Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-08-15

resigned Oct. 9th, 1917, to accept the |
Presidency Of Hamilton College, and on
the succeeding day Rev. Joshua Bates,
DID,, OF Dedham, Mass, was elected
President, and inaugurated March 18th,
1918, and under his Presidency the COL
lege prospered. In 1889 he resigned,
and at the commencement in 1910, Rev.
Benjamin Labaree, then Secretary OF the
American Education Society, was elect
ed to the Presidency. Under his admins
tration the college was prosperous and
much material aid by subscriptions,
placing it upon prominent financial
basis, was obtained through his influence.
He resigned in 1s65,and Rev. H. D. Kitch-
ell, ID, q popular Ipastor of lone of
the largest churches in Chicago, and an
Alumnus OF the college, was elected to
the Presidency and entered upon his
duties st the commencement in August,
1886. Under his administration the
college bids fair to enter upon new
career OF prosperity, and he to rival his
distinguished predecessors in all the els-
ments so essential in one who occupies
the position assigned to President OF
our higher institutions of learning.
THB BAocALAUREArB.
The Baccalaureate,' sermon by Presi-
dent Kitchell justified all previous ex-
pecctations, raised by the reputed power
and magnetism, the universally recog-
nized ability and clearness of the speaker
The depth of thought, the power Of ex-
preston, the infusion of soul-stirring
earnestness into every utterance, cannot
be made to appear in the brief abstract
we can now give. To be appreciated
fully, it must be heard from his own
lips; an approximation may be obtained
by reading it entire; but an abstract
only renders 1t feebly, even If it does not
do the speaker injustice.
The Text was selected from Deut.
33, 25.-" And as thy days, so shall thy
strength be-" Subject: -" Our Strength
as our Day"
After very brief introduction he
elaborated the subject making two
points.
First, Accepting this as special prom
ise, we find it afterwards enlarged by
many gracious pledge, till under it's
ample terms it holds good for all the
trusting people of God. Beyond the
natural course OF events, God gives
strength, imparts wisdom, ministers
grace in time Of need to every one who
humbly seeks his aid. He gives light,
| patience, courage-fortifles our weak
ness-invigorstes each virtue-suggests,
inspires, works in US to will and to do.
Beyond all the cunning of causation and
necessity OF consequence, we have God
Father-Natures Lord, and Master Of
causes, who ministers strength, and
gives comfort and support. The world
we live in is full OF God. We live in no
world of God. forsaken mechanism, spin
ming away down it's iron track of causes,
but in a world alive with God whose
will of tenderest loveItouches and grasps
and sways our life evermore, out to the
deadest fiber of matter and into the most
secret volition of the heart. We receive
impressions, CLEANS Of light in our
crisises of darkness, omprehensions in
our needs, which come from God, fulfll-
ling his precious promise, giving us
strength has our day. Andlthe bright bow of
this promise spans every dark passage of
human trial, and in our most poignant
griefs some comforting, Strengthening
Angel of his presence comes to assuage
and comfort. Our strength is as our
day. Thus, dying grace is given in q
dying hour, illustrating the law of Gods
gracious help for every time Of need.
Second, This same Divine Goodness
has also its method of natural working.
God has provided in our very natures
that our strength shall rise, and our
powers unfold and expand, to the meas
ure OF our need. We never can know
the strength that is in US, till We come
to trial. When that trial comes we find
ourselves greater than we knew, deeper,
richer, more capable than we had ever
dreamed. We develop, under stress Of
need, unfathomed depths Of resource,
fresh capacities, new adaptations. This
is God handling US in his natural method
of mercy, making our strength as our
day. In two ways, divinely natural,
God has provided that as our day is, so
our strength shall be, In one, by pro-
vdipg at the outset, germs of capacity
and hid treasures OF resource for each
souls day. At our creation be has pro-
vided strength for every emergency in
our historic life, and there is only need
of strong necessity to develop it. Our
capacities are elastic and stretch to the
measure OF our needs. The occasion
does not make the man. Gods gift was
in him, and the occasion only discovered