The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-01
AN ELoQUENT AppREss.
The Students of Virginia College Charmed
With Rev. Mr.. Barr.

With Rev. Mr.. Barr.
Sunday morning Mt II O'Clock Rev. w.
A. Barr, the eloquent pulpit orator of
Suffolk, delivered the annual baccalaure-
ate sermon to the students ofiVirginia
College. The spacious chapel was we'll
filed with friends of the school; who had
gone in anticipation ofHa feast in the way
of n sermon, and it but mildly expresses
their appreciation to say that their most
sanguinc expectations were more than
realized. 1t is seldom the privilege and
pleasure of an audience to listen to a
more entertaining speaker than Rev. Barr
and his discourse, which was we'll studied
was delivered in his most fluent and
eloquent style.
He selected AS basis fer his discourse
a part of the 23d verse from the 18th
chapter OF st. Luke. s'The life is more
than meat"
"That life Is more than meat, - he said,
is hardly a question, but how much more.
Humanity has never sunk so low but
that some would rise above the meat and
raiment herd" He spoke of the briefness
of life and that the glorious faculties with
which man was endowed were intended
for moro than this ephemeral. existence
where man questions with his neighhor
and is gone. His faculties are for some
thing higher and better. The great uues-
ton OF living, the mystery of life, mystic
rious because the researches of ages have
failed to answer the great question, SIS it
all of life to live or all of death to die
He spoke of two substances comprising
human nature-the spiritual and mate
rial, as delicately and evenly connected,
yet each so entirely different that the re-
lation that exists between the two seem
almost not to exist He beautifully illus
strated the relation of the spiritual and
mater al and the utter follysbf life that
was spent for life only.
'All that is within man revolts at the
thought of annihilation and the desire OF
man for immortality is one OF the surest
signs that it exists. Men--have different
views us to the character of that future
life formed from whatever to them is
greatest happiness, but the fact has never
been doubted''
His illustrations of living for the pleas
ures of life and for the immortal pleas
ures of n life to come. were most impress
sive and beautiful.
He dwelt at some length OH the infu-
ence each one eXerts in this life and how
that influence should be guarded 30 that it
was eSerted for good. Lille as an end
could but result in unspeakable misery
and discontinue, but as means to gain
The life to come, it's result an unspeaka-
BILE blessing.
His words to the young students who
are just entering the arena Of life, to do
battle with the nunberless foes of living,
were full of council and cheer. He spoke
of how they have experienced, even in
their own lives, that the real is always
far short of the ideal, that the golden
fruit which fanciful imagination has
pictured is dissolved and becomes but the
ashes OF disappointment when once pos
sessed.
He that lives so that when this life is
over can repeat with the glorious soldier,
II have fought good fight, 1 have fin
ishedsthe race, have kept the faith" has
lived all of life there is to live and has
fitted himself to enter upon the greater
and more lasting pleasures Of a life be-
You'd the grave.