Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-06-27

lnlNCISitN VI ' NIuluul anu ctatS <hSih'bi
tural College, 6pened on Sunday, with
THE RACCALAUREATE DISCOURSE
by President Buckhap. The church was
crowded with fine audience, which filled
the pews and aisles and vestibules. The
pulpit and platform were decked with ferns
and flowers. The opening prayer was offered
by Rev L. o. Brastow.
The sermon was as follows
THE SERMON.
..AndI if he lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men unto me- John Nii. %.
Look for moment ai the situation Here Is
man. surrounded by few proselytes who only half
believe IN him: eNccrated by the chief men OF MS
nation: rejected hy most of the people; unknown
outside Of his little provincial country foreseelng
his own early and Infamous death; AMI vel calmly
asserting that only IN spite of that death hui by
virtue OF il he should yet draw all men unto nm
self. II Is 'he wild dream of visionary FAR gone
toward lunay,we should say, If any other man ever
known in history should IN such circumstances, OF,
indeed. in any conceivable circumstances, nave
uttered these words The great teachers ana re-
formers of history. the martyrs and confessors.
diving amid gloom and discontinue. have coniented
themselves with Affirming their mistaken confidence
in future reversal OF judgment respecting lheni-
selves and IN an ultimate triumph "i me trutn loi
who's sake they dIch. But this man ioresees h"l
his own mistaken people merely but all peoples,
aud not merely some future generation hul man
KIND IN al. not merely NliinE 10 10 JUSTICE W
his memnry and 10 believe the truth he taught, hui
PROSTATE IN reverence and clnging IN love NJ his
iert himself living though deaf and alive forever
more. II i rthcr most astounding ana measnreiess
audacity whully irrccoucilahe with the sincerity
or even the SANITY OF hlm who uiters it-or, II Is
divine foresight Of the mary elous ouf-worklngs oil
divine love. H. however, nnd thai the seeming
ia Wild dream s actually IN process of realization;
Al tile apparcut aujacity Of The assertion Is being
viuucai Il. tine gus On, by the correspondence
of events with me prediction how shall we escape
The alj-s4ai..e: II 'lr-t - drawing al men unto
Himself urd HIS attractive power has already
rrachel fnaf s-aIs which assures is universal
triumph how ,lI ~ lupk buck upon ihls uttefanre
at Thai tune oi apparent weakness without being
c.ilIall- 10 "a. l'Nr that mere Is man who Is move
nam he s,.u- fo ha; a man whose utterances ON
uthrr OCCASIONS however startling they may be, are
uttIr,itn oug prrfnundcsi 'llet; man who could
have hal no las tAau a truy divine foresight OF the
m.ra,uIaus uuf-syur kings OF truly divine love.
We address ourselves 1rst. then 10 the question
whether subsequent events have yindicated christ
prediction that lie wuGid draw all men unto HIM
sell
dwell long Although IN hare enumeration the
CHRISTIAN peoples are still IN the minority, yet in
l.ant Of power and in ihc promise of future devel-
npmrut. they already have the preponderahce.
me Chri-'aniZrl Races are the strong fecund, en-
irrpiiSiug races oi mankind. They have the physi-
cal stamina. the intellectual capacity. the moral
uhre which ensure TO them predomlnance among
The nations Of the earth BY law which is now as
fully established any within the range OF Undue
non. a pagan race. when 1t comes in contact with
Christian race. Is inevitably either absorbed or eN-
terminated. orconverrd. In any case the Christian
race spreads itself new portion OF the earth,
and thus comes in contact with other pagan races
which Weld IN their turn. There Is only one IN
stance since the Christian Era began of an inhdel
race ispossessing for any length fine christian
race aud that Muhamine,lan wave, which once
threatened 10 enEulf all Christendom, We now see
randy and forever rccrding before the mighty up
hravals Of Christian powers MOI mar me triumph
of Christian nai ION. sa-caled. is always Christian
triumph Nations imperfectly Christian and under
unchrisiian rulers quarrel with weaker natlons
exact tribute territory scientific frontiers, and
mlffsntG their Frtmpa. But every
WAY. by the working or counter working OF an
uvrrrulnc Providence, which can make the wrath
AMI wickeness Of man bring about good, Christian
NV goes forward lands added 10 Its domain,
new tribes come under its influence, and Christ
getting access Ia new souls. draws more and more
e course Of events who does not see that sooner or
laier-and sometimes We are almost sure that II
must he sO0n-d the nations OF the earth VIII be
come Christian nations.
