Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-06-27
President Benton Says the Times
Are Heavy with the Promise
Of Grave Questions.
LIES GREATEST INSPIRATION
Supreme Duty of Every Man and
Woman Is to Wage Unceas.
ing Warfare against Ev.
cry Form Of Evil.

There was a wide departure from
custom immcmorial Sunday afternoon
when the annual baccalaureatc service
Of the University OF Vermont was he'n
out Of doors for the first time. On the
college green. under the grove or pines
was the pulpit placed on an elevated
platform and surrounded with cut flowers
in the shade Of the trees to the north
were chairs for nearly 1000 people. and
on Prospect street stood a score OF motor
cars and carriages. the occupants of
which were as much a part of the
audience as those upon the lawn. A
fitting background was formed by the
ivy-clad library and the historic mill"
nnd. carried out in the GOODNESS of the
late afternoon. the service was one Of
the most beautiful and most impressive
In the history of the institution.
The innovation Is likely to become a
permanent feature of the commencement
exercises, when the weather will permit
and 1t Is the initial step in a movement
20 center all college ceremonies around
the campus 1t is felt tGat much of the
academic atmosphere is lost in the
necessity of using a downtown audi
torium for the graduating exercises. and
II is the expressed hope of those in au-
thority that Ii suitable building for chapel
services and other gatherings can be
erected In the near future.
Another feature of the service.
added Sunday, an academic
procession, which formed at four
o'clock, along University place, the
graduates of the college of medicine
leading. with the baccalaureates. the
faculty and the trustees following in
order. The procession halted before
the presidents house. where 1t was
Joined by DR.. Benton. Marching to
Pearl street while Barton's orches-
ira played the professional. the col
umn, zoo strong. turned into the di-
agonal path across the green.
When the head OF the column reach
ed the space occupied by the audi
ence. two ranks were formed. between
which the president and the marshal,
Charles f. Allen. 80. passed down the
center aisle to the platform. The trns-
tees and finally the members of the
faculty. passed through the group Of
graduates and took their seats. fol-
lowed by the seniors themselves.
The Invocation was pronounced by
the Rev. c. ]. Staples. the scripture
Chase Wilson and the Rev. James S.
Praker. prayer was offered by the
Rev. 7. c. Smart and. In closing. by
the Rev. DIR. c. V. Grismer. The song
praise consisted OF the doxology. the
Gloria Patri. and two hymns.
DIR. BENTON's SERMON.
President Guy Potter Benton wa
the preacher. His subject was "Life's
Great Inspiration" His sermon t.
tho graduates was a strong plea fol
strength of character as the funda'
mental factor In their life effort. 1
follows, in greater part:
Text: "A sound of battle is In the land
and Of great destruction" jeremiah bO:22
The smile of the battlefield Is q
familiar one. The camp, the march. tn
cannonade, the flash OF musketry ant
the rolling drum-beat appeal strongly t.
a militant people.
jeremiah, the weeping prophet o
Israel. foretells, in this hftieth chapte
of his prophecy. of the coming destruc
ton of the wickedest city known to tn
records of time All down through tn
changing centuries, Babylon has stoo
out. In bold relief. against the back
ground Of history as the changeless typ
of personal. municipal and nationa
putrescence. From the very morning daw
OF human civilization, 1t has borne tn
stamp as the center and type of ungodl
empire This character was impresse
upon it from the earliest period. 1t wa
the locality of the first earthly prince
dom. That Nimrod. whose memory
preserved to the present day by IN
ruins Of Blrs Nmrud, and who still live
IN the traditions OF the East as grea
criminal and enemy OF God. had Babylo
as the beginning of his dominion TIL
first aristocrat hero Of the chase and c
war, conqueror and despot. proceede
from Babylon Add to this. that the Bah,
lonian tower structure Is, according
Its most essential nature, to be regarde
BIS an undertaking Of human pride begu
without God and In mans own strength
The tower was to be memorial of
period of gigantic effort and aspiratiO
towards the political concentration
the human race into one irresistible fore
Thus we see that the ideas OF EARTH
power and glory were. from the frs
native to the soil of Babylon. With Il
prophets ken jeremiah foresaw the owe
throw of th.s stronghold Of wickcdnes
God has often used the wrath of man
work out His own glorious designs.
the days OF It's greatest iniquity. God toe
depraved Babylon in the hands of II
strength and used II as a mighty han
mer to strike down the enemies of II
chosen Israel. Nebuchednezzar King
Babylon. marched forth in the paraphe
MALTA Of protiigacy and, without inter
did service for God in routing Il
uybn ha Tot
Israel The twenty-second and twent
third verses Of this fiftieth chapter
Jeremiahs prophecy are prediction OF Il
coming destruction of Babylon. for
own evil doing. after It had been MAJ
the instrument OF the Most High
thwarting the plans of other evil-mind
peoples. Hear how the prophet max
promise OF retribution for the arroga
city in the certain words: "A sound
battle Is in the land. and OF gre
destruction"
THE WRITING ON THE WALL.
How is the hammer OF the who
earth cut asundcr and broken, how
Babylon become a desolatiOn among I
nations! 1.-The mourning pro.het OF DE-
iEnates Babylon as the ha nmer-that
the instrument OF Jehovah. which
himself has used whu. Il wa. ns>~