Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-07-17
Baccalaurcate sermon.
BY PRESIDENT KIToHEL OF SIDDLEBURY
COLLEGE.


The Baccalaureate discourse was de
livcred to a large audience by President
Kitchel, on Sunday afternoon, July ID.
The exercises opened with voluntary
and hymn, finely rendered by the choir.
After the prayer a duet was sung, with
very fine effect, by A. r. Sabin, Esq,
and his wife, OF Chicago.
The Presidents discourse. of which
we can only give an abstract, was found
ed upon Acts Alb, ''Now, when they
saw the holiness of Peter and John, and
perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they marvelled; and they
took knowledge of them that they had
been with Jesus.
His theme was 1.-The elevating and
strengthening power of faith in Christ.
After an Introduction explanatory of
the relations existing between the dis
ciples and Christ, the speaker remarked
that to be with Jesus-to be. by faith,
in gracious sympathy and intimacy OF
spirit with Christ, elevates, ennobles.
strengthens and completes human char
acter. Christian piety exalts every
natural gift, ana gives us additional
power to overcome in our strugges with
the powers of evil. This principle was
illustrated in the lives and character OF
the disciples. There came a wonderful
change on these men upon that day OF
Pentecost. All at once they were up
lifted. cleared, Disseminated, inspired
they rose to new royalty of character.
As with the disciples so with all who
come into the intimacy of oneness with
Christ. They retain their natural char
acters and gifts, only uplifted out OF the
mire, carried over INTO new life by IN
SEPARATION of supreme love. The love OF
Christ constrains them. Under such a
mastery of supreme affection the whole
being expands, and the new man IN
Christ is all the more man, newly
qualified, enlarged, and freed from the
bondage of sin.
Sin damages all it touches, and first of
| all wrongs the SHINING soul, deranging
and enfeebling it. Such soul is OBJ
structed, cramped, dwarfed, defrauded
of its fullness of life and power. If it
| be urged that many of the most brilliant
achievements are those of genius parted
| from God, we answer that these are the
exploits of insanity, and are no just
measure of the souls capacity in the
| full powers of perfect health. All that
sinful genius has ever done, but family
| shadows what it might and should have
/ wrought under the balance and insplra-
ton of its integrity. -,
The, case of these two disciples IS stu
4 more instructive, as illustrating the
/ working of Gods grace to supplement
4 defects. Peter, the rash, impulsive, I'M
/ goyernable spirit who could never bear
| provocation, is rendered cool, deliber-
ating man, self-possessed, judicial, gain
NC at once two of the lgrandest victo-
ries-one over his foes, and a far greater
over himself It is another Peter Dir
yinely corrected and completed.
The bearing of John is no less sur
/ nrising. The yery soul of gentleness
| and simple love, his bent is to fall, with
amiable compliance, into whatever com
i promises may offer. But when Ecallee
/ 10 face angry assemblies, he is toned III
i to the martyr pitch. The face of thu
+, GENTLE man hardens and grows. stern
/ Grace took them both, as they were, ant
toned M the gentle John and -tonee
:. down the passionate Peter, and tempered
anew. in Christ they stood before thu
conclaye of bitter opposers marvel 10
their eouinimity and dauntless bravery
/ II was a heroism of grace, as foreign t
i the one as the other, in his own nature
| And in these men was shown Chrlsl
faithfulness to his promise. Ana we
Itoo. in Christ, are heirs OF that biesse'
I.promise. God will stand by his SCI
want. and prompt, inspire and strength
en- him at his need. We must do on
:: best. summon every faculty, then rel
for our sufficieney. upon Christ. .
/ thy .days SO shall thy strength be.
But. what struck them with wonde
beyond all else, in Peter and johns wa
that men like these, of no culture, III
, ! lettered, unframed and unaccustomeoL
, face the great, or address public Assem-