Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-30
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA..


Commencement Begun-Kelisious stads-
tics OF the Session.
Correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatch
JUNE %, 1885.
The commencement Of the sixty-frst
session Of the University of Virginia
was inaugurated last evening by the
final sermon before the Young Mems
Christian Association by the ri. Rev.
George W. Peterkin, Bishop of West
Virginia.
The music was noticeably superior.
The Association has this year given
particular attention to their choir.
At the final services last night Mr..
+. ". Hams, of Petersburg, sang a
solo. and was supported. by Mr.. Davis
on the organ and Mr.. Cox on the cornet.
The Episcopal service was read by
the chaplain, who then introduced the
Bishop. Bishop Peterkin spoke briefly
upon the text, II am the Light Of the
World" He said that Christ's life
stands out with wonderful diStinctness
his personality was well defined, and
We know him as we know no one else
of his time. The man, his sympathieS,
and aims are not merely a tender
memory, but living power. For
which reason all denominations and
systems are to-day agreed as to his
place in the record. His witness of
himself, and that Of contemporaries and
others as to him, agree in all essentials,
and hence, the Bishop said, he would
not try to establish what no one de-
MES. e., Christ is " The Light the
World" but would merely illustrate
the truth. Christ in his day was the
great resolyer Of religious troubles.
His light showed a clear path
to many who had CROPPED before.
Without that light the early ages in
feeling after God became prolific Of re-
ligious systems, which were embraced
as fast as announced, because those
tried before were unsatisfying to these
early searchers after truth, and not
merely because men were credulous.
The heather world had its splendid
civilization, its Understanding morality
divorced from religion, but that was all.
They did feel after God, but instead of
cropping toward the light they wander
ed from it. 1t is fashionable to-day to
laud certain heather systems, but what
are their Khorans and Vedas in COM
parison with the Bible? What other
/ syStoms fail 10 answer is made straight
! in Christ.
The Jewish world, in spite of its re-
ligious stars and moon, was without
the light Of the sun, the source OF all
growth and vitality. Their system,
like mountain peaks, caught upon their
SUBMITS the very light Of Heaven, but
there was darkness in the valleys
their laws came from Moses, but the
light Of the world comes from Jesus.
The world of to-day IS not heather or
Jew, and is certainly not religious; but
is in a transition state yet. The true
religion dominates by force, though not
the widest in extent. II enjoys the
light, and yet in the midst of its Won
derful activities forgets the great first
cause in secondary causes. But that
light is elevating governments and their
subjects, and enabling men to see clearly
what was formerly a mystery. The
, Israelite Of the first century, believing
, in the coming Of great temporal king
TO Gods chosen people, could not com
3 prehend the meaning Of the announce
, ment that he should he sent unto thu
Q Gentiles as well, but that is clear to u
= to-day.
8 The Bishop closed with brief ap
: plication Of his remarks: () Jesus i;
g the light OF the world. Is He you,
s light? Leave open doors for Him to en-
ter. o. Do We present Him to tn
n world as our light? The question o
t the ages was, How shall man be jus
with God? Christ answers it, " / an
j. the light" Walk in it, and hold it u
i for others. (S) We must shine befor
men--be shining lights. Are W
= shining for Him?
SOME STATISTICS.
y The following are some Of the reli
# gious statistics Of the session, whicl
show the wide extent of religious worl
j. done under the direction of the chap
lain and the Young Mems Christia
l. Association
a Besides the daily morning prayer
there have been held one hundred an
,, thirty-nine religious services at tn
i University during the session. Thirty
one of these were conducted by yisi,
J. ing clergymen Of different denomins
I" tons; the rest by the chaplain, tn
70 Rev. Mr.. Glazebrook.
>, Among the services by visiting clel
q gymen may be mentioned specis
IT series Of four sermons by the followin
ministers: The Rev. DIR. Boardman, {
% Philadelphia I; Rev. DIR. Coke, of Wash
n ington Rev. Or. Minnigerode, Of Rich
70 mord, and Rev. DIR. Dinwiddie, of Alex
n sndria. Also, a series Of sermons {
great power and effectiveness by tn
II Rev. DIR. Drew, of Richmond.
o In addition to the services held b
8 the chaplain and other ministers, tn
Q young men Of the Christian Associatio
/ have held weekly prsyer-meetings
!, which were well attended snd whic
constituted an important factor in III
Christian work OF the session.
. I'll. A esc~,o s,oyx hos also ras,nt alma,