The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-24
BACCALAUREATE SERMON
DIR. HILARY 4. GOBLIN TO STATE
NORMAL SCHOOL STUDENTS.
He Tells Them the World Is Becomin z
Better. Except for the Reck-
less and Improvident.

4 oiS ~ oOplI. OF bt I'm
versity, delivered the baccalaureate sermon
| for the Indiana State Normal School this
| morning. There was a large audience in
the assembly hall. many citizens being
| present with the hundreds of students. DIR.
Gobins subject was. lis the World Grow
ing Better" He said in part:
This ancient literature called the Bible
is receiving more attention than ever. Mod
| ern criticism has removed some conceptions
of its doctrines once very popular. but 1t
has also brought into view some teachings
formerly not appreciated. The prophecy of
Isaiah is chief battle-ground Of conten-
| ton between the radicals and conserva-
tives respecting methods of Interpretation.
There are two widely contrasted pictures
given in this prophecy. One is a dark and
distressing view of the degeneracy Of the
age in which the writer lived. The other
is bright and glowing presentation of the
blessedness of this better day coming. IL
| is not usual thing for writer 10 be so
much exasperated over the conditions Of
his own environment and at the same time
| so confident of happy times and prosperity
of future ages. Isaiah was an optimist
| speeding the destiny of the human race.
"A very different view is given by st.
Paul in his letter to Timothy. He describes
| the last days as period OF 'perilous times
| in which vice and immortality will abound
and EVIL men and imposters wax worse and
worse Thus even on biblical grounds the
question is raised, rs the world growing
| better? The late Mr.. Moody declared that
| even civilized society is declining in moral
tone. He became millinarian. claim
| ing that the world can never be redeemed
| until Christ shall come in person and lead
| the forces of righteousness to complete vic
| tory. 1t is surprising how many scholars
and theologians are drifting into some such
| conviction. Profound observers in all Sc.
| robustness inquire, Does civilization really
| cvilize? / wish to ask you to consider this
| suggestion. The world is becoming better
| for those who have the right spirit and
conform TO correct principles of living; but
| the world is becoming worse for the reck-
| less, the improvident and the prodigal.
| Briefly, the good are becoming better and
| the bad are becoming worse. Ii one aspires
| TO righteous life he can have facilities
| for good living not enjoyed in former gen.
| erations But If one has the spirit and pur-
pose of evil he can transform the highest
| modern achievements in art and science
| into instruments for his own harm and for
evil doing to others. The issue between
| right and wrong is now more acute and
productive than ever before.
THE WORLD ADVANCING.
| NlSH W tAlpndSlLt the LOlc picdShiS
side of this aspect of society. 1 do not
know of any more fruitful presentation of
this topic than that given by Isaiah in the
eighth verse of the thirty-fifth chapter of
his prophecy: And an highway shall be
there and a way and it shall be called the
way of holiness: the unclean shall not pass
over it, but it shall be for those; the way
faring men, though fools, shall not err
| therein 1t is very natural and pleasing
| method of representing intellectual and
moral progress by improved facilities and
| conditions in material things. There is
| manifest reciprocity between the resources
| of nature and the achievements of mind.
| The wilderness and solitary place shall be
glad for them For whom? For the pru-
dent and the diligent. The desert shall re-
| joice and blossom as the rose when a high
| er manhood comes to grub out the wild
growths and plant the fruitful vine and
| tree. 1t shall blossom abundantly and re-
| joice even with JOY and singing when SUI
| perior intelligence introduces the methods
of cultivation based upon scientific discov-
| cry and invention All these poetic figures,
descriptive of the transformation of the
wilderness OF nature into scenes OF beauty
and productiveness, are descriptions in the
| concrete of what intelligence and morality
| will accomplish In the world. OF all these
| figures the most simple, because the most
| ancient and the nearest universal, is that
| of a good road. This is the painest index
| of advancement IN community life. and
| from the suggestion of single highway to
| the conception of vast systems and various
! pressive. In the widest sense there is no
| enterprise which gives 10 modern civiliza-
ton more distinguishing mark than our
| means OF travel and transportation What
| an amazing development The b0undless
! productiveness of the far Western Dakotas
! pour their annual treasures unto the fam
! fishing millions Of far eastern Asia.
1.-The lesson In the prediction is that
| however extensive the facilities for COM
| merce. the chief advantage of all is the
| higher facilities for intelligence and right
| eousness And a highway shall be there
and a way. That is, the chief way. the
most important way or all is that which
| leads to right relations with God, and the
| faithful performance of duty TO self and
society.
ROADS AND SCHOOLS.
This ancient picture of modern condi-
| tons is certainly appropriate for your con-
| sideration at this time. The highway is
| a public thoroughfare, created for the pro-
motion of a community interest. IL is a
convenience for the people. No caste re-
| strctions limit its utility. Still it is not TO
be degraded and abused by the vicious rab-
BILE. The unclean shall not pass over it,
Modern society will give some attention
to aesthetical culture. 1t will be consider
ate OF the proprieties Of person, residence
and public beneficence. The ingenuities of
hypocritical pretention will be detected and
excluded but sincere and honest endeavor
will meet with recognition and encourage
ment. The exclusion of the unclean will
not be made with such haste as to dis
criminate against the deserving who NAV
be in conditions of disadvantage without
any fault of their own. The wayfaring
men, though fools, need not err therein
The wayfaring may be fools about many
things. but they know a good road when
they come to ii. The humblest and most
benighted people acknowledge the advan-
tage of knowing something more. The
most popular institution in our country
* the public school system. Wayfaring
men make no mistake about II. They know
IL is a good road. a highway 10 intelli-
gence. We need to impress upon this gen
GRAFTON the idea that this highway is not
merely a highway OF knowledge. but it
is more especially a highway OF righteous
ness. Holiness in the Bible sense is emf
obstacles and visions. but rather clean. hon
tunately some religious people, in a desire
70 represent holiness plain and simple
have made il really ugly and insipid Scrip
tural holiness is qualified more by the term
beautiful than any other attribute. The
symmetry OF character combines the
strength of knowledge with the beauty OF
holiness.
How will the transformation predicted
by the optimistic prophet be realized? Not
by some occult force working without con-
troll and direction. A highway is not the
product OF drift or a cyclone. Highways
are manufactured. They are devised out
lined constructed by supervising minds
And so the golden age OF social blessed