The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-25
JUNIORS AND SENIORS
 IN DEBATING CONTEST
Congressman Henry D. Clayton Will Deliver Grafton Before the Society of Alumni This Mornine-An-
 nual German Tonight.
BY FRED G. srlcKNEY.

in Clark hall was present. There is tremendous throng of visitors already here and nearly all of these attended the exercises yesterday with a great num- Der from town.
 The music of the occasion was a spe- cial feature and added very much to tho pleasure of the services. This being the year for the sermon to be preached by a minister of the Methodist church, as is the custom, the local Methodist church choir had charge of the musical pro- gramme. Calman's orchestra from Bir- mingham, which is engaged by the uni versity for the entire commencement, ac- companied the choir selections, and also rendered. an orchestra piece in it's splen- did style
 In addition to the choiE.s work Mrs. H. N. Eddins of Tuscaloosa rendered a beautiful solo. Her excellent voice was never heard to better advantage and her singing was a distinct feature of the exercises.
 Bishop Morrison Breaches.
 It was the pleasure of the university authorities to have as the commencement preacher for this time the Rev H. c. Morrison, D. D., of the Methodist church, south. Bishop Morrison is one of the most distinguished figures in Methodism and a speaker of great force and ability. His text was: And now, brethren com mend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which Is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified" Acts, 20:32.
 His sermon naturally divided itself into four aspects of life. Gods plan of man and his life; the harmonizing of mans life with this plan; the structure and growth of mans life, and the~life to come.
 Gods plan. said he. contemplates per lection. He is not contented with any thing else. He. therefore, made man, not after the order of the lower animals nor of the monkey, but created him in His own image. The great work, the supreme effort of mans life should be, then, to get his life into harmony with God and with His plan. It is only such as have been able to do this that have been able to accomplish the really great thing in life. It Is quite possible for one man, said he to make the whole world feel his force: single tyrant may bathe a nation in blood-but it has been only those who have worked hand in hand with God-whose direction has been Godward such as Luther and Melancthon and Knox, who have had aught to do with the worlds real progress and it's worthy development. In fact, 1t is neces- sary to resist God to evade the trend of His working plans He has way of 1Afft feel what and where His plans are. His vast economy is so inexorably designed that those things which work against Him are destroyed. Whatever the cost, ultimately His will must prevail wheth- CT it be the devastating flood, the wreck ing of a nation or the crucihxion of His own Son, nothing shall stand between Him and the perfection of his plans.
 Morality Not Sufficient.
 He urged the young men that in the very commencement of their active lives they take God in with them By this was not meant that mere morality should shape their lives. This Is not sufficient alone-it Is utterly unavailing. In fact, he continued, morality and charities and self-righteousness had with too many, actually forced God out of lives. Moral ity, 1t is true is essential to Godlness, but 1t is by no means Godliness. He ut tered a strong warning against some of the insidious tendencies of modern theol- ogy. This, said he, had much to say of the worthy legends of the Old Testa- ment and of the beautiful and moral teaching story of Jesus and His birth in a manager But 1t is lacking In what is essential. It says not enough of the atoniug blood of that Christ who was slain that we might have everlasting life It Is, after all, the old theology which has enabled us to be the victors thus far; that has, in spite of the little waves kicked up by criticism and doubt, guided the old Ship of Zion thus far safe ly on its course. The modern theology had yet, he said, to bring single soul to Christ.
 Be begged that the young men go out into their businesses or their pro- fessions with the idea and aim before them of rigkting the wrong conditions and policies which prevail in both. The age, he said. lacks somewhat proper sincerity, a sufficiently strong adher- elce to truth. Even should some be called to the divine ministry, he con- tinued, and should find themselves out of harmony In thought with the church of their adoption do the manly thing and step down and out. There is nothing more traitorous, said he, than the career of some who occupy pulpts, yet who are daily stabbing the church which has clothed them in its cloth rfa
 Work of Laymen.
 He spoke enthusiastically of the age in which we live, giving a number of evil derces of great movements for righte- ousnes which are everywhere work irg reform, last, but not least. being tie recent activity of the laymen th rouglout this country.
 In conclusion he made a specially strong appeal to both young men and young women of the graduating classes that they take God with them in this the commencement of their lives; that through faith In Him Is the only way by which men have gone triumph ant]y into the next life; that the picture of Dives and Lazarus was a true picture with a true and inevitable moral. That life, he said cannot be shaken which has the Bible as its foundation, and he can rest in eternal peace whose head is pillowed on it's divine teaching. Let Christ, the mediator, the One who shows us the way to God, and God the way to us, act through our lives, soft eriing and purifying them. ''And now, brethren" he repeated in conclu- sion command yo11 to God and fO