The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-29

| Eghtenment OF the past consigned TO TIE
future. Some very acute and ingenious
men have believed that the Great Psra-
mid was designed b" inspired ON and
constructed by sanity hands for the
preservation of God-given knowledge to
remotest ages; and art of the measure
ments and proportions of that tupendous
mass they have read to us the substance
of all science. But what single principle
of truth what single item III knowledge,
has the great dead pile ta- G'r
taught any man? The CT who &c -
much in it, carry to it from their own
living souls of their living ach"rs, e7ely
truth which they find he IN, Nhalt'tr
may be the glory am the MSS OF
the past as preserved III ma ~ Il slfuc-
ture in printed page, or IN soclal or
ganization, it is only life, hlcL can in
terpret and animate and transmute, 80
/ that the past may become real 'ad tVa'!
inc for the future. And weak and feeble,
and insignifcants as the individual HE
may seem, little as you, who are now
before me, may feel the great response
biity, yet it is a truth-the truth OF
your life, that through you, and such as
you, the great work of God and of Pro-
whence in the world present and for the
world future, is carried on. You are
the heirs of all the ages.
| There is another aspect of this same
! truth which is more easily understood,
and which l am sure you can all appre-
ciate Whatever may the case with scien-
tific truth and secular learning, certainly
the higher truth and the better knowl-
edge of God and of spiritual things, is
delivered down from one to another in
the endless chain, and in the infinite CON
cotenations of the living. from generation
to generations: I'VE have heard with
our ears, and our fathers have declared
unto u.s." that is the story of the trans
mission of Gods Truth. And each gradu-
ate of st. Mary's School knows, if she
knows nothing else, that she lives in this
world to know Gods will, and to do God s
will ''Eecu, Aucilla Domini, that is
the word which each of you much carry
away as expressing what this School Is,
and what this schools daughters are to
be. That is a happy thought to us, who
feel that we have part III your future.
We have had many dlsappointments our
selves; we have seen the failure of many
hopes. Our labors for God and His
Church have seemed oftimes to be so
fruitless, but now we are happy and con-
ident This sweet company of pure young
lives we send forth to better our feeble
efforts-and to bring to Tuition our failing
hopes Behold this chorus of young voices
tuned to the songs of praise which must
soon die upon our lips these willing hands
trained TO do the work by us left unflnish-
ed. these swift feet prompt to carry the
message when orr shall stumble and fall!
Remember then this great trust that
is committed to you of carrying on Gods
great purposes for the world, the world
present and the world to come. You see
life opening before you in infinite variety
and complexity. You cannot take any
narrow view of life or of duty. In a way
it is all yours because it is all Gods. All
lawful business, pleasure, activity OF
whatever kind, all necessary relationships
associations and interests, everything
proper and truly profitable to man-all
these being part of Gods providentlal or
derng are part of your life, and you must
feel them and possess them, and subdue
them for Him. You are to save your
Selves-to save your own souls, by saving
that world in which He has placed you,
and by making so much of all the great
Efe and work of the future as may come
to you, pure and sweet and true and
good-and fit to be offered to God. !"
You have chosen for your class motto,
Look up on high They are good words.
Let your aim be high Have for your
selves high purpose, high ideals What
ever you do strive to do well. and be not
satisfied because it is your best-determine
/ 20 make it the best Set your hopes high.
Not only propose to yourselves high ideals,
but think that you shall attain them. All
things are possible to high aim and a
high hope. High purpose, him hope, high
thought, high Observation-Disclosures lead
to the high and pure and true life here,
and they lead higher and higher as you
go on. And the life thus set in its high
and true course nothing shall ever de-
press. Other things fail and fall and sink
down to dark oblivion; life, set upon the
upward course, goes on forever.
Look up on hight / will tell you a
story. i once knew man, an old man,
who had been through many experiences.
He had been born to riches and high So
cial distinction. His place was among
\ the first in the land. He came to know
poverty and to have to labor hard for a
| meager living. He had been a soldier
a general in a proud and victorious armq.
He had to experience the bitterness OF
defeat and ruin. But he had high and
pure soul and a true loyal heart All
through his life he had looked up Oh
high, and had kept sustained his loyalty
and love to his heavenly citizenship; and
his tongue took delight in the prayer and
praises of the heavenly city In earthly
felenty and in earthl desolation he never
forgot or neglected to look up on high
and to send his heart forward to possess
the life above. Every day, his tongue
called upon his Father in heaven, ano
owned and claimed his portion in Him
He came to be very old man, and be-
fore he was taken to rest he lost all pow
Ell of speech, of communicating even II
a single word with those nearest anC
dearest to him on earth, his own chill
dren. He was done with the Language
of men. But day by day when l visited
him, and read some word of hope out o
the Gospel, or some sweet Psalm Of tn
Shepherd OF Israel. and then kneelin
down by his bedside said the Master
Prayer, his dumb lips would open t
, speak the language of the home above
"Our Father, who are in heaven hal
, lowed by Thy name so on to tn
. He lcolyad IN an hioh rth ha