National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-27
CoANENCEMENT OF DICKINSON
SEMINARY.

SEMINARY.
The annual commencement exercises of this
institution were held on last week, Rev. A. J.
Gray, A. M, Of the Baltimore Conference,
president, having entered upon the duties OF
this office last spring. Under his vigorous ad-
ministration signs of new life are already ap-
parent. The attendance was unusually large,
and the exercises highly creditable and inter-
esting. The friends Of the institution are en-
coufaged for the future. Rev. II. A. Cleve-
land, Of Foundry church, In this city, preached
the annual sermon in Mulberry-str M. E.
church, to large audience, and that he is APP
preciated abroad as well as at home, will ap-
pear by the following extract, which we clip
from the Williamsport Daily Register Of the
succeeding day:
"The sermon Of Mr. Cleveland was q fine
and appropriate effort. 1t dealt chiefly with
the rugged difficulties Of this life and the hu-
man development into the God-life very
forcibly, maintaining that the greatest beretit
Is derived from exertion. It was o v&y COM
pact sermon, and yet It abounded In striking
illustrations and happy figures. 1t was q
learned and eloquent argument for human
activity. The earnest thoughts were earnestly
expressed for the honest encouragement of the
young ladies and gentlemen going out of
school life to world life, and to assure them
that nothing can be accomplished without
some aattery, such as we have heard lavished
upon students. It was therefore honest, as
we'll as earnest. Its irony was to be commended
to the sluggard. The one who, wounded and
faint in the struggle, would lie down and let
go of this life and eternal life, was specially
edited and urged to renewed effort. It con-
tanned no comfort or adulation for those who
rely not upon themselves in life's contest, but
who, like the German enthusiasts in the Re-
formation, go without arms into the battle and
die singing. and believing that the Lord will
turn their enemies bullets aside. It did not
have much of the supine doctrine embodied in
the words, "the Lord will provide" It was
emphatically struggle, move upward, "be-
come" 1t was grand tribute to human eff
fort under divine law, one which the students
and everybody else could study and ponder
long and often with profit.
at would have been exceedingly difficult to
say anything more appropriate to students
than this sermon contained. We liked it all
through. 1t was good to be there, and hear
IL. Its excellence lay in the stress upon the
divinity Of action, always increasing and devel-
oping. We were taught that though we may
grow tired and weary, we must not give up the
fight. We can rest for little while, but to
geek out new plans, new avenues and new con-
quests.
"Mr. Cleveland is quite young man. But
he possesses fine oratorical powers. The quail
ity of his voice is excellent. he has fine natu-
raj endowments, and is well informed in bis
tory and mental philosophy, as well as in the
sciences, being also at home in the literature
Of the day. His abilities might well be envied
by older divines. His research and breadth of
thought might easily provoke jealousy of his
success. But, it may be as well to remember
what Paul said to Timothy: Let no man
despise thy youth We predict for the orator,
and all students who catch his inspiration, bril-
liant careers"