The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-09
DAVIDSON COMMENCEMENT.
Exercises Opened Sunday With Two
Eloquent Sermons.

Davidson College. y. G., June 8
(SpeciaI)-The refreshing rains OF last
week happily brought to an end the
distressing drought which has pre-
vailed here for so long, and have given
the campus and village lawns a partial
chance to array themselves once more
in living green and to exhibit again
some OF their accustomed beauty ami
attlmctiFeness.
commencement Sunday dawned yes
day, bright and beautiful, forecast,
It is hoped, of another happy and sue
cessful commencement season.
The baccalameate sermon, by Rev.
J. w. Stage, of Charlotte, and the ser
mon before the Y NJ. c. A. by Rev. Dir.
S. NJ. Smith, of Columbia, 5. c., were
both excellent illustrations of fine
preaching, and showed how simplicity
OF style and manner may be naturally
and beautifully united with strength
OF thought.
Mr.. Stagg spoke from the text
Matthew 11:19-"But wisdom is justi
fled by her children" His theme was
the truth and wisdom of Christianity
as abundantlv confirmed on its tested
adaptability to human wants and in
the hold it takes and has maintained on
the heart conduct and lives of men.
No effort is here made to give even a
synopsis OF the sermon. The thought
running throughout was that nOtWith~
standing the unwillimgness of unbc
levers TO grant the truth OF it, thai
after all it was rot the fear of jails
and penitentiaries, nor the fear of pub
lie opinion, powerful as were these
influences IN restraining the evil in
this world but the fear and the BELIEF
that after ali the Bible is true in its
assertion of a Judgment to come; the
belief that we build in this life a statue
Of ourselves, against which we must
stand and make answer in the final day
"a belief not to be argued away So
long as the words and the example Of
Jesus remain for mans study.
Let the sensual, the disciple Of IL
cense and lawless pleasure assert as
much as he may THAT the gravity of the
body is too heavy for any direction but
hellward, land that the wild horses OF
passion and impulse drag helpless man
rladly on toward the pit, yet the exam
pie and doctrine of Christ not merely
claim, but manifest and display the
power to keep man true in life and
faithful in duty to God and their fell
lows.
The sermon of DR.. Smith was from
Acts, 3:7-'And he took him by the
right hand and lifted him up" After
a brief introduction as to the two pur-
poses of the miracles-first to prove:
second, TO teach. and the statement
that each and every miracle had some
special lesson, there followed three
divisions of the text
/. He took hold of him-contnct as
the first element in successful work
this age is the Apotheosis (so to speak)
T theory. An age in which, in every
department of life we can find SO much
written as to the best way of doing a
thing, that we are in danger of failing
to take hold and practice at all, losing
ourselves in theory and stopping short
of action. To do good to our fellows
we must take hold. The gospel can't
bc handed to people IN ladies twelve
feet long.
2. He took him by the right hand
that is by the most accessible point
POINT Of greatest vantage. So in all
religious work we must approach a
man at his approachable side, for, as
said Beecher, Every mans soul is open
discovered. Alas! that great deal or
religious work takes a man by the
throat and hence does no good.
3. And lifted him up-This required
STOPPING down, and so must we. if we
would win souls. 1t took strength to
lift him up, and SO the Christian who
is unwilling to put forth strength to
do his best, who is unwilling to give
himself to die as the corn of wheat
must ''abide alone" and not expect to
produce fruit. The best test of all
work and noble effort is the "uplift,
the power raise there is in it.
To-day is devoted to senior class
exercises; in the morning planting
class tree, with ceremony enough to
Kill the tree, if its life is affected in
any such wise; and tonight, senior
dramatics, when she Stoops to Con-
quer' will be given with all the glitter
of light and costume and display of
talent that amateur actors can arrange
For