-"A THE POIiK COUNTY OBSERVER, TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 19 IS. REV. CURTIS' BACCAL AUREATE SERMON STUDENTS STIMi WITH PURPOSE. II Timothy 3:15. Graduating claBs, faculty, students and patrons of the Dallas high nchoul, I deem It a privilege and an honor that I have been invited by this fplen did olass of young men and women, to deliver before them the annual eor mon, this being the custom of the day, and as we believe, one that 1b most iltt Ins? and proper. When invited by this class to bring to them a baccal aureate sermon upon this occasion, I want to say that I took them serious ly, believing that It was a sermon that they desired and not a -class address. I say this because so often in hearing comments upon the discourses on such occasions, we are reminded that many consider that when they take on the form of a sermon, the speaker has missed the mark. We learn in our study of sermon building, that a Ber mon is an oral address to the popular mind, upon religious truth, as con tained in the scriptures, elaborately treated In view to persuasion. Notice: "Upon religious truth." Religion has to do with man's relationship with divinity. Therefore, we believe that a baccalaureate sermon must be the setting forth of religious truth that will Inspire the hearer to the highest ideals and the noblest living. Class, in bringing to you the thoughts of the evening I am not making any great claims of originality. I have gleaned from various authors, and to give credit for all that we have thus gleaned would be Impossible for me and unprofitable for you. I bring you thoughts from Jesus of Nazareth, who, being divine, was and Is the greatest teacher of earth; from Paul, the greatest inspired human teacher and from many teachers, great and small who claim no inspiration, and many of; whose names it would be im possible to mention, because of an erring memory. . One of the redeeming features of this address will doubtless be that the fact that It Is not all my own will be no small relief to the hearers. I am not so much concerned, as to the charge of plagiarism, as was the young man who said that if he had a decent thought he was afraid to utter it for fear of being charged with theft. A companion preacher once met your speaker and said that he had just met a man who declared that he had a book at home with every word of my sermon of the previous Sunday in it. This statement was the cause of no small concern on my part, for I was sure that I had no knowledge of the existence of such a book, when he kindly revealed to me that the book was a dictionary. Some of these older men with their higher degrees and riper experiences, doubtless could have . brought you more original thought, but for me It seemed impossible and for you "it would noye expedient." With the motto of tijs class I am greatly pleas ed, and I hope, and believe that It is the true expression of the heart of each member of this splendid class. '"To seek, to strive, to And and not to yield." That does not sound like cessation, like stagnation. That sounds like ambition, like aspiration, like a realization of the heights to be attained and a determination to scale those heights however great may be the cost. It sounds like a para phrase of Paul's' memorable words: "Not that I hava already attained or am already made perfect, but I press on, if so be that I may attain unto that for which I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus." Friends, theve was thought behind the selection of this motto. There was purpose behind the selection of that motto. There was manhood and womanhood expressed in the selection of the sentiment clothed In the words of that motto. Did we not have be fore us the personnel of this unusual class of high school students, and this their motto were conveyed to us, we should know at once that it represent ed an unusual combination of young manhood and womanhood. And this I take as a compliment upon the faculty of this school, for what these young men and women are, is, in no small measure, what this faithful and capable faculty has made them, by their contact with them, their influence over them and their instruction to them. Likewise we feel this to be complimentary to the board, who has to do with the selection of the faculty and the decisions as to the school which we believe ranks high among schools of its class. . I have spoken of Paul as being probably the greatest inspired human teacher of history. It is from the words of this man of wisdom and rLghteousness and Inspiration that we have chosen the words upon which I shall base this discourse. My theme is: "Students Still, With Purpose." My text: II Timothy 2:15. "Study (or give diligence) to present , thyself approved unto God, a work man that needeth not to be ashamed, nandJing aright (or rightly dividing) the word of Truth." Give Diligence. Primarily this admonition has to do with the written revelation of God. the bible, but a general application Is certainly allowable. A course of study that produces men who feel Indepen dent and self-sufficient Is in some way misdirected. Education should teach dependence. The man who is greatest in point of education is that man who feels most his dependence and ac knowledges his Indebtedness to those who have lived before him, to those who live cotemporaneous with him and to the true source and fountain head of alt knowledge. Humility Is a proof of greatness. Toung friends, your education is not a possession that is Inherently yours, but It is a gift, a benefaction, bestow ed upon yon by those who have