The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-21
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE.
PRESIDENT SMITHS BAccALURERATE DISCOURSE
4 SERMON on THE BREADTH OF TIE CON-
MANDNrENTS or GOD

PRESIDENT SMITHS BAccALURERATE DISCOURSE
4 SERMON on THE BREADTH OF THE COM
MASDMENTs or GOD.
HANOVER, y H.. June 20, 1875.
The services az TINS college we're yesterday very
largely attended, and we're Of very impressive
aud social character President smith preached
as follows:-
The text was Psalms cxix., De- "But thy com.
mandment is exceeding brosdp n the handtwork
Uf man, said the speaker, whatever science and
art may accomplish, there IS always some imper-
Iectlon-someting lacking or some excrescence,
proportion. Under the airest snow, there Is
no ming absolutely perfect Even lt seem
Sou oiyers Inaonanties md astnrpis,es ~
GOd's works sac very reverse IS true.
The hner the glass win which You examine
tnem the more profound Is your admiration.
Even what may a. nrst seem abnormal-a mon-
strOsiIy, peThaps-has, In broader view. wise and
gOod purposes TO accomplish; n Is needful ana
hitting para OF Que symme trical and We'll com
pacted wnoe. In the great word dlapason
poets conception l. sill YER He'd
All disrord harmony Mt understood.
What Is true Ia material relations l. sii more
obvious ia the moral ano spiritual 40 mat nigacr
spnefe tie text mas reference. II nave seen an
eud,n says the pSamlst, ''of all periectiOn.n All
human perfection, he mcans-all perfection IN
character aud iire in aims ana achieyements
"But thy COMMANDMENT ne aods, is exceeding
oroadn Tue term commandment IN the text,
like divers autonomous ones IA the same psalm,
OF Gods Eord. IL embraces the whole
completed revelaton-tne wnoie "tree Of
10 Its fIuitage Ia the New Jerusalem. IL
comprises tue whole Bible and so ihe whole OF
CHRISTIANITY. Nhl.e all other religions are
yariousy aud yiial,y defective, this Is no meagre
scheme, no hallway appliance. IL Ia high as
heaven, broad as earth-nay, as the uniyerse. lt
emOr 4ces-histoncaily doctrlnslly practically
au excelencies and an potencies. me text sug-
gests, then, as the subject Of discourse,
THB COarLErENESs or CHRISTIANITY,
FiTst--It Is complete. nrst IN point OF adapta-
ZION. This II evidently point OF great impor-
lance, and one regarded ~ CO. 70 an hls opera.
tons. IL u adapted, first of all, ~ our essential
nature. Tho Bible Il was SHOWN at ienst4i y
suited 30 the intellect. Il - book Of prnclpies.
Il presents LOFTY aud soUleleyatlug themes.
with all is simplicity, Il tasks the mind with vast
and difficult problems calling Tor varied
loglc-ol anayss ~ 3 nsaesls, o. e oo,n
but t sheds lgat upon metspnJscs Il
has rich treasures for the memory. In It's
histories its poetry it, eloquence, int. ectualy
considered. II Is unparalleled. IL IS adapted also
to the ethical faculty. The ineradicaoe intuition
Of right and wrong is the postulate OF all its doc
lrines the solemn suO-base Of its most gladstone
songs. Christianity Ia suited even TO our physical
beng lheresls nothing "a tns respect 50 saustive
Of nj giene. Fully received ~ may almost be
termed a cosmetic. Nor Is Christianity adapted
merely TO man az man, but TO man also as lallen
70 his sense Of CUNT, OF pollution and OF spiritual
Ignorance. Vita marvellous versatility tt meets
MS various states ana conditions, u cmlnence
and 0oscurity, of prosperity and auyersltyi MS
individual interests aud nl5 social rela.
tons. its conservative bearing on the State
was emphasized and varlOusly Illustrated. It's
progressive adjustments or Its union or the
TRANSIENT ana the permanent, were also set lortn
at length. While thus adapted t0'man IL was ad-
ded, Us GROWING excellence Is, that n is exactly
suited TO manifest GOdls gerry. ~ Is tne PRISM
whereby all tie rays thereof are with divine leli-
city revealed ano combined.
y c0Rd--Ihe completeness OF Christianity ~
further eyiGcnt "a lt3 symmetr- "a feature Oh
great moment ana one intimately connected
WITH tue view already taken. II not only all
ess all tile various faculties; IL addresses tie u
III due pr0poruou-the mead, the neaft, tue CON
science. The bibtc Is IN TINS regard wisely
constructed. A. its various parts meet
/ our various suscepubnues, there is M
one OF them that you would eitncr abridgs
or enlarle. "N0u wOuld n0t.8 said u