Envelope

CORNELL UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
EXERCISES
AT THE
Dedication of Barnes Hall
JUNE 16, 1889
PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION
ITHACA, N. Y.
WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF
PRESIDENT ADAMS.
1
CORNELL UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
EXERCISES
34A
AT THE
T
Dedication of Barnes Hall
JUNE 16, 1889
PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION
ITHACA, N. Y.
1
*****
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
THE
HE new building presented by Mr. Alfred S.
Barnes to the University, for the purposes of the
Christian Association and such other uses as might
not conflict with the interests of the Association, was
dedicated June 16, 1889, in accordance with the
following
PROGRAMME.
Doxology:
'Praise God, from whom all blessings flow."
Invocation and Lord's Prayer,
REV. CHARLES M. TYLER
Hymn No. 241, .
History of the Building; and Unveiling of the
Founder's Portrait,
Description of the Building,
Scripture Reading and Prayer of Dedication,
Dedicatory Hymn, .
The Significance of the Gift,
The New Home of the Association,
·
.. BY THE CONGREGATION
·
President C. K. ADAMS
Mr. F. L. ROBINSON
REV. CHARLES M. TYLER
BY THE CONGREGATION
Col. A. C. BARNES
Mr. J. P. DEANE
The Work of the Association,
President of the C. U. C. A.
Mr. J. R. MOTT
College Secretary of the International Y. M. C. A.
Christian Associations,
Hymn No. 597, .
Benediction.
•
Rev. DAVID H. GREER, D.D.
BY THE CONGREGATION
HISTORY OF BARNES HALL; AND THE UNVEILING
OF THE FOUNDER'S PORTRAIT.
BY PRESIDENT ADAMS.
To me has fallen the agreeable lot of giving a brief
history of the beautiful building for the dedication of
which we have come together to-night. I need not tell
you that I very willingly perform this task, for the his-
tory is one that reflects great credit on the Association,
on the University, and especially on that noble benefac-
tor whose name the building is perpetually to bear.
The history of this edifice is, in a very essential way,
an integral part of the history of the Cornell University
Christian Association. Scarcely had the first classes
in this institution been formed, when a group of de-
voted, religious young men organized the Christian As-
sociation. It may well be believed that in the early
days of the University, the infant association met with
some discouragements. Very possibly it had more than
the ordinary trials of infancy and childhood. But no
ailments or discouragements were able to impair its vig-
or or retard its growth. It seemed from the very first
to draw irresistible strength from the atmosphere of
freedom which has always surrounded this University.
It had the sympathy of the trustees, and therefore they
gave it what has proved to be the most effective of all
assistance; they gave it a chance, and then left it alone.
The association was daunted by no obstacles. It seemed
to thrive upon opposition. While there were not want-
ing those who seemed to think that they could serve
Christianity best, or at least serve other institutions
History of the Building.
5
best, by dissuading all Christians from coming to Cor-
nell, there were also considerable numbers who had the
hardihood to believe that ignorant enthusiasm, how-
ever honest, is not necessary to a pure and vigorous
Christianity. But, notwithstanding all dissuasions and
discouragement, many earnest, Christian young men
sought the advantages that were here offered. The
association converted whatever encouragement or dis-
couragement it received into the bone and tissue of
healthy and vigorous growth.
In due time it was given a room in White Hall.
There it sang and it read and it prayed and it
worked, till it had grown to be, if not the largest and
most perfectly organized students' Christian Associa-
tion in the country, at least one which was exceeded
in numbers and energy by only a single other, older
association, that was also founded in the free atmos-
phere of a State University.
In 1886 the Association had more than twice as
many members as could be seated in the room at
its disposal. It was in the necessities of this situation
that the movement for a new building had its origin.
The agitation was begun timidly and doubtingly.
Prayer meetings and committee meetings were held. At
length it was decided to ascertain how much money
could be raised by means of a subscription. The effort
was made; and the result was that the amount pledged
was but a trifle less than ten thousand dollars.
It is well for us to bear in mind the real significance.
of this fact; for it throws a strong light on the spirit
with which the work was undertaken. These contri-
butions were not made out of the full pockets of rich
young men; they were, on the contrary, the gifts of
young men and women, many of whom were con
6
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
stantly called upon to tax their ingenuity to find out
how they could complete their course on the scanty
means at their disposal. Some of the most. generous
subscriptions came from persons who were earning
their own means of support while in the University.
Not a few were promises to pay out of the first money
that should be earned after graduation. This was the
spirit that pervaded the effort; this spirit it was that
touched the heart of that philanthropist whose name
and character will ever be a precious heritage to the
Association.
It was on the Sunday before Commencement in 1887
that Mr. Barnes first spoke to me of a Christian Asso-
ciation Building. He inquired as to what I thought
such a building ought to be, as to what accommoda-
tions ought to be provided for, and whether such a
building could be of any service to the University for
other purposes. The result of this conversation and of
similar conferences with other Trustees, especially
with the Chairman of the Board, was that Mr. Barnes
decided to take upon himself the work of erecting such
a building as might be needed. Before he left Ithaca
he indicated his purpose; and immediately afterwards
he sent a letter, of which the following is a copy:
To the Hon. Andrew D. White:
815 ST. MARK'S AVENUE,
BROOKLYN, N. Y., June 23, 1887. S
MY DEAR DR. WHITE:-Your kind letter respecting the subject of a
building for the Young Men's Christian Association of Cornell University,
more than ever satisfies me of the necessity of the erection of an edifice
suitable to their wants.
I shall esteem it a privilege to contribute at least forty thousand dollars
towards this enterprise, hoping that this amount will be sufficient to com-
plete the edifice, with all its appointments; and I would be glad if yourself,
Mr. Sage, and Mr. George R. Williams would be a committee to carry out
the details of such a building, subject to the approval of the Board of Trus-
tees of the University.
I think the location should be between Sage College and Sage Chapel;
that it should be built of brick, with stone trimmings, in the most approved
History of the Building.
7
style. In charge of such a committee, I doubt not the building will meet
all the requirements of the Association, and become a blessing to the insti-
tution over which you have presided and devoted so much of your time and
strength. It is a great pleasure to be associated with yourself, Dr. Adams,
and the Trustees, in any feeble degree to carry forward the great plans of
Cornell University, which, though young in years, is becoming a great pow-
er in the land. I quite agree with you that there is no department of the
University which has greater promise of usefulness than the firm establish-
ment of the Christian Association of young men and women. Pardon me if
I suggest that it be called “Students' Christian Association," that it may
emphatically include both sexes.
