Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-06-26
BACCALAUREATE SERMON.
Character Building was the subject
of Rev. Carman's Discourse.

was given by Rev. A o. Carman, pas
tor of the M. f.. church. Fortunate
ly for the comfort of all the weather
was quite cool and comfortable which
is quite different than the usual ex-
perience.
Elder Carman took for his text
Prov. TX, l-"Wisdom has builded her
house, she hath hewn out her seven
pillars
Wisdom must have house; if she
dwells anywhere herself must build
the house; If she sets up the pillars
herself must hew them. The house
to which wisdom invites her guests is
one which cost time and labor in pre-
peration Man builds because he is
defenceless being. The body must be
protected. The soul must have a COW
ering. Character building consists of
human purposes and endeavors.
Consider the Importance of little
things. The house is made of little
bricks The longest journey is a sue
cession of steps, and the swiftcst
traveller can take only one step at
time The strongest chain is make
up of seperate links. Whole ranges
of mountains are made of the skele-
tons of creatures so small that we
need the powers of the microscope to
see any sign of organization in the
handful of dust which is nothing but
millions of their bodies The beauti-
full structure of a strong, well-balanc-
ed symetrical character is built out
of individual acts of duty. "As
man thinketh in his heart so he is"
No one can count the millions OF
thoughts that make up the unwritten
day, and yet every one of these
thoughts has something TO do in max
| ing the man. The slightest stain left
upon the surface of glass by the evap-
Grafton of torpid water is found TO
contain minute shells perfectly form
ed and once inhabited by living Great
ures The casual thought that disap-
pears from the crystal surface of the
mind, as the dew drop vanishes in the
sun, leaves behind a perfect impress
of itself.
Psychologists tell us that we should
take time to thoroughly masticate
our food, that l5 minutes for dinner
is a ruinous waste of time. Take
time to assimulate knowledge. Be
ware of mental dyspepsia The snow
flake is not long in being formed, and
it is not long in duration. The bub-
bic upon the stream is built in an in
slant and passes away as quickly.
But the coral island has taken many
years and cost millions of lives to
build it, and now ii stands a rock in
the midst of the ocean which has be-
come the home of man, and a break
water more than thousand miles
long to keep the sea from devouring
the shore of Australia.
We should give special attention to
the inner life that it may become
like the "King's daughter" all glor-
ious within. | have read that the
houses of Damascus are coarse and
uninviting and anything but attract
i've on the outside: but enter them
once, and you will never forget their
entrancing charms. Abraham Line
oln was probably homely man and
awkward in his manner, but with
spirit richly adorned with humility,
love, kindness and candor, he soon
won the love and admiration of his
countrymen.
Each member of this class possesses
his or her own scholarship. there has
been no class reservoir for your learn
ing. There is individuality in the
brick but unity in the structure. So
ciety has right to demand of every
man the best of mind and morals.
/. There are two sides to character
building. The positive side is to pro-
vide schools and churches for the inn
provement of mind and morals. The
negative side is TO remove the de-
structive influences from our midst.
When the time comes that it will be
impossible for men to boldly write
"saloon" over the door of their place
of business and meet their fellow cit
izens face to face without a blush,
when defrauders can not cody ask
the question "Wnat are you going TO
do about it," When men will base
their achievements on moral grounds
and seek only for the highest and
best, then will we be able 10 construct
carefully and well the fundamental of
true and God-ike character. prepar-
atory to the future temple of being
In the language of another.
"If were a voice, persuasive voice
That could travel the wide world througb
, I would fly on the beams OF the norning bp 1.
T, And speak TO men with gen lie might
And tell them TO be true