The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-05-12
2Sth COMMENCEMENT.
WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL SEMI
4 NARY.
Fourteen Men Graduated Into The
MinlStry---Df. III. |. ElderdIce De.
llVered BdCCaldureate Sermon.

westminster Theological Seminary
was held this week, May 7-9
The baccalaureate service, in the Meth
odist Protestant church, Sunday morn
ing, was largely attended. The annual
alumni sermon was preached III the
evening, by Rev. Roby r. Day, "a. b..
b. D.,a graduate OF the Seminary class
OF 1900. Monday evening the twenty
eighth anniversary of the Stockton Lit
erary Society was celebrated i'm the
seminary chapel, the annual meeting
OF the board of governors was held in
the chapel Tuesday morning.
The baccalaureate sermon was de-
livered by Rev. DR.. Hugh Latimer FL
derdice, president OF the seminary
who commended to the members ofthe
graduating class Nathan, the prophet,
who wisely yet boldly rebuked King
David for his grievous sin In his con-
duct concerning Bathsheba and her
husband, as an example to be initiated
by the preachers of today. His text
was: Thou art the man Gil. Samuel,
xii. ID, and his subject was Nathan, or
the minister as a personal preacher.
He said in part:
The Personal Preacher
This old testament prophet is a
splendid specimen of the personal
preacher, his requirements are his re-
ward He had a special message for
a certain man and without losing time
or wasting words he found him and
had his say. He did not ramble
through the royal art gallery to in
dulge his esthetic taste, nor linger ia
the national library TO confirm his
credentials, nor tarry In the council
chamber to f1atter the army; but made
hot haste to the kings throne and a
deep thrust to the kings conscience.
Herein is he model for some min
listers whose preaching is SO imper-
sonal that it fails to find men. Deal
ing with creed rather than conduct,
speculation instead OF revelation and
talking more about the church fathers
than to the church sons, every Sab
bath they travel from Dan to Beer
sheba' without saving soul.
Preaching In an oral message from
a person by a person. to person, from
God, the Divine Person, by the minis
ter, a human person and to an audi
ence of flesh and blood. 1t follows
that it must he persoll% fer the mere
delivery Of a sermon ts not preaching;
what it Is will depend upon how II
ends. The sermon begins with the
application III 1t closes without di-
rect application to the persons present
1t Is only truth in the hands of an
intellectual gymnast.
The Requirements.
"The requirements Of the personal
preacher are God-sent, tactful, cour-
ageous. The record is: The Lord sent
Nathan unto David. This divine au-
thority was essential to equip a sub
ject to meet his monarch on such a
mission. Had he been inspired only
by his own sense of wrong, or urged
alone by the petition of the friends
of dead Uriah, he would have had
neither the diplomacy nor the bravery
to indfct the royal criminal.
"The God-sent minister must use
human tact Nathan was diplomatic
in dealing with a delicate situation.
Had he bluntly denounced David BY
saying: You brute! I have caught
you in your crime against the honor
OF Bathsheba and. the life of her hus-
band he would have been doomed TO
the dungeon or the sword; out hy
using tact to hide that crime under the
garb of a parable, he was able
to lead the king to act as his own
judge. Tact in the pulpit is saying the
right thing at the right time in the
right way.
Though 1t was Nathan's tact that
invented his parable, II was his cour-
age that made the application. In
these days of high living and low sal
aries ministers are tempted to be
friendly instead of courageous, COM
promising rather than courageous.
With a family to feed and clothe and
children to educate they hear the
tempter whisper: Go easy, parson; |;
you will lose the subscription OF Squire
Smith But subscriptions are not lost
that way, for even bad men admire
courage In the pulpit.
Nathan's Reward.
NNathan's reward was the sight Of
a penitent king on his knees. This
was to him richer than the crown or
the king or the wealth OF his kingdom.
Brethren OF the graduating class my
plea Is: Be personal preachers. Fail
anywhere but here. You dare not miss
this mark. Let your message be so
direct that men will know you are
talking to them and not to the absen-
tees. Do not play at preaching, but
face your David like a man. Do not
enter your pulpit until convinced that
you are God-sent; then your sermon
will not be a rehearsal OF theological
lectures from your seminary note
books, nor a mang1ed revision or some
lecture you have heard on the plat
form, nor a ventilation of some theory
OF Bible inspiration, nor some specu-
lation over the origin of man, but O.
Scripture truth which you have dis
covered by hard study, or a personal
experience which confirms the Word
Of God, or q message from the skies
which finds you on your knees and
sends you In search or some David In
his unforgiving sins.
And remember that the truest tact
is born or sympathy and therefore
tells the most terrific punishment i'm
tones that are tender. Before you
plunge the sword of the Spirit tell
the story of the pet lamb. When the
tempter bids you show the white
feather, show the nerve Of John Knox,
who never feared the face Of clay '''
The closing exercises were held
Tuesday evening IA the Methodist
Protestant Church. Rev.. M Shert-
dan, ID. D, president OF the Maryland
Annual Conference, opened tine eHer-
cEseB with prayer William Henry
Mikesell, Of Wilmington, DEL, sang o..
WDlO. and warren HRmpt0n ModGeM
delivered tine 1cf@@s oration- The ad-