The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-06-21
BAcCALAUREATE SERMON

| The Baccalaureate address to the
! graduating class of the nlgn school
! and the normal class was given at
| the Methodist church Sunday night
by Rev d. w. Wise, of Christ's Epis-
copal church, and was very helpful
and instructive. Special music furn-
ished by a choir composed of the
singers of the different churches of
the city helped make the service
one long to be remembered by those
who heard it.
On the rostrum with Mr.. Wise
were Revs. Leonard, Church, Keene,
Rufus and DISTANT and Supt. Sim
mons.
The high school faculty and the
school board attended the service in
a body,
Following rs Mr.. Wise's sermon
in brief:
True success in life does not de-
pend upon the sort of place we fill,
or the kind of work we do. With all
of us, at the beginning of our career,
it is less or more of an anxious and
even a burning question: What am
1 going to do?" There is always a
danger of exaggerating it's import
ance and esteeming it as the chief
question to be settled. But while
it is an important question, upon
which in no small measure may de-
pend our success in life, there is a
greater question which includes 1t
and should determine it's decision,
viz, What am l going to become?"
The logical and moral bearing of an
occupation or calling upon character
should be the weightiest considera-
tion entering into it's choice
One of the inevitable results Of the
secular education 70 the day, valuable
as it Is and not in any wise to be
deprecated, is, to lead us to magnify
unduly the Intellectual side of our
natures, and also to entertain an over
exalted estimate of material great
ness. That Is why we need the church
as well as the school,. the textbook
of Divine Revelation as well as the
textbooks Of human science. They
are note rivals, but helpmeets. The
church teaches us to subordinate the
material and the intellectual to the
moral and the spiritual. The Bible
teaches us to regard all the interests
latiOns and order, and enables us to
view them in their true perspective.
So 1t emphasizes not our acts, but
their motives, not the kind of work we
do, but the moral qualities with which
we invest our labors.
II any would not live in vain, he
must be actuated by the Spirit and
motives of the perfect man, the man
hric uhn oil
for our model, and whom all good
men and pure women adore and love
and obey.
Above all, he who would not live in
vain, must remember that life is not
for selfish enjoyment, but for service.
Right and rewardful living, as your
class motto indicates, is not blind and
careless drifting, but intelligent and
earnest rowing against the prevalent |
and powerful currents of ease and |
folly and mere self-will. We cannot |
drift into usefulness, neither can we |
drift into happiness. Happiness is a |
result He who seeks II for its own |
sake finds it not; it eludes his grasp. !!
He who pursues duty, finds happiness |
both in The quest and the attainment |
thereof.
While then some are actuated by no |
higher ambition in life than to have |
a good time; while the chief desire of |
others is to shine, of others to rule, |
Of others to accumulate wealth, let |
the high aim impe you which scrip !:
lure inspires, reason ratifies, CON /
science commends and heaven helps |
and succeeds, that of being genuinely,
heartily, in an all-around sense good !
Strive to live that those who know !
you best may be able to say when