Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-06-18

long hence, shall receive the entrustment,
holy and enriched, and still maintain 1t,
It'll these eternal hills remove,
And Spring adorns the earth no more
The application of the subject to the
business in hand for us is that we keep
pace with God in his age-long march. This
we must do in two ways, first by being true
to our highest traditions of our own coun-
try and our dear New England, maintain
ing reverence for and the worship of God,
arresting the tendencies which are robbing
us Of the inspiration and rest and ennobl-
ing influences and the cultivation of the
ideal side of our nature, for which Sunday
is the priceless opportunity. In our bust
ness habits cultivating caution and simple
ty and moderation of material ambition,
which still will maintain the first place in
business principles for absolute and un-
assailable honesty. In maintaining the
standard OF political action that shall for
ever place righteousness at the corner stone
Of every institution as the caption of every
vote, and as the spirit OF every law. In
remembering and perpetuating the supreme
! Importance given to education as the guar
antee for the intelligent and firm defence
| of our liberties. In the cultivation of so
| cial and personal habits of sobriety and
| purity which shall overcome, through the
| infusion of strong and wholesome moral
| life, the germs of corruption that every
where abound and too easily thrive.
So much for the social side of our re-
! sponslbiity but now there is the personal
side, and right here we mark the momen.
tous fact that everything that can be said
OF the struggle Of race tendencies, of the
competition Of great antagonistic forces
/ in the worlds life, is all held as in
a miciocosm, a little word, within our
own souls. 1t is there that the main
conflict is for us, ii is there that we
keep pace with God. 1t is there, in the
utterances of our consciences, in the per-
petual struggle against the tempting voices
of our own waywardness and passion, that
we discern the presence Of God. Two ma
tiOns struggle with us, two worlds confront
us there, two motives are at war, one drag
gng MS ever to the rear, the other pushing
us always to the front Every day Of our
life will bring on some new phase of the
struggle through which we rise 10 a higher
purity or drop into coarseness and defile-
ment, through which We confirm our char
acters to a closer unity with what is good,
and true and enduring, or break off our
attachments from those influences that
strive onward and upward for God and
man.
The word for us "To thine own self be
true aud because his voice rings in every
soul, and because we each may be true to
ourselves, it follows that for us here and
now not one merely but all OF you may be
among the first. The slight differences,
personal gifts, slight variations in circum-
stances, slight superiorites in the visible
effect Of ones life work count for nothing
in the view Of Chris,s great truth, that
the real struggle turns on whether we do
or do not keep up with the movement Of
the living God The tragedy Of life is not
IN being a little less rich or famous than
our brother, but it is in being disloyal TO
the truth. We all may be first if we do
our best. We are responsible for our own,
not another's powers We may all do our
best If we put forth the energies that we
have, and these energies will not fail to
reach the mark, 10 win the supreme prizes
of life for us all if they be guided by Gods
light and be loyal to bis righteousness.
There never was time in the worlds his
tory when the issues of life were palmer
than today, when it has been so clearly
seen that the real movement is moral
movement, and that the eternal crown OF
life shall finally rest upon the brow OF
that man who shall be true to his God, his
country and himself; and that the sover-
eighty of the future shall surely be award
ed by the common consent of heaven and
the whole world to that nation which
marches nearest to God himself, cost what
it may of sacrifice, as he moves forward 10
establish in the earth His reign of justice
and love.
Young friends of the graduating class,
be true to yourselves You feel within
you the STRINGS of ambition. In the
noblest sense be true to that The finest
spirit in you can only be touched to fine
issues. God forbid that that finer sell
shall be ever married or cheapened or lost.
Working within you is the grand incentive
to patriotic and philanthropic devotion
Oh, be true to that! A Divine voice
speaks within Follow me! Be true &c
that. Face the future bravely-
Heart within and God o'erhead"'
Enter it with full purpose to advance the
right and check the wrong.
Ring out the false and ring in the new"
And you will find yourselves standing not
only as you do now, but by and by, at the
last great roll call, SCARED, and worn and
weary, may be, as good soldiers should be,
but clothed in honor, approved of man, in
the foremost files" of God