The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-06-19
Weslevan Female Institute.

"
The commencement exercises Of the Yves.
leyan Female Institute, were opened on
Sunday morning, the 18th inst, by fine
sermon from Rev. DR.. r. A. Young, Of
Nashville. While the preacher addressed
himself especially to the young ladies of the
school, there was not one of the crowded
audience who might not have proftted by
the eloquent lessons he taught; that they
| didso, was attested by the reverent atten'
! ton by which he was followed.
The sermon, from the text, s'Search the
Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have
eternal life,' was mastery exposition,
first, OF the Christians grounds Of belief in
the Word revealed, and then grand refuta-
ton of the modern isms, by which its truths
have been assaiIed in the guise Of scientific
research, Of rationalistic theory and Of
openly proclaimed infidelity. Taking the
Saviour Of mankind as his example OF per-
feet wisdom and perfect humility, he showed,
by following the course of His life, how
its every event, from the cradle OF Bethle-
hem, in the apprenticeship in the carpen'
ters shop at Nazareth, through the tempta :
ton in the Wilderness, by the agony Of
Gethsemane, even to the contamination on
Calvary, how He reverenced the Word Of the
Eternal Father, not only! in what we are
pleased to consider the essential elements OF
obedience, but in the minutest details of the
law, "That all might be fulfilled" With
| the light Of perfect knowledge, before which
| the brightest star Of Ancient Philosophy or
of Modern Science must pale, know.
ing from the foundations of the uni
verse the profoundest secrets Of its con-
ception, creation and inspiration, He
yet brought to the study and observance of
the written law the humility Of child and
the reverence of a disciple. Because He
knew, He reverenced. What rebuke to
the tamperings of modern infidelity
Because tyro in some branch of physical
science may have stumbled upon new door
way to an old path, and found some hither-
to undiscovered lettering upon some obscure
| page of the great book Of nature, he i'm
| mediately starts up with the cry, 'sListen
to n,y theory. The fact which have been
the first to discover is irreconciliable with
the bible story Of creation. That story
| was told to and repeated by unlearned and
| ignorant men-they had not the advantages
| of education and research that had. hence
my theory must be the right one, and that Of
the unlettered shepherds and patriarchs of
old must be wrong. The bible does very
we'll for children and the unlearned. but to
scientist like me it is only an absurdity.-
! cannot reconcile its contradictions, hence
| they must give way" This is the language
of modern arrogance. But He, the second
person of the Holy Trinity, co-equal with
the uncreated Father, thought worthy to be
His counsellor when He said ''Let us make
man, in whom we're hid all the treasures
Of wisdom and knowledge-to him the mys.
teries of the written law were something to
be reverenced and studied and believed and
followed, though they led Him through the
shoals of temptation, through the shame of
trial, to the elimination of suffering upon
the Cross.
| DR.. Young was followed with the pro-
foundest attention throughout his remarks
| by the students to whom they were espec-
tally addressed. The morning sermon closed
with fervent blessing upon those who were
leaving the sheltering walls of the Seminary
| to enter upon the duties and responsibilities
| of woman's life.
DR.. Young preached in the evening to a
still more crowded audience and the pro-
| found stiffness and attention were the best
evidence of the interest and admiration felt
| by every listener. The speaker possesses
| sonorous and magnetic voice, command
ing personal presence and thorough mas
terry of the art OF oratory. He impresses the
most casual listener with sense Of his own
devotion and enthusiasm. We have not
space to follow him through the Celebrations
| of his text from St. Paul's Epistle to the
| Observation-Disclosures lest any man spoil you
| by philosophy and vain deceit, after the ira
ditions of men, after the rudiments of the
world, and not after Christ" The sermon
was addressed to the young ladies Of the
| Christian Association and was divided into
five heads. The spelling influence Of the
worlds PHILOSOPHY, first, upon the belief in
the inspiration of the Scriptures secondly,
the Interpretation of the same every man
in these days bringing certain theory OF
the plan of creation and redemption, and
whiting or stretching the bible to supple
ment 1t according to the degree OF arrogance
or ignorance he brings to the task. The
third division spoke Of the spelling influence
of worldly wisdom upon systematic theolo>
gy-the time-worn bible doctrines OF de-
pravity, the necessity of faith, baptism, re
pentance, &c. Under this head the speaker
gave mastery refutation Of the doctrine S
of universalism, unltaRianism, rationalism,
all leading to practical infidelity. The next
was a feryid warning not to allow the sane
tuary of prayer to be invaded by the insid-
uous spirit Of the age, which insists upon
the immutability of the laws of nature, and
gives such narrow and prejudiced inter
probation to the meaning and obje ct Of sucf
law, as II God Himself were the slave o.
nature, and she not His obedient instrument
for the teaching Of his wondrous philos
ophy.
The sermon though an hour in length was to-
brief for the profoundly interested audience
who would have listened much longer to s.
fine and thorough an exposition Of the prin
ciples and reasons for faith in Gods chosen
method for revelation, above all schisms ant
pretences OF modern systems Of philoso
ply.
The exercises OF the Wesleyan Female In
stitute were continued on Monday night q
the new Hall, the Annual Celebratio
Of the Lee and Jackson Literary Society be
ing the event Of the evening. A brilliar
> and fashionable audience filed the hall at a
early hour. The exercises were opened b
an eloquent and impressive prayer by DR.. F
A. Young.
The overture from Tampa, rendered as
= trio, with violin obligato. was finely ex
, cuted, Misses Ledbe tier and Dice, the pial
= lists, with Miss Hudson at the organ, an
: Prof Ide giving an exquisite accompan