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the influential of his nation because they knew and believed in him and his plans. In every line of action, so comes up the testimony, it was character, character, character that made the man and accomplished in sixteen years a work that will hand down his name as a great benefactor. This made him wise, courteous, selfforgetful, energetic, hopeful, indomitable; and he lived long enough to see that gospel that made him spread

ing in his native land, to see his school grow from seven pupils to nine hundred, from two dingy rooms to a score of buildings, and from being an object of ridicule and contempt to a national reputation and influence; and himself to leave an example that is both a lasting memory and a living power. Prostrated at an inn as he was toiling for his school, in his last hours pointing out on the map strategic places for Christian labor, he died, as he said, on the battlefield; but with the words, "Peace, joy, heaven" on his lips. At midnight of a cold and stormy day a great company of loving friends gathered to receive his remains. Men came hundreds of miles to join the three thousand that assembled at his funeral. The Buddhists of Osaka sent a banner for the procession; and for two miles through the rain pastors and teachers in relay bore his remains on their shoulders to their last resting place, and a wail went up over Japan for Joseph Neesima, the beloved.

Such men as these, or most of them, and multitudes more, have obtained their good report and their ascendency never without their high character, and some of

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them mainly by it. And it is a melancholy thought what numbers of men with parts as bright and opportunities as great have passed away and left no mark — herds of kings and princes, thousands of geniuses, idle, fickle, vicious, and millions of men of common mold.

But humanity glows and responds to the divine spark in humanity. And the true man, true to himself, to his fellow man, and to God, knows no real failure. Whatever his work, he will do it well; whatever his sphere, he will fill it full. Neglect cannot wither, disparagement cannot disable, opposition cannot arrest him. The Lilliputians bound Gulliver with their small cords to the earth; but that was fable. The unshorn Samson bursts their small cords and goes forth on his way. The true man is

"One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward,

Never doubted clouds would break,

Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph. Held we fall to rise, are battled to fight better,

Sleep to wake."

And when such a man passes wholly hence,

"He is not dead but sleeps; no good man dies,

But like the daystar only sets to rise."

For we would not forget that the harvest may come when the sower is gone. Stephen's last discourse was the most effective he ever preached; Paul was among his hearers. The Plymouth settlers on that barren coast planted an empire. Harriet Newell died at nineteen,

before she had done a stroke of missionary work, but her brief life did more for the mission cause than that of any other woman but one then on the earth. David Livingstone in those last hours, as he knelt by his bedside baffled of his special aim, doubtless felt that his work was a failure; but he did more for Africa than any other man living or dead.

God knows best when man's mission is accomplished, and

"Man is immortal till his work is done."

Young Gentlemen of the Graduating Class: I have presented to you a theme on which your work and destiny depend. No words of mine can sufficiently set forth its momentous import. "It is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life." Yes, your life. When a man's character is all gone he had better be dead, better never have been born. Such a man has wished it, oh, how often. But so long as the inmost self is right and bright towards God and man no outer lot is absolutely dark. The moral virtues will brighten the present life, the Christian virtues the future life.

Fear God; work hard; live true; act fairly; be generous; do good; God will take care of the rest. In no other sense will I say, Aim high. When you fill to overflowing the place you are in, you will, if need be, hear the call "Go up higher."

And be not too much afraid of majorities, oppositions, and defeats. In an evil world the minority is often in the right. An honorable defeat is better than a mean victory. Malignant opposition commonly fails

and recoils. In this age of the world no man can put you down but yourself. Be sure you are right, and then go forward. Be sure when you are wrong, and then go back. You will do crude things and mistaken things, but men will pardon them for the genuine character that is in you; and the character will clear away the crudities and mistakes. You may even aim at great things on conditions: for

"if thou hear'st a voice within

That ever whispers, Work and win,

And keeps thy soul from sloth and sin;

If thou canst plan a noble deed

And never flag till it succeed,

Though in the strife thy heart should bleed;

If thou canst struggle day and night
And in the envious world's despite
Still keep the cynosure in sight;

If thou in darkest days canst find
An inner brightness in thy mind
To reconcile thee to thy kind:

Whatever obstacles control,

Thine hour will come; go on, true soul,

Thou 'lt win the prize, thou 'lt reach the goal.

If not, what matters? tried by fire

And purified from low desire,

Thou shalt, my friend, but soar the higher."

So living you shall hear the Saviour say, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."

I

OPPORTUNITY.

BACCALAUREATE SERMON, JUNE 21, 1891.

Ye lacked opportunity. - PHILIPPIANS 4: 10.

As we therefore have opportunity. —GALATIANS 6:10.

PROPOSE to speak this morning on the subject of

OPPORTUNITY.

I shall refer to its twofold aspects: the opportunities that are past and closed, and the opportunities that are present and open. The same apostle reminds the Philippians that at a certain time they were unable to do the good thing they would fain have done, and he encourages the Galatians with the assurance of present opportunity to do good in various modes.

If "history repeats itself,"

I. It is well to remember that some, yes, many, opportunities belong wholly to the past and have vanished forever. There is a common and dreamy state of mind that stands looking backward, wishing and pining for times and scenes and conditions that are gone. But the past never returns. it is only in substance and not in form. Its orbit is neither circle nor ellipse, nor even parabola, but a spiral. The examples of other times cannot be duplicated. Every man's success is achieved in his own age, time, way, and no other. The great and good of the past, resuscitated, would wander helpless, to begin

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