Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-06-06
DELIVERS BAccALAUREATE SERMON
Rev. j. E. SarleS Listened TO By Large
and Attentive Audience.

| - Nrep AAbRtld Hlku HEupOis WIS
| delivered at the Methodist church on
Sunday evening last. by Rev. ]. e.
Sarles, pastor of the congregational
church. The text was taken from
philippians fourth chapter thirteenth
verse. II can do all things through
Christ which strengthened me- The
sermon was a practical and inspiring
one and was listened to by large audi
ence. Special music had been prepared
for the occasion and it added much TO
the beauty of the service. Following
Is substantially the address delivered,
Philippians. 413. II can"
Words with the right ring They
foretell success. Without their self.
confidence failure is inevitable They
are the natural enthusiasm, splendid
vitality. And yet their foundation may
be nothing more stable than conceit
To realize success, self. confidence must
he better founded. Built, however, mp
on the fourfold foundation of capacity,
preparation, opportunity, character, the
largest success is certain.
One essential element of ,ss is
capacity. While capacity is n emily
distributed, the man of averag tlity
need not fear failure though " avy
the man of exceptional talent l. g ace
at the imDecile robbed of right. : N
heritanee by the vice of his proge d 9,
diseloses our own powers and & s
ont envy. Limitationsl We may
come many, but with necessary lii 2
tions our capacity is marvellous v e
we measure our powers, take accouI p
the wonderfully intricate and splent =
ly adapted body we have, think of
almost boundless breath, depth a
rF thnrrrhk raaffya ha ',F
sympathy and love, feel the irresistible
force of will-when we become fully
conscious of all these powers it is natur-
al to pronounce those stirring words,
u CAM But vast multitudes of men
| are squandering this splendid inherit
ance, and If we are to speak those words
| in after years, and prove them, we must
guard our capacities with sleepless dill
gence. ilsidious danger turks beside
our path. Slowly, imperceptibly, most
| deceivingly comes ruin of our powers
a wreck complete, irreparable and most
lamentable. Would You retain these
invaluable possessions? Take your
stand at the very citadel of strength
| and keep pure the heart Let nothing
bat clear-as-light imaginations and
worthy desires have place in your life.
Live purely without exception. Exper-
iment with vice means habit, habit
means ruin. Guard your capacities
and you may ever say II canl'
Another element of success is prepar-
| alton. Unborn genius may be desirable,
but well wrought preparation is more
promising than brilliancy Il high
| school graduate is to be congratulated
| as being among the exceptionally well
prepared youth of our land. Only eight
per cent go beyond the eighth grade of
| our public schools. But graduation has
come only with effort, sustained effort
| and triumph over discouraging obsta
cles. And yet graduation is but COM
mencement. This, though platitude,
| should often be spoken. Let prepsra-
ton be continued with college course
undertaken and completed Let the re-
| gret of men who have spurned such op-
| portunity utter warning to one who
would value it highly. Amy one may
take advantage of the opportunities of
higher education. 1t may mean harder
work In self support, ii may need self
| sacrifice and bring burdenEome debt
but the prize Is worth the cost. The
| demand for trained men Is too impera-
tive for one to waste opportunity for
| fullest preparation. But the largest
| success calls for more than trained in
| tellect. A broad and symmetrical de-
velopment of our whole being is ess
sential to largest achievement. Be-
| come that which thou artF' commanded
the Greek of old. SO speaks today's
| wisdom. Let no man be satisfied with
making a mere mint of himself Meth
| er let him think that the highest sttain-
ment comes with the acquisition of such
| power as grinds men down and rises to
a higher advantage upon their pros
| trate forms. The truest respect and
largest power is his who has developed
all that is finest and best within him.
Nero had brute force, but the world
worships and serves the Christ, the en-
bodiment of all that is deepest and
noblest in life; it despises Nero. He
who has prepared himself TO live in the
| highest and purest realms of life may
speak the words j can" with undaunt-
| ed assurance.
Opportunity, also is essential to sue
cess, but opportunity will come to one
with capacity and preparation If not,
he will make it. Riis said'of Roosevelt,
He put himself where things were
going to happen There is opportunity.
There a man with average ability, who
has fitted himself Tor work may say,
II can" and he will make good.
| But the sine quo non of success is
| character. Even in the commercial
world this is true. The successful rail
road man Is a man of character as well
as skill. The successful commercial
traveller is, today, a temperate man
The finest of professions the trained
nurses, demands testimonial az to
character before a reputable school for
preparation can be entertained And
of the applicant for clerkship in onr best
business establishments the employer
demands not only capacity and prepaT-
alton but character. But life's demands
| for character are far more stringent
The morning hours Of youth soon pass,
and with them fade dawn's rose hues
that battle all life. Gone too, are the
boundless enthusiasms and spontaneous
vitality, for the hours of toll have
brought weariness Monotonous toll
has cloyed the soul and we long for
liberation, for ease Have we strength
of character that reveals itself in dog
ged perseverance, Then we may sue
ceed But the most persistent effort
meets sometimes, with failure. Have
we, for that day, determination, cour.
age, hope? Then we need not be over
whelmed. But as we rise, a broad
way, the way of compromise, appears.
Have we fidelity that we will not
sacrifice principles Then the day is not
lost And yet life tests us more sorely
still. Even loyal and faithful men must
| ,.oa& @ba} ofyirn skaIatou Ynonstar in tina