The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-05-28
ANNUAL SERMON.
Rev. Geo. w. Davis, Phi. ID. of rlacaIes-
ter, Delivers an Able Discourse.
The First of the Exercises of Com
mencement Week at the Normal

The exercises of commencement
week at the Normal school began
Sunday forenoon with the annual
sermon TO the graduating class, at the
Presbyterian church. The class,
numbering nearly ninety, entered in
a body and occupied reserved seats in
the central portion, directly in front
of the pulpit. 1t was fine appearing
body of young people and attracted
the attention and interest of all. The
church and lecture room were we'll
filled.
Several Of the pastors of the city as
sisted in the services. The music was
unusually good, and the choir was
composed Of Mrs. FL. A. Patterson,
Mrs. FL. l. Parry, Miss Holt, Miss
Ellis, Miss Fraser and Miss Murray,
and Messrs. Brett, Davies, Crandall,
Motfatt, Hughes and Parry.
Rev. Geo. w. Davis, Phi. D., OF
Manchester college, preached the an
nual sermon, which was an able one
and was listened to with the closest
attention. Hestook for.his text, can
open door of SERVICE" etc., Revela.
tions 3:8. After outlining the religious
teachings of the text and drawing
some general conclusions, he addressed
himself more particularly to the class,
and spoke of the joy and sorrow which
the graduates felt at leaving the
school. Continuing, he said, in SUBJ
stance:
You are going forth into the world
at critical time. 1t is only half
truth to say that the professions are
over-crowded. They are filled with
hundreds of misfits and weaklings
and there is plenty of room at the
top. There is no trade or profession
that is not crying out loudly for men
of the best parts and equipment. You
must contribute something to the
solution of the many socialsproblems.
We ought to rise above the sordid
love of wealth to an appreciation OF
the arts and all that is good and
beautiful, and the fact that moral and
intellectualsqualities have permanent
value. We ought to cultivate more
reverence for law.
God is opening to you in your morn
ing of life the door of service, of splen.
did opportunities. Remember as one
of the foundation principles of life
that you are united to the spiritual
realm by reason of your intellect and
soul, and you should not neglect it.
Christ has been eXaulted to be the su-
preme lord in the spiritual realm-his
name and personality are the most
magnificent in all history. You
should hold daily converse with him.
Because of this eXaltation, he alone
can open the door of service to you.
He calls upon you to win your spurs
in the great moral conflict. If you
are faithful to your Lord and Master,
He will cause the opportunities to
come to you more and more. God is
running this great machinery, and not
man, and l am thankful for that. 1t
is easy to find men VINO are cursing
themselves because they did not make
the most OF their opportunities.
"There is tide in the affairs of men,
which, taken at the flood, leads on to
fortune"
Life is most awfully grand and
solemn and its possibilities are great
beyond description. Your entire
capacity maybe summed upin the pas
sage of Genesis wherein it is stated
that man was formed in the image of
Cod
The basis of our life is the physical,
and L would urge you to take scrupu-
lous care OF your physical health. Bad
blood is the blame for many sins and
weaknesses. The tension Of our modern
life is SO great, and the healthy have
such power to do more work, that this
is made doubly necessary. have seen