Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-05-29
TALKS TO THE GRADUATES
DIR. OLSON Delivers BaccaIauerate Sermon
at Augustana.

at Augustana.
The baccalaureate sermon to the
graduating classes of Augustana Col
lege and Theological seminary was
delivered last night at the college
chapel by DIR. Olof OLSON, president
of the institution. There was large
outpouring of students and their
friends, and proba bly, more impress
sive words never before fell from the
lips of the venerable and honored head
of the college.
DIR. OLSON said the closing of the
school year was always an extremely
sad occasion for him. The deep
undertone of sadness sings its melan
choly melodies in my innermost soul, J"
he continued. The reason for my
deep sadness at the end of every
school year is occasioned by the en-
forcement of discipline which is
vested wholly in me as the president
of the college. Law and letter are
important factors in our institution,
but discipline is more. meaning the
building of character, and fortifying
young live sagainst the trials and tribu-
lations of a tempting world"
DIR. OLSON spoke from the theme,
knowledge by our senses and knOwl-
edge by the love of God"
Everything, all existence, is in our
text. divided into two classes-things
that do now appear and things that
do not yet appear, that IS to say,
things that can be known on observa-
ton and things that cannot be known
by our senses and outward observa-
ton. 1t is the knowledge of the world
that concerns US to begin with. Let
us think of the natural sciences-the
sciences that develop our faculty to
the highest degree, and look ut the
marvellous progress our age has made
in such science. 1t is, indeed, a most
precious privilege to learn to know
these sciences, to know the whole
machinery of the world, the laws of
nature, to lay on your own hands and
be able to say, here they are, so they
work.
And when Won have cast out your
net of science into the boundless
ocean of the universe and caught
planets and stars without number,
would that not be enough knowledge
of the world? Are not the things that
appeal to our senses more than enough
to satisfy our thirst for knowledge?
The things that do not appear we
would not need to know, it appears.
There stands a mantle greatest
visible and invisible miracle in the
world; and you must know him, and
you apply physiology, anatomy and
psychology on him, and do you know
him fully by all these X-rays? You
apply philosophy on him and you say
he stands to reason. Do you know
him by your philosophy? Put your
ear as near as you can to a man and
listen to his heart beats, and you
hear 4 strong voice or faint whisper
saying, Il came originally from God.
1 am related to the heavenly Father.
and l am or should be His child So
you stand before a still greater mira
cle-God. You ask. can l see Him,
can / know Him, can l reach Him by
a telescope or microscope? Can L
know Him by investigation, observa-
ton or science? Does He stand to
reason? Is He found out by the
mighty system of the great philoso-
pliers of the world?' No, SAYS our
text-only family have they heard of
Him. But you can know Him by
lovely His own love. So also said
the greatest thinker that ever lived,
men you pust know in order to
love, but God you must love in order
to know Him."