Prof. Drummond's Lecture.

About 200 men heard Prof. Drummond's talk in Sever 11 last evening. The talk lasted for about forty-five minutes and was intensely interesting. The lecturer said that he wished me to take religion on a firm basis and not make it an emotional matter. Such religion does not last. If the grand religion of Christ is put before men in the right way it needs no argument. Men would accept it at once without urging. He wished to speak of two subjects briefly. First, the intellectual difficulty which men meet with in religion. This difficulty must be settled first. Our minds must be satisfied. Man is a born questioner, he cannot help doubting. And the whole world is a Sphinx, full of my story. If it were not so, there would be nothing for man to use his intellect upon. Also the instruments by which we study are impaired by nature, and by prejudice. The lenses with which a man sees are not corrected and few can focus them. And lastly, all truths are "doubtable."

It is not singular that we cannot prove religious facts. No great religious truths have been proved to the satisfaction of the average man. A man before he enters college is not awake to the intellectual side of life. During his college course he usually looks mainly at the intellectual side. So a man in college naturally doubts. But there are other things in life than reason. Theology and religion are very different. Theology solves the problems, but religion is for one's life, whether a man live well or ill. Then give up the insolvable problems, no one can solve them. And if you have doubts, do not try to settle them yourself, turn to the authorities. If a man meets a difficulty he should try to solve it with the aid of the proper authorities, and he will be satisfied, if he is a reasonable man. Theology is a science, so appeal to experts; do not say that a thing is untrue because you find it so. Religion is a man's personal obligation to Christ. One should approach religion with a child's spirit and not with a student's spirit. Student spirit is for Theology. A man must go to the bottom and begin his religion as a little child. A man at twenty without a religion is truly to be pitied. "Truth is not to think, but to be and to do." Let a man's intellect work, but meanwhile let him obey Christ and live as Christ would wish. To be better men and lead the best life, making others feel Christ, this is a life of truth. Christianity has a broad sweep, it comes to men at work, at their books, at their worship. You say you do not need Christ in your College life, your life is complete, and perhaps you are right. But you must be prepared for life and here is the place. Work is coming and you must prepare for it, but without Christ you are not prepared. If you do not need Christ, he needs you. You, since you are Harvard students, have more influence than all the other young men in this country. If this college should become a power for Christ, it would influence the whole country; you are responsible.

And then briefly on the moral side of religion. A man can never get rid of temptation. Kill the temptation or it will kill you. In the first place, temptation is no sin, Christ was tempted. If you encourage it, it is sin, but if you repel it, it is not. Secondly, temptation is invaluable, no man can be a man unless he is tempted and that often. Practice makes a man a good Christian. Make temptation a continual means of grace, and you are on the right road. Religion consists in living. Who is going to begin this life? Consider all of you your duty to yourself, your country and to Christ.