Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-05-20
THE BAcCALAUR[ATE SERMON
DIR. MILLER breaches TO THE
GRADUATING CLASS.
knowledge TO Be Valued Above Rubies--
An Interesting Discourse at The
First NJ. {. Church.
SOLOMON'S EULOGIUM ON
KNOWLEDGE.

Il uG 1kCA. AEOIBE w. Mli1CAs L. H.
pastor of the First NJ. L. Church.
preached the baccalaureate sermon yes
| terday morning to the graduates of the
Annapolis High School. DR.. Miller
| is an able sermonizer, and his sermon
was full of stirring thoughts, Biblical
truths and practical illustrations. II
was forceful, masterful discourse,
so earnestly presented that the truths
so impressive must have found lodg-
ment in good ground, and the seed
planted by this sermon must sooner or
later bring forth fruit abundantly.
DR.. Miller took for his text Proverbs
VIII, tenth and eleventh verses : Re
ceive my instruction, and not sill
yer, and knowledge rather than choice
gold. For wisdom is better than ru-
bies, and all the things that may be
desired are not TO be compared TO it.
Dir. Miller said in part that climax
is rhetorical figure of speech char
acteristic of the Bible. The words Of
the text are the words that wisdom
puts into the mouth of Solomon I'm
to you oh men | call. instruction
is better than silver, then the figure
of speech rises to gold an ounce of
which is equal TO more than a pound
of silver, then to rubies the climax,
10 reach which we sometimes monnt
on eagles wings.
The miser longs for his bag of money
the ambitious for a name TO fill the
world; the weary longs for rest; the
dying for more days, more light. As
climax of his eulogium on knowl-
edge, solomon begs the sons of men
TO receive instruction, not silver,
not gold, not rubies, for wisdom is
better than all these, and all things
that may be desired are not TO be
compared TO her-that sacred knowl
edge of Him, of whom to know
Alright, is life eternal.
The minister spoke of the advant-
ages to be derived from cultivating
knowledge. He said the apple is de-
rived from the sour crab, and some of
the. loyeliest flowers trace their origin
TO mere weeds, and owe all to Guilt
vation; so does knowledge. The
countrymen have been more changed
than the country. Our country, this
happy continent, is the country of
peace and plenty, the home of liberty
aud freedom, but where was it three
hundred years ago. Man warred
against man, he was naked, hungry,
his implements of war or of agricul-
ture were the most primitive. II IS
not so today. What makes this change
but know ledge-the cultivation of
know ledge. When we think of those
rude, ignorant, uncivilized aboriginees
from which we have sprung, it may
humble our pride to behold our ances-
tors. Contrast them with John New
ton, Isaac Watts, Benjamin Franklin,
Morse and others. What makes the
differences know ledge which is liken-
ed To the sun and sheds forth light.
Next to religion, next to the grace
of God, mans best protection against
sensual pleasures is knowledge-the
handmade of religion. 1t is better
than silver or gold, or rubies. The
service that secular knowledge has
rendered to religion is incalculable.
Two hundred years ago certain inn
pressions found in the woods and
dales were thought to be the impress
of fairies feet. Scientists have proved
this is but a fungus growth. The
pale light seen ON the water at night
two hundred years ago was thought
TO be other than the result of natural
causes which science has proved il
to be. Two hundred years ago many
believed that ghosts walked in grave
yards. Even SO great a man as John
Wesley believed in spectres, but how
great change now. With the growth
of time hosts of superstitions have
grown up around religion. Science
has removed many of these. Religion
has nothing to fear, but much to
hope. Such service as the wheel of the
lapidary renders to the diamond, edu-
cation renders to the world and sci
ence. Science and knowledge have
become the landmarks of religion.
The purchased possession is well
worth the price. The height, the
breadth, the depth of the love OF God
passeth knowledge.
The minister said there was no per-
son with whom we can be placed and
no circumstance with which we can be
surrounded that we cannot learn some
thing. There is an old proverb which
SAYS keep a thing seven years and
you Will learn the use of il. Knowl.
edge will make the better husbands
and wives, better mothers and fathers,
better sons and daughters, but more
than all, better Christians. Whatever
rusts in your hand let it not be the
sword of the Spirit; whatever gathers
dust in your house, let it not be the
Bible. What will it matter if you
have all the learning in the world,
and have not light? If your brow is
crowned by all the laurels of the
earth, but if by patience and vel
doing you have not won the crown
of life, it availeth nothing. The sim
pie. saving knowledge of the love OF
God is of greater price. If this be true,
then Solomon can abundantly justify
his euIogium of knowledge. Sin has
its pleasures that destroy the body and
depose the mind. Wild pleasures,
like wild flowers, wither almost as
soon as plucked. Riches have pleas
ures, but they are unsatisfactory.
Much cash much care" as expressed
in the familiar apothegm. The pleas
ures of know ledge are without draw
backs. At the banquet of knowledge
one can have an appetite that never
satiates. THY are pleasures forever
more. knowledge is a species of worth
that knows no bounds. 1t is a pleas
ure to hold and a pleasure to part
with. We do not want to part with
silver or gold or rubies, but it is wi it'll
knowledge as the great Roman Caesar
said he would not receive, if he could
not give it away
The sermon by DR.. Miller was an
inspiration, which cannot fail TO have
lasting effect upon those who heard
it. The entire dissertation show ed
the work of years of study of the subject