Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-01-21
FOR THE GRADUATES.
PRESENTATION TO CLASS 1907
BY SEAMAN'S SOCIETY.
Splendid Sermon By Dr. J. Timothy
Stone of BaItimOre-A large
Congregation Al Acad.
emy Chapel

emy Chapel.
Follow ing.a custom of years. the
American Seaman's Friend Society
yesterday presented the graduating
class Of 1907 at the Naval Academy
with Bib.es. The presentation was
formally made at the close of the
chapel services in the morning, but
the Bibles were given the individual
members of the class in the evening
At service held in Recreation Hall
under the auspices of the Young Men's
Christian Association at the Naval
Academy.
In the name OF the American Seaman S
Friend Society, the Rev. DIR. Hunter,
Sect,y. made the presentation in a
few remarks. in which he said he
brought the congratulations of the
Oldest seamen's friend society TO the
youngest graduating class at the Naval
Academy, and with their congratu-
lations he also brought their benedic-
tion. He said wherever the midship-
men went. no matter in what part
of the world, they would find the
cnaplains of this society.
After the service of Morning Prayer,
conducted by the Rev. III. III. Clark.
chaplain of the Naval Academy, the
sermon was preached by the Rev.
John Timothy Stone, pastor of Brown
Memorial Presbyterian Church, Balti-
more. The congregation was an un-
usually large one, and besides the
usual naval contingent, there were
present Governor and Mis-. Warfeld,
their daughters, Miss Carrie and Miss
Emma Warfield, and their son, Ed
win, Jr., also Secretary of State, Col.
Oswald Tilghman and Mrs. Tilghman,
Miss Mary Foxley Tilghman and
many visitors from Washington and
Baltimore.
DR.. Stone preached an able, learned
and forceful sermon from the text III
Samuel, third chapter and first verse.
last clause of the verse: But David
waxed stronger and stronger, and the
house of Saul weaker and weaker.
His theme was 1.-THE Influence of n
Young Mans Moral Strength Upon
His Character lie said in part
"Introspection does not always
show a man himself No man is so
deceived today as the man who thinks
he knows himself and nobody knows
him. Young men, you are making
your faces. You are not only making
character, but what you are and
what you hope To be is stamped upon
your face. If man is growing e
weaker every day, that weakness is
stamped upon his face. Men who
are weak and know their weakness,
are seeking TO cover up their weak
ness
lie spoke of the difference between
spiritual and physical weakness and
said: ''When n man is weak, and
does not care about his weakness,
his soul is in danger, and the man
who lives in an Indifferent way is
totally weak.
DR.. Stone told the midshipmen that
today they are framing the thought
that will influence their lives. He
said il is not what you are, but what
you are capable of becoming, and he
illustrated by telling of Saul's
strength, his leadership, of his cour-
age, his humility, his personality,
yet he grew weaker and weaker and
after forty years he became a hopeless
failure. DR.. Stone spoke of those
who put off until tomorrow. He said
there is no tomorrow. When to-
morrow comes, tomorrow is today,
and today is yesterday. The man
who says tomorrow he Will do it,
never does, but is like him of the
old story-chasing n rainbow, but
never catches it. Discipline is doing
things now lat once. The man who
is to be successful knows the strength
of his enemy. That is wherein Saul
failed. The enemy is not the one who
today seeks to control us. but who
little by little does control us. Man S
life is controlled by his character.
DR.. Stone said people who write
biographies endeavor to cover up the
sins in the lives of those of whom
they write, but the Bible does not
cover up sin. 1t is book of Truth.
David was a sinner, but man who
stood uncomprcmisingl for right.
He lived with God. Gods life was
n part of his. The man without any
music in his soul had better pray to
God to give him music. He said
David's weakness made David strong,
as paradoxical as this may seem. II
was David's sin that called forth the
fifty-first Psalm. DIR. Stone spoke of
the skeptieism of the age and said no
man had n right to judge the Bible
who does not make ii a study and
knows the Bible, with spiritual inter
probation. He said you would not
care to study botany with a man who
knew nothing of flowers, nor to study
arms with an instructor who knows
nothing of arms. The greatest book
today are constructed upon the truths
of the Bible.
DR.. Stone said externalism is not
half so important as internalism.
VINO is the leader of today The
man who is winning applause, Oh
the man who is building up? The
greatest work is from within, not
from without. Saul sought 10 con
struct outwardly; David inwardly.
Environment has nothing TO do will
success in life. Young men, il is :
very easy thing to say religion is
one thing and life another. If re
ligion is simply creed, religion il
nothing, but if religion is that which
lives, moves and is part Of our be.
| ing, it is something. If ever strength
was demanded, it is today. Tht
world needs men, strong men, relig
| ious men. Our nation is calling foi
working. active men, who find il
| Jesus Christ the strong right arm
| The man who lives the simple loya
| Christian life is the man whose lif'
| will grow stronger and stronger, lik'
| David's, not like Saul-weaker ans
weaker.
| DIR. Stone spoke without notes ans
he puntcuated his sermon with tn
/ epmhasIs of earnestness.
The following were the midshipmei
n