Our College
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humbly before God, as dependent upon him for every capability, every
opportunity, and every privilege.
I speak to the workers in our College: You must not only profess
to be Christians, but you must exemplify the character of Christ. Let
the wisdom from above pervade all your instruction. In a world of
moral darkness and corruption, let it be seen that the spirit by which
you are moved to action, is from above, not from beneath. While you
rely wholly upon your own strength and wisdom, your best efforts
will accomplish little. If you are prompted by love to God, his law
being your foundation, your work will be enduring. While the hay,
wood, and stubble are consumed, your work will stand the test. The
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youth placed under your care you must meet again around the great
white throne. If you permit your uncultivated manners, or uncontrolled
tempers to bear sway, and thus fail to influence these youth for their
eternal good, you must at that day, meet the grave consequences of
your work. By a knowledge of the divine law, and obedience to its
precepts, men may become the sons of God. By violation of that law,
they become servants of Satan. On the one hand, they may rise to any
height of moral excellence, or on the other hand, they may descend
to any depth iniquity and degradation. The workers in our College
should manifest a zeal and earnestness proportionate to the value of
the prize at stake,—the souls of their students, the approval of God,
eternal life, and the joys of the redeemed.
As co-laborers with Christ, with so favorable opportunities to
impart the knowledge of God, our teachers should labor as if inspired
from above. The hearts of the youth are not hardened; nor their ideas
and opinions stereotyped, as are those of older persons. They may be
won to Christ by your holy demeanor, your devotion, your Christ-like
walk. It would be much better to crowd them less in the study of the
sciences, and give them more time for religious privileges. Here a
grave mistake has been made.
We should ever look upon the youth as the purchase of the blood
of Christ. As such they have demands upon our love, our patience,
and our sympathy. If we would follow Jesus, we cannot restrict our
interest and affection to ourselves and our own families; we cannot
give our time and attention to temporal matters, and forget the eternal
interests of those around us. I have been shown that it is the result
of our selfishness that there are not one hundred young men, where