Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-20
THE BACCALAUREATE

fist church of New York city, preach
led the annual baccalaureate sermon
to the graduating class of Colby Col
llege and to a congregation which
packed the church to overfowins.
DR.. Woelfkin proved to be most in
terestng speaker and held his audi
ence for over an hour spell bound.
The class assembled at the college
, chapel and marched to the church led
by the class marshal, Libby Pulsifer,
of Skowhegan, with the faculty in
line. At the2church, there was an Or
gan prelude by the church organiSt,
followed by the singing of by the
| Waters of Babylon" by the church
quartet. President Arthur ]. Rob-
erts of the college read the first
Psalm, being followed by the congre-
CATION. The Gloria was sung, and
President Roberts again read from
the Scriptures. The quartet sang
Come Great Spirit" and DR.. Neil
son G. Hannay, of the department of
English at the college, offered prayer.
The quartet sang incline Thine Ear"
| DR.. Woelfkin commenced his ad-
dress by citing the statement that
piercing thought puts us in posses
sion of the universe, and added to his
statement that comprehensive thought
makes us at home in the universe.
! He went on to say that the purpose
of education is to make us at home
anywhere, and said that the most that
d professor or teacher can do is TO
point out to his students the blazed
J hn vi nv n
have gone before, but that in educa-
ttion as in everything else, in the last
analysis, one has to do ones own
! thinking. He said that all knowledge
is broadening. to such an extent that
no one mind can keep pace with it;
that we need highly trained special
| lists in every branch of human en-
deavor. but that many great scien-
/ fists. whose names are synonyms for
authority in their several depart
ments are men of provincial minds.
They are at thome in their speciality
and are wandering and lost outside of
/ it. He warned his hearers against
getting into such a condition.
| DR.. Woelfkin said that many minds
are like children in back yard. They
arc content enough until the fence
Elbows down or until a gate opens and
then they are in a panic; that it is
lin times such as there that we need
! the guiding hand of our Father who
owns and knows the large estates.
| To gain friendship and fellowship
| with God. DR. Woelfkin said that
| mans first concern should be with
| the study of his fellows He referred
| to reason inductively. and said that
we must proceed from what we
know to what we do not know. In
this way we should first study man,
| that we may know God. In connec-
| ton with this the speaker cited
/ Shakespeare definition of man.
I "What d piece of work is man How
noble is reason, in form and moving
how express and admirable in action
| how like an angel, in apprehension
, how like a God: the beauty of the
earth, the paragon of animals"
Two questions knock persistently at
| the door of the reason of man. They
are: rs the universe intellgible is 1T
| friendly" The universe cannot be
kindly unless it is rational. herce the
| first quest is intelligibility. Do Woelf.
/ kin mentioned the laws of cause and
effect. and said that through expert
! mental research we have learned that
| nature is absolutely dependable. He
said that this intelligence of the world
| is personal. Man has a personality,
that is, a consciousness of his own eX-
istence. He has memory, magma
! ton, conscience will There is an
equation between cause and effect. The
effect never rises higher than the po-
| tentiality latent in the cause. Man
! is, miniature of God. Therefore God
has the perfection of personality
which is seen reflected in man.
| To show that the universe is friend
! ly. DR.. Woelfkin turned again to the
! Psalms, quoting the lines: What is
| man that Thou art mindful of him;
pr the Son of man that Thou visites,
! him." 'He must be more than
paragon of animals" said the speak
err. The Spirit of God broods over
every cradle, and the sentiment of the
! creation of man in Gods image is
present at the outset of every human
! life.
! If we wish to know God, to be. as
sociated with Him, we must study
/ Him through the nearest thing to Him.
which is man. And of men the one
the nearest to the perfection of God
is His Son, the Christ. 1t behooves
/ us, then, to study Christ. And if by
/ the study of Christ We know God, then
We need fear no changes in science, no
changes in society. Progress is made
through change. To develop the high
err life which is latent within US all,
said the speaker. we must commune
with God, through prayer. meditation,
and cooperation, We must in this
way work with Him.
| In closing, DR.. Woelfkin said that
all work is honorable. Every kind
of work is service to God if it be
honestly given TO Him. The only way
for man ~ succeed is to breathe in the
atmosphere of God, to abide by His re-
ligion. God is here present with us
He is our God, and as He said in His
book. He will not fail us until He has
done everything He has promised us.
Dr., Woelfkin's closing words were
quoted from the hymn He Leadeth
Me-"
| The congregation sang "Oh God; Our
Help in Ages Past and Dr. Woelfkln
! then pronounced simple but impress
sive benediction The graduating
class and the faculty of the college
marched out while the congregation
remained seated.