The Portland daily press., 1890-06-16
WEsTsRooK SEMINARY.
BaccaIaureate Sermon by Rev. Henry
Blanchard.

uating class OF WeStbr00k Seminary was de-
livered by the Rev. Henry Blanchard of this
city yesterday morning at All Souls church,
Stevens Plains. There was a large attend
ance. The choir Of the church rendered
several pieces of music very effectively.
Mr.. Blanchard's text was taken from chap.
iv, PHILIPPIANS, sth verse: Think on these
things" the subject OF the sermon being
''Three things for young people TO think
about and to remember"
The apostle Paul desired all who read his
letters or heard his words, to use their
minds. The intellectual faculties were CIV
en- for development, for use, for reliance on
them. Think, In all things. was his mes
sage. The speaker wished to speak In the
spirit Of Paul. He desired to have his words
thought OF and remembered. He wished to
sbow,i /, that education Is to be continuous
through life and prolonged through eternity;
2. that such an education would give an en-
larged and ennobled religion, 8, that this re-
ligion would show that each man and woman
had something to do in co-working with God
to carry out His divine plan.
Mr.. Blanchard preluded these points with
some affectionate words concerning the late
DR.. Weston, and expressed his fraternal and
pastoral interest in young people. He was
glad to speak to the graduating class as
loving friend, and as If he were the pastor
Of all its members.
Elaborating his propositions, the preacher
showed the need Of young peoples clearly
seeing that education can have no end. Sem
mary and college, developing attention,
ind ouIr "A ha cft,
dent to take hold Of knowledge during the
remainder of his life. There is no ''com-
peting ones education" Soon the student
sees the enormous field of knowledge into
which he enters ever stretching onward and
onward before him.
Even scholars become specialists because
they cannot cover all the ground Of knowl-
edge. The young are to learn by OBSERVE
tion of facts and by constant study of books.
Education has dealt too much with words,
and not enough with things. John Adams
learned Latin following his father round the
barn and fields, and seeing the things which
were named in EHglish and In Latin. So
young people must see things as well as
study words. But books record what the
race has seen and thought. They are indis-
pensable. He would have books Of history,
sociology, English literature, selected by
through life. Men should know the history
Of their town. Of their state, of their coun-
try. They cannot know the present unless
they know the past, All social sci
should nn ws.. be isas studied SO that
evil and what will accomplish good. Fhe
| English language Is noblest Of all, Its liter
l atuIe, Including the English version of the
| Bible, should be studied thOrOughly-its
| great words planted in the memory to in
/ spire to noble thinking and noble living.
Such an education will give an enlarged
| and enneDled religion. He had no respect
for culture which did not culminate in the
profound consciousness Of God. The eduea-
tion Of today which includes so much of the
sciences will give this. Men may not be
able to define God. They may have times Of
doubt In the light Of the new knowledge,
but II they continue to study they will be-
lieye in the Infinite Mind, Power, Love which
has created and upholds the universe The old
Greek tragedlan Eschylus said 20 Zeus
whoever he is" He was appalled, by the
mystery Of life and the universe, but he be-
lieved there was One who governed all
things. Scientists today are teaching the
facts which show the sovereign of the uni
verse. Space, worlds on worlds-dateless
| age OF the beginning Of the world and of
| man-progress from lichens to man, from
| good to better, with prophecy Of the best
| all these give religion marvellously en-
larging and ennobling.
Such religion will show that all men
have something to do in helping God ac-
complish his great plan. The end is psy-
cAical one-not merely physical one. 1t Is
holiness and not mere grandeur of material
world. 1t Is coDsummation which re-
quires human co-workers. God cannot
| accomplish 1t alone. He cannot make men
holy. They must make themselves
such. There Is no chaos. All things are re-
lated to an end--of beauty, order. progress,
perfection, and this Is Cosmos. Man has
been created, therefore, with passions-placed
| in the presence of temptations-made capable
| of choosing good or evil The choosing good
| makes him holy. He, c0-working with God,
| must be creator Of this holiness for which
| the universe has been created. Seeing these
l things, how sublime Is life-how great Is the
| need OF thinking and acting that man may
| see his part and perform 1t well
In 1914, at the University OF Gottingen. a
| band Of young men, one evening, vowed to
| each other that they would all do some great
thing in life. The vow brought fulfllment.
Chevalier Bunsen-author of God in History
of st. Andrew, Scotland. over the professors
chair, these words are seen upon the wall,
"Aien aristeuein." They mean always to
be the best" They have inspired many a
student They may help this graduating
class, Think on them;> See that they include
remember the points of this kbaccalaureate
sermon, and may this day and the day Of
graduation bring conservation to all the rest
Of life.
At the conclusion of his address Mr..
Blanchard asked the class to unite in silent
| prayer. After few moments Of silence he
offered feryent closing petition. A hymn
was then sung and the benediction pro-
i nOunced. At the close Of the service all the
members of the graduating class passed be-
| fore the preachel, giving and receiving a
warm clasp of hands.