The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-06
NEEDED MORE THAN WANTED
so DR.. BR1DGMAN TELLS
THE HAMLINE GRADUATES
Address to- the Class
of '0S Impresses on Them the
Field That Is Before Them,
But In Which They Must
Work Out Their Own Useful
ness.

! Yesterday morning the baccalaureate
sermon to the graduating class Of Ham
line university was delivered in the
university chapel by the president, Dr.
George H. Bridgman
In spite of the rain the house was
filled to overlooking.
The chapel was beautifully decorated
with festoons of smilax and sweet
peas.
DR.. George S. Innis announced the
hymn, following which was offered an
invocation by Rev. Peter Clare. Dr.
Loren II. Bachelor read the Scripture
lesson, and Miss Pearl Benham, '97, and
but recently from New York, rendered
two solos.
christianity a Character and a Gull
ture." He said:
To define Christianity is to define Christ.
Jesus is still the leader, and He raises the
m average idea Of humanity Christ is the
remains as an impulse. and he who has
achieved one phase of Christianity has not
reached the life Of Christ.
Creeds are called into existence, formulate
ed and declined, but Christ abideth now ard
ever will abide
Mans works perish and die but He re-
maineth the same now and forever mora;
hence ages cannot wither nor can time null
lily the light that He has shed and the life
of Christianity.
1t is one of the advantages of our Chris,
tianity that the platform is wide enough on
which to place all denominations. If our
various denominations were united and fitted
together they would in some measure show
the glorious divinity OF the Christ
Character is the broadcast generality of the
English dictionary, and 1t is allied very
closely to conscience The factor of hered-
ity is now transferred to environment, and
an improvement and a betterment of sur
roundings will elevate the human character.
The mysteries surrounding personality
have not yet been disclosed, and the trans
formation of vegetable matter to mental mo-
tives has not yet been solved and what the
secret is has not yet been learned. Yet
Jesus, Christ was born in the midst of
sin and wickedness, and yet He was pure
and holy, but we always find in us bent
or a trait always leaning toward SIM
Christianity begins with life ITSELF and is
new birth. So the Christian thus begins
to have new character which is from above;
of life is purified in his being. Christianity
is for the creation of the highest aspirations
OF life, and is an impulse toward righteous
sonship and coheirship with Him, for Chris
tianity Is right being and being right, and
the end of Christianity is the prize the crown
of Righteousness which fadeth not away. e'
Let us understand the life work We have
before u.s. for nothing can defeat the pur-
pose of God in our own soul but our own
unfaithfulness.
That which is revealed in you and to
you must be manifested by you, and that
which is within must be drawn out, for
Christianity is not only an impulse but it in
wolves culture. Now. culture supposes life
and growth; Christianity therefore is the act
of manifeSting Christ, and we must first
obey God and God will guide US not sec
ond hand but direct. and the Bible is His
guide but not His code of law, for law has
passed into love and we must respond to
the divine impulses in our souls
The high stage Of culture is where the
goodness is performed, and one of the
suits OF culture is the graces of our nature.
Christianity involves not only a culture but
one in which there is always lots to learn.S z
some time we must sell all we have to buy
the truth There is the culture of prayer,
but we. enter the holy of holies alone The
Solemn hours Of life man IS silent and shuts
his door when God is present. Therefore
character is completed when there is com
plete obedience to the laws divine.
At the close of the sermon Dr. Bridg-
man addressed the graduating class as
follows: - LA go. 81.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Class of -9s:
You have fought a good fight; you have FIN
ished your course. and l gladly welcome you
today to the honorable fraternity Of college
graduates.
You will regret many things you Go in
life, but here is something you will nev~r
accomplished what you undertook. You a-e
going out to a world that will not ask yoa
ated at ALL but it will ask you two ques-
tons. first what are you able to do? and,
second, what are you willing to do? And you
you half as badly as 1t needs you 1t doesn't
want you, and it doesn't care whether you
come or not. 1t isn't wanting to give you
in your hands; it will oppo@e you, and you
will have to make your way against diff
culties and on your own merit.
But 1t does need you. The great nee1 of
are not asking what they get out Of this
world. but what they can do for it-men and
who are willing to do their duty. men and
women who are willing to initiate the exam
pie Of Jesus Christ in their daily intercourse
with their fellow men.
There problems to be solved; there
are abuses to be reformed; there are wrongs
to be righted; there are burdens to he lif ed;
your culture. and your character, are re-
culiarly fitted to engage in this work Not
long ago the president Of this nat on calle1
for volunteers to go wherever they shou
oppressed people. Some Of your own asso-
ciates, some of your own classmates. re-
sponded to the call, and have gone.
Today your country is calling just as loudly
for volunteers to stay at home and do their
whole duty as American citizens, to fight
agans' tyranny, oppression corruption il
temperance and against every foe to the IT,
public. The church has called for volun-
taess t. go to foreign lands as missionaries,
and some Of your own associates have re-
sponded to the call and have gone.
But the church is calling just as loudly for
men and women in the home field seven
days in the week and fifty-two weeks in the
of the gospel-to protest against vice and
immortality and worldliness and every sin
that dishonors our Christian civilization; to
stand ever for truth and justice and right
II There e ri al
that the state the church makes upon
anyone.
Some time ago. Gen. Eliot, governor of
Gibraltar; during a siege of that fortress
at his post. The man neither raised his
musket nor presented arms, and the general
seeing his neglect, said to him: Sentinel
don't you know me? Why don't you do your
duty?' His reply was: "Yes. general, I
know you well. but the fingers of my right
hand were shot off an hour ago, and l can't
why don't you go to the surgeon at once?"
II can't go. sir, until relieved from
duty" ''Well, / relieve YOU Go at once"
And the wounded sentinel went, but he went
been relieved Then he went to the surgeon
There is just one pleasing memory in con-
necticn with the Maine disaster. and that Is
that under the most trying circumstances
every man on board did his duty.
Now the record you have made in college
leads US to hope, concerning you. that you
will always do your duty; that, whatever de-
mands may be made upon you, you will not
be found wanting in the time of trial. and
we believe that. cultured men and women
are leaders of thought and action, you viii
by example and counsel help others who have
been less favored than you to do their duty.
These are our hopes concerning you as you
go out from these halls Of learning, and as
YOU will constantly need divine help / am
sure you will unite in this petition:
"Show us the truth and Thy pathway of
duty,
Help us to lift our standard sublime
Till earth is restored to the order and
beauty