The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-17
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE.
SEVENTY-SIXTH ANNIVERSARY

Baccalauroato Sermon by President Hubert.
The exercises of the scventy.sixth ami
versary of Middlebury college began SUM-
day afternoon at 9 o'clock, with the bacca-
laureate sermon by President Hubert. The
music for the occasion consisted of the
"Nenite' and "Benedictus' from Dudley
Bucks morning service, rendered by a
double quartette, with solo parts by Mr.
Geo. IL. Remele OF Boston, and Miss
Weeks.
Below we give IN abstract of the bscca-
laureate sermon.
PRESIDENT nuLBRRTs DISCOURSE.
The text was taken from Psalms L21-22
"Thcse things hast thou done and kept ST.
lcnco thou thoughtest that / was altogether
such an one as thyself; but I Will reprove thee,
and set them in order before thine eyes. Now
consider this We that forget COO, lest tear
you in pieces and there be none to deliver"
God is the leading idea in religion. Sin
degrades and mutiates our conceptions of
the Divine Being and fills our eyes with
blindness. Man is created in the image of
God is like him in some respects but not
in all. Sin taking advantage of the like
ness forgets the difference and would make
us altogether like God. The whole history
of idolatry is q history Of the error of con-
siderng God as being who wGT-~iust like
man and could be represented by images
of man. God in the calendar of the ages
has been photograph of the debauched
heart of the human lace. The alternate
from bringing down the Infinite into the
form of some idol Is dedication of heroes.
1t is sin ia both eases that works the ruin
Gus effects Advanced opinions giv9 us new
conceptions of Gods spirituality. authority,
amiabllity and benevolence. 1t is when
we zee God as he is that we try to make
ourselves pure even as He is pure. In the
text God speahs 10 the individual man,
"fhou thoughtest was altogether such an
one rs thysef They not only miscon-
ceived Gods being, but they also misinter-
preied His government. Because he had
not punished Immediately, they said it was
Indifference. But God interposes an awful
| threat to those who misconceive Him. He
| says He will not always keep silence, but
| He will open His mouth and reprove them
and tear in pieces those that forget Him.
In tracing points of resemblance between
ourselves aud God we are apt TO incur
| peril to ourselves.
| |. When we suppose that God resembles
US in not carefully interpreting our charac-
ter and conduct.
| This point was carefully considered, and
| it was shown that, instead of Gods being
like us in these respects, He was altogether
| unhLe us.
| II. Another form more hurtful to our
stlyes in which we incur peril is when we
| a.. \ 4 ~ .
tons. IL is very common to hear persons
say that God ought not TO exercise his full
relributivc power, because it is not Just fol
man to inf CT punishment to the full extent
If even his limited power-nay even eve
ought not TO svenge ourselves at ALL"
This mistake in regard to God arise
from our considering Him in the same re
lalon to us that we are to each Other. Goo
wi'hdrsws from every man in his jrirat
| capacity the right to take vengeance int,
his own hands. But man is Otter
called upon 10 act IN a relation not permit
ted to Inn IN his pirate capacity. He mus
sometimes act as q magistrate. In thi
case he acts uoder commission from Coo
who hayipg instituted human government
requires iis administration by human hands
God acts IN no sense to'cards his creature
IN the re(otion Of a priUate citizen. He j
the sovereign OF the uulverse-under oatl
If Office. God is over all-the supreme
magistrate. 1T is an error TO suppose tina
G. I'd must act toward man in the relation
IN which one private citizen acts toward
another
We are apt again TO incur peril when W
consider God as existing entire in some de
partment Of his nature and as being unde
complete control Of that department
This point was properly expanded by tn
speaker God is not fractional. He al
ways acts in his entire nature. but,
says the obiector :" is not Gods beini
summed up in the word love.
lndeed it Is; " God is love
but love is the sum total-not
mere part OF him. Love in this sense
not used in its narrow and warped meaning
1t is spiIltualized by the connection i
which it is used and instead of definn
God-G0d defines it. A careful distinctio
was drawn between sympathy and benev
olence which are more emotional than love
Tie nature of divine benevolence wes ais
considered and fllly explained.
having considered certain forms i
which we are liable to incur peril in errc
neously likening God to ourselves,
closed by calling attention 10 the fearfr
Neetluy WHICH Huin over tnOse VINO pei
vert and mutlate ard degrade the infinil
God.
Then followed tho address to the grad,
a,ing class
PHILADEIpGIlAN SOCIETY.
Ia the evening Rev. Hiram Mead, ID. d
class of 80, professor in Oberlin theolog
cal epnoinory ai1~eaae1 tho Dhiio dol NH ia
(religious) society.
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MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE.