The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-06-06
BQccQLaureate Sermon
By Rev. L. B. Wolf D. d., At Annual Commencement
NeOberry College, ESunday June 4, 1911:

poses for the race. He must be one
who absolutely thought, live, labored
suffered and ives willing to devote all,
even life ltsGT, to secure his races
good-to c5mplete the circle of divine
olesslng for a race. By the finest
analysiS Of his character men would
be upable to find one drop OF selnsh
mixture in his makeup or in any deed
I1S did or proposed to do. He must
have it said of him by all that his
place in the vision was that of Abou
Ben Aden, whose name led all the
rest as one who loved his fellowmen
Such an obligation would be found
most appealing, such a life most pow
erful in its influence over others. A
friend of the race in the highest sense,
in service, in, sacrifice, in leadership,
as guide and instructor, in the great
university of mankind-such an ones
character has a mighty momentum
and his fellows note him as he moves
amid the complications of the social,
intellectual, moral and spiritual world
forces. They nod when he speaks
Men call and have ever called for such
a leader, but they demand too that he
have power ability not only to lead,
but to solve present existing problems.
He must be able to answer in a salts
factory fashion the question Of his
own relationship to 111uself, &c his
| community, to the State, to the world
and to God. If he breaks down in any
one of these relationships, he will not
answer mans demands. So often
have leaders appeared, so often has a
Mohammed, and a Buddha, a Confu-
clus and Zoroaster, aawned on the
human horizon, had his day, done a
work, nay, done great things, estab-
hshed new institutions; but every one
of them lacked, sadly lacked, ele-
ments of human leadership, which any
other age than their own was quick
to point out.
The solution of the world problems
was attempted by each, only to end
in dismal failure, dividing the world
into great hostile camps and putting
off the unifying, constructive plan de-
manded by world out of joint. Su
preme ownership and it's acknowledge
ment by the race may seem far off
dream, something so visionary that
its apprehension, much less its reali-
zation, has hardly seriously affected
man: But the marvellous success the
past leaders have had, whose pro-
grams for man contained, with many
excellencies, many grave and palpable
weaknesses, awaken in mankind the
hope and make it respond to the pro-
gram of the leader, the most careful
analysis of whose life and service can
discover no fault and no weakness,
except that it differs from every other
one ever proposed, in its utter un-
selhshness. 1t begins, continues and
hopes for ultimate triumph, as it
swings the race into line with it's
leader, who emptied himself who
lived for others, whose teaching was
that he saves his life who loses it for
others; and whose supreme act was
one which seemed to mark utter de-
feat and disaster by removing the
leader himself under circumstances of
shame and ignonliny. The career only
exemplifes His world-plan, that dy-
ing we live, that losing, we get, that
yielding in utter surrender the best,
We get as the leader did, the highest
and fullest life, made perfect through
suffering. It is reasonable thing to
hold that the claims made by such
one would meet the human situation
and that thoughtful men would accept
such obligations and enlist unu.r such
a leaders banner.
But yet further considerations maze
more imperative claim and present
obligations more compelling. WORTH
ness. in service and leadership, makes
q powerful appeal to men. yet man-
kind asks for more Man needs help.
He feels himself enslaved, bound IL
chains, and the longer the CHAINS re-
main the more CALLING they become,
until he cries out in anguish, Who
shall free me from the body of this
death? Has such a deliverer appeared?
if so, lead me to him. Has one suffi-
ciently strong, divinely strong, per-
formed a redemptive act, of worth and
power, Of such scope and universally,