The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-07-20
Commencement.
DACCALAUREA TIE.

The seventy fifth anniversary of Mid.
dlebury College occurs this week The
usual observances opened with the bac.
calauroate discourse on Sunday afternoon
by Rev. George N. Boardman, D. D., Of
Chicago Theological Seminary, who has,
portion Of the last year, given instruction
to the senior class. On account of the
unavorable weather, many we're prevent
ed from attending, and the church was
hardly filled. Those who bravcd the
storm felt themselves amply repaid, how
ever, by the able and interesting discus.
sion to which they listened.
The exercises opened with an organ
prelude and voluntary by the choir, af-
ter which the pastor read portion Of
scripture, and the choir rendered an APP
propriate hymn DR., Boardman then
read the 10Th psalm and offered PRAYER.
After music beautifully rendered by q
trio of the choir, the speaker named his
text, Romans ZIG, "If then do that |
would not, | consent unto the law that it
is good" Subject, The law of God is
readily lknown and is our true guide
in life"
The sermon was elevated 10 sentiment
earnestly practical and worthy the maste,
mind from which it came. The following
is brief abstract
Confession of SIN is approval Of tn,
law and confession being almost univcr.
sal, general assent may be inferred Tx
cuses and apologies for conduct are forms
Of conscnting to the law that it is good
We affirm the dignity Of the law by as
sorting that VIC have an ideal which We
arc trying to realize, but fail to attain TO
aud the presence and force of law are ad
lnitted facts for all our race. If there
are any who claim to be above the law
We still Judge them by the law, and i
there are those below by that sam,
standard we condemn them also. So We
are compelled to recognize the UNIVERSAL
] " anu NV tANAilthNN VI ihhs
The nature OF law is such as to impress
us with its dignity. 1t must be a force
which commands the natural world tC
command man, reigning with sovereign
authority in tho world or morals 1t il
a force full Of eyes and master Of all
languages, aud it speaks with equal au
thority to a divine, human or satanic
will.
But these things do not constitute it
highest dignity. That which especially
commends it to us is not its power but it'
benefcencc, its wisdom, the fact that it,
nature is akin to our nature. The idea
Of mamie cd is the end which the law re.
quires US to reach.
We see the value of the law 10 the fact
that the end set before us is the best Ii
takes US in its arms and carries u'
towards the good we need TO reach and
if it does not carry us it persuades aud
commands us to do tina. at which it aims.
In other words the law is the firm ally
of utility the best guide to success The
! higher utilities Of life, our beings end and
aim are bound up in law; that force by
which We are made constituent parts Of
the great whole. Except there is a plar
in the universe and one which involv,
us, we are waits in the progress Of events
mere particles Of dust blown at random
across the stage of existence. But if ",
belong to an adjusted scheme, we ar,
bound in our places and the cords tina
hold us are the laws Of God.
In the development of his subject tn,
speaker referred to certain prevalon
views, the tendency of which is to nulify
the force Of divine law. As for instanc,
a class Of naturalists and of religious
teachers whose watch-word is develop
\ ment. They claim that all of life ID