The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-06-04
DIR. S. H. WOODROW
DELIVERS SERMON
TO COLLEGE GRADUATING
CLASS SUNDAY MORNING.
LARGE AUDIENCE
DIR. DUREN AT NIGHT
Delivers Fine Sermon To Y. w.
{. 4. On Sunday Night
DR.. Woodrow Called
Home.

The thirty fourth annual COM
mencement exercises of the Industrial
Institute and College, begun last week
under most inauspicious weather con-
ditions, compelling numerous changes
Of the program, were continued Sun
day in the chapel of that institution
when a large crowd assembled 70 hear
the baccalaureate sermon by Rev. DR.
S. II. Woodrow, pastor of the First
Congregational church of St. Louis,
Mo. The same disagreeable weather
of the past month prevailed on Sun
day and notwithstanding the Stephen
ID. Lee High School commencement
exercises at the same hour the col
lege chapel was crowded with the
friends Of the students and the in
stitution to hear the annual sermon.
A most attractive program of musical
numbers had been prepared which
was abandoned at the last moment on
account Of illness Of those who were
to render il. The chapel was filled
and on the rostrum were the follow
ing: Hon. II. l.. Whitfield, president
Of the college; Rev. DR.. Woodrow, to
deliver the sermon; Rev. DR. w. l..
Duren, presiding elder of the Column
bus district of the North Mississippi
Conference, who was invited to de-
liver the evening sermon to the Y.
w. C. A. in the promised absence of
DR.. Woodrow, who was called back
to st. Louis; Rev. R. Excel Fry, pas
tor of the First Presbyterian church
of this city, who delivered the invo-
cation; Miss Matte Loa Brown, iais-
tress Of vocal music At the college,
and Miss Louise Peaeher, the organ
ist Of the occasion
The one hundred and twenty odd Sem
iors marched to their assigned seats
right in front of the platform and the
exercises were begun by the singing
of Gloria Patri," after which Holy.
Holy, Holy" was sung President
Whitfield made the announcement for
the day and for the exercises on Mon
day, after which, in appropriate
words, he presented the distinguished
divine for the sermon.
DR.. Woodrow is a man Of command
ing appearance, rather sympathetic
voice, easy of gesture and platform
and pulpit presence, intellectual in
face and graceful in his delivery His
sermon was more of lecture than it
was a sermon. II was not marked
/ by any impassioned flights of elo-
quence or oratory 1t appealed more
to the mind than it did to the heart,
and by comparison he sought to en-
/ force his points. His comparisons
were timely and appro pirate, dealing
largely with world war conditions,
and he undertook to give them spir-
| itual application. He stated that as
all of the forces fighting for the win
ming of the war had won victory so
that all of the forces Of Christianity
represented by the churches under
the supreme command of God would
win the world for Christianity. He
likened the movement, world wide, for
the unification of the churches to the
victory won in France and COM
mended the spirit of unity upon the
part Of church forces His talk to
the Seniors was especially appropri-
ate. He spoke of the great opportun-
ity for service that was offered them
now and referred to the fact that they
would soon be full citizens of these
United States with the ballot in their
hands TO use rightfully for the bet
terment of mankind. He urged
them to make the best of life and
told them that the Christian life was
the one which gave richest promise
for usefulness in the world. DIR.
Woodrow's sermon was rather short
but made a good impression.
After the singing Of the hymn,
"Stand Up For Jesus" the benedic-
tion was pronounced by DIR. Duren,
and after the Senior class had
marched out the morning exercises
were terminated.
At the evening service Rev. DR., w.
L. Duren delivered the annual SER
mon to the Y. w. c. A. Dr. Duren
was impressed into service Sunday
when it was found that Dr.. Woodrow
would have TO return to St. Louis. His
sermon was a scholarly effort and
pertinent and appropros to the ocea-
sion, charging the graduates and the
student body with the responsibility
of Christian life. A large audience
greeted him and appreciated his SER