The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-06-05
"BACCALAUREATE.,' 9
BaccaIaureate Services at the Congre-
gational Church Last Sunday
Sermon by Rev. dratz. =
The Four Corner Stones of Character
They Are Truth, Purity, Indus
try and Prayer.

They Are Truth, Purity, Indus ~
try and Prayer.
Baccalaureate services were held at
the Congregational church last Sun
day morning, the sermon being de-
livered by Rev. W. E. J. Gratz. The
weather was unpropitious and rain no
doubt deferred many from attending,
but the church was fairly we'll filled.
On both sides of the altar were a large
number of foliage plants and palms
and ferns of stately beauty. Evangel-
ist Hunt offered prayer, and Rev.
Moxie took for the riptural lesson the
l1Sth Psalm-"O give thanks unto the
Lord, for He is good, for His mercy
endureth forever" Rev. Gratz read
the third chapter of I Cor. From the
tenth verse he chose his text, ''Let
every man take heed how he build
eth," which furnished a rich theme
for the discourse the topic of which
was ''The Corner Stones OF Character"
and no graduating class nor those who
love to listen to addresses of this char
acter could wish to hear a better SER
mon. Mr.. Gratz with beauty of style
and diction and grace of gesture, and
devoutness of delivery laid with
beautiful sentiment the corner stones
OF character-Truth, Purity, Industry
and Prayer. BY way of introduction
he spoke of Ruskin's ''Seven Lamps of
Architecture" written after several
years OF the study of the great cathe-
drals and palaces of the old world,
some of which had passed through the
SHOWS OF thousands winters and the
storms of thousand summers, and yet
stood in the pride of their strength
and the perfection of their beauty,
while others succumbed and we're ,skel-
etons of their former selves. The
wreckage of character is more awful
than the wreckage of cathedral or
palace, and the destruction of the city
of Mans Soul is more terrible than
that OF any city on the earth.
''You will look long time before
you will find better figure than that
which likens the soul of man to a
walled city or magnificent mansion"
said Mr.. Gratz, and with this he CON-
menced to lay the corner stones of
character. The first stone is that of
Truth, with a finty look, but there is
nothing that can compare with it for
strength and durability. Lying stones
in the foundation of the great church
at Venice had caused that splendid
structure to fall, and so in character
we find men putting lying materials
into the structure of mans soul and
sooner or later the lie is discovered.
The word hypocrite has an ugly sound,
but it comes from the Greek word for
an actor. Now the word means a.
man who is trying to buy character at
less than 100 cents on the dollar. We
, have the professional lie, the business
lie, and worst OF all the lie of charac-
ter. An excuse is often made for the
business lie that we must make liv-
ing, but Gov. Russell said ''There is an
everlasting difference between making
living and making a life." O for
more men with the spirit of Carey who
said MY business is saving souls, and
mend shoes to pay expenses" Oh
young people, you are laying the COR
ner stones of your character. Make
truth the first corner stone of your life.
Lilies deadliest enemy is falseness.
The second corner stone of character
is purity on which is written the words
OF the Master, ''The pure in heart shall
see Cod" There is power in a pure
life. Lord Byron said:
s. Ills said that lion will turn and hy
From maid in the pride of her purity
While the scientists were assuring
the people of Martinique that there
was no danger from Mount Pelee the
. animals were warned by instinct of the
Wpenulng Danger. on that mon were
as wise as the beasts of the field and
would heed the voice of God in their
hearts rather than the voice of man.
God gives to every pure soul the power
OF discerning spirits. You naturally
recoil from the impure book or man or
story, but because some man, scientist
1t may be, has said it is all right you
remain and before you know it you are
covered with lava, dirt and debris and
amid the dirt the image of God is
scarcely found. The soul is a house
and unless you lay as corner stone of
the house the white stone of purity you
will find that the passions of youth
that seem so easi1v masterad will r,o,r