American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-06-27
Pittsburgh Female College.
Annual Sermon by the Rev.
Herrick Johnson. mt Christ's
Nj. Il. Church.

Annual Sermon by the Rev.
Herrick Johnson. at Christ's
M. Il. Church.
The commencement exercises of the
Pittsburgh Female college, which began
on Thursday 14th inst, embraced an an
nual sermon, which was delivered on the
afternoon Of the 18th inst, in Christ 5
Methodist Episcopal Church, on Penn
street, by tho Rev. Herrick johnson,
pastor of the third On. s. Presbyterian
Church, of Pittsburgh. The pupils Of
the College occupied portion of the Gen.
tire aisle of the church, aad among their
number was the graduating class OF 1866,
whose names are as follows Misses Ma
ry I. OHM, Classical, Allegheny; Olivia
j. Smith, Classical, Sharpsburg; Vir-
ginia l.. Stevens, Classical, Zeno, Ohio ;
Elizabeth Dalzell, English, Enon Valley;
Eliza ii. Duffy, English, New Castle
Caroline III. Lynch, English, Allegheny ;
Elizabeth D. M'CGy, English, Blairsville;
Mary II. Pumphrey, English, Pittsburgh;
s. Elizabeth Smith. English. Sharpsburg,
and Annie NJ. Steen, English, Pittsburgh.
A few minutes before three o'clock,
the Rev. Il. B. Snyder, pastor of Christs
NJ. Il. Church, Rev. L. G. Pershing. d.
D., and Rev. Herrick johnson, entered
the pulpit, and the services we're CONNER
ced by voluntary on the organ, after
which the quartette choir rendered Hum.
mel's solo and quartette "Thou art our
Father" from Baumbach's sacred quar-
tette collection. The 999th hymn COM
mencing:
"Jesus shall reign wherc'er the sun
Does his successive Journeys run" &c.
was sung by the congregation. The Rev.
e. B. Snyder then offered fervent prayer,
after which the congregation sung the
996thhymn, commencing:
| "IIssten, Lord, the glorious time
When beneath Messiahs sway" &c.
The Rev. Herrick johnson then deliv-
cred the annual sermon, taking the fol-
lowing toxt "Wo to thee, o Land, when
thy King is child" Ecclesiastes, tenth
chapter, and sirtecnh verse The rever-
end gentlemen theme was "The stabil-
ity of Nation secured by the mental and
moral activity of the governing power"
He said, the land referred to in the text
is the 'land" of Persia. The word"child,
did not mean child in years, but in un.
derstanding and in heart; in intellectual
power in wisdom and knowledge. Ac-
cording to the Israelitish standard ac-
cording to the standard of God s law, even
the best of the Persian Kings we're more
boys than men. "They are not kings
who have thrones, but they who know
how to govern" One Of the prophets of
God, declared Of the reign of Hezckiah,
king of Israel, that wisdom and knowl.
edge should be the stability of his times
and the strength of his deliverances; wis.
dom, meaning among the old Hebrews,
true piety-the fear of God. Historic
fact subsequently confirmed and corrobo-
rated the prophetic utterance. Hezeki-
ah, ascending the throne when his people
were politically subject to the Assyrians,
and morally under the bondage OF idola-
try, and freeing them from both, was one
of the most worthy, honored and efficient
kings that ever swayed sceptre. He was
magniGcd in the sight Of all nations
Great reforms, the overthrow of idolatry,
the progress of public improvements dis
enthrallment from grevious political op-
preston, distinguished deliverances, and
finally, years of uninterrupted prosperity
and peace, make his reign memorable in
history. He was buried in the chiefest
of the sepulchres of the sons of David,
and over his tomb even the King
of Kings pronounced glowing and peer
less eulogy. An understanding that quail
fled him Tor the high and pcrilous duties
of sovereignty, aud heart ever loyal to
Him who sways the sceptre of universal
| empire--iu other words. knowledge and
wisdom, these were declared by Ierael's
seer to have been the stability Of his times
and the strength of his deliverances-the
voice Of the prophet is the voice of God.
These possessed by the ruling power will
secure the perpetuity Of any people, and
fx the foundations of government as upon
basis of adamant This was the clear
voice of history, ringing 1t down the Gen.
turies, that these and these alone are the
conditions of stable and enduring nation
alitv. History is philosophy teaching
by examples" Abstract principle is Of
ten embodied and made concrete in his.
toric fact. Theories find form and ex-
preston in events and external truth is
realized and made actual in the worlds
life, while piety and knowledge belonged
to the governing power Of tbs nation
Il