The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-07-11
From the Burlington Free Press.
Abstract OF President Buckhnm's
HaccaIaureate Sermon.

hACChAhuEehte NeFu1Ons
The Presidents text was Acts XVI 32-
"Thereupon, o King, was not disobedient
unto the heavenly vision;" and his dis
course was a beautiful and powerful enforce
ment upon his young hearers, as his last
lesson at the close of their scientific and in
tellectual training in the University, of the
fact that the highest truth is reached, not
by scientific research or intellectual nduc-
ton, but by spiritual revelation. He said
The most intellectual and most logical of
ne apostles here declares himselfa believer
4 IN visions. Indeed his Christian life began
| With vision, and in one of his epstles he
sreaks of looming to visions and revela-
tions" as things peculiar to him. When an
enthusiast or devotee speaks thus we can
account for the hallucinaton, but when
clear-headed thinker like Paul avows that
his whole life has been changed by an APP
partition it at frit confounds us. Give me,
says the man ofstrong sense and reflection,
something bette: than the baseless fabric of
dream to share my life by. In some such
mood, perhaps, was Paul as he iourneyed
to Damascus. de had prejudged the case
against Christianity. But this vision, not
of the night, butof the day, coming when
every faculty wa alert, sent him to retire
ment and praye', from which he came a
new man; and We find nothing here which
requires us to withdraw our respect from
Paul as a manof common sense and calm
Judgment. lis conversion differs from that
of any other nan only in the accessories.
The new revelation, the flashing in of truth,
were such as make the birth and growth of
a
tons the preacher introduced the main
statement Of his discourse-that Spiritual
truth dlloqys comes 10 the soul By revelation
on tile part Of God, and By Uisj0n on tile part
Of man.
This principle is valid to some extent even
in physical science. Great discoveries have
ever beheld the truth before they wrought
out its demonstration, as Columbus saw the
new world before he discovered it, and lie
Verrier the new planet, and Newton the
law of attraction, before he proved it.
Scientific research is not mere grasping
for possibilities. Scientific confidence does
not wait for demonstration. IfNewton had
never discovered the disconcerting error in
his calculations he would not the less have
been certain that he had OWNED Alright the
law of God in the remorse. God has planted
in us confidence in our intuitions.
In morals, this principle has an obvious
application. We need no demonstration
that we ought to speak the truth No child
could be taught that lie is wrong, if his
conscience did not confirm the statement.
Man as man made in the image of God, al
ways has in him the evidence of his high an
cestry. He can say this is right, and this
wrong, and nothing on earth or in Heaven
can contradict him.
The highest of all truth, spiritual truth,
can be perceived by man by direct vision,
Not that we can dispense with revelation.
Revelation in part assumes that there is in
man this capacity for spiritual vision. Faith
is defined by the apostle as "seeing things
not seen" by the natural eye. The Bible
is full of texts that set forth this doctrine
Revelation does not address itself to the in
tellect. 1t tells us what to believe and how
to obey. There is not single complete
demonstration in the Bible. 1t reveals
truth as one who would say: Here is food
for the hungry, eat and be welcome. 1t of.
fers no official guaranty that the food is
wholesome. If its tones are ever discordant
we have but to retire into the serener air
where secular noises cannot reach us, and
in devout meditation lay our ears more
closely to the chords along which the Di-
vine Spirit breathes his truth to the listen.
ing soul. Experience confirms this view
| as witness Augustine and Luther and Bun.
| yam and scores of others who have noticed
the breaking in of light on the soul, a.
though coming from voices and appearances
analogous to those of Pauls vision. Al
must own that there is something within
them, which whether obeyed or disobeyed
confirms this truth. Nor do the false visions
as of Swedenborg and the Mystics, nisprov'
it, any more than the fact that sailors Otter
mistake clouds for land, lessen the value Of
our physical vision.
Still further, not only can the human
spirit apprehend spiritual truth directly
it can apprehend it in other way
spiritual idea can be seen only in Wis
ion. Proof, for instance, of the being o
God has no cogency for mind unable o
unwilling to believe in God without tn
argument. fla man challenges us to prov,
the medicinal power of prayer on the pa
tents in particular ward in hospital, ant
the challenge were accepted, and the result
proves the statement, will he pray now
But if in some crises between death ant
life, and his faith breaks through the chain
ofpride, and his soul goes out to God il
supplcation-for him thenceforth tn
Throne of Grace abides. lie has seen it
and though he turns his back upon it, h,
knows it is there. In this, the philosophe
has no advantage over the wayfaring man
The grandest truth beams alike upon tn
cotter and the s9ge. Aud for scholasti
pedants, who endeavor to confuse the faitl
of plain people by perplexing their intellects
they will always have the reply, reasonable
as ii is effectual Let me get home AM
get my old Bible in my hands and care no
/ g., en- Ino,in AM bxrc pnb sim
pie faith of believing souls, rather than b.
the argumentative defences of Christianity
vital religion survives, and triumphs in tn
lives of men. Christianity is for men, no
for thinking men-that is not for men VIII
think only and suppress the rest of thei
nature. And it is not for the intellect
though it enlarges and glorifies it. IL
who does not accept the truth as littl
child with tie child's large, round, opel
ewes to see, and the child's heart to trust
shall not enter the Kingdom ofGod.
The sublime doctrines of immortality, o
the Incarnation, of the Divine sacrifice 70
sin, of regeneration, of the Holy Spirit can
not be established by observation and Undue
ton. That is the worst skepticism whicl
denies that there is spiritual realm, dis
cernible by different faculties from those o
nature, and because it cannot receive tn
truth without asking leave OF the low prac
teal judgment, is disobedient TO heavenl.
vision.
This brings us to the practical point, tina
the truth requires not acquiescence bu
obedience. five ask, is a man immortal
the answer is "Thou art, prepare thy
self for thine own Immortality" Doe
God answer prayerp "Ask and it shall b.
given you" is the reply. Happy the ma
who at the close of life can say, was no
disobedient to the heavenly vision.
This admirable discourse, as clear an
strong as it was simple and satisfying i
its method of presentation, closed with til
following address to the graduating elias
who rose to receive it.
ADDRESS TO THE CLASS.
Gentlemen Of the Graduating Class
is expressly declared in Scripture that i
these latter days, young men shall sc
H. &. a Al. III.