Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-06-17
AN ABLE ADDRESS.
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you declined. 1t takes lifetime TO
master one language, what could you
do with four languages in four years.
More than we would believe possible,
| grant you; but still how little You
have toiled through few books in
French and German. Latin and Greek,
but the literatures of these languages,
alas they are mtasted sweets. You
can hardly touch the hens of the gar
ment OF the worlds literature i'm a col
lege course. "Smitten down" 10y it, are
you? OF course, but you are not there
! fore destroyed. The important ques-
ton is, has the mere taste that you
/ have had here. been pleasant to the pal
atef Has it given you Il hunger for the
feast of Il lifetime? At the end of the
college course is the fire burning within
you, that fire of desire which would
! covet every opportunity to know what
; the wise and good of the world have
/ left us in the Inheritance of books. If
] So, let me welcome you TO the glorious
company of book lovers, the only inimit-
aristocracy OF culture. Here are the
real kings of the earth. Here reign
the Homers and Platos, the Ciceros
and Nirgns. the Cervantes and Dantes,
the Goethes and Achilles-the Pascals
and Rousseaus - the Millions and
Shakespeares. Here reign the Apos-
ties and Prophets. They welcome you
10 their royal tables and feasts of the
Gods. They are no respecters of per-
sons. They welcome you as cordially
as they did Il Macauley and Il Samuel
Johnson. They offer their friendship
without money ana without price. You
may come when you please. and re-
main as long as You wish. You may
get what YOU choose from their
bountiful table and 20 away happy and
strong. God be praised forever and
ever for that most impershable of all
riches-the riches of good books.
There is then no reason for disap-
pOintment because YOU do not know
everything and have not read every
thing during the four years OF your col
lege life. 1t is. however. possible that
some one may be "smitten down" into
humiliation because he has not achiev-
ed more. either i'm mastering his studies
have not always been perfect. The les
sons have not always been fully under
stood. The work. rs whole. Is incom-
plete. And when YOU think of absO-
lutte self mastery YOU find the least oc-
cason for self congratulations. In the
course of your life here YOU have been
made acquainted with n Socrates, an
Aristotle. Il Marcus AreliuS. an Apostle
Paul. Il Jesus the Christ. AMI YOU have
abhorred yourself. In the presence OF
their amazing excellence and purity Of
character YOU have exclaimed 20,
wretched man that | am. who shall de
liver me from the body of DEATH De
part from me for / am sinful man. O
God" TO such the great teacher has
said. II came not To call the righteous.
but sinners to repentance" Might I
also add. if the course of this college
has led you to "A consciousness of sin
to a realization that there are heights
and depths and lengths and breadths
OF charactcr-buildng which YOU have
not attained but which you greatly
covct-then the college has rendered
YOU the greatest possible service. The
building OF Christ-like character is
not the work OF four years. nor even of
three score years and ten. 1t Is the
transcendant work of God in time and
Eternity. II is enough that knowledge
has not pulled you up. but rather
huilded YOU up. and brought you 10 de
sire the greatest gifts In character.
For the building and finishing of that
temple within you. for the in-dwelling
of the Holy Spirit we commit you into
the hands of the Master Builder. re-
minding you that other foundations
can no man lay from that which is
laid. which is Jesus Christ.