I suggest that the subscriptions al-
ready obtained, and that may be obtained, be applied as an endowment, the
interest of which shall be used towards library and running expenses. I
should hope the amount would reach at least twenty or twenty-five thousand
dollars by the time the building is completed. Every dollar paid by stu-
dents and their friends will bind and increase their interest in the association.
I hope to be prepared to meet the expenses of the building as fast as it
progresses; and I trust that no time will be lost in perfecting your plans, so
that by another Commencement your committee will be able to pass over
the building complete into the hands of the Board of Trustees, who will be
responsible for its protection and care.
Yours very sincerely,
A. S. BARNES.
Acting upon the assurances of this letter, the com-
mittee designated by Mr. Barnes, consisting of ex-
President White, the Chairman of the Board, and Mr.
George R. Williams, immediately set about the work
of procuring plans. Preliminary sketches by several
architects were secured. In the course of the summer
the plans furnished by Mr. W. H. Miller, an architect
of Ithaca, were regarded as the most satisfactory, and,
accordingly, he was directed to elaborate them and pre-
pare them for the final consideration of the committee
and of the benefactor. When completed, the plans
were forwarded to Mr. Barnes, who was then in the far
west, and received his examination and approval at
Tacoma, Washington Territory. The further result of
this inspection was a changing of the original gift from
forty thousand to forty-five thousand dollars.
But, as so frequently happens in the experience of
builders, when the contractors came to examine the
plans, it was found that the expense of erecting the
building would exceed the amount of the gift by
several thousand dollars. The trustees, however, were
8
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
F
unwilling that the structure should be robbed of its
beauty by any essential modifications; and so they un-
dertook, temporarily at least, to assume the needed ad-
ditional expense. This they felt justified in doing, in-
asmuch as, by the terms of the gift, the University,
under certain conditions, is to make use of a portion
of the Hall.
In
The contract for the building was awarded to Mr.
Sweating, of Auburn; and work was begun in the au-
tumn of 1887. Before excavations had gone very far,
we were gratified to find that the whole of the foundation
would be that solid rock which, not far beneath the sur-
face, underlies the whole of the university campus.
the following summer the walls rose to their completion.
It had been hoped that the building would be ready for
use during the year 1888-89; but this hope was destined
to disappointment. It was not until the spring of 1889
was far advanced, that our long deferred hopes began
to give satisfactory promise of realization. But at
length, at length,-the last blow was struck, and the
building, in its present completed and beautiful con-
dition, was turned over by the contractors to the trus-
tees of the University.
I should do great injustice to my own feelings, did I
not, in this connection, mention the fact that the
erection of the building has been attended from first
to last by the shadows of mortality.
Mr. Barnes, into whose daily life every lofty spirit-
ual aspiration had been woven, was stricken with a
mortal illness before his eyes could be gladdened with
a sight of the building; and, after a long and painful
waiting, he passed into his heavenly rest on the 17th of
Feb. 1888. Of his loving interest in this crowning work
of a beneficent life, another will more fittingly speak.
The superintending architect, Mr. Kent, who had
History of the Building.
9
designed and wrought out so many of the details with
a loving hand, died after a short illness in the summer
of 1888.
Mr. Sweating, the senior contractor, was stricken
with death some months before the work was complete.
To the memory of Mr. Richardson, whose loving
devotion to his art and whose cunning hand have
placed us under so many obligations on every part of
the campus, more than a word ought to be devoted.
It is to him that we owe very much of what on these
grounds is really beautiful in art. In the McGraw-
Fiske house, in the President's house, in Sage College,
in Sage Chapel, the carved corbels and capitals and
other work in stone testify to the loving devotion with
which he wrought out everything that was entrusted to
his ingenious skill. And it is sad to reflect that the cold
which finally placed the seal of consumption upon him
was contracted while, with devoted heart and delicate
hand, he was carving the stone work that was to beau-
tify this structure.
And finally, almost at the very end of the work,
word came to us that the contractor for the gas fixtures
had been stricken while on his way from Ithaca to
New York, and we learned a little later that he, too,
had been added to the list of those who had fallen
since the erection of the building had been begun.
Thus, no less than five times has death come with his
imperative summons, as if to remind us that, after all,
nothing but that great spiritual work for the promotion
of which this building has been erected can fittingly
put forth any claim to either stability or permanence.
It is a source of great satisfaction that with this
building is to come also an excellent portrait of the
founder. I am permitted to read the following letters:
IO
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
MY DEAR MR. SAGE:
906 PRESIDENT ST.,
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
You will not wonder that I wish to place in Barnes Hall a good portrait
of my dear husband. The best I have is an oil painting taken while we
were in Berlin, and although it pulls on my heart until it aches to part with
it, yet I so much want it to go to the Hall, that I have concluded to send
it. Will you tell me to whose care it should go, etc., etc. There is no
hurry about it; I am only anxious it should be hung before there are any
formal ceremonies in the building. When you have a moment's leisure,
drop me the required line. I am very sincerely yours,
March 6, 1889.
MARY M. BARNES.
906 PRESIDENT ST.,
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
}
MY DEAR MR. ADAMS:
There will go to you to-morrow, by express, a box, containing a portrait
of Mr. Barnes, painted for me when we were in Berlin four years ago.
When I tell you that it has been my most priceless possession, you will
understand something of my love for, and interest in, "Barnes Hall,"
where, I trust, the picture will find fitting place, and where, I must believe,
it will be a reminder, during the years to come, of the noble man it
represents.
It was a question with me whether I could part with it during my life;
but, as I thought it over, it seemed best it should be in place at the opening
of the building. May it be indeed a part of it henceforth, and may it tes-
tify, in some small way, to something of the great love he had for the
Christian workers of Cornell University. Faithfully yours,
April 15, 1889.
MRS. ALFRED S. BARNES.
I have also received the following letter:
131 NEWBURY ST., BOSTON,
JUNE 10, 1889.
}
DEAR MR. ADAMS:
The formal opening of Barnes Hall is an occasion toward which I must
look forward with the very deepest interest, the more, perhaps, because I
cannot be present to testify, even in part, my love for it and for everything
that promotes its future usefulness and advancement. It is sacredly con-
nected with every memory of my dear husband's last year on earth, and,
even on his death-bed, it filled his thought and held his prayerful affection.
