The herald., 1898-06-20
PASADENA NEWS
GRADUATING EXERCISES OF
THRooP INSTITUTE
Baccalaureate Sermon by President
Edwards Delivered Last
Night

PASADENA, June 19.-(Onice OF The Her
aid, IS East Colorado street) President
Walter A. Edwards of Throop Polytechnic
institute, this evening delivered the bac-
calaureate sermon to the graduates of '9s
and their friends at the First Congrega-
tional church on South Pasadena avenue.
The church was filled, the graduating
classes and the faculty being in attendance
in body. Rev. Lathe. the pastor, con-
Quoted the services and offered prayer in
the regular manner.
Professor Edwards sermon was from the
text: This gate of the Lord into which the
righteous shall enter" from Psalms 1920.
The following is the substance of the SER
mon:
Life is not uniform, but is made up of
sections or epochs, not always definitely
marked off, but still distinct In character.
Transition from one epoch to the next Is a
gateway, and there are many such in life.
Commencement is such a gateway. Imitat-
ing the old Roman god of the gate, Janus,
let US stand at this transition point and
gather from past and future their lessons
A finished epoch gives us a chance to re-
view our work and test it by its results.
Looking back over the past, we may learn
that is still ours in correcting them.
"It is hard to turn from the past, its joys
and sorrows and labors have become part
of our lives. but no man putting his hand to
the plow and looking back is fit for the
Kingdom. Our main responsibility Is in the
present and for the future. Our labors in
the past were not for their own sakes; the
best service is a preparation for better
service. We gain new strength by work in
order that we may do more work. The
gate of the Lord is not a city of refuge. 1t
is nothing but gate opening into wider,
perhaps harder, field Of service. What Is
your reward after months of faithful SER
vice in the Sunday school or in other fields?
Call 1t reward or what you will, the result
is further tasks and greater responsibility.
To him that hath shall be given of labor as
a possession. To be sure 1t sometimes seems
hard that heavier burdens shall be loaded
on to one already bearing burdens, while
others are idle. But whatever others may
do or fail to do, my duty remains my duty.
We are here to be useful. The man still ca
pable of active service whose highest in
spiration is an achievement which long alp
became a memory fails grievously in his
duty. Service must beget service, labor
lead to more labor; and there Is In this
blessing Of God To one who has tasted the
joys of work and of achievement, no hap
piness can be complete If life is emptied of
these joys. Such a time as this then finds
its real meaning not in itself, but in the
achievements Of the past and the hope of
the future. Not what we say here, but
what these students have done in the years
of the past gives significance to this SER
vice. Let US take to ourselves the word of
the prophet of old, who was hidden to
speak to the children of Israel, that they
go forward"
The service closed with few earnest re-
marks to the members of the graduating
classes, who were present in body. and
rose in their seats to receive the final ex-
hortation of President Edwards.
About fifty members of the Crown of
the Valley and Pasadena lodges of the In
dependent Order of Foresters met this
morning and marched under command of
Chief Ranger Maiden to the Episcopal
church, where Rev. Mccormack, who is a
member of the order. delivered sermon
on "Forethought." touching upon the text
"In the Midst of Life We Are in DEATH"
and illustrating his words with me ntion
Of the two recent fatal accidents which oc-
Cured in this city. 1t was the annual day
set apart by the Foresters for attending
church In body
Mrs. c. E. Stafford, who died in Los An
geles yesterday, was the mother of ]. A.
Stafford of this city. She was Al years Of
age, and died of heart disease after an Ill
ness of two weeks. The funeral will be
held at o'clock Tuesday afternoon from
the undertaking parlors of J. P. Paul, i21
Downey avenue, Los Angeles.
w. McCarty was arrested today for
leaving his horse standing unhitched.