The age-herald., 1900-06-18
POWERFUL SERMON
 BY DR. ANDERSON
Delivered to Students of Univer-
 sity of Alabama.
AN IMMENSE CONGREGATION
Subject of the Commencement Sermon Was The Open Vision of Life"- Some Beautiful Anthems
 Sung by Large Chorus

Tuscaloosa, June 17.-tspecial)-At Il o'clock this morning the student body of the University of Alabama, including the young women of the Annex, the seniors the law students and the corps of cadets filed into Clark Hall where the beginning of the com mencement exercises were to take place. The hall was filled with Tuscaloosians and visitors from a distance The music was under the direction of Miss Stella Harris and was superb. About thirty-five voices composed the choir, and consisted of the majority of the finest singers in Tuscaloosa, culled from the choirs of the different de- nominations One of the anthems sung was ."The Heavens Are Telling" from Haydn's Creation" "The Recessional," as compos- ed by De Koven, was sung by the entire chorus with Miss Martha Thorington as soloist. The hymns in which the congrega- tion joined were Holy, Holy, Holy, "On- ward, Christian Soldier" and America" Rev. Neal Anderson of the First Presby- teran church of Montgomery preached the commencement sermon. MT. Anderson was invited to perform the same duty last year, and came for that purpose, but the death of pr. Meek caused a change of programme and the funeral services of the distinguish ed professor took the place of the regular commencement services. MT. Anderson was therefore invited again to preach the ser mon of 1900. He consented and wrote a new sermon on different theme. His sub ject today "The Open Vision of Life.'' The key to his discourse was the thought that 'the vision of God regnant, in human life, is the great need of the soul MT. Andersons delivery was peculiarly impress sive, and the strength and beauty of his sermon have been universally commented upon.
 Substance of the Sermon
 In substance the sermon was as follows: Second Kings. 6:17-"And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw, and behold the mountain was full of char iots and horses of fire round about Elsha'
 And this vision he never forgot, the vision of the ever-present, but often hid den power of Omnipotence, standing for the cause of righteousness, justice and truth incarnate in the person of the prophet of the Lord.
 "The occasion which calls us together is no ordinary one. The series of exercises beginning this morning, designed to mark for some of you the end of the period of training in this University, are fttingly called the 'commencement,' as marking also the beginning of your career as men.
 Your true success will depend in no small measure upon your conception of the world that lies around you, of the prob lems that await you, and of the source from whence help, courage and strength may be drawn in the great battle of life. I wish this morning to seek for each of you the open vision of the spiritual forces that after all dominate life, that you may always be able even in those times of dismay, when you are tempted to cry 'Alas How shall we do?' to behold be- hind and above the embattled hosts of evil, the almighty power of God.
 Possibilities of Life Today
 "It needs no gift of oratory, no stroke of the painters brush to reveal the won- drous vision of the possibilities that lie before you,Sas did the hills of Dothan be- fore the gaze of the young servant of the prophet.
 "rhe recuperatfon of the South from the devastation of Civil War, the steady and sure shifting of the center of manufacture from Massachusetts to South Carolina; the prospective opening of the trans-isth- milan canal, that is to make the shores of the Gulf second Levant, the stretching out of national sovereignty across the seas; the entrance of the New World into the Congress of Nations, all combine to thrill the pulses of life and to fill with visions of happiness, wealth and glory, those who standing upon the threshold of fa to n the working of the problems of the hour, and share in the victories of the dawning century.
 Lifes Perls
 q would not if I dared, say one word to dampen the ardor of young enthusiasm as it girds itself for the tasks set before the men of this generation. Today how ever, is no time for dreaming. If the trial of diversity, poverty, suffering and tears has been the lot of our fathers in this