You can easily understand that it seems, to all who loved him, a conse-
crated legacy, dear for its own sake, dearer still for the great work it is to
aid, dearest because of its tender and imperishable association with him,
who watched with eager interest not only the growth of the Students'
Christian Association, but everything that tended toward the upbuilding of
Cornell University. That his prayers may be answered for it and that some-
thing of his blessed spirit may abide and help carry forward the work
that is to be done within its walls, may well be the fervent prayer of all
who assist, either by heart or voice, in the opening ceremonies of Sun-
day next. Count on me, dear sir, as one who desires thus to be remem-
bered, and may God bless to each of us life's privileges and opportunities
and cause it to be said of us, as truly as it may be said of the founder of
Barnes Hall, that he loved God and sought to promote His Kingdom in the
world.
Faithfully yours,
MARY M. BARNES.
Description of the Building.
II
It remains for me only to unveil this beautiful por-
trait, presented in such touching and fitting words.
May these lineaments, so abounding in assurances
of a happy consciousness, ever be a reminder of the
virtues which he so well exemplified, of the beneficent
generosity which was so large a part of his being, and
of that unwavering Christian faith which went with
him in every moment of his devoted Christian life.
And, as generation after generation of professors and
students shall come to these halls to refresh their devo-
tion to whatever is true and noble and Christ-like, may
the cheering and happy expression that looks out
from this canvas continue to preach the gospel of peace
and good will, even as it seems to preach it to us who
are here to-night. As I look upon this beautiful face,
it seems to speak to us all, and to say: “Wisdom's ways
are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."
DESCRIPTION OF BARNES HALL.
BY F. L. ROBINSON.
This building stands one hundred yards south of
Sage Chapel and on the same triangular plat of ground,
between University and Sage Avenues. The style of
the building is decidedly Romanesque, with a predomi-
nance of semi-circular arched openings. It is built of
red brick with trimmings of light Ohio sandstone, and
is covered with a black slate roof. The plan is that of
a Latin cross, with the long arm towards the west.
The projections to the north and east are square-ended
and gabled; that to the south is semi-circular, and the
west one has a similar apsidal termination.
I2
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
The building has a length of one hundred and twen-
ty feet east and west, along the principal axis. This
main portion is thirty-two feet wide and three stories
high; the transverse part has the same height and
width, and is seventy-seven feet long. A low, covered
entrance, with stairs leading to the floors above and
below, occupies the re-entrant angle at the northeast.
The tower is square in plan and seventy-five feet high,
with open bell-story and gabled roof. It stands in the
re-entrant angle at the north-west, and is joined to the
main axis by a half-apsidal arrangement which forms
an entrance porch to the basement of the building and
contains a little nook off the reading-room and a pas-
sageway in the two stories above. The upper part of
the tower is taken up by the sleeping apartments of
the secretary and the janitor. Above these, on the fifth
floor, is a room neatly fitted up to receive a small por-
tion of the President White Library, which the Univer-
sity has temporarily placed in charge of the Association.
The principal entrance is on the north side of the
tower. Its wide doorway is arched above, and the tym-
panum is filled with a carved slab of stone. From the
vestibule a stairway at the left leads to the basement
floor, while from the stair hall in front another broad,
easy flight leads to the floor above. An ornamental
screen separates the latter from the main hall running
east and west. Opening off the end of this hall is the
large reading-room, occupying the greater part of the
west wing. A series of round-headed windows ex-
tends along both sides and around the apex, throwing
in a flood of light, and forming a most pleasing fea-
ture. The glass is artistically leaded, with designs in
color in the upper parts. The little nook mentioned
Description of the Building.
13
above opens off toward the tower, forming a pleasant
retreat for conversational purposes. The large open
fire-place, with its carved wooden mantel and arrange-
ment of niches above, is another striking feature. The
ceiling is done in wood, and the color work of the walls
is quiet and effective. The highly polished floor, with
its rugs, and the furniture of antique oak give the room a
peculiarly bright and attractive appearance, while a
superb view from its windows extends up and down the
Cayuga Lake valley not less than about twenty-five
miles.
Opening off the reading-room and off the south side
of the hall are the neatly furnished offices of the secre-
tary of the Association. Farther on is a chapel for the
smaller meetings of the Association; and beyond, at the
east end of the hall, are two study rooms for the use of
students between hours. The space between the two
stairways on the north side of the hall is occupied by a
ladies' waiting-room and by the library room. The latter
contains the nucleus of the Library presented by Gen.
A. C. Barnes, which, there is reason to hope, will receive
frequent additions from the donor.
In the story above is the large lecture hall, which oc-
cupies the whole of this floor except the apsidal part
of the west wing, which is fitted up as a class-room and
is separated from the main hall by an ornamental screen
with sliding glass panels, so arranged that the two
rooms may be thrown in one when occasion requires.
By this arrangement the seating capacity is increased
from six hundred and seventy to nine hundred. The
floors of the three arms slope toward the central space.
The stage occupies the whole of the south apse, and is
reached by a turret stair leading from the floor below,
14
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
The walls are left plain and unfinished, and the whole
is covered by an open timber roof with ornamented
trusses, supported on carved stone corbels. Abundant
means for entrance and exit is provided in the broad
stairways at either side.
The larger part of the basement floor is fitted up with
suites of living-rooms, which are rented to students.
The rest of the floor is occupied by lavatories and store-
rooms. The building is heated by steam from the
University central plant. The fixtures throughout are
simple in design and appropriate. The whole arrange-
ment of the building is carefully studied and clever,
and meets the wants of the Association in a happy,
artistic way. The interior is inviting and cheerful;
the exterior is striking and beautiful; the whole is an
ornament to the campus, a monument to the donor,
and a source of pride to all.
SCRIPTURE READING AND PRAYER OF DEDICATION.
REV. CHARLES M. TYLER.
THE SCRIPTURE LESSON.
Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick
darkness. But I have built a house of habitation for thee, and a place for
thy dwelling forever. And the King turned his face, and blessed the whole
congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood. And he
said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled ·
that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying: Since the
day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city
among all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be
there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel: But I
have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen
David to be over my people Israel. Now it was in the heart of David, my
father, to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
-II Chronicles, VI: I-7.
Scripture Reading and Prayer of Dedication.
15
But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven
and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house
which I have built! Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant,
and to his supplication, O Lord, my God, to hearken unto the cry and the
prayer which thy servant prayetli before thee: That thine eyes may be open
upon this house day and niglit, upon the place whereof thou hast said that
thou wouldst put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy
servant prayeth toward this place. Hearken therefore unto the supplica-
tions of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward
this place hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and
when thou hearest, forgive.
---II Chronicles, VI: 18-21.
Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but
is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand,
and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house; Then hear
thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to
all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may
know thy name and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know
that this house which I have built is called by thy name. If thy people go
out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and
they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house
which I have built for thy name; Then hear thou from the heavens their
prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause. If they sin against
thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not), and thou be angry with them,
and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away cap-
tives unto a land far off or near; Yet if they bethink themselves in the land
whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of
their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done ariss, and have dealt
wickedly; If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul
in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and
pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the
city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for
thy name: Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place,
their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive
thy people which have sinned against thee. Now, my God, let, I beseech
thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is
made in this place. Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting
place, thou and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be
clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Lord God,
turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David,
thy servant.
-II Chronicles, VI: 32-41.
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down
from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the
glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the
house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.
-II Chronicles, VII: 1-2.
PRAYER.
Eternal and ever blessed God, the Father and Giver
of our Lord Jesus Christ, though the whole earth is
Thy dwelling place, and no structure of man's building
can include Thy glory, Thou dost yet fulfill Thy
promise to draw near to us within the gates of our
finite and human worship, and thus by Thine aid we
build these courts and consecrate them to Thine honor.
16
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
Accept, we beseech Thee, this finished edifice in its
enduring grace; the gift of a generous benefactor
whose form we no longer behold on earth, and of
whose wise counsel we are sadly bereft,-and upon
tower and arch and aisles let Thy glory perpetually
rest.
The proudest minster is unnoticed of Thee if they
who kneel within its aisles offer not to Thee the peti-
tions of penitence and humility; but in the poorest
oratory Thou art heard of him who is of a lowly and
contrite heart.
Deign, O Lord, to hear the prayers of thy servants,
which shall now and henceforth ascend to Thy glorious
throne from these aisles on earth.
We hear upon this threshold the footfalls of the suc-
cessive generations of reverent scholars who shall flock
to these seats of learning. We catch the strains of
praise which shall here be chanted by the voices of
those who shall come for a few years to study here,
and then pass from us into the great world of duty and
of service.
The inspiring calls to faith and sacrifice shall echo
from these walls. Here may possibly be sung the
requiem over young forms laid low by some surprising
stroke of death! Here shall the assemblies of souls
be swayed by the voice of heavenly truth; hearts be
graciously broken into sorrow for transgressions, or
uplifted from despair by visions of mercy. Here, to
the earnest souls who seek, there shall come gleams of
celestial glory; and shall break upon them the splen-
dor of God's city, whose walls are made of precious
stones, and whose gates are praise. These walls shall
part and sever to the vision of faith, that we may be-
hold that larger and grander temple of Christ's re-
3
Scripture Reading and Prayer of Dedication.
17
deemed humanity, whose aisles are centuries and
whose dome is eternity.
We do now in the homage of true humility dedicate
to Thee, the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, this finished hall of praise: its tower firmly
poised aloft, the symbol of aspiration; its windows,
catching the splendors of the rising and the setting.
sun, teaching us the swift passage of our day, glorious
in its Christian end.
We consecrate with it all that its walls shall here-
after contain of added grace and use; the emblazoned
glass which may commemorate some lustrous and holy
spirit who shall have passed from earth; the organ
which may hereafter sound forth the emotions, as
changeful as the experiences of joy and sorrow of the
life on earth.
Graciously accept, O, God, this gift of a sainted
benefactor, whose kindly tones shall still linger in our
ears, and whose presence, though unseen, is, we trust,
with us; and may this consecrated hall in its simple
beauty become as crystal walls through which the
Christian youth who shall worship here may discern
the eternal glory.
May their lives, redeemed of Christ, become grander
than any temple reared and adorned by human art.
Let no brick or stone crumble in its place, or by
defect or sin mar the beauty of this edifice of spirit.
Let no pillar rot at the base, no beam crack and
yield to strain; no stone be imperfectly cemented in
the fellowship of faith.
And with the passage of each annual fellowship
from out these halls, and the arriving of each new
class of Christian scholars, may the splendor of God
accumulate upon this consecrated structure, and His
18
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
benediction and help go with those who every year shall
say farewell to these beloved instructors and these fair
scenes of study.
And when, faint with time, even walls of stone shall
sway and fall, and lofty towers shall be humbled again
to dust, may all who shall have paid their homage
here, pass above into the endless glory of the greater
court on high.
There no structures and liturgies shall be needed.
The Universe itself shall become a temple; unspeak-
able radiance shall flood it; the assembly shall never
more go forth from it, and the glory of the Lord shall
fill it; and we ascribe eternal praise to God the Father,
to Jesus Christ the Lord, and to the Holy Spirit, world
without end forevermore, Amen.
DEDICATORY HYMN.
BY OLIVER FARRAR EMERSON.
Not in a temple made with hands.
Need'st Thou to dwell, O God of love;
Thy dwelling is unnumbered lands,
The boundless universe above.
Still, graciously accept and bless
This gift of love to man and Thee,
That here may learn Thy righteousness
The generations yet to be.
Make consecrate to every good,
To honor of Thy holy name;
May it proclaim man's brotherhood,
Thy fatherhood to all proclaim.
>
Significance of the Gift.
19
Spirit divine, Thyself indwell,
The house with widening glory fill,
And widening truth our hearts impel
To guidance of Thy larger will.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GIFT.
BY GEN. ALFRED C. BARNES.
When the beloved and consecrated man after whom
this building was named lay upon his sick bed in the
grasp of´fatal disease, news came to him that the cor-
ner-stone was about to be laid, and that, if he had any
word for the occasion, he should send it. At the sum-
mons, his blue eyes brightened and his faculties became
alert. He sat up, called for pen and paper, and made
an heroic attempt to write a message to you with his
own hand. Alas, in vain. He could write but a few
sentences, in characters almost illegible, a pathetic con-
trast with the strong, bold chirography of health. That
fragment, however, is a treasured thing in our family,
as it is the last production of his pen. He had to give
up, however, from sheer weakness. He then called to
his bedside a devoted daughter, who has since followed
him to their long home. To her he dictated what he
wished to say. He who spoke and she who wrote are
no longer with us, but their living words survive them
to appeal to our hearts. Owing to the illness of the
Founder, it was finally determined to hold no public
ceremony at the laying of the corner-stone, but his let-
ter is equally appropriate, now that we assemble to
dedicate the completed, graceful structure that has
grown upon it.
20
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
Address dictated on his sick bed at Brooklyn, October 26,
1887, by Alfred S. Barnes, and signed by his own
hand, for the occasion of laying the corner-stone of
Barnes Hall, at Ithaca :
"The foundation of a Students' Christian Association
was an event of no small significance in the history of
Cornell University. The beginning of such a work has
significance anywhere, but nowhere should it have
greater promise, or truer fulfillment, than in such an
institution as this.
