Olivet Nazarene University - Aurora Yearbook (Bourbonnais, IL)

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mmva JjgjMLT O. P. Deale T. Webber Willingham Adam R. Shiply T. WEBBER WILLINGHAM, President Colors: White and Dark Blue Motto: Non Solum Nobis 15

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often answered, too clearly heard, to be refused now. The strongest tempta- tion finds itself forestalled. The spirit may tremble through it all and wonder, Vacillate I may; hut could 1 ultimately fall? It feels that Power beyond itself winch always seems to hold it after its own force of resistance is ex- hausted, or brings it back if it fails, and the assurance comes, So far as my own strength is concerned, I am hopelessly lost; but the God-fate — 1 have given myself to Him! There is the Christ! Tbis will be, too, in spite of the general trend of the human race as a whole. For not even the Deluge taught the Composite Man that his only hope lay in (iod. The Destruction of Jerusalem convinced him not that faith can live nowhere but in the Son of (iod: nor will the plagues that must follow the present War of Nations compel him to know that love and life arc only to be had through the indwelling Holy Ghost. This last decision is yet to be made. Nature seems made up of necessities, but this — the moral necessity — is the greatest, most terrible, of all : the one which holds only two choices, both for each man and for mankind. In the Great Refusal there is chaos, slavery, the Second Death: in the Great Acceptance, there is harmony, freedom. Eternal Life. Who can overestimate the blackness of that hour when apostate Man, in all the adult consciousness of his human race-hood, is brought face to face with God the Holy Ghost, and rejects Him? Truly, this will be the final word, the exhaustion of motive, 1 ' the unpardonable sin. But out of the wreck, of it all there will arise a new Humanity, whose Father is the Second Adam. The Supreme Necessity will be seen and embraced as the only way to perfect freedom, untrammeled self-express ion, Eternal Life. At last there will be the Christ! I am the Alpha and the Omega, Who is and Who was and Who is to come— the ALMIGHTY! 14

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Altruism UNSELFISH labor in behalf of others is proof of the spirit of altruism. In altruism self, or the ego, is lost sight of in the desire to benefit others. There is no joy so sweet as that gained by a service rendered for another. But no life ends sweetly that has been spent in service for self. Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. All law lias its fountain bead in love. With- out love there would be no law. God, the source of law, is love, God loved, therefore He made laws to regulate and preserve the creatures of His love: yea. more than this, He created everything in accordance with law. Love could not do otherwise. All law-lovers are altruistic in disposition. God, in His nature, is altruistic. God is ever blessing, but He is not impoverished because lie is ever blessing. He ever grows richer as He bestows His gifts and benefits. (Jod is true to His nature, or is the perfect embodiment of law, and as lie benefits, He becomes blessed. All altruists become blessed as they pursue the the life of benevolence. God has founded the principle in nature, that if life is given, life becomes larger, sweeter and more perfect. We hear, and to some extent feel, the effects of the fearful war in Europe. This would not be if all would follow the law of love. No ill would have come to England or Germany, or any other nation imder the sun, if the law of love was active in man. It is evident that egotism has about crushed out all altruism in the warring nations. Nor is this the worst of the ease. Egotism is fast becoming the spirit of the age. In church and state and the commercial world it is the energizing spirit. Men are preaching the gospel for the aggrandize- ment of self: men are bestowing their goods and riches as egotistic philan- thropists; the commercial Avorld is rotten because of egotism. But does that discourage us that are finishing our college course and receiving our degrees from Illinois Holiness University? By no means. It only spurs us on to help dispel the night and scatter the gloom of egotism by preaching and exemplify- ing the altruistic spirit. We will become more courageous and wax mighty through our God and hurl the truth red hot into the very heart of the egotisic world. We will spend our lives in helping others: we will refine our natures by being beneficial to all classes and races of people. A on solum nobis shall indeed be the motto of us graduates, as we receive our degrees of A.B., Ph.B. and B.S., and we believe we have received the degree of godliness. Also having been taught that godliness is profitable in all things, as we work not alone for self we will become rich in heavenly treas- ures Avhich last eternally. Serve self and we die: serve others and we live by the law of love. Adam R. Shiply, Liberal Arts, ' 15. lfi