The Washington herald., 1915-07-18

is destined never to pass: that like
his other habits. so his failinEs ana
mis- virtues are becoming or have al
ready become fixed and determined
Such one defines in advance. with
more or less conscious precision. the
point 10 which he may reasonably ex-
peCt to advance in his personal de-
velopment. but beyond which ii is use
less for him to expect 10 pass, "A'
that | can expect to be-. he says TO
himself. lis an average man in morals.
in efficiency, in aims
Well. if that is all we expect to he
then that is all we will be. If We
make up our minds that we have
reached our limit. then We have
reached it. II 4 man says. Il know
my limitations" then he has made
them. he has driven the stakes into
the soil of his being and his i'm
prisoned soul will never get beyond
them. 1t will be TO him according
to his expectations. But there is an
other possibility. a glorious and an
infinite possibility. II we were only
a bundle of nerves and tissues then
years might tell the story of our
spiritual as of our physical progress
I'VE Are Sons of Cod
But we are something more. In tho
words of an inspired writer. which
we may well lay to heart. Now are
we the sons of God and it doth not
Yet appear what we shall be but we
know that we shall be like Him when
we shall see Him He is" And no
human calculations of what he might
reasonably expect to become ever
limited the growing GOdlikeness of
the soul and lived on such faith as
that Il shall be satisfied" cried an
other soul when? Well now. what
would satisfy you so far as you are
concerned? II you come how far. will
you say. THAT Wilt satisfy me- Il
shall he satisfied" cried the Psalmist.
when awake IN His likeness" What
vaultinE ambition, But one wholly
reasonable and altogether right be-
cause he could say. My expectations
are in Him" And let our expectations
be not in what we are, not in what
we have. but let our expectations be
in Him who never slumbers, whose
word and whose will abide forever.
and he will grow from glory to glory
even into the glory of the Lord. II
will be to us according TO our faith.
And may | say as close. l am sure
that you will understand II l say.
am sure that you would not want me
to close without saying. that these
great spiritual expectations. these I'M
spent and incNhaustible enthusiasms
this ardor of n youth that is eternal.
come into a mans life only that
life is given to and draws its strength
from the life OF God. The great re-
ward Of the life that never grows old
comes only into that mans life who
has laid hold OF the Life that is eternal.
This is the gift of God-Eternal Life
and God is the only one who gives II.
Short of losing our life in His life
and so drawing forth from His life
a life whose faith and hope and love
can never he lost. the great relentless
ongoing life OF the world in which
we live will rob us of our birthright
But let man lay hold on God. and
because for you and me that Life IL
in Jesus Christ. lay hold on
Christ. and his is the gift of a life
that grows brighter and brighter even
unto the perfect day.
My classmates, the best of our life
is just before us. The years on which
we now enter are the years that will
tell the story. II we can match the
lessons that we have learned the dis
Cipline hat we have received the
knowledge that comes and can come
only. through experience with the ar
dor. the faith. the hope, of the soul
that takes God at His word and Ia
bors in that sure and confident expec-
tation. we will live on as sons Of
God until we all come in the unity
of the faith and of the knowledge
Of the Son of God unto a perfect man,
unto the measure of the stature Of the
fullness of Christ"