The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-05
ONES LIFE IS NOT
A THING DETACHED
Cannot Be Reckoned as if 1t
Were an Independent
Unit.
PHASE OF ETERNAL PROCESS
Sermon Preached to Princeton
Graduates by President John
Gricr Hibbcn.
PHASE OF ETERNAL PROCESS

(BaccalaGreate sermon delivered 10
the 1918 graduating class at Prince
ton by President John Grier Hihhcn,
LII. ID
What is man that thou art mindful
of him psalm x.ii 4 "Canst thou
by searching tind uUt cod? Canst thou
find out the Almighty unto perfection -
Job ri T. And Jesus asked His dis
ciples, saving, Whom do mon SAY that
the Son OF man am'"-Matthcw
5vi. 10
In these questions we are confront
ed With the three great mysteries Of
iife-the mystery Of man. the mys
terry OF God and the mystery Of God
IN man. l, is not often that We allow
ourselves 10 think upon these grca,
themes. Indeed, we arc so busy with
the pursuits and problems Of living
that we seldom pause 10 reflect upon
the significance Of life itself We
shrink from the moro profound con
eiderations which even the fugitive
ideas OF Our idle thinking inevitably
suggest 10 us. because wc fear lcs,
such ideas place us under compusion
TO obey them. We are suspicious OF
their control. We do not wish To be
disturbed in that calm poise and com
posture which is maintained by a free
dom from thoughts OF too serious IA
nature. We know not whittier these
master ideas may drive us. or IL what
service They may direct our powers.
The superficial. the trivial, tho casual
view of human existence is COM
fortab BILE because II stirs within us no
sense of obligation and entails no
personal sacrifice. Life presents SO
many repetitions, so much that is or
binary. that wo accept the course Of
everyday events as tho commonplace
of human experience. and live on and
on. adding year to year without de
sire or effort to comprehend its
deeper meaning. But life has !,
deeper meaning and we thinking men
dare not ignore il.
What is man? He is y mere unit
In the mass, an individual among
. many members OF class; his birth,
his life, his death are paralleled in
the careers Of countless millions OF
other lives similar TO his own. And
yet the meanest, tho most insigniii-
cant of the species possesses nature
whose uniathomcd depths reveal elc-
ments which provoke both reverence
and awe
Great Miracle of Universe.
What Is man? lie is something
more than nc seems And in this
more in this uneXplored re-
mainder, we are confronted with tho
great world riddle OF tho mystery of
man. He is tho great miracle OF the
universe. TO identity him NTH the
animal order does not properly
classify him. To reduce the elements
of his body 10 their chemical consii-
tuents does not satisfactorily explain
him. There are no mechanics OF the
soul, no visible demonstration OF its
Functions. The program of evolution
which carries back the history of
humanity thousands OF years through
organic nature TO the inorganic, and
adding thousands 10 thousands stir
discovers original beginnings in the
Drimeval star dust which contained
the promise and potcncy<s0f every
form OF life This stuperits,uS CON
ception only serves TO hcighteh tho
grandeur ANA the glory of human ori-
gin and development. When il is
insisted, as Darwin did. that man
must never forget his humble origin.
! would reply that while mans origin
may be humble. nevertheless the
simpler the beginning tho more Won
dertul the process and FAR more
amazing the product 1t is no eX-
PLANTATION Of man that his processes
are potential III the original dust of
the stars, Who established this
primitive potential? How is il that
man has been able not. pnly TO rise
above the animal order ,to'which he
belongs, hut possesses the capacity
also 10 comprehend the very process
itself, OF which he is. the product?