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 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
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 J± RECORD 
 
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 CLASS OF 1873, 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary, 
 
 With sundry other 
 
 PREPARED BY 
 
 Rev, NORMAN wfc^RY, Class Secretary, 
 
 PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION. 
 

TO THE MEMBERS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CLASS OF 1873, P. T. S. 
 
 Dear Brethren, — A long-cherished plan finds its 
 accomplishment in these pages. You will, I think, 
 find it an agreeable effort to turn these leaves and 
 recall the pleasant, though sad hours, we spent to- 
 gether in the old halls of Princeton Seminary during 
 our last week there. The festal gathering when, as 
 a class, we supped together. That sad parting on the 
 Campus when the circle united in heart and voice 
 was broken, and its members scattered to the four 
 quarters of the globe to proclaim the good news of 
 salvation, never again to meet until that day when, 
 summoned before God's throne, they shall render up 
 the account of their stewardsbip. 
 
 I have thought that it would be pleasant if the 
 
4 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 utterances of those sad, yet happy, hours, together 
 with some record of the ojeasions on which they 
 were delivered, could be preserved, to be a constant 
 stimulus to us in our work, reminding us of the zeal 
 with which we anticipated the joyful privilege of 
 preaching the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 - Hoping that this record may often refresh and en- 
 courage you when laboring to win souls, this work 
 is submitted by 
 
 Your brother in Christ, 
 
 NORMAN W. CARY. 
 
GLASS OF 1873. 
 
 IR, IE C O IR ID. 
 
 mm% parting. 
 
 At a meeting of the Class of 1873 of Princeton Theo- 
 logical Seminary, held in the Oratory, at 10 a.m. on 
 Friday, the 4th of April, 1873, Mr. J. Q. A. Fullerton 
 being called to the chair, Mr. McClure stated the object 
 of the meeting to be twofold : to make the necessary 
 arrangements for the Commencement exercises as far 
 as they related to the class, and also to effect a per- 
 manent class organization. 
 
 It was voted to elect a President, and an informal 
 ballot was ordered, the three highest to be the nom- 
 inees. 
 
 A Secretary of the meeting was then elected, who, 
 after a vote to elect a permanent class secretary, was 
 retained in office. By vote the permanent Secretary 
 was aLeo made a permanent class Treasurer. At this 
 
6 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 point the tellers reported Messrs. McClure, Cross, and 
 Fullerton to be the nominees for president. 
 
 While the ballot for President was being taken and 
 counted, Mr. B. C. Henry was appointed leader of the 
 Missionary Meeting to be held at the close of the 
 term. 
 
 It was voted that a Committee of three be appointed 
 by the chair to arrange for the closing exercises of the 
 class, and Messrs. Ward, Webster, and Williams were 
 so appointed. 
 
 Mr. Waller was then elected leader of the Class 
 Prayer Meeting at the close of the term. 
 
 The teller reported that there was no election for 
 President, 14 votes being necessary to a choice, and 
 Mr. McClure having received only 10, Mr. Cross 9, and 
 Mr. Fullerton 7. 
 
 It was then moved and carried that the person hav- 
 ing the highest number of votes be declared elected, 
 and Mr. J. G. K. McClure was unanimously elected 
 Class President. 
 
 The meeting then adjourned. 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 
 
 Union Class Prayer Meeting. 
 
 Wed., April 23rd., 6| p.m. 
 
 According to ancient custom, the week-day prayer 
 meetings held by each class were merged in one on 
 this last Wednesday evening of the term, and the 
 students assembled in the Oratory at the usual hour 
 for prayer, William B. Waller, of the graduating class, 
 presiding by their appointment. 
 
 After singing " Come, thou fount of every blessing" 
 (Hymnal 427), the leader requested Anderson to lead 
 us to the throne of grace, and then read the following 
 selections of scripture : — 
 
 " Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the 
 God of Israel hath separated you from the congrega- 
 tion of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do 
 the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand 
 before the congregation to minister unto them ?"— 
 Num. 16: 9. 
 
