The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-06-14
Annual Sermon.

The baccalaureate sermon at Trinity
church Sunday morning was the first OF the
series OF events to occur during commence
ment week at the Montpelier Seminary,
Professor w M. Newton, the principal in
preparing this sermon, not only had in
mind the members OF the graduating class
who are 80 soon to go out into the world,
breaking away from their alma matters
guiding hand to make or break a character
and position for themselves, but to young
people in general.
1t was an ideal June day such az poets
are want to rhapsodize, and such an one az
youth desires when about to put aside the
veil to take its first glimpse at the RESPONSE
bilities of the future.
Suspended in graceful drapngs above the
choir gallery rail were the class colors OF
pink and green and at the very top APP
peared in the same colors the symbolic
figures /" 49," On the rail and the platform
in front were palms, ferns, potted
plants and cut flowers on stands arranged
in tasteful profusion. The altar rail was
entwined with evergreen, the verdant coll
oring being broken at frequent intervals by
boquets of yelow-eyed daisies.
The music was the good old fashioned
| congregational singing which echoed and
re-echoed through the large auditorium as
the hymns were sung by the large audience
present led by the blended strains from the
pipe organ and cornet played by Mrs j. f.
Waterman and l.. L. Leonard respectively.
just before the service was opened the
members OF the graduating class, fourteen
in number, only two of whom were ladies,
were ushered to seats reserved for them
in front of the pulpit. After they had taken
their seats, the junior class, larger in num-
Der, was seated Immediately in the rear Ut
the seniors.
Rev. c. o. Judkins, the pastor, conduct
ed the opening exercises, at the close OF
which, Prof Newton announced his text
from the last clause OF II Samuel, 1929; us
the young man, Absalom, saved2"
The speaker said in substance:--I shall,
for the purposes of this discourse this MORN
ing, drop the name of Absalom from the
text in order to bring it home more directly
to the young people before me. This ques.
ton is q vital one and has been asked not
only in the time Of David OF old but also at
the present time. 1t is important that it
should be answered Alright because the
young men and women Of today are those
into whose hands the affairs of town, State,
country and the world at large are soon to
be intrusted.
We are learning though slowly, to weed
out the outcroppings in the young, rather
than to stand carelessly by and allow the
youth to drift down the stream OF life
wherever the tide lsteth, and then at the
. eleventh hour snatch them as brand from
, the burning and patch up the old hull into
, respectable condition for the remainder
OF the voyage.
, The average estimate placed upon the
, character OF young man is that he is all
rlRnJ III ne aD5talnS from JDe indulgence OF
, the groSser sins but the good old book
! plainly teaches that there Is yet more po-
tent factor wanting to make up the perfect
and stalwart character. 1t is held that
there is at the present time a growing in
crease OF mo 1erate drinkers of intoxicants.
, / am sorry for this generation and the one
a to follow il this be true. | wish it were as
. easy to fall into excessive goodness as into
: excessive drinking.
Some there are also, who abstain from the
use OF rum, profanity and the like, not be
! cause Of any repulsive feeling against their
use, but because they would be obstacles
| which would hinder success in some cho
! sen profession. And so a man who is cor.
:. rect and moral in his habits is often mis-
4 taken for a saved man.
The great trouble with us is that we dc
not fix our ideals high enough. A man
= who has no aim or purpose in life is never
!, those who were anxious to be used by him
!. There is tendency among young people
today to dislike to be called religious anC
q their ideas of religion are often varied and
absurd. do not want young people t
J have certain kinds of religion that OF thu
!, mouth rather than that OF the life, for in
: stance. Religion as taught in Gods wore
is what we all need in the battle of life
= young man is not safe because he lets Ger
! tain questionable things alone but because
7 he turns to the gospel for guidance anC
> strength.
Great things are to be accomplished il
- the twentieth century now upon us ant
. they are to be accomplished by hard worl
u and fighting. In closing, my message t
. the class before me is, God help you to b
. prepared by the girdle oil the gospel, anC
!, not to wait to know God until you hav
y u succeeded in your chosen professions.