Baccalaureate and convocation sermons

Front matter

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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.

Introduction

Year by year, for many years, graduates have been going forth from the schools over which it has been my privilege to preside, to take their places in the strenuous activities of this busy world. In all I have had the honor to act officially in sending forth thirty-one graduating classes : eight from schools in Kentucky ; fourteen from Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio ; four from the Texas Christian University, and five from Oklahoma Christian University. It often fell upon me to preach the baccalaureate and convocation sermons. It was the universal custom at Hiram for the president to give both of these addresses, from which custom I did not depart while I was president of that institution. These sermons were necessarily carefully prepared, and embraced my best thoughts along lines that I deemed most advantageous to those entering upon student life, and to those going out as graduates to do the work of life. I have decided to put these sermons in book form, believing that they will be appreciated by my old students and be, as I trust, of some benefit to them. Furthermore, this is getting to be a day of graduating addresses. High schools are springing up all over the country, offering courses almost equal to the college courses of fifty years ago. It is getting to be the fashion to call upon the preachers to address the graduating classes from these high schools, and a book of such addresses in which subjects appropriate to such occasions are discussed, may not be uninteresting or

vii viii INTRODUCTION

unwelcome to preachers in general who are frequently called upon for such services. We send this volume forth, hoping that it may have a mission for good.

I have not hesitated to gather material from sermons and addresses that suited my purpose. I have frequently drawn thoughts and forceful sentences from the great London preacher, Joseph Parker. In a few cases J have gotten valuable ideas from the great English preacher, Frederick W. Robertson. In two or three instances I have also drawn a few thoughts from The Homilist, an English periodical that ran for years, but was discontinued. Other thoughts I have gotten from sources that I now no longer remember. I have tried to give proper credit for thoughts and quotations. If I have failed in any case, it is because I am not able to trace the source of the thought that should be credited, but, whether credited or not, the reader will not suffer any loss, as doubtless anything I may have borrowed is better on that account.

Contents

BACCALAUREATE SERMONS.

Page.

I. Character and Work of the Prepared Man 3