Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-06-13
Wesleyan Female Institute.

Tne commencement Sermon of the yves
leyan Female Institute' was delivered last
sunday morning to large audience in the
M. E. Church South by Rev. W. E. EDWARDS,
Of Lynchburg, Va.
me text was the 18th verse of the 18th chap.
ter OF the first epistle Of Paul, the apostle, to
the Corinthians :-"For now we see through
glass darkly; but then face TO face; now I
know in part, but then shall know even as
also I am known"
The subject OF his discourse was, Religious
thought-contrasting its imperfections of the
present with its PROJECTIONS in the future"
This sermon was characterized by good
thoughts, well expressed, portions being
quite eloquent,-and was delivered without
notes in an easy and graceful style. The SUBJ
ject was clearly and forcibly presented. and
rivetted the attention Of the large audience
for the space Of fifty-dve minutes,-the time
consumed in the delivery OF the sermon.
The proposition that the mysteries of the
Bible should not operate as bar to faith was
deliberately and strikingly presented, in which
1t was shown that in the accepted theories of
biologists, astronomers. and other scientists,
the mysteries were as great and numerous as
those of the Bible.
Gravity is the namegiv to that mysterious
power which keeps the heavenly bodies swing
ing safely in their vast orbits with ihconceiv-
able velocity. That Is the name given, but
that does not explain the mystery-it does not
make known what that mysterious and all
pervading and controlling power is. Gravisy
is but name given to conceal our ignorance
it does not explain the mystery.
The mysteries of science are as great as those
OF the Bible.
Int hoc oI,, n
w. E. Edwards delivered also the Annual Ser
mon before the young Ladies' Christian As
ISOLATION" of the Wesleyan Female Institute
The text was the oath verse Of the 1Ith chap
ter Of Proverbs:-"There is that scattereth, and
yet increaseth and there is that withholdeth
more than is meet, but 1t tendeth to poverty ;"
The subject was-"The Increasing of christian
grace and capacity by dispersion.-a paradox"
In both the physical and moral worlds, God
deals in paradoxes. especially in the moral
world.
To him that giveth, there will be much more
given. Nothing is made for itselfalone, but for
the benefit of other things as we'll. In the dis
charge of personal and social duties. the
more we do for others the more we bene-
dt ourselves. That is the result OF the great
law OF God, that the more we
give the more we have. We cannot do good to |
others without being benefited ourselves |
thereby. We are compelled, owing to the |
want OF space, to make our notice OF these ex- |
ercises verg brief. |
Rev. ]. J. Engle, of the Bait. Con. M. E |
Church South, agent for the Wesleyan Female |
occupied the pulpit with Rev. Mr.. |
Edwards, on both these OCCASIONS and assisted |
IN the religious services. The music by the |
choir and that by the pupils was very good.
Last night, whilst we were putting our paper |
10 press, the annual celebration ofthe Lee and |
Jackson Literary Society" was in progress
The programme embraced the Salutatory by |
Miss Carrie G. Timberlake OF Va; Society Essay |
BY Miss Ella Haw, of Missouri; Recitation by |
Miss Minnie Moore. of N. c.; Society Essay by |
Miss Florence A. Powers. of Texas; Recitation |
by Miss jamie w. Conner. of s. c.; Valedictory |
BY Miss Maggie II. Youell. of Va; Calisthenics; |
with music by the 'StonewalT' Brigade Band. |
The annual soiree, embracing variety of |
pieces, will be given this evening; and to.morr-
row evening, the closing exercises will take |
place, when the honors won during the session |
will be Observation-Disclosures medals. diplo- |
mas, DC.