St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-06-20
THE BACCALAUREATE.
The Sermon to the Graduating Glass of
~. JOhnsbury AcadeMy.


pastor, Rev. Edward M. Chapman. The
house was crowded and the entire service
was in harmony with the occasion. Mr..
Chapman's text was from l Chron.
II: Is. These are they that went over
Jordan in the first month when it had
oyerfown all it's banks" We give his
address in full.
1t happened nearly three thousand
years ago. The whole adventure is re.
corded in some half dozen verses of very
ancient chronicle. 1t is simply told.
There is no elaboration: no striving after
effect; no laying on of brilliant local
colour; no apparent expectation that the
names of this little company of dauntless
soldiers would live forever. Yet here
they are remembered tonight amid our
| quiet Vermont hills; thousands of miles
away from, and centuries after, their
marchings and fghtings and conquer
ings. "Why?", | ask you as | have
asked myself; and in my attempt to ans
wer that question l hope to bring certain
truths to your notice that shall make
our meeting here not altogether in vain.
| wish in the FIRST place to introduce
you little more fully to the company of
whom the text speaks. Had we taken
our stand one day in early spring beside
a path that led from the highland of
Gilead down to the passes of the Jordan
we might we'll have heard as the day
drew toward evening, the tramp of
armed men. They approach. 1t is not
very large company, but every member
OF 1t stands out as man of distinction.
1.-The least of them" says the old chronic.
Ter, was equal to a hundred and the
greatest was equal to a thousand" AS
you look upon the bronzed features, as
you see the bare limbs rugged with the
tight knitting of muscle and sinew, you
do not wonder when he adds that their
faces were like the faces Of lions and that
they were swift as the roe upon the
mountains-or literally, they were like
the roes upon the mountain to make haste.
See the first three men and note their
names; Ezer, the Helper; Obadiah, the
Worshipper OF Jehovah; Eliab, the Man
who calls God, Father. See, too, the
grim determination that sits on every
feature of their strong faces. They are
OFT on some high enterprise that will
make large demands upon even their lion
like strength and courage. They are
headed for the fords Of Jordan and no
men ever knew better what Jordan in
springtime means. 1t is a little river
commonly. But now the SHOWS of
Hermon and anti-Libanus are hurrying
through it's valley to the sea; the mead |
ows are a lake, and the mid.river is a |
torrent. Yet these men, as they come |
down from the pastures of their homes,
and as the successive ridges of their |
descent show them how great their task
is like to be, only set their faces little
more grimly, and make ready to put the
great bows which they could handle
equally well right or left handed up
where the precious strings would be kept
dry.
So these lion-whelps of Cad broke
through Jordan in the first month.
What for? To spoil their kindred on the
other side Of the river, and enrich them
selves? No, these men were no more dis
turbers of the peace in Israel. What
then? To join forces with King Saul
against the threatening Philistines and
win the reward which their worth as
lighting men, and his wealth and power
might give them? Apparently not; for
when they have crossed Jordan, they set
their faces to the far south west; they
pass the richly cultivated and thickly
settled section of King Sau's domain.
and do not rest until their feet tread the
great slopes of the upland OF Judea And
all the time Ezer, the Helper and Oba
1iah, the Worshipper of Jehovah, and
Eliab, the Man who calls God, Father,
seem looking for something still beyond
The south western horizon. Until at last
A little, mean, Philistine city looms on
is hilltop ahead. Into it these strong
men enter, unopposed. Up its streets
hey pass until they are met by a young
nan OF kingly bearing but whose brows
are not yet burdened wi a crown. They
Differ him their allegiance, they swear to
De his men, they put their splendid fight
na strength at his disposal. And in the
presence and service of this uncrowned
king at last they found the fu6lment of
their quest.
That is the simple story of the way
which these lion-like sons of Cad found
their King, and made their fame, and full
filled their lives. l do not bring them to
your notice tonight because they were
brave men. There were mnltitudes of
brave men in Israel who have been for
gotten. do not ask you to think about
them simply because they broke through
Jordan in t1ood-time. Other men doubt
less did that although the story of their
adventure has not remained. Nor do |
speak OF them simply because they served
King David and served him well. But
because of certain combination of quail
ties and experiences that sets them by
themselves and makes them worthy of
our imitation.
In the first place they were clear-eyed
enough to know a king without his
,rown and before he had gathered his
-etinue. David was in exile in Ziklag.
There was vast promise in his future. A
kingdom was waiting for him. And
there were mutitudes in Israel who
would flock to his standard when all the
hard work had been done, and the crown
was on his brows. But the distinction
Of these men was that they saw the
kingly promise in him early. They saw
The crown while as yet it was only an
dea. They felt that the best thing they
could do with their strength and train
ing was to help this man Of the future
win it. Now this ability to see thing
while 1T is vet in the idea.stage is one of |
the real elements in human greatness. 1t |
may not make man Immediately emf |
nent. 1t may not introduce him directly |
to a great and aDDlaudinp nuhlic Rrt r |