The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1901-06-20
BACCALAUREATE ADDRESS.
Rev. Or. Hayden Talks TO the Puplls on Moral
Attainment,

Rev. Or. Hayden Talks TO the Puplls on Moral
Attainment.
Rev. DIR. +. L. Hayden of the Presby-
terrain church made the baccalaureate
address before the graduating class in
the church on Sunday preceding COM
mencement exercises. Following is the
gist of his sermon:
"Reuben. thou art my firstborn, my might,
and the beginning of my strength, the excel.
lency Of dignity, and the excellency of power:
Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel
These are ideal conditions out of which
to get an ideal character and life. Being
the first-born Reuben was rich. "The
excellency of strength"-he was pos
sessed Of splendid body and vigorous
mind. 1.-THE excellency of dignity" he
was self possessed; had his powers under
power"-these natural qualifications
were well cultured. But with all these
magnificent advantages he could not ex-
eel. He was morally unstable. Under
pressure he would sacrifice truth, purity,
humility, faith, love to his personal con-
venience, pleasure or monetary advant-
age.
The text is prophecy that this in
ability to excel through moral instabil-
ity should descend to generations yet
unborn. What terrible legacy to be-
queath upon the future! And see how
literally the prophecy was fulfilled:
When the Israelites were in their Wild
erness journey Korah and his company,
Reubenites, "princes of Israeli" raised
rebellion against the leadership of Moses
and were destroyed. "Unstable as
water" in their allegiance to God. In
the recitation of the company Of spies
that at Kadesh Barnea brought back an
adverse report concerning the ability of
Israel to conquer Canaan, the represent
alive of Reuben is mentioned first.
UNSTABLE as water" When Israel en-
tered Canaan forty years later-the pre-
vious generation having died-Reuben
settled on the east side OF the Jordan to
evade the responsibility of the conquest
OF the land. Still, "unstable as water"
In later war Deborah refers to Reuben's
conduct thus: "For the divisions of
Reuben there were great thoughts of
heart! Why abodest thou among the
sheepfolds to hear the bleatings OF the
flocks?"-preferring the cowardice of
staying at home when they were needed
in an hour of peril upon the field of bat
| tie! Still, unstable as water" A little
later for their open idolatry they were
carried away captives by the two kings
OF Syria. Eight centuries after the
prophecy of the text Hazael, king of
Syria, receives divine command to
"cut Reuben Shorthand this tribe, the
descendants Of this splendid type of ply
steal and mental manhood, disappears
from history.
Moral stability is essential to moral
excellence. Man is on earth for the con-
quest Of sin and ignorance. The wea-
pons of his warfare are intelligence and
righteousness. 1t is the thoroughly
equipped moral manhood and woman
hood that wins life's successes-that ex-
GELS Today we study the character,
culture and conduct of the excelling
| man.
1. Stability of moral conviction is es-
sential to excellence of moral character.
To be of any real value a moral convic-
ton must be true. To have convictions
All moral convictions must be the out
love, faith and humility are of eminent
value. AS red, yellow and blue are the
primary colors, SO these five are the
primary graces. This conviction must
guide us in the selection of our ideals
and the forming of our characters. 1t is
true that "There is a hand that shapes
our ends, rough hew them as we will, }"
but we must hew towards true ideal.
To be of any real value moral con-
viction must be earnestly prosecuted.
Intensity of conviction! Conviction at
white heat burns its way to success. No
question of expediency must be consid-
cred. 1t is never expedient to sacrifice
truth to untruth. And there must be
no intermission in ones constancy to
his ideals. A preacher in strange city
visited place he would not visit when at
home. By some means his lapse in con-
viction reached homeland his influence
was gone One cannot live long enough
to fully recover from a moral fall.
And one must do his own selecting in
morals. There is no such thing as
chance in selectiOn-unless it be the con-
stantly presented chance to forfeit oppor-
tunity to destroy ones talents; to lose
| his power-to commit moral suicide. To
every person is given character in the
rough with hands, head and heart he is
hidden to carve after the truest pattern
his vision can discern. Zone chance
cometh to ALL says the wise man. 1t is
the one lifetime with its opportunities
and necessities. But favorable oppor-
tunities cannot take the place OF earnest
ness OF purpose. Everyone has chance
to build the edifice of moral character,
and he who would build well must begin
early.
To the multitude the moral graces
are like city OF ivory palaces set in
garden of palm trees-tO be admired