The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-27

Greensboro, May 2b,-( SpecEI.J--
The 49th annual commencement exer-
cises of the Greensboro Female College
opened this morning at eleven o'clock
with the annual sermon by Rev. 7. n.
IYey,, of Wilson, n. c.
REV. MR.. IVEY'S SERMON.
Text: and we all beholding as in
a glass, the glory of the Lord are
changed into the same image from
glory to glory, even as by the spirit Of
the Lord" IL Cor. 3:1S.
The great apostle to the Gentiles was
never happier than when contrasting
the law and the gospel, the letter and
the spirit. The text is one of the most
beautiful and expressive figures in the
Bible. Its true rendering Is But we ell
rejecting as from mirror the glory
Of the Lord, &c" The central truth is
that the possession of the divine ma
ture is the great end of all true life.
The ultimate spiritual development of
humanity is not only duplication OF
the nature of Adam before his fall, but
something positively and gloriously
divine. An old truth but one ever
fresh. lit is entitled to the most Sc
rious and prayerful consideration, in
asmuch as within it's circle lies the idea
of mans supreme exaltation, which is
always the germ of true progress. The
world moves onward as man moves up
ward, even in his own estimation.
Given an end and the possibility of
reaching it, the most practical ques
ton to be considered is the method by
W hich this end is to be reached. The
text is valuable, in that it clearly out
lines the method by which man may
reach the end of his being-the pos
session of the divine nature.
In order to come into possession of
Gods nature, it is necessary for man to
have before him concrete and per-
sonal manifestation of God inspiring
the divine nature. Christ was this
manifestation or incarnation-th
glory of the Lord and the image re-
ferred to. land we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father He was filled with all the
fulness of God. All the rays of true
glory blended in Christ. The glory
of all that mind can conceive or hear,
OF hell TO batblement of heaven concen-
trated in the Son of God. In him was
the dignity of all character, the es-
sence of all love, the majesty of all love,
the sweep of all Immortality
The glory of 1000 years had failed to
reach mans heart. The glory of ma
ture, miracle, tabernacle and law play
ed upon the threshold, but failed to
penetrate inner sanctum. Christ, the
true glory did this.
We must look upon this glory with
unveiled eyes. To look with unveiled
eyes is to look with the eyes of the
spirit. To look with moral or spiritual
eyes is to behold the true glory of that
at which we gaze.
The little child who meel1ly follows in
footsteps of the Savior sees more of God
than the astronomer who sweeps the
heavens with his telescope. The Chris
tian mother whose heartstrings are
fretted and worn by domestic trials, or
she who throws the heavy burden of
life upon God, or she who. under
strange stars, in some little mission
chapel breaks the alabaster box of
ointment and pours it on the feet of
Jesus sees more of Gods glory than
all the George Eliots, Elizabeth Cady
Stantons and other eminent high
priestesses of learning. The former
look with unveiled" face. The latter
with cold mental eyes.
We must look at Jesus thus as He
shines from the Word of God, as he
shines in history, and in all human ex-
perience. But especially must we look
at Him as He shines in the heart.
Christ when in the heart reveals His
| most wonderful beauty. Where was
Christ when He was TRANSPORTED be-
fore His disciples? When He preached
that great sermon on the mount, or
| when he changed the terrified water
| into ruby wine, or when He sent the
| life currents once more through the
chilled veins of Lazarus? No. 1t was
in the solitude of Hermon's brow
when the great sun had sunk beneath
the skyline of it's Great Sea-" when
the sound of busy life had died away
and the low-lying landscapes had
faded into a misty blur.
So it is in the chambers of blood
cleansed heart into which Christ has
come as friend, guest and king that He
appears the foremost among ten
| thousand and the zone altogether
| lovely' We must not only behold
| Christ as the glory of God, but we
| must reflect We have already said
what the true force of the text is,
But are we rejecting as from a mirror
the glory of the Lord? We must re-
| turn what we receive from Christ
We reflect when Christ is considered
an external light. We radiate when
He is considered the "Indwell-
ing Christ The principle of return
ing what we receive is taught in ma
ture, taught by Christ by precept and
example The grand function of the
child of God is to radiate Christ. This
truth should be made prominent in
these days when absorption seems to
be the order. We can no longer place
| in the hands of the younger genera
ton the banner inscribed with the
strange device, Excelsior, but that
most insignificant yet significant
| thing called a sponge. Citizenship