Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1922-06-23

the service was held at 8 o'clock, Rev.
Charles G. Chayer, pastor of the First
Methodist church, preaching the sermon
on The Architecture of Life. The SER
mon was pronounced by all to be an es-
pecially strong one.
The members of the class entered the
church from the chapel. part of the class
passing up the south aisle while others
passed up the north aisle, single file,
and led by their marshals, Edmund Man
ley and Merrill Stone. and then march,
seats reserved for them in the front of
the church. Laurel around the pulpit
made up the only decorations of the
church.
The service opened with selections by
the Thursday night chorus of the school
augmented by adult voices from the
Baptist choir. Rev. G. Walter Bishop
pastor of the West Brattleboro Baptist
church, offered the invocation. After a
hymn by the congregation scripture was
read by Rev. DIR. Herbert L. Woodin
pastor of Centre church, prayer was of
fered by Rev. Arthur V. Woodwork,
pastor of the First Congregational
church of West Brattleboro, and Fred
eric G. Adams rendered a baritone solo.
Rev. Mr.. Chayer then preached the an
nual sermon.
In his opening remarks. the speaker
said the message could not take the
;orm of the conventional sermon, for the
| reason that his age and experience diff
fered so little from the age and expert
ence of the prospective graduates. What
he proposed to do was to think through
with them the ultimate value of some
| favorite detectives in life, and leave
| them free to choose that goal which
made the largest appeal to them.
Mr.. Chayers theme was The Archi-
lecture of Life, and his message was
based on the words of Paul to the Cor
| nthians: According to the grace of
| God which was given unto me, as a wise
master-bulder, | laid foundation, and
another buildeth thereon. But let each
man take heed how he buldeth there
on" These words, the speaker said, ex-
press the natural concern of great
teacher for those whom he had taught.
They likewise, express the deep concern
of parents, teachers, and preachers.
Perhaps the most popular style in the
architecture of life, he said, is the ma
terialistic or economic. The supreme
, ambition of many as they enter upon
| life is to own or control a large share
Of this worlds goods. No other style
makes more favorable first impression,
! but there is a vast difference between the
wealthy man and the wcalth-rulcd man.
The man who rules his wealth makes it
contribute to the varied interests of
mankind the man who is ruled by his
desire for gain must make every other
interest subordinate or contributory to
| it.
Another favorite style in the architec-
| ture of life is the intellectual. That is
to say. many candidates for life have
as their supreme goal an intellectual
mastery of the mysteries of life. This
style makes strong appeal, but there is
danger that we shall mistake the end
| for the means, and consider knowledge
an end in itself knowledge is not the
: Supreme Good as Socrates supposed il
! was. 1t does nothing worthwhile unless
| it is cOnsecratcd.
Still another favorte style of life
structure is the social. Not a few are
building today for social advantage. The
wish to raise our standard of living
seems entirely warranted. We owe
much to those who seek to maintain
high social standards and make of the
people of America a polite and chiyal,
rous people. but there a another kind
of society that cannot be won by virtue
Of achievement; it must be bought. II
is composed of the parasitic elements OF
humanity, who live on the toll of other
people. Such society is to humanity
what the froth is to soda water.
One further style in the architecture
Of life the speaker asked his audience
to view and pass Judgment upon-tht
Christian style-expressed in the word
stewardship. Jesus considered life ia
be trust from God, and as such, n man
is honor bound to use it in such way
that it will do largest service to the
children of Gods great world. Will
n consecrated mind, He sought to tenc
the world OF its Father. of love and His
will for His children. With the talents
of inspiration He possessed, He touched
the broken in body and spirit With the
authority of soul unsullied by wrong
lie championed the cause of the unfor.
/ tunate and oppressed. He welcomed
death. as the one and only way for Him
ITO fulfill His stewardship and reveal to
the world the great father-heart of God.
To the graduating class Mr.. Chayer
said in closing:
Outside the city of Jerusalem there