Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-06-07
the GIRL GRADUATES.
BaCCalaureats Sermon to the Fs-
male College Students,
Preached by Rev. Or, D A, Cunningham,
in the First Presbyterian Church,
Last Evening.

annual BaccalanreAie sermon 10 tne Rrnu
ustes of the Wheeling Female College.
The President and faculty Of the college,
the mem bers of the graduating class, aud
the pupils at large occupied Pews in that
part of the apartment nearest the pulpit,
while through the congregation were scat
tered many of the alumni of the college
aud friends of the class.
Rev. DR.. Cunningham took for his text
James iv., II: For what is your liteY
he said:
The movements Of human society are
like those of the ocean: Calm and storm
light and darkness, level surfaces and
mountain pillows, succeed each other IL
swift aud sudden contrast Human life,
like a wave OF the sea, 10 driven oil the,
wind and tossed We are constantly form.
ing new plans, beginning new enterprises
and entering upon new and uncertain ex'
periences Hence it bshooVes US to scknoWi-
edge our relation TO the Almighty Being
WHO inhabits eternity-our Maker, our
Sovereign Ruler, our Judge and our God.
From amid the vicissitudes and uncertain
ties of this mortal life it ID
our duty and privilege to
look up to Him with whom
is no varisbleness or shadow of turning,
that He may De the strength of our hearts
in their frsilty and weakness.
He referred to James, the writer OF the
Episth from which the words of the text
were taken, as q great teacher Of practical
Christian truth; out he was poeticsl as
well as practical. The wide realms OF
poetry could hardly turnish a more ap.
propriate and expressive figure otths brew
ity of human life than that which is con-
tanned in the text: What is your liter
1T is even vspor. that sppeareth for
little time, and then vanisbeth away.
He characterised lite as thin, transpar
ent cloud, floating for oriet moment in the
air, and thec--goue forever So delicate
YOU could not touch il; go trail that
the fsintest breath blows it away! he said
the word of God abounds in beautiful de-
scriptions of the brevity Of life, but the
question under discussion III the para
graph of which the text is part, is not so
much the brevity OF lite rs the fact that
men were wilfully ard wicSedly ignoring
this solemn truth The Apostle dealt not
with the shortues5 of life alone, out with
the people who were forming their plans
| for the future, regardless of the uncertain
tenure Of this mortal s.ete--snd worse than
that, they we're leaving God altogether out
of the reckoning So it was that James
spoke this faithful word-a word we'll
suited for all: "Ye know not what shall
be on the morrow
he called on hia hearers TO take
God into account, aud to live IN the
solemn but happy sense that every step
taken was BY the mercy and unChanging
goodness of the Father in Heaven. AT
the head CT ell human plans Gods name
should be written in letters bold and clear
and unmistssa5!e.
The speaker said he WAS sure all would
agrea that the tex, chosen was appropriate
to- the hour and the audience. The
question, What is your hIeY' was brief
but could any question he of greater i'm.
portsucc? Could any four words contain
more meaning? So comprehensive was
the question. that q whole lifetime might
be spent in answering it. An important
point to De considered with the question
might be stated in the words: Life is
solemn problem. Where, be asked, was
the wise man, the scribe, the philosopher
who would undertake to define the strange
but simple, plain but inexplica5le, thing
we call lhe2 o. all mysteries, there are
none greater than the mystery OF life. 1t
deGes ali the cunning OF language; it re.
si,,s the magic of the poet; it yields to the
rod Of no enchanter; it will not be ex.
pounded; it will not be explained. Life
was problem which God alone could
solve.
Again he took up the point that life is
wonderfully rich 10 possibilities. Who
could tell what bouDdless possibilities
of blessing. and usefulness lie in q
single lfs2 1t seemed criminal iudifer-
encs for one capable Of reflection 10 fGj
himself in world like this, and never ask
the auestion: What am here for? Did
it not become q msB as he opens his eyes
though.iully to he light of this world, to
consider with himself that be is here for
some purpose worthy OF the powers with
which he is endowed, and the privileges
with which he ia favored? Everything is
valuable for what can be made cut OF it,
or what can be done with 1t, and it vas so
with human life you may cut the ivory
into beautiful shapes you may mint the
gold into shining coin; you may chisel
the marble till it seems 10 em-
BODY the grsndest ideal OF the
majesty of intellect; you may
polish the rough looking stone until it gilt
ters as q Jewel fit for the brow OF beauty
or the KinglY crown; You may subject the
TANGLED, rocky waste 10 culture, till it be
comes Ueu,sr:s.l PARK; ont neither IVORY,
nor gold, nor marble, hor fertile soil, nor
diamonds OF Inc mine, have such q native
capacity ss these years ct life. Charity
can cut them into shapes as beautiful a.
the ministry Of Howard, or the pity of
the Good Samaritan; faith can mint them
into deeds of piety and devotion. bearing
the image and supersc;iotiou Of Jesus Of
Nazareth; telf denial may chisel them into
the statues of goodness rising 10
the stature of psrfec. manhood
in Christ Jesus; integrity and 6delry to
duty can make them Respondent
With loneliness, and precious with value
that belong not to the choicest Jewel, while
he that cul,;vstes them in the fear Of God
can turn the soil, once covered With the
weeds of vice and the brsmbles Of sin and
the rocks OF depravity into an earthly Eden,
in which the music Of a conscience void Of
offence will chase sll care and t'ar away,
aud over which angels Wi! deli. ht to lin
ger and TO gsze
TIE speaker then devoted himself TO on
exposition Of the .trueism that life can be
ma1e glorious. only through Jesus Christ
and dwelt upon the point at length and
with great clesrness and force, command |
ing the close attention Of his hearers.
10 closing, he said
young ladies Of the graduating class,
there is q special lesson in the SUI ject for
YOU What is your hie? What is it now2
What is it 10 be in the future2 Is it to be
for the world, or for Christi You are soon
10 receive your diplomas of graduation;