Next compare the social and political condition of
man with what il was before Christ Was lifted up.
and see how In this regard he has drawn men to-
ward himself. Compare the Grecian and Roman
family with the family OF To-day. Consider the
position Of woman; the relation of servant 10
master: the treatment Of strangers, aliens and
eNies the provision for the poor The sick the aged,
the deaf and dumb ami remember that society has
been brought 10 be and 10 do all this through the
teaching and the persuasive example of Christ, and
we realize how he has drawn the social life OF man
toward himself. So TOO in political relations. The
great Chisan doctrines Of individual responsibility
and personal worth eliminating in the sublime
truth of the equality and brotherhood Of man. have
ennohled men IN their own eyes. have given them
courage TO know and maintain their rights, have
pulled down the mighty from their seats and eXalt-
ed them Of low degree. 50 that We may boldly say
that simply anu only IN consequence OF what
Christ has taught and done Christian political
institutions. thai Is institutions which blend Chris
tan liberty and Christian law, are rapid
~ spreading over the globe. And let us not
fail to do Justice 10 the greatest triumph
of Christian principle which history presenis-the
intercourse of nations with each other in accord
with the Christian principles Incorporated
into international law, substituting for the Old
tonal haireds and suspcinns, and the old barbarOus
spirit Of overrcarling and revenge. code based
on the paramount claims Of Justice between States
a between men. and enacting the golden rule Is
equally binding on nations as on individuals.
But coming nearer TO the heart Of things, notice
that the n"siTLf. Of men concentrating upon
Jesus Christ That man - l.rtia 'houoht
Of while he was here IN the flesh. and to whom the
greatest Human historian. writing sixty years after
his death allotted iusf thrteel words thinking
probably that those words would convey 10 pos
ieriiy all they would know Of Him. that man Is
more and more coming 10 he The one great subject
the research. the meditation, the dispuiation of
mankind. What think We Of Christ" i now the
question of questions. which every is asking
Of every other man, and which every man is trying
10 answer Tor himself aud Tor others Since Christ
Was lifted up, the ART pi The world has been mainly
Christian arr. What have The great sculpors,
painters. Observation-Disclosures. musical composers.
thr grraf poets and singers been striving do hut
10 emIply. each in his material. Christian
ideas. The philosophy Of The world has been either
Christian anfl-t hristan philosophy
merely indifferent. Even those siudies which have
NO immediate connection with religion are drawn
a
She has found tu the rocks 4 rt,rnpI Of Him i, lI As
The creation Physiology finds aualorias Thar
t,rnphesy of Him Almost all the physic SCIENCES
either uuI Him IN their way or 90 ON of their way
10 say their SAY al,ouf Him None are willing 10 lie
,luIuh on the gr,ai theme Law the NOR. pr,,-
fun,lly II ~ su,l AMI The more faithfully admin
ister,.l become NOR. and more a rescriii of His
teaching, tiir the rutiau Of man 10 man and
man 10 God And aIoyr an literature the en-
htst ant of the total lie of man "a all Departments
Of thought what has literature 10 sly of
Him who Vas lifted up from the earth T.:
IL - not TOO much 10 say that modern literature.
Iron TILE Iuge To cplophon T. full Of Christ Take
a modern library and ~ through H. eliminating All
mai ha- come directly or indirectly from INN from
Ili- spirit and His prcrpf from Institutions H.. ma
caused 10 he established and from men whom liz
love has inspired aud how much Of value would Be
lpffs Remember. loo. that those who writ. against
HIM against His cause and truth and church and
,lm upon earth az, only swelling the number of
ihus. Who turn mems thoughts 10 linn Even prt,-
fame men adj their unwilling Testimony To the over
IpoweTiig influence Of one mighty maine The uath-
Of the drama especially iha' 81 the Restoration
testify the power Of The leermers name to com
bel the Thoughts Of mon even ~ That most wicked
lime. And 50 an arts and sciences, all philosophy
and literature. ali institutions and languages have
caught up The mocking words Of PLATE aud sent