 "They shall be holy unto their God, and not pro- 
 fane the name of their God : for the offerings of the 
 Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do 
 offer : therefore they shall be holy." " Thou shalt 
 
8 COMMENGEMENT WEEK,. 
 
 sanctify him therefore ; for he offereth the bread of 
 thy God : he shall be holy unto thee : for I the Lord, 
 which sanctify you, am holy." — Lev. 21 : 6, 8. 
 
 " Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier 
 of Jesus Christ. Xo man that warreth entangleth him- 
 self with the affairs of this life ; that he may please 
 him who hath chosen him to be' a soldier." — 2 Tim. 
 2: 3,4. 
 
 "As every man hath received the gift, even so min- 
 ister the same one to another, as good stewards of the 
 manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him 
 speak as the oracles of God ; if any man minister, let 
 him do it as of the ability which God giveth ; that 
 God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, 
 to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. 
 Amen."— 1 Pet. 4: 10, 11. 
 
 "Then said Jesus unto them again. Verily, verily, I 
 say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that 
 ever came before me are thieves and robbers : but the 
 sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if 
 any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in 
 and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but 
 for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy : I am come 
 that they might have life, and that they might have it 
 more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good 
 shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But lie that is 
 an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 9 
 
 sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the 
 sheep, and fleeth : and the wolf catcheth them, and 
 scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth because he is 
 an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the 
 good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known 
 -of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know 
 I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep."— 
 John 10: 7-10. 
 
 ''Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and 
 in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor 
 of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles 
 of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and 
 blood, but against principalities, against powers, against 
 the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spirit- 
 ual wickelness in high places. Wherefore take unto 
 you the whole armor of Clod, that ye may he able to 
 withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 
 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with 
 truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness ; 
 and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel 
 of peace ; above all, taking the shield of faith, where- 
 with you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of 
 the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and 
 the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 
 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in 
 the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all persever- 
 ance and supplication for all saints."— Eph. 6 : 10-19. 
 
10 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 In the earnest remarks which followed, he spoke of 
 the training a candidate for knighthood received in the 
 days of chivalry, and the imposing ceremony by which 
 he was received into the order. "So we have been in 
 a c< mrse of training, and, we trust, will soon be titled 
 Knights of the Cross. This is an office of great honor 
 and dignity, but also of great responsibilities. Fear not, 
 however, for Jesus who has called you to his service 
 has prepared the armor for you. Be ever mindful of 
 your own weakness, and have perfect trust in Him. To 
 be a Worthy wearer of the gospel armor you must be 
 ever vigilant and persevering in your efforts after per- 
 sonal sanctity." 
 
 After singing two verses of the 290th hymn, — "Oh 
 that the Lord would guide my ways," the meeting 
 was thrown open, and Dixon led in prayer. At Wood's 
 request the last two verses of hymn 214 — " Father, I 
 know 7 that all my life is portioned out for me" — were 
 sung, after which Waller called upon Bridges of '75 to 
 pray. Hoes of '75 then suggested hymn 313, three 
 verses — " Blest be the tie." 
 
 Jos. F. Kelly of '74 reminded us that David refused 
 Saul's armor as it was too large for him, and preferred 
 trusting God. "So we will succeed only by discarding 
 earthly armor and wearing the panoply of heaven." 
 
 Ward urged us to take the whole armor of God, not 
 only the offensive, but the defensive as well ; else we 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 11 
 
 will be as many are who seem good fighters, and do 
 good service, but fail of the reward because they can- 
 not resist assault. The precious hymn, "Saviour; I 
 look to Thee," was sung at the suggestion of one of 
 the class, after which Planck spoke. He said there 
 was often too much fighting. He was the only student 
 from the Southern Presbyterian Church. That church 
 and the Northern were now as far from union as ever. 
 It was prevented by wrong fighting. He begged us 
 when Ave reached the field of contest to light the good 
 fight of faith, and not turn our weapons against uur 
 brothers. 
 