To the little company of men, professors and stu-
dents, who inaugurated the work here, all honor is due.
They must ever have our grateful memory, and they
surely have God's blessing. From them came the in-
spiration for the building whose corner-stone we lay
to-day.
May we not hope, in the celebration of this day, that
the corner-stone and foundation of the building about
to be erected may be a symbol of the spiritual and
true, of the living and precious Stone, chosen of God,
which the whole future of the Students' Associa-
tion shall be founded-even Christ himself.
upon
In the beginning God created all things for His own
pleasure. He created man after His own image; but
through him came disobedience, and sin entered into the
world, of which the penalty was death. Then in divine
compassion came the promise of salvation through the
Messiah who should come-which promise illuminates
the pages of the Old Testament with hope and joy,
from Moses to Malachi. The prophet Isaiah said:
'Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold I lay in
Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious
corner-stone, a sure foundation.' When to the shep-
Significance of the Gift.
21
herds on the plains of Bethlehem, the glory of the Lord
shone round about them, and a multitude of the heav-
enly host sang praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
men,' the prophecies were fulfilled, the corner-stone was
laid upon earth. On this foundation may the members
of the Christian Association be indeed as lively stones,
built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer
up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
And may this corner-stone which we lay to-day and
the building erected upon it represent to those gathered
here, and to all future generations of students who may
occupy its halls, the great corner-stone, elect, precious,
the sure foundation.
Then will it be indeed a beacon Light upon this hill,
praising God, and showing forth peace on earth, good
will to men."
(Signed.)
A. S. BARNES.
The brain of man may be compared to a clock set to
run for seventy years. The Angel of Life winds it
up
once for all, closes the case, and hands the key to the An-
gel of the Resurrection. We have just heard the clear
ringing of the stroke of twelve on such a time-piece.
These were almost the last consecutive, intelligent
thoughts of the good man who should (and would, if God
had not called him) stand before you now. We can
only praise his memory. Never lived a truer, purer,
nobler man. If his example could be written as it is
observed, it would be the most effective auxiliary of this
institution.
He fulfilled the injunction of the apostle, "Be ye liv-
ing epistles, known and read of all men,"-an epistle
written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living
22
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
God. To young men everywhere he was an exemplar.
And he had a peculiar sympathy with young men. His
own youth was a period of hardship and struggle, from
which he emerged with a character refined, and estab-
lished like a rock. Nothing could shake his high prin-
ciple. His eldest son feels that you will pardon the
testimony given in this place, that after more than forty
years of family intimacy and twenty-five of business
association, enjoying his confidence and reading his
transparent character like an open book, he cannot re-
call a single word or act open to question, much less to
criticism, from a moral point of view.
Since the kings of Orient came bearing gifts to the
new-born Saviour of men, no gift has been brought more
joyfully for the same blessed purpose than the shrine
which we dedicate to-night. The feet that started with
it grew weary by the way, the bearer faltered and fell;
but messengers swift to carry out his purpose took it
from his hands, and brought it hither with his dying
blessing.
Beautiful and complete is this building, and for that
we have to thank that princely and tireless friend of
my father's and of the University, who superintended
its construction, and aided it also by substantial contri-
butions. To his official colleagues, also, much is due,
and this occasion would be incomplete without words of
warmest acknowledgment to those who formed the
thought that rested in the donor's mind, and have given
to it these symmetrical proportions.
But now the Hall is finished. The
young Christians is delightfully installed.
mind.
association of
What next?
What place
is the question that arises in every mind.
will it take in University life? Perhaps it may not be
Significance of the Gift.
23
improper to forecast the future by a single instance
which, if imaginative, is far from improbable.
We may fancy a thoughtful lad coming to these aca-
demic shades, full of ambition and ready for work. The
father says at parting, "My son, remember your duty";
the mother adds, "My dear boy, may God have you in
his keeping." He passes his examinations and enters
college. His mind is fired with high impulses. Life,
spread before him, seems full of opportunity, and the
time of preparation all too short to fit him for success.
He works, he digs, he crams He lives in the future,
the near future, for which he is fitting. There is an-
other future, that of eternity,-which has entirely
slipped his attention. But, being naturally conscien-
tious, he is fearful there may be a gap in his education
somewhere. He desires to be a perfectly rounded man.
In the University catalogue he checks off the names of
the professors and their several departments. None
have been neglected. By introspection he observes the
long rows of brain-cells, labelled in orderly succession,
for the stores they are to contain respectively. Mathe-
matics, Language, Psychology, Physics, science in every
form-all are allotted, and all swept and garnished for
their contents, and the hours of study, like busy bees,
are slowly storing them. He reviews with pride his
growing mental possessions, and looks forward with joy
to the day when he can point to the fruits of his indus-
try, and say to himself, "My soul, thou hast much
goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink,
and be merry."
He goes out upon the campus after his self-investi-
gation, a well-satisfied student. The attractive portals
of this building open before him as he strolls. A meet-
ing is in progress. He steps in quietly. The leader is
24
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
reading the interview of the rich young man with the
Saviour, and the grave, sweet response of the divine
teacher, "Yet one thing thou lackest," falls upon his
ear. It startles our student. "Fool, fool that I am!"
he exclaims; "like the man with the muck rake in
Pilgrim's Progress, I have been carefully gathering
straws, and none have escaped me, while right overhead,
where I never thought of looking, hangs the Pearl of
great price, shining with opalescent radiance. By its
light, indeed, though unrecognized, I have been gath-
ering this poor collection, these odds and ends of human
wisdom. As I looked over my brain-cells, I overlooked
the great chamber on which they open, the empty space
of the soul, the throne-room of my Maker, of which I
have never invited him to take possession." And just
then, as the praying band perchance begins to chant,
"Come thou Almighty King,"
our student leaps at one bound into the comprehension
of the eternal mystery. Science bows to omniscience.
The lesson which is learned without labor or pains,
without expenditure of midnight oil, or the weary pass-
age of time, or physical fatigue, will be taught, or teach
itself, right here. It will interfere with no other work,
but, on the contrary, will inspire all who study it to
nobler endeavor elsewhere.
Hours would not suffice to anticipate the scenes that
will make these rooms precious to many souls. Else-
where on this hill students will prepare to live; here
they will learn how to die. This class-room fits one for
the great examination appointed to all, ere we can grad-
uate from the university of Life, and take our degree of
qualification for the duties of eternity.
Significance of the Gift."
25
A legend of King Solomon, the Wise, tells of a certain
man who stood with him one day when Azrael, the an-
gel of death, passed by in visible form. The man trem-
bled, and asked Solomon, "What is this fearful shape
that looked on me with such piercing eyes?"
