Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-11-16
whose liIIumined faces are indices of H.

they never owned store, and when
the September equinox is abroad they
do not worry lest their ships founder in
and when the nominations are made
for high political Office they are not
fearful that their name will be over
looked, for they never applied for Of
flee. There is so much heartinesS and
freedom from care in their laughter
led to laugh in sympathy, although you
know not what they are laughing
about.
When the children of that family as
semble in the sitting room of the old
homestead to hear the fathers will
read, they are not fearful of being cut
off with a million and a half dollars,
for the old man never owned anything
more than the farm of 10 acres, which
yielded only enough plainly to support
the household. They have more happi-
ness in one month than many have in
a whole lifetime. Would to God | had
the capacity to explain to you on how
little a mar can be happy and on how
much lie may be wretched, Get your
heart right. and all is right. Keep your
heart wrong, and all is wrong. That is
a principle settled in heaven
School of Life.
Another thing decided in that high
place is that this world is a school
house or college for splendid or dis
graceful graduation. We begin in the
freshman lass of good or evil and
then pass into the sophomore and
then into the junior and then
into the senior. and from that we
graduate angels or devils. In many
where the student selects what he will
study-mathematicS or the languag geS
or chemistry or philosophy-and it is
an elective course we all take in the
schoolhouse or university of this
world.
We may study sin until we are satu-
rated with it or Righteousness until we
are eXemplifica tions of it. Graduate
we all must, but we decide for 0ur-
selves the style of graduation. 1t is
an elective course. We can study gen.
erosity until our every word and every
act and every contribution of money
or time will make the world better. or
we may study meanness until our
soul shall shrink up to Il smallness un-
imaginable. We may, under God, edu-
10 infn salt M
nothing can anger or into an irascibili-
ty that will ever and anon keep our
face flushed with wrath and every
nerve a-Quiver. Great old schOolhouse
of world in which we are all being
educated for glory or perdition.
Some have wondered why graduation
day in college is called commencement
day" when it is the last day of college
exercises. but graduation days are
properly called commencement day. To
all the graduated it is the commence
ment of active life, and our graduation
day from earth will be to us COM
mencement of our chief life. our larger
life, our more tremendous life, our
eternal life. But what day commence
ment day Oh earth is. The student nev-
er sees any day like it. Al any rate, |
never did Old Niblo's theater in New
York comes back to me, the gOwned
and tassel hated professors behind us,
and our kindred and friends before us
and above us, and the air redolent with
garlands to be thrown to us. What a
lnr In for IF
about to graduate, But mightier day
will it be when we graduate from this
world Will it be misses of condemna-
ton or handclapping of approval: VIII
there be flung to us nettleS or wreaths:
Will it be a resounding Gomez or a
reverberating Departs"
In the real college. before graduation
and commencement, comes eXamina-
tion day, and before our graduation
and commencement will come eXamina-
ton. 1t will he asked what we have
been doing, what we have learned I'M
der the tutelage of years of joy and
sorrow, and under the teaching of the
Holy Ghost are we educated for heav-
en-. Have we done our best with the
curriculum of study put before every
mortal and immortal? Oh, this world
is not the terminus of Il journey! 1t
is not theater on whose stage we are
enacting the tragic or comic. 1t is a
Schoolhouse for splendid or disgraceful
graduation, and death is commence
ment. All that is settled in heaven
Gods Cauee.
Another thing decided in the high
places of the universe is that this
world. with or without us, will be
made over into scene of arbores-
cence and purity. Do not think that
such copsummation depends upon
our personal fidelity 1t will be done
anyhow Gods cause does not go
a-beggipg. If all the soldiers of Jesus
Christ now living should become de-
serters and go over to the enemy. that
would not defeat the cause. a large
part of the Bible is taken up with tell
ing US what the world will be. There
is large army, human and angelic,
now in the field, but Gods reserve
forces are more numerous and more
mighty than those now at the front.
and if he could in Gideon'S time rout
the Midianites with a crash of crock
cry, and if he could in Shamgar's time
overcome :s host with an OK goad, and
if in Samson's time he could defeat an
army with bleached jawbone, and if
the walls of Jericho went down under
if in Christ's day blind eyes We're
cured by ointment of spittle. then God
can do anything he says he will do. AS
yet he has taken only one sword out
of whole armOry of weapons. Do