The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-06-24
SUCCESS WAS
THE KEYNOTE
------
OF BaccaIaureate Sermon to
Goddard 1907
By THE REV. c. c. CONNER
Class Day Exercises Were Held at the
School This Afternoon, Including
Usual List of oratons-
+ Concert Tonight.
BY THE REV. c. C. CONNER

The thirty eighth commencement week
Of Goddard seminary opened yesterday
morning with the annual baccalaureate
sermon, delivered to the graduating class
BY the Rev @. G. Conner at the Univer.
salist church The altar was prettily
decorated with potted plants, evergreen
and flowers. There was an audience pres.
emf that filled the seating capacity of
the church. Paul Waterman. Victor Oh
sen, Arthur Mcdonald and Clifford Cars
well, members of the junior class,fwyp
well, members Of the junior class acted
as usliers. The front seats were reserved
for the junior class, the faculty and the
graduation class, the juniors marching in
first followed by the faculty and last
the twenty-one members of the class Of
1907,
The service was impressive and most
enjoyable. Special music was rendered
by the choir which was composed of Mr..
Chapman, Mrs. Lamb, Miss Morse and
AIR. HollisteF.
The order of the service was as fol-
lows Organ prelude, ,Sortie, Dunham,
Miss Pease; anthem, my Faith Looks
Up TO Thee" choir, Invocation; respon-
siye reading; anthem, Welcome Sweet
Grace" choir; scripture reading; prayer;
sermon, Rev. 6. G. Conner; anthem,
Sweet Spirit Come,p choir; hymn;
benediction; postlude, stem, Miss Lease.
sermon on Success.
The theme Of the sermon was "Suc-
cess, text ! Cor. g;26. Tie speaker said
in part:
In the individual are to be sown and
grown motive and ability. Here Is the
ground Of achieving power. A God
changed the world from chaos TO form,
and peopled II, and soul imparts quail
ity 10 things or gives them shape in the
spaces allowed for its own Iordship.
There are different aptitudes in diff.
ferent individuals Success Is along the
lines Of our likes. Effort that is forced
cannot lie more than half hearted. The
Occupation that is considered all drudgery
and vexation, and We do nothing therein
for the love Of 1t, Is only a clumsy club
to beat back the wolf from the door.
-When we bear 4 thing in our heart
and our hand together, the load is di.
vided anu made lighter. Eben Holden
carried westward 4 boy in a basket on
his back, and he had the same boy IN
his heart. Otherwise be could net have
trudged along so we'll. Receiving the
spirit Of the gods, the ancient hero did
find his bands free to all high notion
and his feet seemed 'feathered' under
him. The hungarian poet Madach, in
The Tragedy Of Man, puts upon the lips
Of Adam the words, Where spirit is, Is
also victory.
"The works OF men which are the
eounterparts of their character or genius
are the most valuable to the world. Men
leave in them something of their per-
sonality when they depart, and the cen.
sus which IS taken each decade does not
tell to It's date the full working forces
which are blessing humanity. Many OF
the dead should be still counted as with
us.
Christianity would give the world
first and last the individual equipped
and sanetifed. II would make each man,
each woman, royal in the empire of self
1t would see the soul supreme over the
body. We may not be able to conquer
many Of the external forces Of earth
but we are bidden to be true to God and
faithful TO duty. Hearts may be alien
for a time, but we can be kind. Others
may come short, but we are TO fulfill
all righteousness Meu may be treacher-
ons, but we are 10 be trustworthy Some
may fee when none pursue, we are 10
stand and, having done all to stand
we are to be always at home to duty.
"Christianity requires that mems sue
cesses should be turned into helpfuness
1 for humanity. We have been too slow 70
perceive IL; we should be henceforth
quick to practice it.'
To the members Of the graduating
elass he said:
Life should be made up Of a series
Of successes. do not say that there may
not be some failures in ID, or that these
may not become our teachers and help
era. But successes shohuld be the rule
The finishing Of your seminary course
leads to what lies in u larger realm. You
take with you the power Of success
That is What the course in school has
come largely 10 mean to You.
There Is no failure which would be
quite 80 disastrous TO any one Of you
as that which might take place in tbs
territory Of self, Of character. Aer
have suffered defeat without when they
have preserved the integrity Of character
within. and they have been accounted a'
conqueriug, and they have lived in the
trust ana esteem Of their fellow.men u
conquer Ia the very way Of their former
defeat,
"You have had the illustration in youI
class, which you have doubtless taken tc
your hearts, that what we have moi
power over in The great order Of life anc
death may touch us and leave us blame
less. We pnst seveally consent to Tho
defeat Of death. There is nothing ignobl'
in It, nor ii there in any unconquerabll
external circumstance. The blame ant
the shame may only come and lngei
where We have been in life false or un
faithful
$50 I would say TO you, 60 forth ex
Ipecting to succeed If you have th'
thought of success III your mind, yot
may not fnd it difficult to fix i some
where ia the earth Bear always guot
viii toward mon. Live your life TO sery'
others Let your bearing toward peopii
be that of faith. 10 not doubt person.
until they prove untrustwnrthy. So fa'
as YOU must aet with others Keep 81
i Vniir heart fhe kindly spirit and tn,