The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-19

eyes are to be opened, deaf ears are to
| be unstopped, the lame are to be made
% walk. and those who are athirst are to
| be given the water of life. 1t was in
| beautiful imagery that he presented these
owing thoughts of individual work in the
world and it touched his hearers hearts.
| Many were seen among the great au-
i Hence to wipe away the starting tear a.
Dr.. Barron, closed his most appropriate
/ md touching sermon. Following the close
Of the service many came forward to
! grasp his hand and to congratulate him
| lpon the splendid sermon he had preach
/ ID He is a favorite in Raeigh and his
| 1accalaureate sermon yesterday was one
| hat was heartily appreciated and enjoyed
not only by the young ladies to whom it
| vas principally addressed, but by old md
| new friends in the congregation. The oc-
asion was one of extreme interest, and the
ermon was not only one Of literary merit
hat would tend to the instruction of the
graduates, but it was of loving truth
hat reached the hearts of all.
TO THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
eThe Coming of the Perfect" was the
| text for the annual sermon before the
| Young Woman's Missionary Society of the
| Baptist Female University preached ny
| Rev. j. w. Lynch, D. D., of Wake Forest.
! IN the Baptist Tabernacle Sunday night.
| rhe church was crowded and DR.. Lynch
| held the closest attention of all. The mu-
sic was under the supervision of Mr..
| Wade r. Brown Mrs. Brown rendered
wo solos, the choral class of the Univer-
sity and the congregation joining in the
| ,horus The music was excellent.
DR.. Lynch's theme THE Coming of the
Perfect" is found in 1 Corinthians, 10
| chapter, 10 verse. In developing his sub
| ect DR.. Lynch said in part:
"The realization of the perfect hes in
The future. We live in an imperfect world.
rhis earth, though suited to the purposes
| or which it was created, is by no means
,erfect All nature is full of Imperfect
| ions. Not one seed in a thousand brings
'orth the plant. The field the forest, the
and and the city all abound in nature $
nonstrosities.
''Not only does man inhabit an i'm
| erfect world but he lives in an imperfect
)ody Every creature is heir to same
| iefect. some fraility. The most ideal rep.
: reservations of human perfection are found
not in flesh and blood but in the chiseled
marble
Besides living in an imperfect world,
inhabiting an imperfect body we follow an
/ imperfect intellect. All human knowledge
is futile, imperfect and Of only day. The
science Of few centuries ago is largely
regarded as superstition or false today.
There are those who look upon Pope Leo
as infallible. and think his DEGREES are per-
feet and everlasting, but human opinions,
beliefs and creeds are made for brief
time and pass away even as the growing
bird skaters its shell.
"Yet while imperfect ourselves, with
| imperfect minds and bodies, in an impcr-
! feet world, men are able TO conceive Of
the perfect This capability of picturing
perfection, of projecting himself into the
future and seeing the ideal is what distin-
cuisines man from the animals about him
Though the world is imperfect yet it
abounds in all possibilities for man save
reaching the infinite. All of these possi-
bilities of attainment and development rise
out of mans struggle to pass from the i'm
perfect to the perfect. Every one is en-
gagged in such contest. The lawyers
doctors. preachers and others make theiI
living because of the imperfections of 9th
ers. Nothing is really attained or finish
ed: the world is not yet made but is In
the making The rain circles are constant
" changing and places that for centuries
have been deserts will again be Weakened
to life by the refreshing showers. AL
that gives pleasure and comfort has beer
developed. The apple came from the lit
tie crab apple; the American beauty from
a little scrubby rose; the thorough hrec
horse, the Jersey COW, the pointer dos
are stages in the passage from the lmper
feet towards the perfect
Christian character also is the produce
Of the contest from imperfectlon to per
lection Jesus Christ Himself was no
J born perfect: he was born pure and at
tanned perfection in his struggle. He at
I tanned the infinite from the finite and vel
remain the perpetual ideal Some peopl
} ascribe to evolution what belongs to Co
, but evolution is nothing save a process
in the march towards perfection.
But perfection will ultimately be real
lied. The distance between imperfectio
and perfection grows less ever year whic
: means that this world is becoming bel
2 ter. There were some men centuries ag
g as good as any now living, but the aver
" age man, taking humanity as whole,
4 better today than the average man eve
# last year. But how is it that while tn
d individual is not better yet the world
$ better? Why. Gods capital is accumula
n ing and working all the time and day {
day every Christian life contributes
If this great power house. The churche
p schools hospitals, orphanages, modern II
/ ventions, railroads are all parts of God
Il capital invested on this earth. Then SIM
in all life is march towards perfection
n since this perfection will finally be a
o tanned, for heaven and earth shall pa
Is away but my word shall not pass ava
it until all be fulfilled, then it behooves eac
and every one, with the one perfect II
h. as the beacon star, to go forth to me-
$, the Lord and master when He comes
ID His perfect glory.