The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-06-07
BACCALAUREATE.
Rev. John Sinclair Talks to High
School Graduates.

School Graduates.
Baccalaureate services were held at
the Presbyterian church last Sunday
evening, Rev. John Sinclair preaching
the sermon. A large crowd was pres
emit, the church being taxed to it's ut
most capacity. Mr.. Sinclair was at his
best and delivered an interesting SER
mon for all. During the course of his
remarks, he said:
Driving into the historic Melrose of
Scotland one morning fifteen years
ago he had passed sculptor's prem
ises and saw lying about in the yard
several figures in dilapidated condi-
ton. On inquiry he had found that
this was the yard of a genius sculptor,
now dead, who had furnished for the
far-famed Sir Walter Scott monument
in Edinburgh a number of the char
acters from Sir Walters works, which
adorn that classic monument. These
were the models that we're lying about
and crumbling to dust. It was only
then that he first became acquainted
with the fact that sculptors ordinarily,
before producing a figure in marble.
make a model in clay or wax. Before
that model was made the pattern of it
had to be in the artists mind. After
the model was made it was set on the
same base with the marble block,
vertical measuring rod applied to
model first and then to the block, and
by measurement any ordinary skilled
workman could do the rough work of
the figure. The finishing touches
were put on by the master artist and
the figure was ready for it's niche in
the monument.
That was like Gods relationship to
man. God said to Moses: ASee that
thou make all these things according
to the pattern showed to them in the
mount" God had the pattern of the
tabernacle in His mind. He gave the
measurements to Moses, and after it
was finished there fell on it the touch
of fire from Heaven. On every child
born into the world there was the
stamp of Gods pattern. Mans work
manship moulded it for a time, then
it's own workmanship and Gods fin
ishing touches at last fitted it for the
niche above. When child was born
there we're many speculations about
what the child's life was to be. The
mother looked into the face of the
child and had yearnings to know if
her boy was to fill an honorable posi-
ton in the world. She could not tell.
But there was another face looking on
that child. It was Gods. The pat
tern of the whole life was in the mind
of God from the beginning. God
came to the parent who was the direct
moulding and saith: "See that thou
do it according to the pattern" What
ever child might be in after life lay
largely in the hand of the parents of
that child. God demanded that His
rules and measurements be applied,
and that the child should be fashioned
by the parents according to her pat
tern.
But the parent was not always re-
sponsible. A time came in life when
every boy and girl became response
bic agent. Graduating day was re-
hinder of this, and day that should
entail the feeling of responsibility.
God came to the graduates of to-day
and said, "See that thou do it thyself
according to the pattern of the
mount" But where was the pattern
to be found? People usually had too
many patterns. A great man had said
that every man was three men. He is
as he sees himself, as his fellow men
sees him, and as God sees him. If
three essays of a life were written; a
mans own, his friends and Gods, and
then laid side by side, and the man
himself asked to say which was the
most correct there would be no hest
tation in saying it was Gods. The
world might be divided into three
classes; each class having different
model or ideal life. First-There was
the man who did as other men do.
That man asked the question, How he
could best support himself. Having
decided on some particular business
he regulated it just as other men did.
IT it was the business of teaching, he