The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-06-01
SERMON j / With PUNCH
SPOKEN TO STUDENTS
Rev. R. W. Hobbs Gives Grads
Some Good Advice
men WITH IRON NEEDED
Grave Problems of Today Are
Not Being Handled BY
MollycoddIes

Mollycpddles
From Mondays Daily.
Rev r.. w. Hobbs, pastor of the
Baptist church, preached the bacca-
laureate sermon to the graduating
CLASS of the Mankato high school, at
the Presbyterian church last night.
He took for his subject, men With
Iron in Their Blood" The text was II
Samuel 23:7,, But the. man that
toucheth them must be filed with
iron" Rev. Hobbs spoke in part as
follows: -,
David is one of the people whom l
shall want to see when reach heav-
en-. He had in him elements that
would have made him a worthy MEM
Der of the class of 1917. That red
headed shepherd lad of Bethlehem,
who could Kill bear and lion as he
cared for his fathers focks, would
have made splendid athlete. AS, a
cadet he would have excelled as his
victory over Goliath indicates. In lit
erature, he would have been selected
as class poet, and in musical circles.
both vocal and instrumental, he would
have been noted In later life as a
leader and statesman, he would
have conferred honor on the class.
With it all he was intensely human,
generous and warm hearted and tre-
mendously big, as his humble; rex
pentant confession of a great sin in
Aianfac What a mo- fc
worthy a hearing. And in his old age,
he declares that there were some ex
periences, some people, so evil, that
1.-THE man who toncheth them must be
filled with IRON People today need the
iron tonic of conviction within them,
for. GOD WANTS MEN AND WOMEN
OF COURAGE
Life is battlefield. The men and
women who have made good have
been brave. In the great people of the
Bible, how marked a trait, plain
bravery is. Jesus Christ was the
bravest man as we'll as the best. He
dared to- be about his Fathers bust
ness when it took daring The bloody
sweat OF Gethsemafle was not EVIL
dence OF weakness, but rather showed
the gathering together of all the fore
les of great soul to resist the desper-
ate attacks of the powers Of evil.
WORK to Be Done.
"The forces of evil are continually
hurting themselves against one who
dares to stand for the right You
young folks live in a time of awful
testing. You need TO make "The Ma
TONS Prayer as voiced by J. C. Hol-
land, your own: go 90
s'God give us meni A time like this
demands
Strong minds great hearts, true faith,
and ready hands, -.
Men whom the lust of office does not
kill,
Men whom the spells of office cannot
buy;
Men who possess opinions and will;
Men who have honor and will not lie;
Men who can stand before dena-
gogue
And scorn his treacherous batteries
without winking.
Tall men, sun crowned, who live above
the fog,
In public duty, and in private think
ing!'
"Iron in the blood means courage to
decide moral questions. Too many
people drift The problems of per-
sonal purity, Of temperance and the
Hike should be settled. There is only
one way to decide these matters and
that is to decide them right. Coward
Ice, laziness and expediency are large
" responsible for decisions that are
compromises. George Meredith said:
sExpediency is mans wisdom. Do
ling right is Gods Beware lest de-
Sire head one way and right anotfl-
er. The courage to stand for truth and
honesty is another test .for iron in
| the blood The modern CRATER, the
| food Spectator, and the man who
| would make capital out OF his scoun-
try's needs are all towards ano
sneaks. God wants men who have re-
gard for the rights of their fellow
men. ..s
| s"And this calls attention to the need
! for courage to uphold high ideals. Two
conflicting ideals OF. government are
graphing in death grip today. One
| the autocratic conception, regards the
4 Individual as made for the state. The
other, the democratic, the state as
made for the individual. One means
the rights of the favored few. The
other, the rights of all. Have courage
to be an American of the highest type
Stand for the rights of the humbles'
Imam, of the weakest nation. Count ne
Isacrifice too great, fear not even deatf
fitserf, that all men everywhere may bt
free.
/ "The accomplishment of such tasks
as these, still calls for iron IN thu
blood.
aThere must be self mastery.
takes courage to do well the tasks o.
Everyday. We must face the truth. NO
lmany of us will be called upon to az
4 the spectacular things OF life. MOS
of us have to be linemen, unnoucet
land unadyertised. Let us remember
that God counts not in figures. but u
lfaithfulness of service.
"But greatest aneed of all is tn'
courage to conquer SIM No adviser y
| so dangerous as the one who say
THAT men must not attempt the Ideal
4 that certain amount OF laxity II
morals is necessary and right; tina
/ we must all have our fling, and tina
eventually we shall be the better 10
lit. Sowing wild oats adds no strength
Il The man burned with fire has had tn
lexperience. but his withered S1neW