Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1912-09-23
ANNUAL SERMON TO
COLLEGE STUDENTS
Upon First Sunday in Scholastic
Year.
WELCOME BY REV. DR.. McCOMAS.
The Highest Good Summum BOnum
St. Johns BOvs Listen to Able
Discourse.

According to his annual custom. the
Rector of st. Anne's welcomed yes
terday morning the church squad from
st. Johns College to st. Anne's
Church. fhe Rector, the Rev. j. p.
McComas. d. D., also preached the
sermon, in which he referred to the
responsibility laid upon the city of
Annapolis in having large body of
students as citizens (one-tenth of her
population) during the academic year.
These yonng men are midshipmen,
val Academy and students al St.
Johns College. The preacher refer
red to the social, moral and religious
obligations owed to each and espec-
tally to the college students.
In welcoming the students to the con-
gregation, DIR. McComas described it
as "A congregation of God-fearing
people, who have worshipped God in
the Holy Catholic Faith, according
to the Books of Common Prayer, for
two hundred and twenty years. who
have prayed for the King and the
High Court of Parliament and for
the President and for the Senate and
Representatives in Congress assem-
bled, striving for true citizenship
and for sainthood by Gods grace.
Hesaid saints in Paradise and upon
earth compass, you about. as a
great cloud of witnesses, while you
run the race which is set before you.
/ desire to give you a text, watch
word, for your course, it is this:
Where your treasure is there will
your heart be also.
The preacher spoke of the Sum.
mum Bonum (the Highest Good of
which philosophy has much to teach.
He said our Lord calls it your
treasure" and describes it as "the
thing your heart is set upon. I" Every
man has his treasure, the one thing
he desires. 1t is so because men are
always in pursuit of something and
have always a final cause for activ-
ity. Our Lord describes the treas
ure as the thing the heart is set
upon, what we want. Men are rest
less for it; so that even kindly men
become cruel if another comes be-
tween them and their treasures; they
are also like Jacob, serving for Rachel,
to whom seven ears seemed but a
few days, for the love he had for her.
Ii is their joy. They have no solace
without it. 1T cannot cost too much,
as with Nathan Hale, the patriot,
who regretted he had but one life to
give for his country.
The Rector then asked : What is
your desire? What do you want?
What is your Summum Bonum, your
Highest Good? You think you are
free. | am here to tell you you are
not; none of US are free" He spoke
of the soul of man which scars al
though the body be bound: of the
thoughts which follow the traveller
and even the prayers, with which Gin
our ignorance and unworthiness" we
follow the dead, trusting the "Foun-
tain of Wisdom" to answer them, and
we think the soul is free; but one
longs for a letter from a distant
friend, the fisherman's wife breads
his absence upon the sea, and a man
of thoughts trembles for his ideals
and a lover for the loved ones.
"Home is where the heart is" Then
he urged them to lay up treasure
in heaven, where moth and rust do
not corrupt, or thieves break through
and steal; for would God have given
to US immortal souls to possess and
enjoy less than immortal (eternaD
things?
The rivalry between heavenly and
earthly treasures is great, no one may
deny it. But these things perish.
The rich man of the parable of
olives AMI Lazarus" found in these
things his Summum Bouum; he had
his good things in this life. When
they were gone, the things he lived
ana sinned for, what had he left?
Seek 10 be true, honest and noble,
set your hearts upon love and faith
and knowing God. We do not despise
wealth and power and honor and love
among men. They may be, in their
way, good, even grand. But seek first
Gods kingdom Of righteousness and
these things will be added. Then
be free; free in the kingdom of God $
truth.
The choir sang for the offertorium,
with good effect, Mendelssohn's an
them ''How Lovely are the Messen-
gers that Preach Us tire Gospel of
Peace -