"That
is Azrael," replied Solomon; "he is searching for some
one."
"Then I pray you have me transported forth-
with to India"; and Solomon, by the exercise of his re-
puted supernatural power, complied. Presently Azrael
returned and said to Solomon, "Where is the man I
saw standing with thee? I wondered to see him here,
for I was ordered to take him in India."
Since it is hopeless, therefore, to escape the inevi-
table event, let us so live that, whether Azrael shall find
us here in preparation, or yonder at our earthly work,
or on the far confines of human life, we may meet his
searching gaze unflinchingly, and render up our souls
in peace and the blissful consciousness of duty faithful-
ly done.
In the name of the Founder, who exemplified in his
life and virtues the model Christian career, and on be-
half of the other generous friends who supplemented
the gift, I now present this building to the Trustees for
the use of the Christian Association of Cornell Univer-
sity, and dedicate it to its holy purpose. And
And may the
Master Builder add his blessing! Amen.
THE NEW HOME OF THE ASSOCIATION.
BY JOHN PITT DEANE,-PRESIDENT OF THE C. U. C. A.
As we look upon this beautiful hall provided for the
promotion of God's truth among men, by one who so
sought and cherished that truth, not one of us can help
feeling glad of the way in which our Father directed
His steward to use the wealth entrusted to him. But
to us students the gift comes with a special meaning.
We have here what we have long wanted, but what we
have hardly dared to hope for, at least as coming so
soon-we have a home.
When we had general secretary's office, committee-
room, reading-room, and class-room, all in one small
room, we could not very well ask a man to call on us;
but now we can tell him to drop in and see us at our
new home. What cosier place for a quiet chat can there
be than that little quarter-circle off the reception-room?
Why, such a place will draw the very innermost thoughts
right out of a man; he can not help being sociable.
And then the reading-room will be so attractive that it
will make one sit down and read, whether he will or no.
But we must remember the old song:
'Home is not merely four square walls;
Home is where the heart is.”
For it is true,-brick walls and handsome furniture
alone do not make a home. It takes hearts, and that
is just what we must put into it. We must give a
hearty welcome to all who enter, and we must offer
heartfelt sympathy with all their hopes and plans.
The New Home of the Association.
27
A short time ago I received this telegram from Dr.
Fred W. Kelly, formerly a graduate student here, and
now a governing fellow of McGill College, Montreal:
"Warmest congratulations on the new hope. I offer
heartfelt thanksgiving to the Almighty for what my
eyes have seen and my ears have heard concerning you.
I Kings 9, 3; I Cor. 16, 13."
The first reference is this: "And the Lord said unto
him, I have heard thy prayer and supplication that thou
hast made before me: I have hallowed this house which
thou hast built, to put my name there forever; and mine
eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."
That is just what we want in this building: we want
it consecrated and hallowed by the presence of God.
We do not need to inscribe C. U. C. A. on every post,
nor to paint "God is Love" over every door. But we
want our home to be filled with the Spirit of this God
of love. We want, too, the assurance that our Father
is watching us as we strive to do His work, and that, as
He looks upon us, He leads us in the paths of Wisdom,
for "all her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace. We would know that His heart is
with us, or rather, that our hearts are tuned in accord
with His; we want His loving sympathy in all that we,
weak as we are, endeavor to do in His strength, for
"without Him we can do nothing."
The other reference in the telegram is: "Watch ye:
stand fast in the faith: quit you like men: be strong.'
Yes, we must watch, lest the spirit of pride entering in
drive out the Spirit of God, and the house be left deso-
late. We must stand fast in the faith, never losing our
hold upon the God who has given us these great bless-
ings, nor forgetting that they have been given for His
service. 'Quit you like men" is the exhortation; like
""
28
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
man.
the manhood set forth in the life and words of Christ
Jesus, manly in resisting everything that tends to
weaken true manhood,―manly in encouraging and fos-
tering every impulse that goes to make up the perfect
The final clause is a command, "Be strong!"
In another place Paul writes: "Be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of His might." That explains it; for
it is in His strength that we must use all the advan-
tages and opportunities he has given us, for "we can do
all things through Christ, which strengtheneth us."
And now, as we enter this home, I know of no better
motto for our work than the one that has inspired us
during the past in less fortunate circumstances; may
we still take with us our grand watchword,--CORNELL
FOR CHRIST.
THE WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION.
BY JOHN R. MOTT,-college sECRETARY OF THE INTERNA-
TIONAL Y. M. C. A.
It should be a matter of profound gratitude to every
person here to-night, that the first colleges and univer-
sities of America were established in the spirit of prayer
and sacrifice. Their foundations were firmly laid upon
the Bible. They were called into being for grand re-
ligious purposes :-that of leading the scholars of our
country to study into the deep things of God as re-
vealed in Jesus Christ; and that of sending forth a
trained Christian ministry. To these facts we owe,
very largely, our Christian institutions and our civiliza-
tion.
Less than a hundred years ago it became evident
that these colleges were wandering from their original
The Work of the Association.
29
purpose. The percentage of Christian students was
growing smaller. Comparatively few college men
were looking toward the ministry. It was this deplor-
able condition which led the leading evangelical
churches to institute the concert of prayer for colleges.
It is now known as the Day of Prayer for Colleges,
which is observed throughout the country, although
not so faithfully as the transcendent importance of the
object demands. During the past fifty years the ob-
servance of this day has been followed by sweeping
revivals. Without doubt the most significant answer
to the prayers of the Christian church for the colleges
of America, was the introduction into them of the col-
lege Young Men's Christian Association. Its brief
history abundantly demonstrates this fact.
It should be of special interest to us to remember
that this movement originated in a State university.
At about the same time associations were planted in
the University of Michigan and in the University of
Virginia-then the leading State universities of the
North and South. Although it is a disputed point, I
am inclined to believe that the first association was es-
tablished at the University of Michigan; and I count
it a privilege to remind you that one of the moving
spirits in establishing that association, in the winter of
1857-58, was the now honored President of Cornell
University.
During the first twenty years of the history of
these associations not more than thirty of them
were established. They were not bound together
by any tie. The spring of 1877 marked the begin-
ning of a new epoch in the lives of the college
associations. The Princeton association, noting how
30
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
the athletic, oratorical, and fraternity interests among
college men had been stimulated and developed by
bringing colleges in contact with one another, were
led to believe that the same principle carried out
among the Christian Associations would greatly im-
prove their methods of work and quicken their
life. The Princeton men were instrumental in se-
curing the attendance of college delegates at the In-
ternational Convention, held at Louisville, in June,
1877. It was there that the Intercollegiate Young
Men's Christian Association movement took its rise.
Note two remarkable results which have come since.
1877 from bringing the college associations together in
conventions, correspondence, publications, and the
visitation of college secretaries: First, the great im-
provement of the religious work in the individual asso-
ciation; and, secondly, the rapid and wide extension of
the association movement among the colleges.
Prior to 1877 the work of the association was very
narrow. In most places it was simply a missionary so-
ciety. In some colleges it was nothing more than a
Bible class, or an evangelistic band. Some associa-
tions combined two or three of these objects. Contrast
this with the work of the association to-day. It seeks
to bring every man who enters the university under
Christian influences; to put him upon record as stand-
ing on the side of the Christian forces among the stu-
dents; to guard and develop him in Bible classes, in
meetings, in committee work; to put him at work
among his fellow students, assisting the city pastors,
helping in the neglected districts in or around the
city; to bring him in touch with the bands of Christian
college men in the centres of learning throughout the
The Work of the Association.
31
world; to open up before him intelligently the claims
upon him of the ministry at home and abroad, and of
other spheres of religious endeavor. Do you wonder
that a work so varied and so important requires a
building like this, and the constant attention of a
trained college graduate?
The second result which followed bringing the asso-
ciations together and giving them special direction, was
the rapid and wide extension of the movement. We
have seen that in the entire twenty years before 1877
not more than thirty associations were established in
our colleges. During the last twelve years that num-
ber has increased from less than thirty to over two
hundred and eighty in the United States and Canada
alone. This includes nearly all of the leading State
and denominational colleges. You could go to the
Orient and find at least five of these associations in
India, a similar number in China, and many more in
Japan. One of our best associations is on the Island
of Ceylon; and I am told that another has recently
been established in the heart of Africa on the banks of
the Congo. Careful and successful efforts are now be-
ing made by a strong American college association
man to introduce the movement in the universities of
Great Britain, Scandinavia, Germany, and France.
This hurried view is intended to show you that the
association movement is not confined to Cornell, to
New York State, or to our own country. It is a world-
wide movement. It is the greatest student fraternity
in the world. It includes over 20,000 of the best men
of the colleges and universities, banded together under
the same name, employing the same common-sense
practical methods, inspired by that highest purpose-
32
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
to bring the intellect of this world into allegiance to
Jesus Christ.
I have been requested to give, as a result of my ob-
servation among the colleges of the country, the po-
sition occupied by the Cornell Association in this
movement. I trust I may still be counted as a mem-
ber of the Cornell Association; for, as such, I shall
feel more at liberty to speak.
The strong points of the Cornell Association are:
1. It is the largest college association in the world.
2. It is the most perfectly organized.
3. It has stimulated, and, in many respects, set the
pattern for the different college associations of New
York State.
4. Its greatest service has been to furnish solution
for the religious work problem of State educational
institutions.
5. There can be little doubt that the Cornell Asso-
ciation building has led to the building at the Uni-
versity of Michigan. It has had no small influence.
in suggesting the recent gift of $20,000 for the Johns
Hopkins Association. It has started building can-
vasses in the Universities of Wisconsin and Iowa.
The points which the Cornell Association needs to
emphasize are:
1. It is not teaching all classes of students. The
fraternity and athletic men should be drawn into the
association more largely. See what a power they are
in the Yale and Princeton Associations. A special
effort should also be made to enlist the co-operation of
the law students.
2. Here, as in many other prominent colleges, we
are not fully recognizing our duty to unconverted
The Work of the Association.
33
young men. In a State institution, more than else-
where, a tremendous responsibility rests upon the vol-
untary efforts of the Christian students. In all proba-
bility, if we neglect this duty, our classmates will leave
the university without accepting Christ. During this
year, as never before, the association men in our great
colleges and universities have emphasized aggressive
Christian work by students for students. Time forbids
that I should speak of the awakening at Harvard,
Johns Hopkins, Acadia, and the University of Virginia.
I believe that the time has come for a deep spiritual
work among the five hundred and more unconverted
students of Cornell.
3. This association should use far more the influence
and power which God has given to it among the other
colleges. Heretofore, from necessity, the Cornell As-
sociation has confined its activities to its own develop-
ment. The time has come for it to reach out and
stamp its almost perfect organization upon the other
associations. What an opportunity you have in New
York State alone! What a power you may be among
the State universities!
I also wish to mention some problems for the Cor-
nell Association to help solve:
1. The problem of Bible study. Not one Christian
student in ten in our colleges to-day is pursuing sys-
tematic Bible study. This is the reason why we have
so many weak Christian men, This is the cause of
the small faith of the day. This explains why such a
small percentage of our students enter the ministry.
And these in turn are the reasons why we are not im-
pressing unconverted men with the tremendous im-
portance of the Christian religion. The Bible is
•
34
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
preeminently a book for thinking men. Unite your
experience and efforts with that of other associations.
in devising courses of Bible study adapted to the
habits, limited time, and methods of thought of univer-
sity men.
2. Then there is the problem of developing and ex-
tending the college association movement. The pres-
ent agencies for developing and extending this move-
ment are unable to touch directly more than one-fifth
of the existing college associations in the country. This
is to say nothing of higher educational institutions yet
unorganized. There are in the country 200 State
normal schools, 200 medical colleges, 300 commercial
colleges, 50 law schools, 100 schools of science—nearly
all of which have no organized Christian work in them.
Our associations have had about 15,000 converts in the
last twelve years; but in that same time it is estimated
that fully 150,000 young men have graduated from
these higher institutions of learning without becoming
followers of Christ. During this generation 2,000,000
will go forth from these institutions. On which side
shall they stand-for Christ or against Him? That is
the problem which confronts the college associations.
God grant that the Cornell Association may study and
improve its opportunity to hasten the solution!
3. The evangelization of the world in this generation.
Missionaries tell us that upon the American and British
students of this generation rests the evangelization of
the world. The most significant step in this direction
has been the recent student missionary uprising, known
as the Student Volunteer Movement. This movement
is confined principally to our associations, and includes
nearly 4,000 students, who have placed themselves on
record as willing and desirous, God permitting, to be-
The Work of the Association.
35
come foreign missionaries. A double problem confronts
us in connection with this movement: First, we must
guard and develop the volunteers that we now have.
