The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-06-04

and tapestries had he been able to bu,y
them. Balzac sinned and fell because
in building he did not put the first
things first. Wiser was the Jew in
Ivanhoe who after he had amassed
several fortunes and had lost them by
conniving and treacherous man, built
him lowly cabin in an obscure place
and inside his poor abode had the rich
furnishings of a king.
MANY modest people there are, poor
in worldly goods on the outside, but
whose souls are like kings palaces.
bright with true thoughts, warm with
love, radient with true friendship and
sympathy. These are the crowned
kings, inwardly though they be burden
bearers and poor pilgrims outwardly.
There be novels to which Gods angels
make regular pilgrimages and some
times never cease their coming and
going-for these are the wise ones who
like Emerson have put first things first.
Solomon chose wisely and put first
things first and with wisdom God gave
him great riches and wise and under
standing heart, and with these was
honor and long life.
The same angel that came to
Solomon comes to every young man
and woman with the same offer, Ask
what shall give you And 1 want to
urge upon you this morning that you
choose the first things first. Put first
things first and I hear great states
man saying Gold is good but manhood
is better than gold First things first
and hear the master saying Seek We
first the kingdom of God and his right
eousness.' First things first and I hear
the great Carlyle at 70 come up to
Scotland's great university and say to
the thousand young men assembled
that the sum of all his study of history.
the sum of all his reading of books and
observations of men was the conviction
to which Solomon came: The conclu-
sion OF the whole matter is fear God
and keep his commandments for this is
the whole duty of man. First things
first and 1 hear Sir Walter Scott say
ing, 'Forty-five years old to-day; my
life is now more than half done; the
day was when [ tried to kill time, now
[ guard each golden hour as a miser
holds to his coin. Henceforth I mean
to do only those things that count
First things first and I see Paul brush
aside all other things that he may
know the Christ and the power of His
resurrection.
Mr.. Gratz spoke eloquently and with
great fervor and spirit of faith, hope
and love, the three things that should
be put first in our lives. ''Faith is an
everyday working principle. We may
get an idea of the value of faith by
thinking of what happens when faith is
ABSENT and some of the great grage-
dies of the world were referred to as
the result of the lack of faith.
Faith is the great hero builder, it
is the telescope of the soul revealing
heavenly mysteries. Faith is the
knowledge and acquaintance with
spiritual things: it is confidence in God,
it is gertrude of Righteousness, it is the
sixth sense through which we appre-
bend the ways of God. Put faith first
and you will be able to say with Paul
L have finished my course, I have kept
the faith henceforth there is for me
crown
PUT hope among the first things.
The soul of man is monarch of three
kingdoms, the present, the past and
the future. Memory presides over yes
terday, reason inspired by faith rules
to-day; tomorrow is under the sway of
hope. Man is born a long way from
home. 1t is a weary climb out of the
cradle through all the troubles and
trials of babyhood on through the
grades and the high school until at last
the cherished diploma is in sight.
THE glory Of the Christian religion
is that it's golden day is in the future,
not in the past. For the Hebrew para
disc lay back of him in Genesis. AS
long as the children of Isreal had their
promised land yet to get they brought
forth great men, but it was while they
were in this land that they lost their
national life and were led into captiv-
lty. For the Christian the promised
land, the New Jerusalem, lies in the
future. This consolation caused Paul
to say I forget the things that are be-
hind and press on toward the goal of
the prize of the high calling in Christ
Jesus Let hope rule in your heart as
among the first things, for hope maketh
not ashamed.