous with potential energy. made
generic in his will that il may be rendered specific
by his deed. the question Is What is his vocation
He is called to be participant in the world Of
Intelligence. to be an organ I'm the great organism
Of humanity. to be a medium and an instrument
n the divine, work Of expandnF, ana uplifting me
lie is clothed with the thrcefOl1 functions OF pos
Sessing. of being ana Of acting. OF all the crea-
lures IN the world man alone is conscious Of his
gifts he alone can say OF them. These arc mine
His first temptation Is the passion or idle possess
sion. To acquire. to accumulate ana TO approprl-
ate may easily become his leading motive. Society
they have They produce nothing and they hcstow
nothing. Their only greatness lies in multiplying
their possessions They attract men only by the
splendor of their gains All their energies are put
forth 10 draw the wealth OF the world into their
little vortex OF proprietorship
4 wiser use Of power transmutos ownership INTO
being and Incorporates possession into life. There
is something beautiful IN the process Of growth. in
forces of the spirit There men who ennoble
the world by simply being what they are and their
goodness and completeness thrill US with desire
I've Ike them and to live with them on the high
levels Of elevated thought and pure contemplation
Personality has that multiplying power which
converts the five talents into ten and the two
alone creates value. All is dependent upon his nc
ton. When the machinery OF Industry lies Idle and
the currents OF exchange cease 10 flow, CONNER
Cial values shrink and may wholly terminate. and
man has become poor and the honest lahorer =
pauper Nature may be mInifccnt as before.
the quantity Of commodities may not even be
diminished but the instant every man turns 20
mine Will preserve" and ceases to enter into
latiOns Of mutual service ana mutual trust with
song Of prosperity. his granaries lie bursting with
rotten grain his labor loses It's opportunity Of pro-
ductlon. his time OF idlencss becomes parenthcsis
OF negation IN his fe and even his gold IS "a use
less I'm his vault the bowlder that )bsiruCts his
plough in the field. Like the man who took his one
talent and wrapped Il in napkin and hid II In the
earth he has only a possession which he keeps
with difficulty II indeed It be not taken from him.