Baccalaureate Sermon.

Bishop Lawrence preached the Baccalaureate Sermon to the class of ninety-four yesterday afternoon in Appleton Chapel. He took his text from the thirteenth chapter of Acts, "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers." This, he said, was the best thing that could have been said of David, "he served his own generation;" and to serve our own time is the best that any one of us can do. We are not called upon to worry now about the questions which seem to be very important for the future, but our duty is to do what we can to solve the problems of today and to help our own generation. How, then, can a young and well educated man best serve his own time? First what can we do to better the social conditions of our generation? Doubtless there are arising great problems which call for hard work from skilled men, but we are not all needed to become experts in sociology. But every man can do something by bringing a broad Christian spirit into his daily work. Every office, however humble or mechanical, can be dignified and even glorified by a man with a true conception of his duty to himself and to the community. Of such a spirit we have here had a noble example in Frank Bolles who, by his loving interest in the College and in the students, brought an office which had been nothing more than a clerkship to be a center of counsel and of hope.

Secondly, how can a young man best serve his country? What is his political duty? Here, as before, we do not consider the specialist, but rather the average man. We have here before us, in Memorial Hall, a perpetual reminder of the patriotism of our fathers who "served their own generation by the will of God, and fell on sleep." Now how can we serve our country, how can we too be patriots? Each one of us has something to do with the moulding of public opinion and the choosing of our leaders. Let us all stand for national honesty and for justice. If we hear of corruption in politics let us not be too hasty to condemn. Remember that those in authority represent the spirit of the time and if that is at fault who is to blame more than we?

Lastly, what is our duty in matters of religion? Here our first care must be always to stand for religious liberty. Never let matters of church and state be confused. Not only would the acknowledgement of some form of religion by the state be unfair to others but it would take away all need for energy and independent action.

Two spirits are necessary in religion. Culture is needed to keep the mass of the people from making religion narrow and emotional and the enthusiastic, devotional spirit of the people is necessary to keep up the spirit of love and hope. Let us try then to have the truest culture which is perfect sympathy for every man and respect for his opinions. And let us all remember that if we care anything for religion and the spirit of Christ it is our duty to show that spirit throughout our lives.