St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-06-17
BACCALAUREATE SERMON.
The Secular and Religious Duties &
Life iu Harmony.

| BACCALAUREATE SERMON.
| The Secular and Religious Duties o.
Life iu Harmony.
The baccalaureate sermon before the
graduating class of 1886, st. Johnsbury
academy, was delivered Sunday even.
ing before an audience that completely
filled the North church. The fora
decorations were very fine. The grad.
uating class, numbering So, occupied
the seats in front of the pulpit. Rev.
G. M. LamsOn assisted in the opening
exercises. Beside the regular North
church choir a portion of the ladies
club, consisting of Mrs. E. L. Wallace,
Mrs. Dean Patterson, Miss Hattie
BlOdgett, Mira. Alex. Dunnett, Mrs. Alb
bic Mcneil and Mrs. P. F. Hazen, fur
nished the music which was very eff
fective feature of the service.
The sermon was preached by Rev.
F. d. Aver of Concord, N. H., who
took for his text, Matt. %: 81, "Ren-
der therefore unto Caesar the things
which are Caesars and unto God the
things which are Gods" The dis
course was thoughtful discussion of
the relations between the secular and
religious in life, between the service of
time and the service of God. 1t is as
sumed that the human is arrayed
against the divine in life. The ques-
ton goes down the ages, Caesar or
God Z? Men are hugging the delusiOn
that secular and religious duties wage
perpetual warfare, U The truth right
ly understood, is, that there is no con-
f1ict between the secular and religious
in human duty. God demands both,
therefore they cannot be inconsistent.
The alternative is not Caesar or God
but Caesar and God. (2) The secular
and religious duties of life are not only
in harmony with each other, they
should positively aid each other. I'm
der these two heads a strong presenta-
ton was made of the thought that the
true conception of life finds it's secular
and religious duties in harmony, a
grand whole for a noble end. 1t
throws it out of the code of self and in
to the sweep of the service of God.
Said the speaker, 81 believe that in
our day and land there are opportuni-
ties of service to God and man, as high
and sacred in the vocatiOns which we
call secular, in the places of business
and financial and civil trust, as in the
sacred calling itself. If anywhere now
and in the days coming, the rendering
their dues to God and man needs to be
emphasized so that it cannot be mis-
understood" In his closing words to
the graduating class Mr.. Aver said
Young friends of the graduating
class: This theme suggests, that, to
prepare for life is to fit ones self for
the best possible service to God and to
man. Here is an end worthy of your
ambition and effort. 1 give it not as
hardship or trial, but the rather con-
graduate you that there wait for your
coming so many avenues by which you
may touch directly every interest of
human veal, every work for the Di-
vine glory. Never were the OppOrtu-
mites greater, and l believe that those
now the inheritors of the worlds
thought, institutions, examples and
opportunities may be privileged to
give such service, leave such exam
pies, set in motion or quicken such la
bOrs of love as the world has never
seen. Why should not there be COM
ing the brightest and the best the
world has ever seen ? The way to
such life, the spring in and through
it all is found in the power and spirit of
Him who is our Lord. To say that
the first preparation for it is the Civ
ing back the self to God, would only
be to repeat what to you has been the
lesson by word and example of the
years past. Here is found power adj
equate to the movement. The mo-
tives that urge to such life are every
where, they sweep the whole range of
our being; they utter their voice to
every capacity; they grow and gather
on as we advance; they encourage
when we are weak, and push us on
when strong they flow out and over
all that we are and do, and the tide
lifts because there is an ocean behind
it.
1t is yours to be sensitive to such
motives, obedient to their behests, I'M
firing to work their will. Yours it is
if so you do, to realize also their bene
dictiOn, the courage and the calmness
of a heart that rests on God. The re-
wards of such life are not all yOnder
They are there but they are here also.
They are gathered between sun and
sun they stay and satisfy; they sing
and we are glad, and the soul that
misses that sweet consciousness of duty
done, of the world as better that it
has found a pattern through it, and
Gods glory more because it has been
rendered back from grateful heart,
misses the highest privilege between a
cradle and grave. | rejoice then
with you young friends to whom the
best opportunities and possessions of
life are coming. should like to see a
life that met them all, that went out in
loving and tireless service to man as
far as human life can go, that, in it's
GOdward progress lifted as high the
likeness to God as a human life could
lift it, for earth and heaven. For you,
each and all, | cOvet the best gift. Be
it yours to possess it.
RECENT DEATHS.
SANBoRN.-Mrs. Rosa (FarringtOn)
Sanborn died in Kalamazoo, Michigan,
Sunday, June 6. Under the head of