The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-06-10
At DENIS0N COLLEGE
Week to be Taken up With
College Exercises.
REV. MORPHY DELIVERS SERMON

Rev. j. B. Harris Among the Speakers
Of the Week. Recital Last Evening
Well Attended.
| Last Sunday evening the churches
OF the city joined in union service at
the Baptist church, the occasion being
the annual sermon to the graduating
class of the college. Prayer was Of
fered by the Rev. DR.. Miller of the
M. E. Church and the Scripture lesson
read by Rev. P. s. Hertzel who was
supplying the pulpit at the German
| Methodist church.
| After vocal solo by Miss Lillian
Garrison, Rev. Morphy preached from
the text lst Timothy 4, IA. Neglect
not the gift that is in thee" He said
in part;
"This sentence sums up the advice
given by Paul to the young Bishop in
charge of the church at Ephesus al
though the apostle referred 20 the
particular gift of preaching yet we
| may Apply ~ W any Sllt.
The possession of a gift demands ex-
ercise and care on the part of its
possessor. God had design in the
creation of all things. We can see
that great men were created for q
purpose and if this is true of great
men it is true of every man. That
some lives seem to have no purpose
does not icvalidate this statement.
Our aptitudes and Limitations show
the design of God in US. Columbus,
Shakespeare, Milton, Dante, Homer,
Grant, Napoleon and St. Paul himself
in early life showed special aptitude.
In former times students were all
put through the same course. The
idea seemed to be that each man was a
receptacle to be filled. Now we aim
to draw out the inmate powers of man,
The old saying, Train up the child in
the way that he should go and when
he is old he will not depart from it,,
has received newer and perhaps a
more correct translation. Train up
the child in his way and when he is
old he will not depart from it. The
kindergarten is natural and the idea
beautiful and correct. Train the child
in his way and we must discover that
way. We should follow natural
bent and when we have discovered q
gift should exercise it,
There are certain dangers to avoid.
One of them is luck. There is no such
thing as luck. It is good to have
dreams, to have an ideal but we must
not be satisfied with that. we should
not trus; in God alone. The fatalist t.
not the successful man. We must
work to accomplish the design IT God
in us. Genius, is as George Elliot said
the ability Of taking pains.
Above all we should not neglect our
moral and spiritual nature, gifts with
out character are of little value. 1t
was not 80 much the brilliant gifts of
q President that have put him where
he is, but rather something in his
moral character, We need men who
can be trusted.
The possession OF gift should not
lead us to neglect our duties. The girl
who can play the piano should not ne.
glect the duty OF wiping the dishes.
The boy Who has been educated through
the toll of his father, becomes con-
temptable when he despises that father.
We hear that this is an age of special
ization, but the specialist may contine
himself to too narrow field. we should
not be lobbyists, nor should we ever
else our gift 30 rs to leave God out OF
the life, for the greatest gift in man is
faith in God.
You members of the class have ac-
complished course OF study. You have
been faithful in your work, and are a.
bout to leave it for sterner duties. May
you be successful as you have been. AZ
Moses was shown the patterns of the ia.
bernacle while on the mountain, so you
have seen the pattern of the tabernacle
of your life. May God bless you and
may you have success"
After vocal solo by Dr. Plimpton
the congregation was dismissed with
benediction by Rev. Morphy.
SOCIETY CONTEST.
ZaOniaDs and Athenaeum SOcietie,