Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-28
BACCALAUREATE SERMON.
President Brainerd Addresses the
Graduates on "Peace,"

"'Peace' was the common word of
salutation among the Hebrews. When
friend met friend, when the son was
about to Journey from his fathers house,
the greatest blessing that affection could
wish was expressed in this one short sem
tence: Peace be with you = The cores
ponding word among the Greeks was
Rejoice and as Archbishop Trench has
remarked, it answers well to their char
acter. A race so susceptible to the inspi-
ration of nature, so full of animal life,
so fond of beauty, would naturally feel
that the perfection of living was to re-
ioice. But think we cannot but regard
the Hebrew word as expressing some-
thing deeper and better and more abid-
ing than the Greek. Joy is almost al
ways short-lived. AS Chaucer tells us;
Ever the latter end of jov is woe.'
Joy has its seat in the animal life; it
sets the heart to beating with fuller
current; it exhilarates the nerves; it
breaks forth in mirth and song; men
leap and dance for joy. But peace has
its seat deep down in the re cesses of the
soul, and from there it diffuses its sweet
serenity into all the avenues of being.
The fireworks of the senses soon go out
in darkness; but peace in the soul shines,
like the stars, with calm, enduring
light"
President Brainerd defined the mean
ing of peace, as distinguished from hap
piness. The true source of peace, he
said, is righteousness. The great peace
that belongs to Gods children involves
in the first place. he explained, peace
with the world-peace with ones fellow
men. In the second place, the upright
man when wronged does not retaliate,
and in this way he escapes enmities
Thirdly the good man knits the hearts of
others to him by his kindness and gener-
osity And fourthly, men instinctively
pay homage to goodness. They may be
bad themselves, but they know what up.
rightness of character is, and they honor
it. Righteousness brings us not only
peace with the world and with SELF but
also peace with God. Alienation from
God is the secret source of much of the
souls uneasness.
In closing President Brainerd said:-
members of the graduating class
"As you leave your alma mater for the
great world without, what better wish
could she bestow than that of the ole
Hebrew benson, Peace be with you
Human life is largely a warfare. Al
civilization advances in knowledge anC
culture, the strife of opposing forces
seems rather to become more intense anC
protracted. The emergency of modern
war is more deadly and terrific than il
the days of the past. Never were mel
more strenuous in their efforts for powe
and place. In vain do modern prophet
urge us back to the simple life;' the quie
of pastoral scenes has few devotees; Will
the great cities become ever NOR
thronged with those that jostle ant
struggle for the mastery.
There is surely a saner life for men
Do not think that have been describing
this morning an ideal state of mind tina
can never be realized. 1t may be tina
most of us fail of securing the fulles
measure of inward peace. Our forehead
are perhaps too often knit with the scow
of care and vexation; we pass amon
men, perhaps too ofteniwith restless face
and anxious hearts. But it is only be
cause we fail to come up to the condition
on which this peace is promised we d
not love Gods law with all our mind an
might and soul. The promise is sure
it is fixed in the eternal nature of thing
that the wicked have no peace, but ar
like the troubled sea, cannot rest bu
great peace have they that love God
laws"