Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-06-30
L. v. NJ. AND $. A. G.
SEVENTY SECOND COMMENCEMENT.


The S,venty-secoad Commencement OF the
University of Vermont and State Agricultu-
raj College, opened on Sunday afternoon
with
THE BAccALAURRATE SERMON
by the President. The day was fine. the
church crowded. the platform and pulpit
decorated with baskets and vases of flowers.
The Introductory exercises Of reading OF the
Scriptures and prayer were conducted py
Rev. T. A. Hopkins.
THE SERMON.
President Buckham's text was Psalms cxix g /;
ooh. how love Thy law" There IS, said ne, no
surer test OF character than man attitude TOWARD
law II we see a young man who hates the law
because I lays restraint upon his passions|"e
naturally look forward to life Tor him OF reckless
ness and crime.
II he hates the necessary law Of work, we can
guess at his idle and lawless future. H. while pro.
tossing respect for the law. he evades or violates u
whenever he can do so and escape detection We CHI
see one who may yet in some high place Of hoto
he arraigned and disgraced Cor breach OF trust. u
he heartily approves and obeys the law because u
is goOd, he is good man, and we recognize MIN
as such, even though under stress of temptation
lie may sometimes lapse from obedience.
In order 70 fix our conceptions OF our true reia,
ton to the law need first to have true luea o.
law to understand what it is whence it rises and
to what it tends. Law in general is deciafa.
1 ton Of the conditions Of well-being. Tho law
Of the plant is that according 10 winch II Poioso
/ itself Natural Jaw is that which Keeps uneon-
| scous Nature 10 its prescribed course. Moral Jaw
i the law Of the conditions under which the iree
being Attains perfection He 10 Tree and so mas tne
| nower 10 TO disobey but he must take the conse
guences-and these the fOrfeiting OF some por-
ION Of his welfare. Every violation Will De asens-
| ed in the person Of the offender by some marin
OF his cOndlton, or loss OF power and progress We
must regard law as having an existence coeVa win
The creation Of its first subject IL lie not an lnVeh'
ton Of man but reality, existing apart rom US
| lUaaau nv mot
Int the declaration OF such law. The vote o. men
no more makes the law than 1t can MAKE or after
| the force OF gravtatlon. The moral law Is b lact
| Truth is truth, and right is right anu We mus
stand or fall in ACCORDANCE with or IN opposition to
| n Law j. universal and inevitable. The only al
tentative is obey and live by itor 70 9sooey shu
he crushed by il. II never releases ITS hod. Ohce
| a subject OF law. the being is always us sutJect'
| Again, law is divine. God indeed does not make
| right hut he makes the law which IS the RUE O
right aTst for Himself and then Tor lis creatures
All laws 50 FAR as they truly such. are OF dv
| inc origin ANY conception OF Jaw without uod
| INCOMPLETE The mind cannot realize the true ldea
of Jaw without tracing II, as HooAer says, 10 ths
| bosom Of God. We may 90 further and say tha
| God dwells mainly in law. He is revealed 10 Us II
| the silent iesty OF law by that moral order
the universe. by which retrihuton ioIiows sIn a
| its shadow The moral, more than the natural "a"
nroclams the power and declares the glory
tod.
| But in order that law may have its due place II
| the development or character, we must nave II N
,eeiiugs toward It. We must love hod Jaw, a.
did the Psalmist. As the seientihe ininI owes w
| laws Of nature the legal mind Is tef'eu /,
and attracted by the civil law, SO, thouEh IN
| hi.sher sense the good man loves righteousness
lie feels that the Love Of tod IS the glory o. th
| universe and prizes i, in all It's holy severity
ont Of I'M. conception OF the law and love OF !
spring noble sracter!stics-nodesty' me eauSn
| ter OF obedence reverence latin, whlen Is Vpe
| dience in the dark power. Through humlllli
| comes exaltation. Not the mighty but the meel
! shall inherit the earth.