lived before you, by those who live with you, the friends of education. Your attainments In the use of this educa tion, wlft be pleasured by your humil ity as shown by your readiness to bring to your aid the results of the la bors of those who have lived before you. those who live with .you, and those who come after you in point of the time of the completion of their course of study. We must be willing to bring to our service the results at tained by those younger than our selves, for we shall grow old while the younger generations are bringing xortn the results of their labors built upon the achievements of our past, and we shall grow old before our time unless we receive these results and allow them to help us in remaining young and progressive. I mean by this that the most brilliant graduate of tne highest institution of learning on earth can not count himself, in the absolute, an educated man. Here his growth will cease. Paul says: "I count not myself; yet to have attained-" Paul was an unsatisfied man, but not a dissatisfied man. It is my desire to make the above the basis of an ad monition to higher education. Some of this class will doubtless enter college, some will enter upon business and professional careers and some will establish homes. We can not place too much emphasis upon the admonition to higher education. If it is possible to you each one should en ter college and pursue a course of higher education, but if this Is not possible to you, remember that edu cation is ever possible to you by the proper application of your self and your time and opportunity. Most young people are in too much of a hurry to leave the school room and enter upon thectivitles of life. You can length en your business or professional life by taking years from its beginning for more thorough preparation. The pre pared man is not earty upon the shelf. The real student studies that he may do, and that college students are doers Is shown by the financial recognition given to their service in the business world. Ever remain students. "Forgetting the thingB that are behind and stretch ing forward to the things that are be fore." Lot's wife looked back and be came a pillar. The man who looks back upon past educational victories has the same disastrous experience, he becomes a pillar, a fixture. The only difference between a pillar and a sleeper Is that the one lies down and the other stands up, the one is just as sleepy as the other. The man who looks back has reached his destination. I Cease to study and you fall out of the procession. Then you must stand and watch it go by to the triumphs that might have been yourB. We have the expression, "Go way back and sit down," but you do not need to do that today, just get out of the procession; and you will very soon be away back, 1 and then all that is left to you Ib to1 sit down and you are the personifica tion of failure and dejection. The preacher said "God pity the lazy man, for it requires divine patience to pity j a lazy man. I If you labor that yqu may acquire! and acquire as an end, the sacrifice made on public education Is lost so far as you are concerned. There is dan-, ger in the theory of perfection. Per fection in church or state or person, we hold to be a dangerous doctrine. Even our almost Idolized constitution must be some day outgrown if we are to be a growing people. Shall we af firm that the fathers of 76 were in- j fallible? When perfection begins de-i velopment ceases. As the tree is per fected only in its fruitage, so the1 works of your illustrious predecessors are only perfected in you and can not be fulfilled without you. They cer tainly have waited for you of the Dal las class of 1916. Are they disap pointed In you? Who dares say that they are or have reason to be? Shall they ever be ashamed of you? You alone can answer this question, but, as we look Into your faces, our hopes are large and assuring. Lincoln, in speaking of Washington, said : "To add brightness to the sun, or glory to the name of Washington is alike impos sible. 1 Let none attempt It. In sol emn awe pronounce the name In It's naked deathless splendor and leave it shining on." Someone has bitterly criticized these words as being beautiful but not true, and added, "If Washington is the father of his country, and If the glory of the father is in the glory of the child, then we can add to Washington, and we can, by our own successes or failures, brighter or dim the luster of his achievements. If the republic en dures through many centuries, hold ing alike In its bosom the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, the founder will be robed in Its glory. If it shall perish, through Its own poverty of thought or rottenness of life, to its father will cling the gar ments of Its shame. To Present Thyself Approved Umo God Study as one that must stand before God. The highest possible tribute that could be paid to a man is that he stands approved of God. "We are la borers together with God" for the ful fillment of his purpose in man. His purpose In man is the glorifying of himself. Jesus glorified the father In the accomplishment of God's pur pose in him. "Father, I have glorified thee in that I have accomplished the work that thou hast given me to do." He received God's approval. Upon the mount of Transfiguration, we hear the voice from heaven saying. 