The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-20
THE GREAT RACE OF LIFE
The Rev. George S. Bennitt
breaches to the January
Glass Of High School.

The Rev. George s. Bennitt Of Grace
Church. Van Worst. preached the bacea-
laureate sermon yesterday morning in
Grace Church to the graduating class Of
the Jersey City High School. There was
a good attendance and the musid was ex-
cellent.
Mi. Bennitt took his text from Philip
plans, ill.,, thirteenth and part of the four
tenth verses, This one thing / do. for
getting those things which are behind
and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, I press toward the
mark for the prize Of the high calling Of
God in Christ Jesus Mr.. Bennitt's dis
course was eloquent. appropriate and
simple. He compared the race of life to
the race of the old Greeks and death to
the laurel crown which was the winners
prize. He extended to the graduates a
that they had finished the appointed
years of study and graduated from
school. The year of our Lord, 1898. he
said. would always stand out as a red
letter year in their lives.
You have asked me-" said he, ito
preach the baccalaureate sermon. The
word bacca means a berry, and the word
reference to those old Greek games.
races, when the victor was with
a laurel wreath having red berries, show
tilS llldt Ett u II EOdt. SCI
mon means a religious discourse, a Sc
rious exhortation. You intellectual life
is now to receive It's crown of laurels.
Life with you Is not finished only a GER
life is now opening out before you. 1t has
only just begun. You are SO to run your
race of life that you may obtain other
crowns, reaching higher n higher
To Illustrate his point the rector here
told of a certain high mountain In Swift
zerland that the shepherds in the valley
coveted because of the green grass, but
which was only accessible by means of
q series of ladders, the ascent being very
difficult.
So said he. IF you have reached the
valley Of life, you will see lots of things
higher up that can only be attained by
climbing slowly, but surely. The Apostle
says One thing I do one thing he keeps
in mind that he may run so as to reach
the goal. So, young people, one him Is
needful in this life. and that IS our Heav-
emily Father. Forgetting those things
which are behind says the Apostle. You
viii have many things to forget: much
that you ought to forget. If any one has
done you an injury, do not say / Will
forgive 1t, but / cannot forget it, Now
is the time to square up old accounts.
Forgetting those things which are be-
hind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before You will want
all the friends you have ever had In this
life to be with you always. Pressing to-
ward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus
What is the mark? 1t is That we CALI
death. You are then to run an your life
through, to be always at 1t. Like those
Corinthian unner who forgot the very
ground they were running on, we are 10
run until we reach that prize, the crown
until our life shall be passed, and We shall
come safe into the Kingdom. Set your
hearts for the prize, for the high calling
of God, in Christ Jesus Keep your
foooc ctaadfaS CT tn fhR nriza that Won ma y
not lose that in the end.
"We should remember that Christ is
the author Of our faith. II we keep close
to Him we shall come out more thai con-
querers through Him that lives within US
/ hold up to you Christ Jesus as the great
teacher of all your life. You have MOI
vet graduated from the school that is uIl-
der the Teacher, the great Teacher. the
man. Christ Jesus. who can teach you all
the days Of your life, in the hours Of adj
v%ersity, in the hour Of need, II the houIs
death itself. You may study Latin, Greek
Hebrew, French and German, and you
may study al the greater math a7 a5 tics,
things, but there is one book that IS
above all books. It Is the Holy Bible You
can never graduate in that. | advise you.
then, young people. that you keep with
| you this one school book. Jesus Christ
is to be your teacher under whom you can
never graduate so long as this life shall
last. but in the next place Jesus Christ
| is to be your spiritual example. You are
| to press on toward the mark spirituality,
never giving way to any of those tempta-
| tons by which young people SO often falL
| and as He was tempered, as He was just,
| as He was pure. SO be We pure even as
He vas pure Remember that your
| Therefore, you should not grieve the Holy
Ghost. Press on toward the mark for
\ the prize of the high calling of God In
Christ Jesus spiritually.
Life is not worth living; crown Of
laurel, even If filed with berries and ever
| green. are not worth having unless you
! Secure that better and greater crown. a
| crown of glory hat fadeth not away