Over one hundred have actually sailed under the vari-
ous Church Boards; but the very large majority of them
are still in college. Upon our college associations rests.
the responsibility of conserving their enthusiasm and
developing them until they undertake their special
training, or until they sail. We must extend this
movement. Four thousand seems like a large number,
especially when we remember that there are only 6,000
missionaries in the entire foreign field, after a century
of missionary effort; but according to the estimate made
a few months ago by a missionary convocation in India,
it would take 20,000 foreign missionaries, besides those
now in the field, to proclaim the gospel to every living
person in this generation. We, therefore, as associa-
tions must influence one one-hundredth of the college
students of this generation to undertake this great work.
Is that too many to ask and expect? I am proud of
the contributions that Cornell, in its short history, has
made to the industrial, educational, political, and relig-
ious enterprises of our own land. The grandest mission.
of the ages was inaugurated when Christ brought help
to the helpless. That mission is still going on. Three-
fourths of the human race are still counted among the
helpless. May the God of missions send out from this
building, during the present and coming years, many
who will help to found systems of education for millions
that are without such systems; who will help to turn
into the channels of industry entire peoples which sit
in idleness; who will carry to other races, as well as the
Anglo-Saxon, that gospel which is "the power of God
unto the salvation of every man that believeth!"
36
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
A word about this beautiful building. My mind runs
back to-night over its entire history; but there are only
two or three things upon which I am constrained to
dwell. This building is a result of prayer. For weeks
before any steps were taken in the canvass, individuals
were praying for it. The canvass was preceded by a
week of special prayer on the part of the association.
Every step in the canvass was taken in prayer. Not a
meeting of the finance committee was held which was
not pervaded by the same spirit. All seemed to realize
that the building must come from God. At the same.
time each member realized that he must do all he could.
This called forth the spirit of sacrifice. Some of the
most touching incidents of which I know were examples
of sacrifice for this building. It would be interesting to
dwell upon them, but they are too sacred to be made
public. They have entered into this building as surely
as yonder stone arches and columns. This spirit of
prayer and sacrifice prompted the noble gift of our ben-
efactor, whose memory we all cherish with such deep
gratitude.
I should do violence to my highest feelings if I failed
to recall the special services of three fellow-students
whom we miss to-night. Mary Hill was one of the
moving spirits in the canvass among the young women
-a canvass whose results give evidence of greater sac-
rifice even than was shown among the young men.
George Winthrop Ames, by his faith and personal ex-
ample, was largely instrumental in setting the standard
of giving so high. Boardman Oviatt, although one of
the busiest men in the University, gave perhaps more
time personally to pushing the canvass during its crit-
ical days than any other man. Well do I remember
Christian Associations.
37
having heard each one of them express a deep desire to
some day be able to see realized what you and I do to-
night; but they have gone to that "house not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens."
Let us do our work in the same spirit of prayer and
sacrifice! Let us also from day to day, as we gaze upon
the portrait of that man who has made possible our
coming together to-night, catch something of his sym-
pathy for his fellow-men, and his spirit of supreme loy-
alty to Christ.
CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS.
BY REV. DAVID H. GREER, D.D.
In his interesting work on the American Common-
wealth, Professor Bryce remarks that there is no coun-
try in the world where the stability of society is so
dependent on religious faith as in the United States.
In the older countries of Europe, social stability is to a
great extent the product of militarism, or of an inherited
social instinct, coming down from those distant ages
when men learned to obey without asking for a reason.
In America, however, this is not the case, and the sta-
bility of society here has been determined to a great
extent, up to the present time at least, by religious
sanctions; and, if those sanctions should be withdrawn,
that which has hitherto been the foundation of our so-
cial morality would be undermined. The Young Men's
Christian Associations are building those foundations,
and therefore commend themselves to the support of all
good citizens. That is one reason why their efforts
should receive a broad and hearty endorsement. There
38
Dedication of Barnes Hall.
is another. The young men of this country are rapidly
coming to the front in commercial and professional life.
They will soon be the leaders in public opinion, and in
the formation of the standards of conduct; and what
to-day the young men are, so to-morrow will the coun-
try be. Now, Christian Associations direct their efforts
chiefly, if not exclusively, to the task of reaching
young men. They teach, or ought to teach, both di-
rectly and indirectly, that no young man can be a man
after the bravest and manliest type, except as he tries
with an honest endeavor to follow in the footsteps of
the Son of Man, and becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ.
The speaker who preceded me alluded to the scepticism
of the day, as one of the great dangers to which young
men are exposed. I would venture the opinion that it
is not so much a philosophical as a practical scepticism
that is making shipwreck of our American manhood.
The speculative objections to religion, formidable as
they may be, are not so formidable or so hostile to
Christian character, as that hard and vulgar material-
ism which has come to be the impulse and the standard
of much of our modern life. This is the scepticism
which religion has most to fear, which lives and moves
and has its being in material pursuits and ambitions,
and with reference to material gains; whose conception
of greatness is bigness; whose idea of power is so
many horse-power; whose notion of a highly developed
society means facilities for getting about, and all whose
difficulties are solved by rapid transit. This is the mate-
rialism, not speculative, but practical, which is influenc-
ing the young men of America, and which religion must
counteract. A materialism which degenerates into irrev-
erence for things that are sacred and pure,-a materialism
coarse, flippant, and vulgar, and, as George Eliot says,
Christian Associations.
39
((
"mistaking a cynical mockery for the gift of pen-
etration." This," she remarks, "is the impoverish-
ment that threatens our posterity, the new famine, the
meagre fiend, with lewd grin and clumsy hoof, breath-
ing a blighting mildew over the harvest of our moral
sentiments." That this is a tendency active in our
modern life, and particularly among young men, must
be evident to every thoughtful observer. The object of
the Young Men's Christian Association is to antago-
nize this tendency, and to develop among the young
men of America that higher and purer type of charac-
ter for which the Christian religion stands, and which
it alone can produce. Its aim is not so much to pre-
pare young men for whatever may be awaiting them in
another world, as to train them for the duties of this
world.
When the old Roman gladiators entered the arena
they proceeded first to the Caesar's throne, and said,
"We who are about to die salute the Emperor." Bor-
rowing the same formula, but changing its terms, As-
sociations like this are teaching the young men of
America to say as they enter upon the struggles of
manhood, "We who are about to live salute that Mas-
ter of Life who was dead and is alive again, and liveth
forevermore."
I congratulate you, therefore, Mr. President, and the
Trustees of Cornell University, that there has been
erected here on these academic grounds, through the
beneficence of a generous friend, this beautiful and
sightly building, which will henceforth both symbolize
and teach that the training of life is of incomplete
equipment, until it has caught the influence of Jesus
Christ, and felt His quickening power.