Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1921-11-22

TRANSPORTING him, welcoming him to
his love, pointing the lessons of al,
literature and his varied experiepcs
setting him right to the world, solving
life's problems and making his corrsSs
plain. "Of a certainty" Koren said
this word must be the very name
and self-revelation of God. ever living
and wei capable of working amonS
men like miracles Of grace and power
Thus Koren became the Man OF tho
Word. To exalt it became the one
passion which ruled his being. Into
the seal of the Synod he inscribed
"Gegraptai" Git is written). The Bible
he said, was to be the religion of man
to hallow every good work, to be the
power of God unto salvation and the
standard of all knowledge. In refer.
ence specifically to the general subject
of reading, he held that the Bible must
~vitalize all the teachings of men. To
use the words of Cooleridge, Gan
books should be made to serve the
Bible casting their light upon it."
revealing its Perfection, "while the
Bible should illuminate them ALL
revealing what Is spurious in them.
hallowing what is genuine in them to
be rehectors of divine truth. In the
measure in which opportunity is here
given and used to realize this prin-
ciple will the name Koren on this
building ray out its true lustre. And
the principle will be realized only
when librarians and students lift I'D
their work daily to the throne of grace
in the prayer Unite my heart, Oh
God, to fear thy name" By the
grace of God, Koren, the Man of the
Word, as a true master builder laid
the foundation for this library in all
illumining Scripture. 1t was the mis-
sion Of the I Man of the Work,
Christian Keyser Preus, to build on
that foundation this power-house of
hailowed learning. We do not forget
the interchangeable labors of Chr. A.
Naeseth and other librarians in
cherishing this splendid collection Of
books as a living organism around
the vital core OF the Bible. We are
not unmindful of the hearty support
which DR.. Larsen, the venerable first
president of the college, and the men,
bers of the faculty at all times have
given to the endeavors of the libra
rian. We are grateful TO the curators
of the museum. We acknowledge un-
reseryedly our debt of gratitude to
such alumni as Ambassador Swenson.
who brought the Bang Collection, and
to the students as well as to our
church people for their generous con-
tributions of toll and treasure TO this
memorial of Bible truth. But it be
came the function of Preus to carry
all these efforts on to completion and
20 saba fhan, rn,,,,f fnr f,Iln.
service to the institution and to our
own heart and we may say reyerently
after Gods own heart, a man in whom
the spirit of Christian work inspired
by the word was wonderfully mani
tested, a man of indomitable energy,
of statesmanlike vision, of unquench-
able love for his fellow men, he gave
his own life in fostering this library
as a spiritual tree, that from year to
year. from generation to generation,
it might yield precious fruit of Bible
truth in the spirit of Luther TO the
professors and students of Luther
College and through them to ever
widening circles of humanity.
In the providence of our heavenly
Father, who is all-wise and oll-loving,
the Man of the Work was not to see
the browning of his work and to inter
pref its Significance to us Q III this day.
But the very stones of this building.
into every II of which he laid a
heartbeat. resound TO us with the
call to carry on his work and TO
hallow this day of sacred memories
and stirring hopes by uniting our
hearts to fear the name of God,
By authority of the Board OF
Trustees of Luther College, of the
Norwegian Lutheran Church OF Anne
rica, ! now do set apart and conse
crate this library and museum, in
memory of Ulrik Wilhelm Koren. in
gratitude to Christian Keyser Preus,
to the service of sacred learning in
the spirit of Luther for the advance
ment of Luther College and the Nor
wegian Lutheran Church of America,
and TO the Glory of God, in the nam
of the Father, and of the Son, and OF
the Holy Ghost. Amen. ,