The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-26
Mr., Gates ADDRESS
TO A. & N. ALUMNI
DR.. Rennie's BaccaIaureate
Sermon Sunday.
"WHAT IS YOUR LlFE"2
Mr.. J. S. Gates, Class Of '02, Of Swepsonyle,
Talks to the Alumni in the Audi
tOrium---A Splendid
Address.

A splendid congregation gathered Sun
day morning at the Presbyterian church
to hear the baccalaureate sermon to tn,
graduating class of the A. and M. Col
lege.
1t was preached by Rev. Joseph Rennie
ID. D., pastor of the First Presbyterian
church, of Norfolk, a most eloquent and
scholarly divine. He is a medium-sized
man, seemingly about thirty years of age
his face clean shaver. His delivery was
good and clear and had the emphasis Of
deep earnestness.
As the organ sounded the A. and NJ.
cadets filed by two's into the church
and took seats In the central portion, be-
ing arranged according to rank, majors
captains, ieutenants, sergeants, corporals.
privates, while the thirty nine members OF
the graduating class were given the front
seats. The church was filled to its ut
most, chairs being used in the aisles.
The service began with the long metre
doxology, and this was followed by pray
e. by DR.. Alfred Moment. The the choir
sang most effectively, tHosannah In Thy
Glory" This was followed by the read
ing of notices and then the congregation
and choir sang hymn $50, 1.-THE Closing
Year
DR.. Rennie then read twenty-six verses
from the third chapter of Proverbs, this
being followed by prayer by DIR. Mo
ncnt and the singing of hymn 1877, al
mighty God While Angels Praise Thee
The text selected by DIR. Rennie was the
words from the fourteenth verse of the
fourth chapter of st. James For What
IS Your Life? 1t is even as a vapor that
rasses away" In the strong and eloquent
sermon DR.. Rennie illustrated life as
mist and developed three points; first, life
Is evanescent as vapor; second. life is
either usful or harmful as a vapor; third
life Is immortal as vapor is never de-
stroyed but continues IN an after state.
In part he said:
DR.. RENNIE'S SERMON.
He who reads this chapter will observe
that the Apostle is writing to people
well versed in the passing events of the
world at that time, and also in the sins
and evils of life, though little realizing
the changes that were taking place. heed
less of the many of these that the year
may bring forth.
The Apostle develops a great truth
when he writes and asks this question,
What is your life? and answers it bv de-
claring that it is only for a little while
and then vanishes away. He pictures its
uncertainty and calls it even as a vapor
that appears only for a while, life
time, and then vanishes away. True life
Is ar intimate and as vast as Immortality
Life appears and disappears so quickly
that we are astonished at its shortness
Co forth and stand on the side of great
mountain and wait to see the sun rise.
You have only to stand for a short while
for in a few short moments it has burst
upon your vision and then soon the mist is
gone. child is born and comes forth
from its mothers arms into the world.
1t breathes, it lives, it dies and is gone
Only a few short years, as evanescent as
the mist Scarcely have they reached
manhood and womanhood before they are
gone.
But some times the vapor defes the
sun for days and lies in dark places, but
the sun finally comes forth and the vapor
is gone This illustrates how some lives
reach to the three score years and ten.
But even then what is it? Life is
span, a wave and the end. What is life?
What is it measured with eternity? The
years, the months, the days, come quick
ly; they go, they die. One by one we
count them, and they are gone. The time
win come when we shall have our last
breath on earth We shall sit before the
minister and listen to the words OF the
Holy Gospel for the last time. We shall
go forth and utter the last words we
shall ever utter, sing our last sweet song.
do our last good deed, breathe our last
breath and life is gone. We raise our