'This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleas ed." With some It Is considered a great thing that they should receive the approi-al of men. Such make It the supreme purpose of their lives that they may receive man's plaudits. We must get the viewpoint of the great apostle: "But with me it Is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgment, yea, I Judge not mine own self But he that Judgeth me Is the Lord.' Gods approval will rest upon that man who recognises God's right to work In and with him In God's own way. But God can not work through the roan who Is himself living in re bellion against God. Jesus said. Matt. 15:11, "Inasmuch as y did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me." In a bitter cold night a Russian soldier was standing on guard in an unprotected place where the piercing wind struck him. A poor laborer, passing by, was touched with pity when he beheld the shivering soldier. He took off his overcoat and gave it to him as a protection against the cold, bitter wind, saying he would soon be In his warm cottage and bed, whereas the soldier would have to spend the night at his post, exposed to the Inclement weather. But the night was bo bitterly cold that the soldier was found dead the next morn ing. Sometime after this the laborer was lying on his death-bed. In a dream he saw Jesus wearing the over coat that he had given to the soldier. The sick man said, ''You are wearing my coat." "Yes," said the Saviour, "It is the coat that you lent me on that cold night when I was standing guard. I was naked and thou didst cloth me." One thing that we must remember, we must meet him, approved or disap proved. This llf is a trust and we are stewards. Acts 17:31; Rom. 14:10; I Cor, 4:5. A Workman That Needeth Not To Be Ashamed. We are workmen under God. I Cor. 3:9 "For we are laborers together with God. Ya are God's husbandry." To be a workman, alone, is a great honor. Thus our lives become con structive. But to be a workman under God is a still higher honor, and to be a workman with God is the most ex alted position that could have been assigned to man. Jesus dignified la bor and thus pronounced his blessing upon it. A carpenter and the son of a carpenter1; he plied his trade in Bethlehem of Judea.. His words were "My Father worketh even until now and I work." That God rested on the seventh day from his creative work, does not signify that he ceased to work. His initial creation work being completed, he rested or closed it. He is stilt actively employed sustaining all things, carrying out his divine pur pose, In his universe, in co-operation with man whom he has honored with the chief place in his infinite scheme. There has been drawn a false line of destinction between the sacred and the secular. We have arbitrarily lifted certain lines of human ac tivity to the realm of the sa cred and all other lines we have term ed secular. This is largely without warrant. Every .honorable vocation of the man who places himself under I the guidance of Almighty God, is a sacred calling, and should be regard ed as such. Shall the life of the min ister of the gospel which is devoted to the guiding of men In the right paths of life be regarded as more sa cred than the life of that man who sincerely follows that direction ? I affirm that, in the eyes of God, it is not more sacred. God wants more self sacrificing men In positions of strictly religious lead ership. There should be more lives devoted to these definite callings. Many men should be working in these lines who are not, and many are work ing In these lines who should not be. Many a man has devoted his life in a vain struggle for success in the pulpit, who could have attained the highest success with much less effort In law, in medicine, at the desk, at the forge, ; in the work shop or on the farm, j Such have been bound to this profes sion by the desire to devote their lives to a sacred calling, with a mistaken idea of the mark of destinction be tween the sacred and the secular. We are not urging that fewer men enter Into these callings, far from that, we are pleading for more, and better prepared, and more gifted men in these callings, but we would have no young man or woman choose these callings with the Idea that they alone are sacred, nor would we have that young man or woman who chooses another line in life's activities to feel that those lines are less sacred. Life is a sacred trust and should be contemplated sacredly. Say, young friend, entrust your life to the keeping of Almighty God and subject It to his direction in whatsoever vocation you may select, and you may make It most sacred by regarding it as such. God wants men in every vocation of life who regard their places In life sa credly. God has not given in his word one guide book, one standard of per fection for the minister of the word and another for the so-called layman. The distinction between the clergy and the laity In this respect Is a de stinction of men. I Peter 2:5: "Ye al so as living stones are built up a spiritual house to be a holy priest hood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ," who Is our priest forever after the order of Melchxedek. Vs. 9: "But ye are an elect race, a royal priest hood. So as this class may go forth into life. If you will place your life under God's direction, and live with a con stant recognition of his right to reign and rule in your lives, whatever line of activity you may follow, it may be with the consciousness that you are engaged In a coworkmenship with God, In a sacred work, ever to be held sacred, with sacred responsibili ties. Thus we may present ourselves unto him in the day of final reckoning as workmen not ashamed. Be you a teacher, a preacher, a lawyer, an arti san, a farmer, s home keeper, or whatsoever It may be, and doubtless all