Willmar tribune., 1915-06-02

AAe pO"eIS IuaI We nave 10 Cn0OSe,
God or the devil, the love Of virtue,
or the love Of vice. .s ,t s:.& I
=" Thou canst not choose but serve:
Mans lot is servitude
But this choice thou hast,
A bad, Lord or a good
"As you sit before me tonight, Just
on the threshold Of a new era of your
young lives, each one of you holding
within yourselves the possibility of
becoming a mighty power through
service, is it not serious question to
decide, just what you are going 10
try and make of yourselves? AS II
look into your faces, see kindness,
intelligence, power in embryo, and de-
sire to make use Of that power. And
yet, in each life there are diverse abil-
tiles. Soon, you, as class, will be
separated, each one going in a differ
ent direction, taking up different vo-
cations. In ye6xsto come you will be
scattered over the face Of the country,
each one serving master.
"You are living life now of COM
mon interests, I might say Of intim-
acy-you have been studying the same
studies, taking an interest in the same
affairs, and yet, each has developed
in different way, and from now on
will take different path. If you have
any desire, and know you have, to
retain the memory Of pleasant times
together, Of things accomplished to-
gether, of pleasant c0mpanionships,
then choose whom you will serve; be-
cause there is but one Master whose
service will develop the beautiful side
of your life; that will leave room in
your memories and hearts for the
school days you have spent SO beau.
tifully together. Then serving one
Master will bring you all to one goal.
And in the service, no matter what
your position, you will have sympathy
OF common endeavor, to spur you on,
knowing the others are working un-
derstandingly. with you. The river
Amazon and the chief tributary of the
river Platte rise within few hundred
yards of each other, and the Indians
often drag their canoes from one
stream to the other over the inter-
vening strip of land. For many miles
the little streams run in parallel chan
nels. At last little ridge or knoll,
is reached, and the water ways di.
verge. 1t is difficult to Judge what is
sues are involved in this turning point,
but they give complexion to the en-
tire face of the one country. They
never come in sight of each other
again, but they are doing the same
work, serving the same purpose. With
| the people to whom Joshua addressed
these words, the issue was very sim.
ple-Will you follow the gods of the
nations, or will you follow Jehovah,
your God?
"The problem which faces you to.
day is slightly different, a little more
complex; but it is the same old prob.
lem, and to you, as to those people
rings out the message, Choose you
this day, whom you will serve Shall
it be life spent in the service of self
or in the service Of humanity? It is
not possible to serve God without serv:
ing your fellow beings. It is not pos
sible to worship God without serving
man. There never was a prayer Of
fered to God when the heart was at
enmity with man. And there is no
knowledge of God which does not
come thru man. That is the principle
OF the incarnation, and, therefore
when we are to choose the service OF
God, we mean by that the service OF
man, because God cannot be served
and man neglected. .~,,..
eff we love not our brother whom
we have seen, how can we love God
whom we have not seen?' Shall our
lives be given to Christ and to hu
manity or shall they be given to sell
and sin?
IF can stop one heart from breaking
| shall not live in vain.
If can ease one life the aching
Or cool one pain.
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again
l shall not live in vain.
!
now; choose you this day-not only
because you have come to a turn
ing point in your lives, but also be
cause the world, humanity, needs now
more than ever before, men and WON
en- who are willing to lead an active
life of service. There is a great worlG
cry today; for men and women, boys
and girls, who will come out openly
stand up fearlessly, staunch and true
for what they know to be right; will
ing and glad to work in the service
of the good. Be ambitious, do your
utmost to develop every faculty O.
your mind and body. Enjoy the pleas
ures of life, for they will give beau
ty to your life which you can get no
where else. Seek to gain power, seel
to gain position, because they viii
give you greater opportunities. And
yet, while you are busy doing this, re
member whom you are serving.
"Offer yourself, we'll developed !,
body, mind and soul, for the use q
the good. Strive daily to give untt
the world something beautiful, some
thing worth while, something thai
will live, and then, when you find tha
your life is growing toward it's end
that your active days are past, yo;
need not fear for the future, you neet
not be ashamed of your past. No mat
ter how little you have apparentl;
accomplished, because you have chos