Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-08-07
Pres. iJaiscm's 9a,,aiaufsaia.. 1881.
Published by request of the Graduating Class ]
The Graduates Stand.Point.

Published by request of the Graduating Clsssl
The Graduates Standpoint.
Every life has its prime epochs. You, my
young friends, have reached one Of ,hesei
and stand, for the hour, on the dividing line
between preparation and action. One last act
of official duty toward you as a class, remains
TO me. My heart will not allow me to make
1t a mere ceremony. Nor am l willing to
make it an occasion for the display of my own
abilities. If the indulgence of the pride aHd
pomp of office, and the acquisition Of literary
fame were ever proper, it could not be that
such moment as this would furnish the ap-
propriate time and place.
You occupy, this day, the Graduates
Stand-P Point" whence, with special advantage,
may be surveyed the past, present, and fu-
ture. This fact shall furnish my theme.
l. From this pinnacle, survey the past.
Some twenty or thirty Of your years are gone
"a full third of yoar life-perhaps half-per-
haps almost the whole! Has this great frac-
tion gone SO as that all further use of 1t is i'm.
possible, Is it to you like seed-time without
a sowing,or like fortune dissipatedl Can't
now only minister to salutary regrets, or elic-
it ingenious resolutions! You know best.
For myself will believe that it has been used
in acquiring qualities which will develope
themselves to the infinite advantage of your
selves and others.
But the most favorable resrosPees allows
small scope for sei-gratifcation. Wayward
years of childhood, neglected advantages Of
youth, over-estimates Of self, wandering ofde.
sire, impotence OF reproof, waste of money,
unwise intimacies, and broken resolves, occu-
py too large space in the memories ofevery
life.
But there is a view Of these past years
which at once cheers and ennobles, viz: to
note the blessings of God which mark them
all over. The very fact that you are here,
tells of whole line of benefits. Some of
your fellows have dropped out OF the class,
either by death, or disgrace, or want offunds,
or failing health, or fckleness of purpose.
But you are here at the winning post and on
every day Of your course have been shOwered
blessings from God. Leisure, books, teach
ers, meetings, revivals, friendships, health,
support, have all been yours. Since you
drew your first breath, seven thousand days
have glided on, each fraught with innumera-
Bile benefits, and bringing you now to the
longed-for ceremonial which completes and
publishes your last achievements. Surely it
is an hour when love and gratitude should
swell your hearts, and when, 10 omit all ref
erence to Him by whose favor you here stand,
would be abominable.
II. Now see whereyou stand. The goal
reached, an education acquired. How ar.
IDENTIFY you desired youth to pass away. and
place you among men! 1t has passed away
you are men. The period, which poets de-
scribe as halcyon, is gone! Toa youth well
spent, we may bid an eternal adieu with
pleasure-a great race has been run. and
won. Should life then be cut of, such
youth makes good whole of itself. But as
we can not part from a friend Cor ever with
out tender emotions, so some pang will in
trude when We come to say, Farewell thou
faincst portion of human life! Farewell ye
days Of careless mirth and cloudless brow
Farewell! calm seclusioL, learned leisure,
peaceful pursuits, guileless friendships, and
ingenious ambitions! Farewell! class rooms
and college groves, kind teachers and delight
full inquiries!
Well! let them go. So spring departs, and
all its blossoms fade. But if the fruit be set,
summer is better. And ifyour youth has pass
ed leaving you loving and pure. dilisent and
hopeful,its departure but marks you, progress
But the analogy is not complete. If spring be
smitten with blight, and no fruit succeed the
blossoms, We look cherrily to another year,
when ample harvests shall crown our hopes.
But youth returns no more! Yours is now
by-gone. There it stands, and will for ever
stand fresh in the picturinss of fadeless men,
ory, to be reverted 10 even through myriads
of ages, with ever growing pangs or pleasure.
Whatever may be the record of the past,
wisdom will tell you to be faithful to truth,
now, in estimating yourselves. But can you
now Judge yourselves truly! There is
nothing, in all the wide range of possible in |
vcstgation, in which you are so likely to be
deceived. We think and reason in regard to
ourselves as We do on no other subject. Da-
vid could promptly pronounce wise judge
ment about the poor mans lamb, while re-
morselessly guilty of an enormously greater
crime of the very same sort. How long and
grievously may We be deceived by one in
whom we have confidence! Much more do
We deceive ourselves. "Hear both sides, ve
say when others are concerned, but in our |
own case. are quite satisfied with the single
voice of . passion or a prejudice.
II ever YOU need to examine yourselves
honestly, u IS new, Ycl are ;'arhrs In