The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-23
Reported for the Dispatch.
Commencement al Washington
College.
BAC<ALAUREATE SERMON Bf bH
GxRARDEAU, OF y. c.
LEXINGTON, VA, June 81, lS6'

OF H.. -.
~ sermon before the faculty and
students of Washington College. Dr. vi
r,rdcau came among us with high rcpn':t'
tom partially acquired while serving IN
VIRGINIA rs an able and efficient chaplain Oh
a South Carolina rcgincnt-and MS cilol.
mon this occasion will very greatly enhance
that reputation. Your correspondent has
heard nothing but unquaificd praise OF
the sermon. and tho earnest aueii.ioi,
and fearful eyes OF the listeners pe.ohei ,'t
the deep impression made. From the tent
80 Thou that nearest prayer. unto 1hce
shall MI flesh come" Ops. Go: ~, he dcduccn
thc theme. "Praycr not inconsistent WIN
the uniform operation of Natural Law.
Rcmarkinc on the tendency TO skcptlclSm
which our national troubles have developed,
he proceeded to answer the Objection 10
PRAYER based on The idea that the Woriu j.
Governed 10y certain immutahic laws "hich
PRAYER cannot alter. thus ohlcc'ioh II
STRENGTHENED by the fact, which science dc
mouslratcs. that God generally acts i'll &C
rordance with those general laws: The dts'
tinmliishcd divine, in an able and perfectly
conclusive argument, even an Outline OF
which we have not space to give, met ana
rcttted this objection Is opposed a'ke 10
"tbc sure instinct of prayer TO DC iotna
in every nation, and the plain teach
inys of the Scriptures. lie clearly
and beautifully showed that 'Wlshou'
infringing the established order oil ma
t,rral law. God may provide Tor our Wallis
hrarkcn TO our petitions, and beStoW an
sycrs to our PRAYERS, by his own personal
aid immediate agency. This is the precious
doctrine of special Providence 80 clearly
taught lis 10y the Scriptures, without Wliich
the world would be hut cold ana urcall
realm under the sway Of our IRON system
of law. with no God TO whom we could
draw near in sweet, personal coln'nu-
Mon. and from whom we could derive
present help amid the stormy NM'sShuacS
of life, We arc not under the rlS'd reign
Of naked and absolute law. We arc not
doomed hy he stern necessities OF our being
Ia pray 10 mere distractions, to CRY 10 N"
purpose with the idolatrous priests OF old,
20 Iaal, hear us! o Baal, hear us! We
arc under the special providence OF per
sonal God, who clothes the lll'cS, lecuS the
ravens, notices the death OF the sparrow,
and bows downa listening car to the laliltest
hrcathiu@S of true desire from the humble
and broken hearts of His creatures"
He then sh owed that this personal God,
who fixes and controls the laws OF The unit
verse. reveals Himself TO us in His Word AZ
Father, Saviour, Friend, and passsd to IN
rlounrnt dclincation of what is Involved III
these tender relations This, then, is our
consolation in all our diSappointmcntS,
aillictulS and %ricfS. We rest III ProIi-
dcncc. for Providence is ChriSt,>, and Christ
is ours
The preacher then alluded othc dcSpond-
cncv and Skcpticism which had come over
many of our southern people because God
did not hear their PRAYER ana crown lhclr
efforts with success. They have proceeded
ou the idea that God always answers the
PRAYER of sincerity, and have forgotten The
limitation to the promise. VIC must not
only pray in \ proper spirit. but we must
never FORGET to qualify the petition with
mot nay will, but thine, . Lord, be done.
God is all wisdom, and knows what is
for our good ; at the same time he Is all
mercy and love, and will do what is for our
real best good.
God promises to deliver His people
when they call upon Him in the day OF trou-
bic, but the dclivcrancc will be afforded III
such 4 manner and ut such time rs VIII
most promote His glory and their good. II
i often accomplished inaccordancc with the
great law that discipline is in order TO good
ness. sorrow in order To joy, and death i'll
order 10 life. The martyr IS authorized to
pray for dcliycrancc from the fire and the
stake so long * the final event Is uncertain.
but God may call him to testify to His truth
and to prove his own faith and love by
diving in His cause and in that case he
is bound to acquicScc and TO go obcdicntly
to his tragic end. His prayer seems to lie
unanswered, and he dies III bodily torture
under the sentence Of ecclesiastical cXcom-
muniration; but the glory Of God is highly
promoted by the testimony which He de-
liycrs in blood. His discmbodied spirit l.
rapt rs in chariot of fire to the gate OF
heaven to receive the plaudits of angels,
the welcome Of saints, and iii amaranthinc
crown, while his heroic fortituac animates
his surviving brethren to steadflst con-
~tancy and unilinching courage i'll their adj
hcrcnce OF the TRUTH
"God promises to uphold truth
and right, but lie has not pledged Himself
III every particular conflict in which truth
.rapples with error and right with wrong
to render truth and right for the present
triumphant. He may sulier them, tof WIS., sc
purposes, to undergo apparent deleat, ana ~
he exposed to II tempest OF oppression ana
sroru. In these cases it is our duty to sustain
ourselves bv the consideration that God does
Ills will, and that the Judge of ali The eartil
will do right. And to those who, bafllcd Ill
their hopes and tempted to skcpticism, yet
honor God by an uncomplininS submission
due from sinful. Short-Slghtcd creatures to
infinite wisdom and absolute sovereignty, II
will in time be made to appcar-aS clearly
as the flash of Il sunbeam through the ms
s,rcs of disSolving cloud-that dement's
we're withheld for the bcstowal OF greater
that Temporary suffering Is but the preludt
to permanent blessing, and that trlith an.
right 90 down, like the evening sun, bcneatl
a horizon of darkness and an ocean o
storms to rcHppcar in the morning glory o.
an uncloudcd day. Hold, Christian bro
thcr! Do despair because your prayers
for certain blessings, however apparently
Great. have for time been unanswered
Where Is your faith? Where your allc
glance to your Almighty. all-wisc, ell
mcrciful Sovereign? Collect yourself
Put on the whole armor of God
stand against these troops of doubts that
would dislodec YOU from the citadel ofyoul
faith. Look up. God, your rcdcemcr ant
dclivcrer, rcgus. His will is omnipotencc
Ills realm the universe, and Justice anC
equity are the pillars of His rule. lie sit
III majesty on Wonder throne, and suns anf
starry systems are but the flying squadron
that wheel with flaming standards through
the plains Of space ut His commands. lie
lions of powerful spirits, prompt to obey
aud swift to move, minister before Ills feet
Ills eve rests upon His afflicted people, anC
His arm is lifted for their deliverance
When He bows the heavens and come:
down to vindicate them, the whole earth il
cXhortcd to make Il joyful noise, the sea tt
roar with the fuilncss thereof, the Hoods I,
clap their hands, the hills to rejoice, aud al
the inhabitants of the world to shout before
Him. Zion hears the laundering acclaim
and is glad, and all the daughters of Judal
rejoice for lie cometh. He cometh to judy,
the earth. He shall judge the world will
righteousness, and the people with llistruth
90, my countrymen, | know the great
ness OF the tribulation through which yol
have been called to pasS. Who Of us can Cvcl