Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-06-02

Cloud and the Voice." the text being
founded on Luke 8: "a. So "While he
thus spake there came a cloud and
overshadowed them and they feared as
| they entered into the cloud and there
came a voice out of the cloud saying:
This is my beloved Son. hear him. -
Members of the Graduating Glass
You stand tonight on the threshold of
a new sphere in life's mission. Every
thing in this life which is worth hav
ing is the result of victory. Tonight
you are victors. But if tonight you
appreciate the victory you have al
ready won you must realize that this
present victory is but the earnest of a
greater battle to be fought and greater
victories to be won. | congratulate
you upon the date of your graduation.
You start out in your new sphere in
life's mission in the beginning of the
greatest century in the world history.
Tonight you inherit richer legacy
than any that have preceded you since
time began. You are coming to the
throne of your existence under the
most auspicious circumstances that
ever flashed their prophecies in the
pathway OF human aspiration. Both
heaven aud earth are giving mp their
secrets so that one need not be pro-
phet nor son of prophet to know
that the Twentieth Century contains
for you what eye hath not seen nor
ear heard, neither entered into the
heart of man to conceive. Whether
you shall be able to fullyRappreciate
and improve the opportunities which
shall be yours. | know not and you
know not but of this one thing | am
certain that as you enter into the dark
shadow OF the future the measure of
your real attainment III this life will
be proportionate to the heed you give
to the voice of the beloved Son of God.
The Commencement occasion, which
is so soon to sever your peculiar re-
lation with the past, no doubt brings
to you JOY and gladness. With pleasure
having successfully completed your
course with the approval of the public
and the sanction of the teachers you
shall receive the stamp of graduation.
There is ana there ought to be JOY and
rejoicing in anticipation of the event
which is to be the fulfillment of long
time cherished hope. But If you are
what you ought to be there is beneath
| this Joy seriousness known only to
your self and your God. You know
that this is not only in name, but in
| reality commencement. This end Is
but beginning. Your eyes are or
ought to be upon the future. And
while you may long to see the per
| petual sunshine, if you are wise above
earthly things, you not only ought to
| but you do see the cloud and may we'll
| enter into il with fear and trembling.
For most of your life thus far has been
easily calculated. 1t has been aTrang-
ed for by Others Now doubt before
unknown has gone over your future,
| which will soon under Providence, be
at your disposal. There may be no
time in your earthly career when it
| will be so difficult for you or your
friends to foresee your earthly future
as now.
Thank God, tonight the future is
yelled by dark cloud. You may think
you see through it, but that vision is
but day dream reflected from its sur
face There are trials and troubles
there. There are disappointments and
misfortune in that cloud There is
sickness, disease, suffering. death IN
that cloud. You are about to enter it.
What there is for you lies under it,
You do not see it, but forget not that
while il is cloud it has its silver lin
ing, and back of it the sun will ever
be shining While the days OF your
years are numbered yet llte's expect
ancy for you will never be greater than
it is now. For you the shadows still
are falling to the west and you have a
right to yet expect the MONDAY of
brightness Therefore as you enter
into the cloud believe with Paul - II
things work together for good to them
that love Him that are the called ac-
oording to His purpose. For if you
are His all things are yours, whether
lite or death or things present or
things TO come " Then be not so mucf
concerned about the cloud as about
the voice, for as y"u enter into it the
cloud will be- dispclled, if you do but
give COOL heed to the voice out of the
cloud
The speaker then in an attempt t
re echo the voice out of the cloud frs
o., E1,urtb paua /