The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-21
CIT Y INTELLIGEN CE
[For Addtiono! Local Re0,8 see Third Pagel


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COMMENCEMENT OF THE PROTESTANT
EPISCOPAL DIVINITY SCHooL-oERMoN BY REV.
Or SToNE;-Ihe Annual Commencement of the
Dlvlnlty Sch0Oi OF The Protestant Episcopal Church
took place this morning at the Church OF the Holy
Trinity, Nineteel tn and Walnut streets, the pre-
sence oil a large and attentive audience The eXer.
clses were very solemn and Impressive, as became
the serious character of the duties upon which the
young men are about entering who this day took
Gospel.
The members OF the Faculty of the School were
present within the chance was also the venerable
BISHOP Payne OF Africa who has just returned to the
United States Alter the preliminary exercises. the
sermon 10 the graduating class preached by the
Rev. John s. stone. ID. D., lecturer on che GuswOld
Foundation in the DIVINITY school.
The text as taken from Acts Nx verses 26 and 81
which Iead as tollows;-
Wherefore take you to record this day, that 1
am pure from tie blood OF all men,
the counsel OF GOD"
The preacher commenced by saving that il was
impossible TO read the teachings OF St Paul without
being impressed wllh the grave responsibilities at
tendant upon the Christian ministry st. Paul
looked upon 1t as task imposed upon him which he
could not negect. he Deneved that through the
strength OF Christ he could deal with the welfare
OF souls without beng guilty of the blood of
souls When ne looked bacz upon his ministry,
he could say that ne was not thus guilty: The lie
the SOUL the former being comparatively cipher,
the latter imparting to it us mystery and making 1t
sacred in the eye OF God. Hence the greater
enOrmty OF the cllme OF hun who guilty of taking
the life OF the soul. 1t is q fearful ofense merely
But Paul was able To say that the blood
OF no soul stained the garments of his ministry.
Happy Paul! who at tine ose OF his career, and by
the side of his martyr grave could lay claim to this!
HIS emotions, when caught into the third heaven,
could not have been as sublime and as precious as
when he made tins CLAIM TO the Elders OF EOhesus.
he stood among them the most sublime eXampe
seen OF a stainless munster of the Word of God.
The radiance OF the heavenly glory was then already
shining aDout him.
1t becomes a grave question as to how the apostle
was thus enabled TO deal with the welfare of souls
without being gui ty OF the blood OF souls 1t by
making 1ull proof OF his ministry TO those among
whom he labOred. He at all tunes, and on all occs-
si0ns declared the whole counsel of God. 10 under
stand this is the great duty OF the Christian IN ms
Ter. HIS whole counsel embraces all the objects OF
his care 1t is counsel embracing infinlty, 1t
the outgoing light which foods all space with it's
What we need especially 10 know is the great GEN.
tra sun or source of this light. Ihis whole counsel
OF God embraces particularly the salvation of souls
and the means by which 1t is to be accomplished.
Repenlan towards God and faith towards our
LORD Jesus Christ the grand object be attained
in declaring this counsel Paul counted not his life
dear to himself so that he might fulfil his whole
But this counsel is not confined to the days in
which the Apostles lived. 1t has gone down through
the ages; God the same IN history as In reyela'
tons. The sole business OF man i'll this day is to
discover in what this counsel of God consists we
have nouPht to do with anything else, it aids
nsNin learning and declaring this counsel OF the
living God.
All His movements in the ages throw light upon
this great counsel OF redemption. Nothing but a
knowledge and experience OF it is of importance TO
the minister OF God, all things else being secondary
and butary to it, Tue dec aratl0n oil this whole
counsel of God involves something more than utter
ing 1t fl ON the lips, word for word Such utierances
may be as worthless as pahtomtme, SIMPLY because
the lfe and power of Gods counsel are not in them
This lie and power must be IN the minister before
he can enforce upon the people. The gilt must so
seize and energlze blm that he cannot contain It,
pent up within himself 1t calls rot only for words,
out deeds tolls sacrifices and suferIngs. 1t calls
for a man who soul is filed with realization of
the truth of the gospel which he breaches. Suoh
man alone can, as Paul did turn the world upside
down.
The true Gospel brings first the sentence of death,
before it presents the lie that il in Christ leaving
no one without excuse VINO does not go for pardon
to the Gross. lhe minister OF God must IN every
way hold up this Cross of Christ as the sole hope of
the world
The preacher then EXPANDED upon the tolls and
sacrifices which attend this hearty declaration of the
whole counsel or 900, giving vivid sketch of the
about TO enter, by the discharge of which alone
could they hope to avoid the bOod-guiltiness Of the
soul
The sermon was followed by the administration Of
the Holy Sacrament, after which the exercises of
Ordination took place, the Rev. Bishop Lee Ofici-
aung Rev Mr. Edwards was ordained as Priest
Drs Hare and Butler and Rev. Mr. Matlacki per-
forming he imposition o. hands. Inc members or
the graGuaung class, ton OF Whom were then
ordained Dcacons, two having been previously
ordained, comprised the following gestlemen;-
Henry j. W. Allen, Guiliord, VT Frederick
Brook, Boston Mass William Percy Brown New
YORK; frames b. Chetwood Jr;' Elizabeth; II.
Butler; William h. Ellis, Laurel; Nelson Falls,
Baldmorei William, W Farr Pmladelphiai Joseph
b. H1 PhllaOe pha g. Bedell Keen, Philadel
phaj james Walker. PHILADELPHIA
A MAN-oF-WAR's MAN DROWNED
Yesterday afternoon, as the United States tngate
Chattanooga was proceeding mp the Delaware
river for the purpose OF reesiving some necessary
repairs, man on board tel overheard when the
vessel was opposite South street wharf and was
dlowned The body was subsequently, found at
Gloucester N. j and at last accounts was IN the
hands of the authorities there awaiting identi-
hcatlon.
STEALING RAGS FROM A WAGoN.-A
youth twelve wears OF age, named Peter Flaherty,
was arrested last evening for stealing rags. A
wagon had been loaded with bales OF rags from a