Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-03
MACLACHLAN breaches
TO MEDICAL STUDENTS
Baccalaurcate Sermon Is Delivered
at Seventh Street Christian
Church.
COMMENCEMENT ON TUESDAY
Exercises Will Be Held in City Audi
torium, When Degrees Will BE
Awarded and Hospital Assign
meEts Announced.

Rev. I'll. ID. c. Maclachlan. d. D.. pas
tor of the Seventh Stree, Christian
Church. last night delivered an inn
pressive haccalaureate sermon to the
graduates of the Medical College OF
Virginia. His subject was Figs and
sun DialS.' and he chose his text from
the Second Book of Kings, chapter 90
verses l TO IL. In his sermon Dir. Mac
tachlan emphasized service to human
ltS ana closer communion with God
Beginning with this biblical :illusion
DR.. Maclachian impressed upon his au-
dience that the figure of the Figs and
the sun Dials" gave an interesting
mint OF the combination of the human
and the divine art of healing. The
sign OF the sun dial is symbol OF
the divine purpose, and the poultice Of
the figs indicates that the divine pur-
pose was not effective without human
instrumentalities, proving that the
medical practice is the regular chan
mel through which God works in the
cure OF disease.
In biblical times the emphasis was
laid upon the divine agency; nowadays
the emphasis is laid upon the human
side. TO the exclusion sometimes of the
divine was a reminder TO the mcdica
graduates by DR.. Maclachlan. contin-
Z
only feQow-workers with Higher
Power. 1t was Huxley who said that
the duty OF the scientist was to sit
down before the fact as a little child
Where he said the fact l would say
God. All our cures can only be coca
sons for naturc's-that is TO say, God 5
cures. Said AMBROSE Pare: i dressed
the wound; God healed It,.
PLEA FOR RECOGNITION
OF GOD IN Personal LIFE,
"Ny plea, then, is not a professional
onc-how could | tell you anything
about your professionalism it is I,
spiritual one, for the recognition Of
God in your personal lives.
You stand for light as against dark
ness, for enlightenment as against ig
norancc. for clcanncSs as against filth.
for strength as against weakness. for
the truth AS against superstition, for
virtue AS against vice, for restiulneSS
as against worry, for self-contidence as
against foolish fears and phobiaS, for
the open air rs against the tetid at
mosphere, for sanity as against insan-
ity, for the normal mentality as against
nerves, for the sclf-forgctfuiness OF
work as against the self absorption OF
hyStcrla for life as against death.
Il can imagine no greater thrill com
ing to the human breast than that Of
the physician or surgeon, when he
meets death single handed and, beat
ing him back inch by inch, secs him
finally turn tail and stink away. To
save 4 human life. TO ease one hour
Of agony, TO restore a crippled body
or mind to continued usefulness in
the worlds there any honor man can
bestow adequate to such service 10
humanity as that!
ADVANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
Is SLOW AND PAINFUL
The evolution OF the universe de-
cured at every step only by desperate
struggle and effort. There is a SLOW
and painful advance Of knowledge,
lighting onward inch by inch agains,
ignorance, superstition. dogmatism
and sclf-satisfaction. There is Il
growth OF civilization whose victories
like that in France and Flanders
from the alien forces of anarchy. ty-
ranny and brute force. There is a
moral evolution of the racc--the age
long struggle, not yet ended by any
means. against the sclfiShness and un-
bridlcd desires Of undisc!plincd human
nature. All these struggles are idcnti-
cal with yours. You are not alone.
You belong to Il glorious company
the company OF the apostles and pro-
phets; OF the great discoverers and
inventors: the great educators and re-
liGious leaders; of all the statesmen.
rcformcrs. preachers. idealists, and
social enthusiasts who are lighting for
the moral and spiritual as YOU are
fighting for the physical we'll being OF
the race. And above il all is God, The
commander chief of all the. armies
-! Light"