Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-09
INVOLVED
IN THE GREAT WAR
'The Heavier Battali0ns" Theme
Of Baccalaureate Sermon at
University of Vermont
DIR. HOPKINS TO SENIORS
Patriotic Service in Evening with Al.
dresses By Dean Hills and Mrs.
Beatrice Forbes. obertson Hale

Sunday afternoon at four o'clock the
University Of Vermont haccalaureate
service was held in the gymnasium, the
Rev. William Herman Hopkins. 'S5. d. D.,
pastor of the First Presbyterian Church
Of Albany. N. Y, preaching the SER
mon. The service opened with the pro-
cessional, the seniors marching from the
Billings library to the gymnasium. Then
followed the invocation and doxology
and the Scripture lesson. read by the Rev.
Mr.. Hopkins. Acting President q. H.
Perkins offered prayer and God Of Our
Fathers" was sung by the congregation.
THE BACCALAUREATE SERMON
DR.. Hopkins theme was 1.-THE Heavier
Battalions," and his text was taken from
I'd Kings 8: 1917. He said in substance:
Elisha, upon whose shoulders fell the
cloak Of Elijah's high privileges and re-
probabilities, had a servant who when
he awoke one morning and found their
hill surrounded by a host Of Syrians ac-
customcd to brutal victories and even then
making d spring or fall offensive, ran
in to his master to speak a word which
Is very, very old and never out Of use,
though not now in good form, the word
ALAS, what shall we doT'
Have not our own lips framed in sub
stance. that sentence7 Have we not
framed II when circumstances, or our
own fault hit us hard framed 1t when
riches took wings; when ill-health came
to stay; when death without delay and
without apology broke the beloved circle;
when Misunderstanding or Ynisrepresent-
alton, OF our action or character held the
center Of the stage; or when we felt to
the depth Of what soul was left In us
that we had sold our birthright for a
mess Of pottage? There have been times
enough when In our personal emergencies
we have given way and cried "Alas. alas
what shall we dor"
And now many, all too many, take It
up and utter II with passion as they think
not Of their own but Of the nations need
Germanic legions. scant in honor but Of
great might,-Qermanic legions pointing
to notable victories and leading captive
a procession OF peopes.-Germanic legions
come on with unfailing men, with bril-
liant strategy, with superb confidence.
come on toward Paris and the channel
ports to take for themselves the terri
| tory OF France, the sea-supremacy Of
Britain, the wealth Of America. And, the
while. we catch the note Of desperation
in Britain's call to the colors, we hear
again that France Is bled white and we
are told that our armies are still in the
environments and that our airships are
hardly beyond the blueprint stage. Nov
ed by these conditions, in which the real
and the imaginary arc mixed, there are
not few who tremble as Elisha's SER
want trembled and ask "Alas, what shall
we do, what can we do against such i'm
mense and victorious armies? Are we
J not beaten? Ought we not to encourage
| a peace by compromise, save what is left
to US. and go about our normal business
again a. soon as may be7''
To meet such a view we need not only
the pure glory OF the heroism
That sees Il 10 . better thing
For life to 60
Like radiant torches quenched
When burning high
With that ethereal light,
Than wear down dull and slow,
Through a dark night.
l. And with sick waverings die"
nor to meet such a view do we need
merely the tenaoity Of Grant who will
night II out on this line though It take al
summer: nor do we need merely the dash
Of a Foch who Is heard to say my right
wing has been driven back. my left wins
is crushed. shall attack with my cen
ter" We need all these and we neet
them greatly-as we need the enlistment
Of all our ingenuity and the CO. ordination
Of all our business power.
} But we need something even more. w,
J need-Elisha? Well, he was a rare com
bination Of good qualities There SEEM
to have been in him something Of Dan
lei Boone, something Of Thomas JEFF
ferson something Of q Jonathan Edwards
The mixture made him great asset, an,
would still. There Ia no one of the OF,
Testament worthless who would be NOR
} welcome than Elisha II he could rise from
the dead and walk along the front lin
! Of our troubles whether they be persona
or national or international. But tina
; cannot be. However. better than Elish
} IL the faith he had, the faith he mad
potent in his shivering servant. And tina
) faith we need more than we need him
: and that faith We ought to have and ma
E have. the faith that they that are wit
) US are more than they that are wit
. them"
FORCE BECOMES NECESSARY.
The President of the United States ha
again spoken words of great weight:
Germany has once more said that fore
and force alone shall decide whether jus
! tice ana peace shall reign in the affair
Of men; whether right as America con
ceives It. or dominion as she conceive
y II shall determine the destinies of man
. kind. There Is, therefore, but one re
. Spouse possible for US. Force. force to tn
y utmost, force without stint or limit III
- righteous triumphant force which sha
:. make right the law of the world an
cast every selfish dominion down In tn
dust"
y To that view America has now com
- America free from material ambition
:. this great hour, loving peace, patient vi
- der insult and blow. shrinking from
blood letting conflict. and trusting,
would appear. that other armies would |
strong enough without her aid.-to TIL
n view America has now come. Force mu
be employed. force to the utmost. for,
without stint and without limit
u But what force? The answer begiI
y with that of which the President
" trenchantly speaks and reaches as Z,
s. as that which Elisha saw and had pow
b. to make the timid fellow beside him re
n. What force? Why. the force of she
a and sword, that insensate but nigh,
~ thing which 90 far from being despis,
"a Ii od-Eiven; the force that goes dow
"a into the bowels of the earth for cos
~ that pulls the limited into the terrhins
)" that sends the ship across the sea- Su,
n force may be used hideously; then the
" is no hell too deep for 1t. But there a
" times, as now. when It 10 called upo
o. as the President calls upon II, to witt
81 stand the hideous and the hellish, The
though we lament that 1t must be turn,
for while from the work of the plourl
share to do the work Of the sword, v
o. welcome II, we give thanks for II, v