The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-06-24
DELIVERS SERMON.
The First Event OF the Commence
ment Week Calendar ut the Semin-
airy Held On Sunday.

airy Held On Sunday.
Smiling skies and balmy breezes
attended Baccalaureate Sunday, the
first event on the commencement
week calendar at Montpelier Semn-
airy and the auspices under which
Bishop J. W. Hamilton, d. D., L.
L. D., delivered the annual sermon
to the class of 1909 at Trinity church
on Sunday morning were most fav-
orable. The day was ideal for gowns
and at the hour appointed for the
service, the church was filled with
congregation representative of both |
students and townspeople.
Rarely has Trinity looked pref
tier The balustrades, on each side |
of the lower hall, were wound with |
ferns and puttercups and the pulpit !
of the church was banked with but
tercups, daisies and ferns, several
small trees lending an additional
touch of beauty to the scene. The
pews reserved for the graduates
were roped off with ribbons of the
class color and to these Jews the
class marched, marshalled by
Messrs. Simpson and Smithers, Miss
Grace Morse presiding at the organ
During the service, a choir of voices
from the Seminary sang several an
thems, Miss Eastwood, instructor at
the institution, conducting. Among
the anthems were "Send Out the
| Light" and seek Ye the Lord" Miss
Eastwood singing the solos in the
I latter number.
Rev. E. A. Bishop, principal of the
Seminary, sketched briefly the his
tory of Montpelier Seminary from
it's first founding at Newbury, IS
years ago, and announced the event
of commencement week. Prayer
for the guidance of the institution
was given by Mr.. Bishop and Rev.
A J. Hough in a very graceful
speech, presented Bishop Hamilton.
Bishop Hamilton is a magnetic
speaker, choosing the simplest
words. the least ornate English, and
appealing straight to the heart. The
fact that the service stretched far
over the usual time was scarcely no.
ticed so absorbed was the entire
congregation in the truths revealed
and forcibly emphasized by the
speaker. Prefacing his remarks, ne
said that if the city looked after its
own interests alone, it would make
haste to keep the Seminary within
it's doors. "It has brought you ST.
100000" he said, twill you allow
other towns in the state to secure it
for lack of the small additional sum
which ought to be subscribed twice
over?"
The speaker took his text from
the Book of Judges. 81 have a Mes
sage from God Unto Thee"
Three points were made by the
speaker. That God is here, that it is
the supreme duty of man to be the
messenger of God, and that he must
be the embodiment Of his message.
It may be arite to say to you that
God is here. The battle of atheism is
over People now believe nothing by
chance. We believe God is here out
we know nothing about Him. That
is intellectual hypocrisy. Are you
simply sense believers? Do you know
only by personal observation? Then
there was no Washington, no Ma
poleon? Just as we receive knowl-
edge by faith, so must we receive
God by faith. The inidel's mot.
God is Nowhere" reads, to the eyes
of his yong daughter who has been
taught Christianity, God Is Now
Here" Many child has come to the
knowledge of God before her father
There are people who so follow
other duties that they regard this
supreme duty OF at all. There are
those, of shallow philosophy, who
see no use in this. Their existence
is three-meals-day so much
sleep, so much work, monotony
Why are you here? Why do you live
today? Cos is not trifer He makes
nothing without purpose. There is
' a supreme purpose in everything.
Economy and thrift, ana sufficient
, business to care for you all the days
/, of your life, is the idea of many
people. A struggle to get rich, the
accumulation of all one can get, is
that all? Must the bnker be nothing
else but a banker, wrapped up in
business. All else is put side, the
! children's prattle, disregarded, the
. demands of others given scant at
, tention. If the banker thus lives
then his millions and himself are