Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-06-02
GAVE BhCCALAUREATE SERMON
REV. GEO. "A. RAY ADDRESSED
SENIORS, URGING TILE NEED
RECOGNITION OF GOD

49, A>~Oo AeSAAo3 WILL 4oFO
far brought from out the stored
past, )" was the text of the baccalau-
reate sermon, or address, as the speak
er termed it, delivered to the gradual
ing class Of the high school by Rev.
George Archbold Ray Of the Church Of
Our Saviour, on Sunday evening, at
the high school auditorium. The room
was filled to its capacity with an at
tentive audience.
Rev. Ray stated that this year in
this land Of hundred million people,
hundreds of thousands Of pupils are
leaving the high schools to 60 out into
a larger world, to be found in bust
ness or in the home. The sum of the
dreams, the determinations, the hopes,
the aspirations, the ambitions which
they are taking with them are, known
by God only. Whether their ideals are
dreams of wealth and power for their
own sakes or whether their ideals are
for public service and the honor Of
public office, is known only by him
and themselves.
The speaker recited the lines "Ill
fares the land to Fastening ills prey,
where wealth increases while it's men
decay and asked if it was possible
that such would ever be the destiny
of this land. He pointed out that such
lands as Assyria, Greece, Babylon,
Rome and Egypt, which were at one
time leading nations Of the world, were
wiped off the earth as result of their
faithlessness to duty and their indif-
ference to the Lord. By the inexora-
BILE working of the laws Of Almighty
God it is also possible and certain that
this nation of ours shall fall from it's
high place if the people of this land
choose to follow the footsteps of Is
rael, who were elected to spiritual
greatness. Therefore, Rev. Ray stated,
the hope Of this nation rested upon the
shoulders Of the young graduates
whom he was in particular addressing.
He said that it was possible that
their attachment to high ideals might
be the hope Of the world.
Rev. Ray mentioned the fact that
most of the graduates this year were
young women. Before the close of
their natural lives, he said, it might
be that the sceptre Of government will
have fallen from the nerveless fingers
Of men and will be grasped by the
women. He added that it seemed GER
tain that within the course of another
generation woman will have attained
an equal voice with man in govern
ment and legislation.
Finally the speaker charged his
hearers, and especially the graduates,
to remember that history knows of no
nation which ignored God and did not
not perish, and that the salvation of
our country involves recognition Of
God and the use Of our influence to
further his work in this world, and in
wolves the recognition Of the Lord 8
Day, the Sabbath. Hundreds Of thous-
ands of people are now in serfdom
through the demands Of those who de-
sire to be catered to on Sunday, and
the secularization Of this day would
mean deadly blow at human free
dom, which predicates the right of the
individual to enjoyment Of the common
liberty.
Rev. Ray closed by saying that the
commandment which calls upon US to
honor our parents covers, in its mod
ern application, obedience to. the laws
Of the city, the laws of the state, and
the laws Of the nation, all of which
are enacted by the agents of the de-
mocracy for the common veal. OBJ
servance of the law, he said, is a guar
antee against anarchy and to it is at
tached the promise of the command
ment "that thy (nationaD days may
be long in the land which the Lord,
they God, giveth thee.'
Rev. Philip Gregory delivered the
Invocation at the beginning Of the
meeting and Rev. John Watson closed
the services with the benediction. Two
songs were sung by the audience and a
mixed chorus from the high school fur.
nished two sacred numbers.