Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-18
breaches FOR
CAP AMI GOWN
REV. DR.. COKE ADDRESSES U.
OF S. C. GRADUATES
"Youth Promises Much for tho COM
ing Day, and Gods Plan for
This Life Is Suc-
cess"

The annual baccaIaureate sermon of
the University of Southern California
was preached yesterday morning at
the University Methodist church by
Rev. j. C. w. Coke, d. D.. before a
large congregation, including the
graduating class, the members of
which were attired in black caps and
gowns. DR.. Coke said;
II come today both as a duty and
a privilege. To you who look out on
the threshold of this busy life, would
that l could give you some thoughts
to carry through it.
Youth, with forming habits, i'm
pressible nature, receptive to truth,
strong of purpose and full of faith and
hope, promises much for the coming
day. The life that is to be is more
than the life that has been Old
truths may pass under a new garb, but
new truths are like angels visits, few
and far between.
Gods plan for this life is success
every life rounded out to complete
ness; the path of every pilgrim bright.
1t is full of toll and self denial and he
would win crowd must be content to
forego pleasure.
Success a Divine Gift
Success is a divine gift and a hu-
man achievement. It's foundation must
be laid in youth. If age is to be hon
ored, youth must command respect for
what it is and is to be- One can not
always command the homage of the
world, but one can always defy it's
contempt.
Life is both a prophecy and a full
filment. No one can stand on the
threshold of opportunity and not feel
the thrill of expectatio The roseate
hues of morning flood the sunrise, and
q
by eyes that glow with the promise of
DAY. One star differs from another in
glory, yet they have the same thing
in common-they are stars. No life
can be an exact reproduction of an
other life, Only once a century is a
true poet born.
"Great genius is exceptional A few
kiss the clouds and the multitudes are
conscious of no inferiority. The wheat
is as successful as the oak. Each has
brought out its destiny. The lowliest
life has some beauty and can teach
some lesson of truth.
Sharp Competition Reiens
"a paper gun may do for him who
means to win the battle, repeat ting
gun is necessary.
I'm all lines of work sharp competi-
ton reigns today. One cannot help
but pity the great army of disappoint-
ed. All are ambitious, hopeful, but
only few will win in the race. The
story is repeated every year, decade
and generation. in every line, Many
are called. but few are chosen The
real success of life comes to but few.
premature blossom often means i'm
mature fruit. The rush and whirl of
modern life are not favorable to studi-
Gus thought. The sound of the fray
reaches our ears. Too often a young
man is betrayed-he mortgages his flu
ture for a present success and he is
Handicapped in the race. Such men
are failures because they have really
never begun life.
Making Life
'There is something better than
making livlng-making life. He
only thoroughly respects himself who
respects his calling. Opportunities de-
velop men, but men develop the op-
portunties.
THAT to which one deliberately de-
votes his life should be the all-com-
pelling power of that life. The sue
cesses of the world are not geniuses.
but toilers. Faith without works is
dead, and work without faith is moth
ing.
"He who distrusts himself under
mines his own future. but he who
knows his limitations is in the rovar
way to widen his knowledge. The
painter who threw his whole being into
a cathedral fresco. and said that the
angels could see it if men could not,
was a true worker.
''To you young people today Just
leaving your alma mater, I would say.
be frugal of time; II is better than
money. Hoard the moments as the
miser does his gold Never be unem-
ployed There Is a busy ldleness, but
there is something better a leisurely
activity, Manv a choice bit OF liter
airy work has been done in fragments
OF time that some men would have
spent in looking out of the window.
aspire to the front rank and be
covetous Of knowledge Re generous
10 your generation and give It the best
in your life, Freely ye have received,
freely give"