La Junta tribune., 1916-05-20
BaCcALauREATE SERMON.
CONTINUED from FRS, Page)

Greek. the civilized and the barbara
an OF every past generation"
The responsibility OF man In pro-
portion to the talents bestowed upon
him was brought out in Rev. Crooks
speech when he said:
II once heard a young man, who
was fighting against what seemed to
him the adverse proyfdences OF. God.
say. I am not responsible Tor my be-
ing here He said this in vindica-
ton OF himself. and with a clearly
implied criticism OF divine proyi-
dence. True 1t Is. you and ! are not
responsible for our being here. That
Is self-eyident. We did not give
birth to ourselves. But We are re-
sponsible for being what We are In
view OF the equipment We have re-
the same shall much be required is
the motto over the scales that weigh
out to us the issues of life. The meas
ure of endowment is the measure of
responsibility. when man makes
a brute OF himself. II had been better
for that man had he been brute.
Then he would have been judged by
the instincts OF an animal. and not
by the endowments OF man. II a
man deliberately wrecks his life. or
carelessly squanders its resources. II
had been better for that man had he
never been born
Concerning the formation of in
furious habits. Rev. Crooks said:
ANY habit that enslaves is detri-
mental. n for no other reason than
il does enslaye, The young man
welded to the cigarette Is its slave.
David Starr Jordan. OF Leland Stan
ford University has forecast the fu-
ture OF cigarette smoking young men
after this fashion; The young man
who smokes cigarettes need not wor-
~ about his future. he has none
So far as real worth Is concerned. he
is a cipher with the rim rubbed out.
II there is any consolation in that
for the young sport that swaggers
about town making his nostrils
smoke stack for nicotine fumes. he
Is welcome to II free OF charge. And
in the crime OF self defeat. he is no
worse offender than the woman. be
she young or old. who devotes the
principal energies OF her life to the
empty friyolities OF an inane social
life. the index OF which Is the card
table. No life can be victory whose
major energies are not devoted to
things true and noble, things that
will live after We are through with
this life"
Rev. Crooks gave HIS listeners q
few pointers on achieving success BY
relating a few incidents OF men who
though endowed with splendid tai
ents. came to ignoble ends.
The first essential of victory is
conquest OF self Among the old
Greeks. the highest attainment was
considered TO be knowledge OF self.
Know myself Measured by the
Christian standard II is Rule thy
self He that ruleth his spirit il
mirhtier than he that taket a city
Paul said, ! keep my body under
With many. the body Is on top and
tn. mind and soul under. crushed
beneath the weight, How many
magnificently endowed men have
failed because they have not kept
the body under. Alexander conquer
ed the world, but died prematurely
because OF self indulgence Poor
old Bobby Burns. whom We all love.
sleeps in a drunkard's grave. Edgar
Allen Poe cut shor, his brilliant ca
reer with the wine cup. Lord Byron
at the age Of thir,y-fiye bitterly sang
of himself that Life was In the yell
low leaf. The license that brillian-
cy claims. has frequently been it,
downfall. II life Is To be a success.
the higher powers must dominate
the lower; mind mus, rule body and
soul guide intellect, The command.
Ing power OF life must be from the
top down, not from the bottom up 4"
Electric Lights In suburbs.
An sNtension NJ .i.e,,tr s..,4I..