The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-06-17
BACCALAUREATE SERMON
BY REV. G. S. WENDELL
CLASSICAL AND PRACTICAL AD-
DRESS TO SENIORS OF CLASS
'13-SPECIAL Music.
Clergy of Town and Congregations
Unite in Services-Large Attend

Clergy of Town and Congregations
Unite in Services-Large Attend
ance.
To a capacity house, Sunday even
ing, Rev. George S. Wendell, pastor
of the Baptist church, preached
scholarly baccalaureate sermon in
the Presbyterian church. He chose
as his text, I" l was afraid and went
and hid my talent in the earth"
Seated upon the pulpit platform
beside the speaker and Rev. Jesse
Hermann, pastor in charge, were
Rev. ]. w. Balta, of st. Mary Mag
dalene church, Rev. Will H. Hitler,
of the Methodist church, who also
offered prayer; Rev. A. l.. Whittak-
er, rector of Grace Episcopal church,
the latter having read the Scriptur-
al lesson and pronounced the bene-
diction. Miss Jane Hagaman and
Harold L. Keith of New York city,
sweetly sang a duet, entitled, my
Faith Looks Up to Thee" by George
B. Nevin. The graduating class,
faculty, and school board occupied
seats in the front of the church. The
congregation represented all denom-
nations.
Among other things Rev. Wendell
said: " We are governed by three
laws: the law of service, the law
of stewardship and the law of re-
sponsibility. What is the greatest
of these and how attained, you may
ask? Christ's attainment is found
in the law of Christian service I'm
der the law of responsibility two of
4 the servants took risks and assumed
responsibilities, while the third hid
his talent in the earth. He shirked
the law of responsibility. The Bible
furnishes us with several illustra-
tions of characters of this kind.
There were the foolish virgins and
the prodigal son. Look at any man
who wastes his life. What means
the talent? Every mans talent
means himself, his brain, his heart
and his will These are our capital
in life. There are two things we
can do in this world. We can either
ignore ourselves or we can recognize
our talents. Every man must edu-
cate himself to take risks. Men who
take responsibilities are the men
who make the world. This sermon
is especially to you, graduates of the
Honesdale High school. This is
your commencement season. This is
the greatest moment to you if you
are serious This is as it were the
watershed of time where the streams
or yesterday and to-day divide and
take their own way. Life to you
has been a beautiful June morning.
You knew of no responsibility to
others, but suddenly you awoke to
to the fact that life was not always
to be a beautiful June morning.
This occasion is the goal of attain
@ ment for this period of your lives.
nn1,a fIo
commencement exercises are the be-
ginning of new period in your
lives. Effort, struggle and strenu-
8ous living follow. You remember
how the Evil One tempted our Lord
on the Mount. You must pass from
the mount of realization before you
can pass through the mount of re-
Fponsibility. This is your mount of
duty today. There will be no short
cuts. Sacrifice and duty lies between
these two mounts. 1t is no easy road
TO travel from mount to mount. The
acquisition dearest to you will be to
descend from the mount of RESPONSE
Pility to the mount of duty, then you
will realize your duties. knowledge
IS vain thing only when sought
through selfish motives and for un-
Worthy ends. Let your motto in life
dge to certain determined end
he law of service is also the law
t responsibility and duty. How few
espond and say Here am l, send
ne." 1t is easy to go on a new road
r sing a new solo.
There are three precepts which ]
Yish you would carry with you all
our life, namely, Believe in Cod
Love one another" and "Fear moth.
hg in the performance of your
uty." Always seek to do your duty
pad fear nothing in doing it." Pas
pr Wendell then gave an illustra,
on of young man doing his duty
be instance of the Iriquois theatre
hicago, when it was burned OF
ecember 80, 1908. William Nc
aughlin was the young mans name
e knew his duty and responsibility
hen the fire broke out in the thea
e. After being the means of saw
g several women and children thu
d was fatally burned. He wal
r. lshed to a hospital and was con
ious to the last, remarking a few
oments before he passed away, :"
ew that was following Christ ant
Pdld not do otherwise than l did,
pc your talents whether they b,
any or few"
At the close of Pastor Wendell
nging address, Rev. Jesse Herr
ann stated that he knew that h
~ iced the sentiment of the class
rents, faculty school directors an,
aggregation in expressing to MI
endell the hearty appreciation O
for the helpful and inspiring mes
ge that he brought.
SS CORR GRADJTATED