The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-06-24
OAHU COLLEGE
MENCEMENT
Baccalaureate Address by Rev.
G. D. Edwards at Central
Union Church.


laureate address at Central Union
church in the evening. There was {
large attendance of the student body
President Griffiths presided.
The services began with an organ
prelude, 'Triumphal March" by Costa
rendered by Mr.. A. B. ingalls,. The
College chorus sang the anthem, THE
Heavens Are Telling" from Haydn!
Creation" The invocation was by
Principal S. P. French of Punahou
Preparatory President Griffiths reaG
the scripture lesson. Job 49, 12:2s.
The anthem, Unfold Ye Portals
from Gounod's 1.-THE Redemption was
rendered by the College chorus. The
offertory solo was Dudley Bucks MY
Redeemer and My Lo d. and was
sung by Miss Ethel D. Shaw.
The graduating class, whose motto
| is Hull maha ole pomaikai ka no.
pena'' is composed of the following
Frances Ethel Bishop, florence
Louise Blake, Alice Gertrude Cooper,
Minnie C1arisse Cantin. Kim Tong Ho,
Florence Fmilie Hoffman, Chin Fen Ii.
Edmund Francis Hugh Melanphy, Rob-
ert Laclxore Parkinson. James Hopper
Peterson, Leinaala Smith. Alloy Soong,
FLORENCE May w inter, HING wong,
Gertrude Justine McClanahan.
The baccalaureate address by Rev.
G. D. Edwards was an application of
the scriptural encomium on one of the
old testament worthless: He served
the will of the Lord in his day and
genera ton, and fell asleep" It was as
follows:
THE SERMON.
After a few preliminary words Mr.
Edwards said that in being asked to
address the graduates of Oahu College
there was recognition of the fact that
religion has a message to educated
young men and young women. He
took it that he was expected to attempt
to deliver that message. If he had but
one sentence in which to deliver Chris
tianity's message it would be that
Life is for Service. But, to live the
life of service requires the inspira ton
of vision; and to live it most worthi-
ly requires equipment and training
Under these three heads he spoke.
l. j You young people of the gradual
ing class have already been making
for life's work in obtain
ing your education. You have done
well. But do not stop. Say what you
will, the better education you get the
greater the probability of your doing
notable service in the world. Get the
largest and best that is possible.
The most important Old Testament
character is Moses. He was learned in
all the wisdom of the Egyptians. |
his mother he no doubt had
the best Hebrew training possible. He |
also had forty years among the INDIAN
ties which he certainly used to advan-
tage. He knew three languages and |
peoples, their learning, customs and |
avs. There was no one of his day as
we'll prepared as he for doing the work |
to which he was called. That is one |
reason why he was Called
The most important New Testament |
character, aside from Christ, is Paul, |
the great Apostle to the gentiles. Why
was he chosen for this large field? Be-
cause prepared as no other of his time. |
He was reared in Tarsus, a center of /
commerce, of Grecian influence, of |
Roman power, and where was located |
1ne of the three great universities of |
his day. Some believe he attended the |
there. At any rate he be- |
came familiar with many languages, |
customs and peoples. His letters are |
written in Greek. Born a Roman citi- |
zen he probably spoke the Latin |
tongue. He also had the best which |
learning could give him. Rear |
ed in a Hebrew home he was educated |
at the feet of Gamaliel, probably the |
best scholar the Hebrew race ever pro- |
duced. He knew Judaism. He knew |
the Gentle world. No one was SO well |
fitted for the mission entrusted to him.
AS to today some one has said that out |
Of the very small percentage of college |
graduates in England one-third die |
from oyerwork; one-third come to |
nought by reason of dissipation and
wasted opportunity and the other third |
rule England.
IF it is possible go on in your educa- |
ton until there is no higher university |
to go to.
2. But education is not enough. You |
need vision too. The statement in |
Proverbs that Where there is no VII |
sion the people perish" is also true |
Of the individual. Even in the tenn |
poral and earthly tasks no great |
achievement comes without q worthy |
vision. America was discovered be- |
cause Columbus had a vision; freed |
from England because our forefathers |
had a vision of better things than |
We're. The Union was preserved and |
the slave freed for the same reason. In |
the development of our natural re-
in invention. discovery, knowl- !
edge, wise statecraft, yea, in every |
sphere. vision is necessary.
You need vision for your earthly task
or your arm will be paralyzed. But
you need also a higher vision than |
this. You need for noblest achieves |
nent the eternal, or divine, vision-let
me say, the religious outlook. Other
wise. your earthly vision may not save
you from becoming sordfd and selfish |
The religious outlook sees God in the !
world, and man as commissioned to
serve His vii, in His own day and gen
Grafton. If God was in the world in |
the olden time, and it was worth while |
to recognize the fact, He is equally as
much in the world today, and it is just
as important that we have consciously
to do with Him.
8. But neither education nor vision
is worth much if one isn't impelled to
a life of service. That is ones only
proper sphere anywhere The true pur-