The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-19
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE.
seventy-Fifth Commencement

The seventy-fifth annual commencement
of MiddIebury college begun on Sunday
afternoon with the baccalaureate sermon,
by Rev. George N. Boardman, d. d., Pro-
fcssor in Chicago theological seminary, a
graduate and for several years professor
in that institution, who has twice been ten
dercd the presidency, but declined because
he believed his field in the worlds labor
lay in another direction. We give below
a full abstract of DR.. Boardman's admirable
sermon. The Philadelphia society,
a religious society of the college, held
its seventy first anniversary on Sun
day evening, the address being de-
livered by Rev. Geo. Leon Walker, D. D.,
formerly of the Center church, New Haven,
Conn. These two gentlemen are among
the ablest of the alumni of the college, and
they well illustrate in their discourses the
peculiar discipline and culture impaired in
the instructions of this institution, which
in the distinction its alumni have reached,
is second to none in the country.
ABSTRACT OF BACoALAUREATE SERMON.
The subject of the discourse was 1.-THE
law of God readily known and the true
guide fol our lives" The text was
If then do that which would not, / consent
unto the law that 1t is good.-ROmans vi:l6.
If there are many Instances in which the
law of God seems to indicate but dimly the
path of duty il often it leaves us to as
sumo an undesired amount of responsibility
still in directing the main course of life it
is clear and distinct in its utterance and If
there seem to be other guides in the con-
duct of life, such as the impulses of nature
| or the cravings of the heart, still the law
is our one authoritative director. Before
| illustrating the truth here announced and
for the purpose of giving this discourse a
practical aim, wish to call attention to
certain views which are in opposition to
| the statement before us and which in fact
abrdge and sometimes nullify the force
of the divine law. At the present time the
tendency of class of naturalists and of
religious teachers is the same, their watch
word is development in nature all of life,
all of order is the development of the SIM
plest primal force. Get clot of earth
which is capable of forming an internal
bubble and then of dividing the bubble into
two contiguous bubbles and you have Sc
cured the problem Of life.
| Where are those who adopt q similar
theory of development in morals and re-
| ligion. haye not in mind those who
make morality a mere development OF
| physical nature, for this is to destroy morals
and to make religion result from the ar
rangcment of particles of matter, The
principle of l0Do is fixed upon as the prm-
al force out of which all religion may be
generated. This is the original clot OF
bubbling and cell-producing power out OF
which the entire system of human duty
and human virtue can be built up The
advocates of this religious system are moi
atheists, they are not materalists, they are
many of them devout and docile christians;
but they have caught the philosophizing OF
the age, they have carried to excess Ger,
tain natural process of thought and have
enslaved themselves to the impulse we al
have to simplify our schemes of philosophy
or morals, by tracing all things to single
| source.
This scheme of religion is not as should
be carefully noticed, one which requires tho
love of certain worthy objects as the full
fillment of a duty, or In obedience to 6
command. 1t is the Oldest and simplest Of
all religious systems that the law requires
| t0Ue as well aS Otner emOtlOnS but the
view we would oppose teaches that loc,
makes law and constitutes all virtue.
There is no law, no virtue, no morality
possible or conceivable (such is the doc
trine of the new gospel,) but that which
love creates. To love and to be condemned
would be contradiction of terms. Con
domination implies law, law is the produc
of love, hence the lack of love is the only
possible thing which can be condemned
To love is to be saved, in fact gives rise t.
the idea of salvation. In opposition t.
such views as these l repeat the topic
have already announced The law of Goo
is an object of clear apprehension and Il
our true guide In life.
1. The law of God is an object which
we apprehend clearly and distinctly, exist
ing independently of us, which enforces il
self upon us as authoritative and beneh
cent. The apostle in the text has brought
out this fact conclusively. The fact is SC
clearly known and so easily known thai
every transgressor Is compelled to confess
that he acted IN view of it before thu
thought of his responsibility to It, Oul