Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-07-02
MlDDLEsURY COLLEGE CON-
MENCEMENT

Ezra Brainerd The house was filled.
Rev. a. w. Dickens, the pastor, assisted
i'm the service. Mrs. G.. ID. Miner pre-
sided at the organ and, with fine choir,
afforded the best of music. The scrip
ture reading was the Goth chapter of
Isaiah. The members of the graduating
class occupied seats immediately in
front of the platform and arose to hear
the presidents parting words. The full
text of the sermon follows
Eccesiastcs vii; Io-Say not thou, What
is the cause that the former days are better
than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely
concerning this
Christianity is emphatically a hope
full religion The Hebrew mind was
ever looking forward to better things
Abraham, the father of the faithful,
lived in the glorious assurance that his
seed should be as the stars Of the
heavens in number. David at the
height of his greatness expected to be
followed by still greater son, whose
throne should be established forever.
The prophets were ever pointing the
nation to a brighter era yet to come,
when all enemies should be subdued
and peace and righteousness should
reign on earth.
Christianity takes up these Mes
s,anic hopes, and with even greater
confidence believes in human progress
in the coming of Gods kingdom
among men. However much misery
and degradation may now appear in
social and private life, Christian faith
sees an all-wise and all-poweriul spirit
ever active in human affairs. steadily
shaping out the destiny of the race,
and bringing il nearer and nearer to
the goal OF perfection. Mankind may
be at present experiencing the dark
and chilling DAYS of winter, but as time
rolls on the days are becoming brighter
and brighter, and the old earth is
Fastening forward to the joyous
springume.
Heather beliefs on this point are
in marked contrast with Christian
They do not put the golden age of
man in the future, but in the past
They do not regard the race as ever
working its way upward to better
things but rather as constantly degen-
Grating. The first age was the age of
gold and then came the age of sill
yer and then in succession the ages
OF brass and OF iron.
But not only revelation but actual
history decides in favor OF the Chris
tan belief in human progress. The
golden age OF the past, with its heroes
and its surprising virtues, turns out to
be but myth. SO far as history has
been able to investigate, the earliest
days OF every tribe of men were days
of ignorance and barbarism. Orderly
progress is everywhere seen to be the
great Creators plan. Not from good
to bad and from bad to worse (4af is
the method OF the spirit of eviD, but
from bad to good and from good to
better is Gods method OF working.
Modern science teaches us the same
lesson with increasing emphasis. ItI
reveals to us how from its void and
iormleas state the earth emerged, at
first a ragged mass of cinders left by
the cooling OF the primeval fires then
the rocks and the mountains are
formed the waters are gathered into
seas within bounds that they may not
pass over then the rivers wear for
themselves channels and the fruitful
soil Is made; then grassy meadows and
grand forests appear. In animal lie
we see the same gradual development
first the rude forms OF blind worms
and boneless fishes, then monstrous
reptiles; then birds and four-footed
beasts, ever more and more highly
organized until at last man appears,
the Crowning work OF God. But man
himself begins at the foot OF the lad
der. Though created innocent, he is
without that knowlege Of good and
evil by which virtue is fortified, and
straightway falls into sin. In his
primitive condition the animal nature
predomnates. He gropes his way
along in a Jog OF ignorance and super
stition. Slowly amid the disorders OF
savage life he comes to learn the need
OF social organization, and works out
by degrees the problem OF civil gov
eminent. Slowly commerce ventures
to visit more and more distant regions,
carrying the special knowledge and
skill and the natural products of one
country to all. One by one the various
arts and sciences are born, and brought
nearer and nearer to perfection.
Slowly men come to realize the folly OF
wickedness and the blessings of right
eousness. Gradually God reveals more
and more of his divine truth to the
chosen race; religious ideas become
more spiritual; character becomes
more refined bigamy, duelling, perse-
cution, slavery and other forms OF evil
begin to pass away.