The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1883-06-28
NEWBERRY COLLEGE COM
MENCEMENT.

MENCE4IENT.
BAccALAUREATE sERMoN-sUNDAY
NIGHT TADDRESS-oR r AToRICA A L
CoNTEST-THE ALUMNI GRAFTON
MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION
COL. AIKEN's ADDREss-CLAss
DAY EXERCISES.
The annual commencement Of
Newberry College began on Sunday
morning, with the baccalaureate
sermon. All the churches were
closed in honor Of the occasion,
and, in spite of the heat, the Opera
House, in which the exercises were
held, was so crowded that many
failed to obtain sitting room. After
the opening service customary in
the Lutheran church, the sermon
was preached by DR.. w. S. Bow
man, of Savannah. He stated that
one week before, he received from
the President of the College an ur-
gent request to preach the baccalau-
reate sermon, which he consented
to do only on condition that the
people of Newberry would not OBJ
ject to being fed from the crib out
of which his people in Savannah
habitually receive their spiritual
food. He then announced as his
text, Zech. 2, 4:
aRun, speak to this young man."
He said there are tendencies in
soeiety-tendencies in church life
tendencies in political life, and ten
denotes in business life that make
it imperative that all leaders Of pub
lie thought and custodians of pub
Tic morals should run with eager
haste and speak to young men, and
admonish them of their duties and
their danger. In social life, too
great liberty is taken with the char
acter and conduct of our neighbors,
and subjects which should be spok-
en- Of with reverence and respect,
are, too often treated like a tobacco
pipe in an Indian wigwam, as some
thing to be passed from mouth to
mouth.
In the church there is too much
conformity to the world,-and the
few faithful ones who keep their
lamps trimmed and burning with o
steady fame, are popularity termed
.'old fogies."
In political life there seems to be
at this time, throughout the world,
a degree Of fraud, corruption,
peculation, perjury and dishonesty
that is appalling; and commercial
and business life is infected with
poison. If Isaiah could rise from
the tomb, he would read to the
philosophers of this age verse
from his prophecy: ''Wo unto them
that call evil good, and good evil
that put darkness for light, and light
for darkness-that put bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter"
The eloquent preacher then i'm
pressed upon the young men, the
Importance of forming an elevated
Christian character. Yoltaire and
other learned infdels have been
compelled to admit that the highest
style of person is found in the ex-
ample of Jesus Christ. He then
portrayed the dignity and worth of
the Christian character, and warned
his hearers that Christianity is some
thing with which we dare not play
fast and loose. The halfway Chris
tian is kind OF moral orphan that
seems to belong neither to Christ
nor to Satan. IF there is an inter
mediate place, between the church
militant and the church triumphant,
such persons might be sent there to
be placed under the charge Of King
Agrippa, who was almost, but never
altogether. Christian.
But those who have never profes-
sed Christianity need not fatter
themselves that they are in less
danger than those who have broken
their vows. The only promise for
such persons, is the promise Of par
don on condition Of repentance and
faith. They are not better off than
imperfect Christians. 1t is nearer
the arms Of Jesus through the dam
gerous portal of broken VOW, than
over mountain of unbelief. It is
easier to return to first love, than
first to learn to love when the heart
has grown old and cold and hard in
sin.
He enjoined upon the graduates,
about to become citizens Of the
great republic of letters, the truth
that great possibilities lie within
their reach, and that they will be-
come powerful according to the
measure of their attainments and
perseverance. The golden thread,
running through the discourse,
which we have imperfectly outlined,
was the thought that the highest
dignity and the truest worth are
found in the steadfast Christian
character.
DR.. Bowman is an able preacher;
he has a splendid voice of wonder
full depth and compass, and the i'm
portant lessons of his sermon were
received with the closest attention.
The people of Newberry would
gladly receive another intellectual
treat from the crib that furnishes
food to the Lutherans of Savannah.
SUNDAY NIGHT.