The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1888-06-11
THE BACCALAUREATE.
An Eloquent Sermon by Rev. +.
r.. SWOpe, DID,. s#
A Delightful Day, and the Great Com.
mencement Hall Crowded n.
= with People. :

FclouQS cooled me air, ana shielded
from the hot sun. There were no
services in any of the churehes=-all
giving way for the baccalaureate at
the University. There. had been
many arrivals ON Satul day, and the
special train yesterday morning was
crowded with people. >-,s -: !.
Before eleven o'clock the great
commencement hall was filled; and
as the clock struck eleven the ush-
ers marched up one of the aisl es fol-
lowed by President Turner and Rev.
r, R. Swope, DID,, Of Wheeling, Dr.W.
R. White and Rev. A. NJ. Buchan-
an, and the. members of the grad
ating class, Messrs. D. L. Jamison,
Fl. H. .Ryland, j. D. Cox, H. H. En-
inert, c. Hartmyer and Frank Snider.
| After the invocation by Rev. Buch-|
anan. the entire congregation, led by
Dr:.zPurinton and with Mrs. Harti-
gan at the organ joined in#singing the
hymn Instruct. me in Thy Stat
utes, Lord" DR.. White then read
for the morning lesson the third
chapter of first Corinthians, and Of
fered prayer, as follows:i a..
| 90 Lord, Thou has taught US to
say we are Thy children-Thy fav-
ored people. Thy word tells us
| that Thou didst so love the world as
to give Thine only begotten son, that
WhosoeYer belieyeth in him might
not perish but have Everlasting
life We rejoice this be.autifpl Sab
bath ~ rning for the Woad erflll rev.
selatioip Ely gentlenes md good-
ness both IA WoE alf Thy
W6Ie IIiOu hast as g EiIou
hast appointed d time ct iis sin
which we may be useful, md faith
j full Thou wilt bestow The reward.
| Grant Thy special blessing on this
occasion, and Thy benediction on
these young men and all their eff
forts; on the Faculty Of this Uni
Eversity, and on Thy servant who
will speak Thy word. Let Thy
spirit be in this great land, and may.
war and intrigue be displaced by
methods Of peace and council Now
we commit to Thy guardian care all
those whom we love; anil when our
work is done take US to Jour exceed
ing great reward in the Heavens, and
| Thy name shall have al the praise,
forevermore. Amen" n ~ T.. :.
Then the great congregation stood
up and united in singing the hymn
-"Guide me, Q Thou Great Je-
hovah."t After which DR.. Turner
said: "Ladies and gentlemen, and
young gentlemen of the graduating
class, I take. pleasure in introduc.
ing DR.. R. R. swepe, who will preach
to YOU =. " " Z >...
/ DR.. Swope preached an able and
| eloquent sermon He spoke as fol-
]. lows, on the theme 49,
/ " ''True Greatness" ~
/ "Whosoever will be chief among YOU
| let him be your servant st. Matt. 20
127. ..'., RI
/ To rise in the world is the
universal. tendency. Trees, vines,
| flowers, grasses, all stretch
4 upwards. The same is true of the
race tendencies Of the, animal crea-
1 tion. The development theory is
II but the affirmation of the universal
Il bias towards self-improvement and
elevation. In man VIZ see the most
manifest signs and results of this
% dency. The normal theory Of
ans life is mastership. The old
Homeric line, "always to excel and
4 to be supreme to others has been
the motto of generations. W *##
i This desire to be chief is not a
| blind instinct but is a conscious de-
4 sire Of the soul, constituting one Of
1.-THE strongest powers of humanity.
| 1t is the spiritual main spring con
ditioning energy and elevation. 10
man or nation within Il has ever SC
1complished anything. y This, the last
infrmity Of snable minds, Al Il has
been called, musb be present u the
/ soul Of the indryidual q the nation
1 which would be successful d crest
II. does not do to indulge the in1is
criminate denunciations of this tel
dency. It is a beneficial power IL
! the soul to be stimulated, not Al evil
j to be crushed. We want men t. be
ambitious, not that flleT my aspire
70 ~ Csesats o. Nar6le1hb tazaeislns
RI E1T|1 Fiji fhff fIS17T 80 =