The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-06-09
BAccALAUREATE ADDRESS.
A Fine Address Delivered by Rev. John
Sweet to Graduating Class and Friends
Sunday Night.

Sweet to Graduating Class and Friends
Sunday Night.
Rejoice, o young man IN thy youth; and let
| thy heart cheer thee in the days OF thy youth,
and walk In the ways OF thine heart, and In tne
sight OF thine eyes but know thou, that for all
these things God will bring thee into judgment
Eccl. XII, y.
A large audience from all the con-
gregations of the city met in the First
Methodist church Sunday evening to
listen to the bacoalaureats address to the
graduating class by Rev. John Sweet.
The members of the school board, the
high school teachers and the gradual
ing class occupied reserved seats in the
center of the auditorium, entering in
a body to the notes of the march played
by Miss Goss. The Juniors acted as
ushers.
The temperature was quite up to the
usual height for commencement exer-
cises, and there was considerable truth
in the suggestion of Mr.. Sweet. that it
appeared like Chautauqua salute to see
so many fans going at once. He also
remarked that it always seemed to him
that the motion of tanning generated
more heat than the motion of the air dis
sipated, but told the audience to decide
that for themselves 1t may be said,
however, to his lasting credit also, that
out of consideration for the discomfort
of the audience due to the heat, he cut
out large portion of his most interest
ing and instructive address in order
that he might not keep his hearers when
the heat seemed intolerablo.
In the opening services Rev. Carlos
II. Hanks, of the Congregational
church, led in prayer and Rev. Carey
" Northrop read the scripture lesson.
The choir, under the leadership of Mr..
E. E. Lohnes, sang two difficult anthems
with fine expression and faultless ex-
ecution. After the close of the service
the benediction was pronounced by
Rev. G. f. Benson.
The address by Rev. Mr.. Sweet was
an inspiring and truly helpful one to all
who would give it moments serious
thought and was especially valuable to
any one who wishes to make his own
life happy one. The text is given
above. A resume of the address is
given here:
There are many different ways OF
looking at this text. Some think il
says, $50 on, have your fun and your
good times, follow your own sweet will
and be lawless; but remember that
God will bring you to an accounting
will get back at you, so to speak, by
and BY" But there is better way oi
looking at the text These are not the
words of a cynic in the sere and yellow
leaf.
1t is not Byron who wrote them bu
Solomon, so take the language at it
face value. Have good time. Goo
wants you to have a good time. The
stars come out in all their beauty in tht
night; the earth is always covered
with a beautiful green carpet except i
be when it is preparing for new one
the very sea is resplendent in its green
Our senses are all adapted to the ex
perience of pleasure. Our very reason
teaches us to enjoy it. In fact it may
be said that every man ought to have {
good time so as to be prepared for {
good time in the life to come. Thi
should be especially true of the younl
where character is just being built
where the conscience is still unstained
and where hope is not yet subject tt
attacks of an intermittent fever. You'll
comes but once. Joy is not simply
privilege but a duty. Youth need
Joy. 1t needs it for growth, for cour
age and for hope. Because life is full
of trouble we should make all the jo,
we can. Rejoice in the days of tn.
youth"
But there is joy-and Joy. Here th
speaker read a newspaper clipping tell
ing of five young men who took in
Sunday excursion to Toledo and Will,
there in search of good time became
separated from each other, were al
robbed, and failing to recover any o
their property had to tramp home
Was that really joy2 We are not callet
to joys that are becoming only t.
brutes, not to the joys of mere ami
mality, not to be joyous according t.
the basest rule; but to be joyous in tb'
the best way, to be joyous in getting a
much of the truer, nobler, happier life
of God himself into us. Self dissipation
is not necessarily pleasure. Pleasure
in life consists in living in harmon!
with the will of the Creator.
Then too, Joy is found in wisdom
knowledge is not all found between tn,
ages of four and twenty. If the teach
ers of any high school graduating clas
were to be asked If the education of th
graduates was complete their answe
would be, God forbid. Never this sid
| II -. Al r.