are represented in this class, you may face life and face God and man as workmen never ashamed, but glorying in that you have had a part la the fulfillment of God's Infinite pur pose In man. Handling Aright, or Rightly Dividing, The Word of Troth. As I have once suggested, this text has to do. primarily, with God's re vealed word as found In the sixty-six books of the bible. However, a broad er application of the text is justified, and especially of this particular divis ion. In view of the diversified form of revelation, and I believe that such broad application is demanded. Ro mans 1:20: "The invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being - perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divini ty, that ye may be without excuse." The man who does not follow truth is a slave to error. Jesus in speaking to his diciples said, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." Jesus said concerning his disciples to his father, In prayer, "Sanctify them in the truth, thy word is truth." This does not mean the oral word alone, neither the written word alone, but the expression or dec laration of, God. Jesus was the ex pression of God to man and hence the "word" od God. John 1:1. Every ex pression of God may be said to be this "truth ". That his power and di vinity may be seen through the things that are made, according to Rom. 1:20, prove that his created things are also his word or his truth. The man who can only see God's word in his written revelation, must concede him self to be narrow In his Interpreta tion of God. I do not mean by this that God's plan of salvation, His great scheme of redemption, his guidance In spirit' ual life may be found apart from this written revelation, indeed, I affirm that it can not, and this Is the spe cific purpose of this written revela tion. But God has manifested and revealed himself to man through His prophets, through His Holy Spirit, through His Son, and through His universe. Psalms 19: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firm ament showeth His handiwork, day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no Bpeech or language, their voice is not heard." These last words are a declaration of the thought just ex pressed, that oral or written words are not demanded In God's expression of Himself, but we may know him through his wondrous works. Psalms 33:4 declare "For the word of the Lord is right and all His works are done in truth." The expression, "handling aright or rightly dividing the word of truth" may, with this broader application of the text, be interpreted, "The accep tation and proper classification of all truth. No man can afford to repudi ate one truth. God's truth comes to us from every realm of His universe The Psalmist says Psalms 85:11 "Truth shall Bprlng from the earth." I brought before this school, In assem bly, but recently, in a brief lecture along the line of Archaeology, some striking evidence of) the truth of this scripture. During the past century, history has been carried back through a per iod of more than forty centuries prior to the birth of Christ.. This has been accomplished by the use of the pick and shovel. These records have been discovered written upon clay, and granite and wood and papyrus. Thus, explorer, Archaeologist and linguist, have become workers together with God, in declaring to us the records of what, until the middle of the last century, was declared to be prehis toric times. Prior to these discoveries we had no record of these times other than the Old Testament records, and, having no corroborating history, they! were looked upon with doubt. Thus1 we have such men as Jean CJiam-1 polllon, decipherer of the Rosetta stone, Rich and Botta and Layard and Henry C. Rawlinson, decipherer of the Behlstun rock, as lenefactors of the human race, In that they became laborers together with God, who de spised1 not the truth, though springing from unrecognized and undreamed of sources, and who brought to light the records of the dim past, and thus be came the fulfillment of the scripture, The truth shall spring from earth." By such discoveries as these, God's revelation to the Hebrews, the Hebrew Old Testament scriptures, have been corroborated and their claim of in spiration greatly strengthened. Thus we see that the written revelation suffers no loss, but receives great gain by truth thus brought to light by men In wisdom who will be made instru ments in God's hands, "Workers to gether with God" In the working out of his Infinite plan and the declaring of his Infinite truths. Think for a moment of the great and valuable truths that have been brought to our very door by the Indefatigabilfty and persistence and faith of our students of the heavens, as they, have, hand in hand with God, solved many of the wonderful and stupendous mysteries of his universe, "until the sun and moon and planets can be weighed as so much produce from the market and their paths measured as accurately as our familiar county roads and city streets. These discoveries have touched and quickened Industry and greatly af fected public welfare at many points and are making rapid strides in the de claring of the truth of the declaration of the scriptures. The achievements of man of almost infinite foresight and vision In the discovery and the demonstration of the possibilities of electricity of liquid air and of radium have been marvelous demonstrations of the fact that God has fabulous stores of wisdom and truth to reveal to his children when they are ready to receive It and use It For lack of time ws have had to withhold