The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-25
He Urges Faith in the Deity
Though Affection Mingles
With LIES Joys.
RELIGION A BALM FOR EVILS
No Human Mind Can Comprehend the
Bitterness of the Dependents
Existence.

STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CAL, May
24.-The Stanford University Chapel was
iammed to-day with an audience anxious
to hear the baccalaureate address of Rev.
Horatio Stebbins. A large mum Der of yisi-
tors were present. About the pulpit were
set vases and baskets of flowers, while the
platform and railing were festooned with
green.
Dr. Stebbins' discourse was delivered in
that characteristic vein and manner which
has given him wide reputation for elo-
quence. He began with the quotation,
Because he has set his love upon me.
therefore / will deliver him. 1 will set
him on high because he has known nv
power. He shall call upon me and l will
answer him. / will be with him in trou-
BILE. l will deliver him and honor him,
With long life will l satisfy him and show
him my salvation.
Speaking from this text, DR.. Stebbins
continued: ITO the intellect alone re-
llgion makes an evil, even conceited as
sumption, yet it proves mans greatest re-
ward; it alleviates his Affections and paci-
ties the disturbances of his being. Yet
this it does without a word of apology. It
offers no proofs, and contends there can
exist no proof, unless it be the consent of
the heart within the temple inclosing it.
The reason for this is the child's reason,
1t is SO because it is So The inquiring
mind holds such logic no logic; it violates
and follows that precept: Trust and live
But the wisdom of life is in finding out
that the child's answer is the best and pro-
foundest one.
Safety from evil, safety from the storm
and danger-the feeling of safety in God
is religion. We need no proof of this.
Evil is a fact; we know how much trouble
there is in this world that Joys and pains
counterbaIance one another. No pity
moves the restless sea for those who sleep
forever in its caverns. There is no pity in
the deadly plague ard famine, as they
spread from city to city, and from one con-
tinent to another. We look on them.
however, as something with which we
shall never be brought into close contact.
No human experience, no human heart,
can understand the bitterness, sorrow and
distress of the respondents life
Continuing, the speaker said that life
was not all dark and melancholy and that
he had no desire to be pessimistic. There
were beauties in the world which all saw
and which all enjoyed-handiworks of
God, among which we were placed and
which we could not understand, for thew
were beyond human reasoning.
1.-THE man who had solved the problem
of evil, as We call it, and reconclled il with
the goodness of God can boast that be up-
derstands the Almighty to perfection"
said he, "but such Boosting is a snare or
hypocrisy.
Daily sorrows and joys of life are pro-
found facts. Reason does not and cannot
explain moral discipline. We may wonder
why God did not create US less subject TO
ills and pains; but this is a sin against the
creator, for it is substitution of human
methods for the divine. We are charging
providence with the making OF mis-
taxes"
The substance of the doctors conclusion
was to accept the goodness about us and
not to condemn what we could not under.
stand, for notwithstanding the many years
which we might spend in study and re-
search-even though ones life were de-
voted to lt-there were myrisds of phe-
nomena which must be accepted on faith.
Religion, the strongest staff of mankind,
had much within it that was unknowable.
yet this should not make the student a
skeptic. Religion was the most precious
thing to which we could cling, and to the
student Its value was infinite.