Daily Republican., 1881-06-20
A SERMON OGRADU ATES.
THE DISCOURSE DELIVERED BY
PRESIDENT WILLIAMS.
A Strong Plea for EducatiOn-A
sugg estiOn that Grace M. Il.
Church Erect IA College.


Mr.. Williams selected his text from
Proverbs xviii, 2: "But by a man OF
understanding and knowledge the state
thereof shall be prolonged" In his in
troductory remarks the reverend gen
tleman said
"YoUNG LADIES OF THE CLASS OF 81
The swift revolution OF another year
has brought the occasion that invites
us to this mornings meditationS. To
me it is no longer novel thing to
gather before me few chosen friends,
Young, fresh, buoyant, flushed with the
victory of hope, proud of the conqueStS
won, increduious OF the dangers and
difficulties ahead, living in sort OF
dreamland where fairy fingers weave
only green garlands, and love crowns
tbe objects of its affection with nothing
but the rich and roseate flowers that
bloom in the genial cline OF a pure anu
generous devotion. repeat this is no
longer p new experience for me, yet 1t
brings to my heart emotions none the
less keen because they have been again
and again experienced. The JOY that
sits in wild ecstacy around the hearth
stone when the tirst-born lifts a new
flood gate of affection develops into
n deeper and broader tide OF
love with every added offspring. So
my heart feels to-day more than tongue
or actions tell. AS come to sever the
relations that have hitherto united us,
as | invite you up side by side with me
in the activities of life, | am, II poSSl ble'
more than ever impressed with the I'M
portance of the act and the hour. To-day
am in sense your sovereign, ana you
nv subjects Tomorrow yon Will De
nv peers. oday my hand is on the
helm Of your barks. Tomorrow you
will be your own steersmen.
In view of these facts the choice OF a
profitable theme with which to improve
the bour is all important This is your
first experience of this kind, 1t Will
doubtless be your last one. At any rate
1t is the only opportunity that | shall
ever have in which to say some things
to YOU. The fact that you have fought
your way up to this hour and your pres
ent positions is proof unqueStionable OF
your appreciation of and interest,"
in the general subject Of education. l
have, therefore, selected as my text the
second verse and twenty-eighth chapter
of Proverbs.
From the text Mr.. Williams deduced
the general topic, Education the SUI
preme force in time. BY force Is NEAR
whatever proseCutes and achieves IL
includes, therefore, any or all power IN
the world which, by starting any hlna
- IN, ErI,Inrps
speaker asked the congregation to re-
member that he was talking OF forces loi
good when he said that education Is
that force, power, appliance, agency,
any or all combined, which Is the lnoS'
potent in the production of that condi,
ton of society in this world which all
of us desire. This is true, said he, nc
matter what our standpoint, whether II
be from that of the nation or the indlvld
ual. whether from that of the student
or of the active business man, from the
church or the state, from the world OF
fashion or Of plain fact, from wealth OF
poverty.
He said he would consider this world
only. He would net project his
thoughts into the future and take lntC
consideration the immortal life and the
inestimable value of education when we
shall be called upon to scan the mys-
teries, to solve the problems, and tc
appreciate the wonders of the glory
land. He said, however, that he be
lieved firmly in the intellectualities OF
eternity. He believed that disembo
died spirits are active intelligences. Ht
believed that his hearers and himself
| would escape from all material gross
ness and desires, and that refined, cul
tured and pure, with all their menta
faculties alive and their activities inten
sitied, they would revel in the opportu'
nifty and capability of "knowlng as we
are known" He Nelieved that every
redeemed soul is happy, but he coulc
not escape the conviction that the spirit
best trained here, made capable OF mas
tering The profounder problems in this
life, will start cut in eternity with en-
larged capacities, and will, therefore,
not be fuller than the uncultivated soul.
for both will he full, but will be capa'
bio of larger receptions and a hlshel
grade of investigation.
He believed all this with unwavering
steadfastpess, and said, if he were ar
guing in favor of that force most potent
for the world To come, he would have a
still stronger cause. He would say
that education was the only
force that could be transplanted from
earthly soil. He assumed all along,
however, that goodness, the necessary
qualification for admission within the
golden gates, was presuppcsed. He
claimed, therefore, that the only force,
outside of goodness pure and simple,
that can be taken with US from earth,
is education We may line our graves,
said he, with the gold we have amassed,
but we can take it no farther. We may
be borne to our little homes with all the
)cial surroundings and honors of roy
atty, but God, the eternal judge, Is no
respector of mere worldly position. We
may be shrouded in the flag of our
country, and be buried amid half-mast-
ell pennons, and in time with the fu-
neral dirge of the departed hero, but
the flag and our epaulettes will not OF
themselves give us position and rank
yonder. None of those things will out
live the tomb. We can take Lone of
them to the bright shore with us. But
we may, nay we must take our cultured
minds with us, and the more they are
cultivated the greater will be our advan-
tage.
Mr. Williams then spoke of thu value
Of understanding and knowledge in per-
petuating the state. He cautioned his
hearers to bear in mind that he did not
saw that education is the only force.
There are other and most important
ones forces, said he, and without them
education would lily succeed. For ex-
ample he cited the force of wealth.
This. said he, is necessary precursor
and servant of education. Man must
fill the stomach before he can feed the
mind. Digestion must precede appre-
hension. Ifa mans entire time is re-
quired to look after the wants of the bo-
dy it is a great misfortune, but none
the less necessity. 1t may be great
loss to the world, it may rob the world
of tho M uht iaet an1inarV Of OrOpr1SS.