the names of those who have thus achieved to our advantage and benefit, many of whom I should have delighted to mention, but their names are familiar to students and It Is the facts which accomplish our purpose In pointing out to you that God is con tinually declaring his truths to us In divers portions and In sundry man ners, and those who have brought to us these great benefits, have been workers together with God. Men ready to receive truth from whatever source, and apply It In wisdom to the lives and works of men. "Handling aright the word of truth." Ia conclusion: The test of educa tion Is a life, a character. Its end is utility. Divinely directed consecrated character was never more needed than today. The harvest, Indeed Is plen tloua but the laborers, right metal, and moral fiber are few, as compared with the need. Do not enter upon life with the thought that the world will always appreciate your efforts. The world will not always receive you with open arms, meet you with brass bands and sumptuous banquets spread. They will often mercilessly tear down your , structures, erected through toil and tears as wantonly as the young ruffian heedlessly kicks the foundation from under the childs of blocks, and laugh at your failure while you weep and toll In its recon struction with well worn tools. The world has ever persecuted its benefactors, afterwards to lift them to pedlstals of glory and honor them. Be students ever but not as an aim or end. Be workmen Indeed under the Almighty hand, working for God's hu manity, remembering that we are ever exalted by the common touch. Ever be gleaners and dispensers of truth, though the world may often prosti tute that truth. All that we have said and more may . be found, under the surface, In Rudyard Kipling's little poem "If" which I have considered one of the greatest uninspired produc tions that has ever touched my life, and seems almost like It might have been prompted by Inspiration though it contains not the name of God. If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing thelr's and blaming It on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, And make allowance for their doubt too; If you can wait and not be tired of waiting, And being lied about, don't deal In lies, And being hated, not give way to hating, And yet don't look too good nor talk too wise. If you can dream and not make dreams your master; If you can think and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imp oat era just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken s Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken. And stoop and build 'em up with worn out tools. If you can make one heap of all your winnings - And risk them on one turn of pttch- and-toss; And lose, and start again at the be- ginning And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And' so hold on when there Is nothing In you, 'i-,t. : Except the will which says to you: Hold on. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, mi-.-., And walk with kings nor lose the common touch. If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you. And all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill each unforgiving min ute With sixty seconds worth of distance run, Your's is the earth, and every thing that's in It, And what Is more you'll be a man, my son. Young friends: Go forth to win, the day is thine. By guiding strength and grace divine. For martys, saints and angels see, And wait the cry of victory. Go forth, go forth, O soldier Strang and brave. Go forth, go forth, nor let thine ardor fall the weak to lift, the lost to save. ' Go forth to fight as soldiers must, Nor ever let thins armor rust. Thy leader to the front has gone, And heavenly voices call thee on." As workmen under God, "Be ye faithful unto death, and He will give you a crown of life." THROW OUT THE LINE. Give Them Help and Many Dallas People Will Be Happier. Throw Out the Life Line" Weak kidneys need help. They're often overworked they don't get the poison filtered out of the blood. Doan's Kidney Pills have brought benefit to thousands of kidney suffer ers. , Dallas testimony proves their worth, Mrs. J. N. Dull, 815 Levens street. Dallas, says: "For a long time one o my family complained of a lame and sore back and pains darted through the kidneys. Nothing re moved the trouble until Doan's Kid ney Pills were used. They brought help from the first and soon the pa tient's back was strong and free from pain and lameness. Price 10c at all dealers. Don't sim ply ask for a kidney remed y get Doan's Kidney Pills the same that Mrs. Dll recommends. Foster-Mil burn Co., Props., Buffalo, N. Y. - The graduating exercises of the Per- rydale high school was held at the Christian church there on Friday evening. A class of eight in number was graduated. An SCO CAMERAS The superb Ansco best for all scenes, at all times, In all weathers. The amateur camera of pro fessional quality. Priced from $2.00 up. See the various models, here. We also have Ansco Film and Cyko Paper; MANOCK'S DRUG STOKE DALLAS, OREGON A Lasting Friendship FRESH BREAD, FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVEBYJBAY. Staple and Fancy Groceries sonton& scon Phone 18. K5 Court St. Send It By Parcel Post Send us your laundry by parcel post. The rural carrier Is now authorised to transact this business. It costs but a few cents. 'We'll return It promptly. DALLAS STEAM IiAUNDRY. West Side Marble WorKs G. L. HAWKINS, Proprietor. MONUMENTS, HEADSTONES AND CURBING. THEO. BERGMANN SHOE MTG. 00. 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