The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-06-23
THE LAWkOF LIFE.
Rev. Geo. II. Davis breaches to
Graduates.
Annual Sermon to the Class Which is to
Leave the Normal School
This Week.

Sunday evening by Rev. Geo. H.
DAVIS, rector of the st. Johns Episco-
pal church. The pulpit was attrac-
lively decorated with flowers. The
graduating class of sixty marched in a.
body from the school to the church and
occupied reserved seats near the front
The lecture room was thrown open:and
the church was we'll filled.
The followins is synopsis of the SER
mon, which was an excellent one:
THE LAW OF LIFE.-St Matt. XIIII2,-
For whatsoever hath, to him shall be given and
he shall have more abundantly; but whatsoever
hath not, from him shall be taken away even
that he hath
The use and improvement of oppor-
tunlties and means result in the increase
OF the same. The use of one class of
muscles gives to them strength and facil1
ity. The right hand and arm are strong
er and more skillful than the left only
because they are used and trained more
than the left.
The use of the mental faculties de.
velop and strengthen them. 1t is this
which gives them enlargement of capac-
ity, strength and facility, and makes
education possible. The same law is
operative in the spiritual kingdom. The
higher spiritual powers of the goul
grow and abound in proportion to the
degrees of their culture. We find in
this law the explanation of the appar-
ent failure of many christian lives.
Trials, difficulties and discouragements
arise and men fall away. Their religion
6nnS TO a
bring them the faith, strength and COM
fort which it promised. The explana-
tion is that they have not been mindful
of that law which pervades all Gods
natural and spiritual kingdom. They
narrowly and have not made use of the
faith and hope that is in them in such
manner and with such fidelity as to in
sure their increase in time of need.
The law teaches us that if one would
attain to the higher and nobler life we
must cultivate the nobler faculties of
the soul. The fundamental truth of
christianity, that which gives it its
power to elevate, ennoble and sweeten
the life of the world is that the infu-
ences and powers of life are not to be
used selfshly. Man is complex being
and lives double life, the spiritual and
the carnal. The cultivationsof the low
er and carnal nature develops and
strengthens it, and results in loss of
spiritual power. Many men are so alb.
sorbed in business that all except the
material is crowded out of their hearts
and minds, and while they may be sue
cessful business men, they become mar
sow and sordid men, and lose their as
piration for the higher and purer and
better things of life. This is not true
of all business men, but it is certainly
true of some. Others make pleasure
the aim of life and close their eyes to
the grand possibilities of their being
and sink to the littleness which finds
nothing in life except what they can
get out of it.
The law has worked itself out. "To
him that hath shall be given" They
have what they have used and devel.
oped and lived for The other clause
of the law has also been operative and
they have lost their appreciation of the
higher and better things of life The
same law operates in the higher and
spiritual life of the soul. To live the
true life men must cultivate the nobler
faculties of the soul and live the two
fold life of sacrifice and labor-the sur
render of the lower selfish life and the
striving for the higher and nobler, the
life eternal 1t is by this law that life
is to be measured. The life which is
the outgrowth of this controlling prin-
cipal, conscience which has been true
to the laws of God and loyal to its high
convictions is grand and glorious
reality,
The speaker closed with direct ad
dress to the graduating class, He con
graduated them on the successful COM
pletion of their course, and asked
whether the education they have re-
ceived was worth the time and anxiety
and study they had given. If the OBJ
ject of that education was merely to tit
them for secular and selfish interests,
and to equip them for successful compe-
tition in the race for wealth or social or
political leadership, it was not worth
its cost. But if the object was the
development of moral principle, the cul-
| tivation of heart and soul and the es-
tablishment of righteousness and truth,
it was richly worth all it had cost them.
j he real end and aim of study is a
strong, pure, noble and consistent
character When called to mark out a
path in which to walk the controlling
principal should be, not what will yield
the greatest material reward, but what
will yield the best life. We are not
born to solve the problems of the uni
verse, but to find out what we can do
in that universe for the advancement
of Gods truth and the welfare of hui
mainly. We can all become efficient
workers in the walls of time, and build
up character which shall project its
influence into the distant future. Per
sonal and selfish success may not al
ways come to us, but there is courage
and inspiration in the thought that real
success does not depend upon what we
see and feel and enjoy. Labor, study
and self denial have often seemed to
result only in neglect, ingratitude and
dismal failure, but in workings of pro-
whence they have even been the potent
factors in lifting the world from dark
ness into light, bringing it nearer tc
throne of God. Success is not found in
what man gathers for himself. but in
what he brings to others. The sculp
tor may view the marble quarry and
dream of possible forms of grace and
beauty but the dreams are empty