The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-06-23
"FREED0M" THE TOPIC.
Baccalaureate Sermon Delivered Mt
MiddIebury College by President
Thomas,

Baccalaureate sermon Delivered n
MiddIebury College by Presiden
Thomas,
Middlebury, June 19.-The bacca.
laureate sermon preached by Presi.
dent John NJ Thomas at Middlebury
College today was on the subject oil
Freedom" the text being The lib.
erty of the glory of the children OF
God" Romans 1921.
| DR.. Thomas said in part: "At bot
! tom the question of freedom is the
religious question, a question Of the
quality of soul with which a man
faces the world. The freest man
the world has seen was friend of
fishers, and had not where to lay his
head. His way is the way of freedom
for every man: strlctest submission
to truth, cost what it may; faithfulest
discharge of duty. in the face of the
direst perils; patient yielding to the
worlds worst treatment-but victory
still, freedom in the soul, where alone
is freedom worth having, or worthy
the name"
Members of the Graduating Glass:
your alma mater sends you forth
to win manhood freedom in world
of oldtime slaveries. Your gradua-
ton is not your admission into the
real of liberty, but only your initia-
ton into the fight for it. We cannot
present you with freedom; we can
only bid you achieve it. We have
tried to prepare you for that achieve
ment and to give you heart for it. 1t
is great thing in onis world of tre-
mendous forces, powers that extend
beyond the orbit of the outmost sun,
powers of veil that thwarted the
mightiest and dragged them from
their glory, to stand forth in liberty
to take orders only from the heart
within you, and to be yourself despite
the wor d. That is the liberty of
the glory of the children of God.
"The contest for it will be severe
and you will not lightly conquer
When the fight is open, a gainst foes
whose enslaving cnains have long
been chosen, you may bear the VIC
tory by preservation of a clear mind
and a firm will But the issue will
often be clouded and you will re-
Quire the utmost vigilance and ever
fresh determination 10 see things as
they are and to assert in each new
crisis the mastery of the spirit. We
wish to send you forth with the spir-
it of the victory in your hearts. Learn
to expect to overcome, whatever the
obstacles. and to anticipate triumph
over all discouragements. Acquire
ought to be done, who will do what
they are rightfully expected to do, and
are able to suffer, as strong men still,
whatever of the worlds cruelty they
may be called upon to endure
Keep undying the fires of mastery
that burn in your hearts. Youths i'd
eals, which they will soon tell you
are impractical, are truer than the
pessimism of discouraged age. Do not
lightly give them over. Take coun-
sci of your noblest bravest moments,
and write your convictions of God
and duty and the purpose of your life
by the light of their inspiration:
then tend the lamp.
"Henceforth more than heretofore
you bear in your keeping the honor
of your alma mater. Your victory
for God and right is her victory;
your defeat is your shame. She lives,
not for what we may do here, but for
what you may do in the world Not
only for the affection you have won
from our hearts-and you have won
| it and will hold it-but because Of
the service you may render to God
and your fellow-men, We call down
blessing upon you as you set out on
new stage in the journey toward the
berty of the glory Of the ch.ldiel'
of God"