Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1923-05-17
PRESBYTERIAN Church
The Baccalaureate Service

The Baccalaureate Service
A very large audience was in at
| tendance at the baccalaureate SER
vice in the opera house Sunday ev-
ening, the upstairs and down being
| filled and many persons standing
during the entire service.
The large class-41 in number,
wearing their caps and gowns, en-
| tered shortly before the time for the
service to begin, and took their plac-
es in the front part of the auditor
| ium, in the seats reserved for them.
They were accompanied by members
of the high school faculty, who oc
cupied seats with them
The front of the stage was beauti-
I fully decorated with ferns and other
| potted plants. Members of the girls
chorus of the high school were seat
ed upon the stage, and under the di-
rection of Miss Geier, music instruc
tor in the schools, sang two num-
bers. Another special musical num-
ber was solo by Wayne Jackson.
Rev. F. Gillian. pastor of the
Malta NJ. E. church, made the invo-
cation. The scripture lesson of the
evening was read by Rev. w. NJ.
Wilson of the Methodist Protes-
tant church. 1t included the first
IS verses of the first chapter of the
gospel of John.
The sermon to the graduates was
delivered by Rev w. NJ Mackay,
! pastor of the Bristol and Deerfield
Presbyterian churches. who took as
his text John 1882, eye shall know
the truth and the truth shall make
| you free" The conditions for know
! ing "the truth" are found in the
words which Jesus uttered in con-
nection-"If We abide in my word"
With these thoughts as basis Mr..
Mackay drew lessons for those for
whom his address was primarily in
tended. and also for the others who
heard him. "The Word was made
| flesh in Jesus and dwelt among men,
and Jesus calls his followers to bear
witness to the light which he
brought into the world. There are
many phases of the Christ life. The
speaker drew attention to two par
| ticular phases-the first being the
Fatherhood of God. With the COM
| ing of Jesus into the world men got
a new idea of God-they saw him as
| a kind, loving father who tempered
| justice with mercy, rather than an
austere God whom they had only
! feared.
The second phase that the speaker
| brought out was the brotherhood of
man. He said that there is so much
| wickedness and hatred today in the
world among individuals and ma
tions, that it would seem that broth
erhood does not exist. And yet we
children by mature, but by choice
| many are prodigal children wan
dering in far country" They can
be restored to their fathers home
through Jesus. He is the only door.
Mr.. Mackay said the hope of the
world today is Christian democra-
cy. 1t can be attained only in one
way. Not through an educational
system, great as it may be. Not
through better economic system,
bad as it may be needed. Not by
any world court, though it may be
the ultimate aim of nations. Not by
any man-made or artificial means.
1t must come through Jesus Christ
his spirit working through the
hearts of people. Jesus was the
greatest exponent of Christian de-
mocracy the world ever has known
or ever can know. Note some of the
principles enunciated by him: GAS
We would that men should do to you,
do ye even so unto them" "Owe no
man anything but to love one anoth-
er." "He that would be greatest
among you let him be the servant Of
ALL"
Spirit filled lives are needed to
carry out Christ's principles and
teachings in the world. To this end,
qualified men and women are need
ed. The graduates of high schools
and colleges, who have combined in
their lives trained intellects, strong
bodies, and Christ's spirit, can in
splendid way help Jesus win the
world for him. To this end the
speaker pleaded with the graduates
to let their lives count. He closed
his earnest appeal with beautiful
story of young man who gaZed up
on picture of Christ on his knees
in Gethsemane, and to whom as he
looked the conception came of what
the picture really meant-and of
the young mans determination to
thereafter let his life count for
Christ toward the accomplishing of |
the great mission which Christ came
into the earth to fulfill.
Christians are the salt of the |
earth. AS salt preserves from de- |
cay, in the physical world, so does
the true Christian life preserve from |
decay in the moral and spiritual |
world. As the atmosphere created !,
about the earth protects that body !
from harm from without, generat- |
ed through material or physical con-
ditions, so the atmosphere created |
in society and in the world by the |
band of Christ's followers, preserves
from total decay and corruption.
Let your lives cooperate with God. |
Let him count on you.