The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-06-07
West River TOJUns
COMMENCEMENT AT
LELAND AND GRAY
Large Attendance in Spite of
Uncertain Weather.
FINE BAccALAUREATE SERMON
Preached Sunday by Rev. George B.
Lawson of Brattleboro-Prize Speak
ing Contest the Event of Tuesday
Evening-Class Day Exercises.

Better weather could have been picked
ont by the senior class of Leland and
GRAY seminary for its commencement week
but as long as the choice did not he IN
the hands of the pupils they were obliged
TO take what came and make the best OF
il. And this they have done so success
fully that the rain has interfered little II
any with the program. \ complete ac'
count of the weeks proceedings thus far,
beginning with the baccalaureate sermon
of Sunday. will be found in the following
paragraphs:
The Baccalaureate Sermon.
Although the weather was far from
propitious, a large audience gathered IN
the Baptist church to hear the baccalau-
reate sermon preached by Rev. George
b. Lawson, pastor of the Baptist church
in Brattleboro. The church was decorat-
ed with potted plants, the only flowers be-
ing purple violets and Gala lilies since
the class colors are purple and white.
Just before the exercises began the organ
list, Mrs. r. D. Phillips, played a process
sional and the faculty, the eight members
of the graduating class, and the students
of the seminary marched to the places re-
served for them. The chorus, consisting
of members of the choirs of both churches,
sang The Lord Is Watching for His PEG.
pie. after which Rev. Daniel Mcintyre led
in the Lords Prayer and read for a Scrip
ture lesson LIST Corinthians, 18th chapter
beginning with the fourth verse. The
choir rendered He Shall Lead His Flock
Like a Shepherd, which was followed by
a prayer by Mr.. Mcintyre and a hymn by
the congregation. Then Dr. Lawson an
nounced his text, Cor. l24, There are
diversites of gifts, but the same spirit,
his subject being individuality as Shown
in Religious Experience and in the SER
vice of God DIR. Lawson said
II am glad to come to Townshend be-
cause | know the people and the splendid
work of this institution. Many OF the
strong characters that have gone to the
the home life and the school life here. Be
fore the great earthquake there was
on the walls of the chapel of Leland
Stanford university at Palo Alto a mo-
sale of great size and OF wonderful color
ing representing Christ, surrounded by
angels, calling men to his praise. This
mosaic was made many, many years ago
in Italy from the drawings of one of the
great Italian artists. Each minute part
was carefully wrapped and after years,
was transported across the seas and then
according to the plan of the artist I'M
der the direction of skilled workmen it
became for the first time a complete pic
ture telling its message of truth to all
beholders. Each workman who made one
of the small pieces contributed his share
to that work of art. Since looking on
that splendid mosaic, | have Thought that
the Great Master gathers up the work
of each one in his vast kingdom, those
who have contributed the blue and the
crimson, or the gray and the white. The
Great Artist has struck the inspiration in
the heart of each and is carrying out His
great purpose in the lives of individual
men. As | drove up this morning and
looked out at the hills / was struck with
the diversity of coloring. What blessed
thing it is that there are various shades
of green, the blue and the brown to
crafty the eye. What variety of tone
there is in the songs of the birds. By
the wisdom of God we do not look alike,
or think alike. or dress alike. This would
be a very limited world if we all thought
alike. The great individual is. after all,
part of His race as mighty Shasta is a
part of the hills of the Coast range.
''Now we come directly to this truth,
that as there is variety in individuality
so there is variety in religious experience.
A few years ago the church thought that
all men should have the same experiences;
now our eyes have been opened and we
find the disciples of different types and
Of different experiences. Ones eyes are
opened like those of a child and another
through a great repentance and struggle
of soul, comes to the light. God strikes
His truth into the heart of man and
he becomes a poet-a Milton or a Dante:
God strikes His truth into the heart of
a man and he becomes a painter-a Ra-
phael or a TissOt; against God strikes
His truth into the heart of a man and
he becomes an organizer of things until he
makes the cold metal carry His messages
around the world; God strikes his truth
into the heart of a man and he becomes
an Abraham Lincoln knowing naught but
the spirit of universal brotherhood; God
speaks again and we find a Roosevelt. a
man giving his life to the study of poll
tics and government and speaking a mes
sage, like the one recently delivered at
Lansing, Mich, which might be read in
any pulpit. One man must not discredit |
another because he has found God in a
different way. | remember at one time
travelling on an European railroad locked |
into the same compartment with a man |
who may have been Russian or a Pole |
| spoke to him in my best English but |