 In keeping with these words, the leader asked B. C. 
 Henry to pray for christian unity, requesting two to 
 follow him, which Kosborough and another of the 
 class did. 
 
 This full and interesting meeting closed with the 
 singing of a few verses of "Jesus, I my cross have 
 taken." 
 
 Keligions Contribution Society. 
 
 Thu., April 24th, 7+ p.m. 
 
 The exercises were held in the Second Presbyterian 
 Church, J. G. K. McClure, the President of the Society, 
 presiding. The religious portion was as usual, the 
 singing being led by our chorister, Ward. 
 
12 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 Rev. Moses D. Hoge, of Richmond, Va., according 
 to invitation, delivered the address, taking for his 
 theme, "The Changeable in the Pulpit compared with 
 the Permanent in Creeds and Confessions." 
 
 Rev. Dr. Thompson, of New York, dismissed the 
 audience with prayer and the Benediction. 
 
 Conference. 
 
 Sat., April 26th, 7 
 
 "Dr. Charles Hodge to preside" — so read the pro- 
 gramme, and much we feared that Ids indisposition, 
 increased by the exciting scenes of the week, might 
 prevent his attendance. He came, however; leaving 
 his sick' room that he might address to us his parting 
 words. Weak in voice, he was mighty in spirit, and 
 lie spoke with unction. His words, which follow, give 
 you but a slight idea of the impressiveness of his 
 speech. To them must be added his feeble and meas- 
 ured intimation (for his cold really forbade his speak- 
 ing) ; his moistening eye, and the deep pathos of Ids 
 voice, when he spoke of Jesus or Ins loving presence ; 
 his bright glances when he told tis of the power we 
 should exert if we lived as seeing him who is invisible; 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 13 
 
 these you must add if you wish fully to recall that 
 evening. How he halted and turned the flow of his 
 speech lest he should call his words the " last exhor- 
 tation to most of the Senior Class he would [ever] 
 have the opportunity of giving." How we respon- 
 sively shed tears, when, in closing his remarks, he 
 urged entire reliance upon Christ, and a realizing sense 
 of his presence. But we tarry too long amid these 
 delightful memories. 
 
 The exercises of the evening were conducted by Mr. 
 J. G. K. MeClure, at Dr. Hodge's request. After sing- 
 ing hymn 674, 
 
 " Jesus, my Saviour, let me be 
 More perfectly conformed to thee," 
 he read the first chapter of Ephesians, and requested 
 Mr. Charles Wood to lead in prayer. The remarks 
 which followed are given in full below, being copied 
 from a phonographic report, and corrected by his own 
 hands. 
 
 The meeting was dismissed with the 365th hymn, 
 " Jesus, lover of my soul," and the Benediction pro- 
 nounced by Dr. Hodge. 
 
 DR. HODGE'S ADDRESS. 
 
 It is with peculiarly solemn feelings that we gather to- 
 gether this evening. With regard to a considerable 
 number of those present it is for the last time. This 
 
14 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 thought itself must make us feel very serious. The 
 class that are about to leave the seminary are to take a 
 step into a new world, into a new mode of life, into a 
 course beset with dangers and difficulties which they 
 now little anticipate. To them especially, and to all 
 brethren here present, I would adopt the language of 
 the Apostle, as containing the final exhortation— the 
 last exhortation to most of the Senior Class that I shall 
 have an opportunity of giving : "Be strong in the 
 Lord!" 
 
 The work that lies before you, my dear brethren, is a 
 very hard work, much harder than you now anticipate. 
 The real power of the ministry lies, under God, mainly 
 in the holiness of the minister himself. This is the 
 source of all real success. There may be, often is, suc- 
 cess of a different kind gained by superiority of intel- 
 lect, or those gifts which attract popular attention and 
 favor, or by those means which some men are skilled 
 in employing to secure the approbation of those among 
 whom they live ; but all success gained by worldly, 
 means, by merely natural gifts or appliances, is essen- 
 tially a worldly success. It is not success in the minis- 
 try. 
 
 And now, dear brethren, as you no doubt recognise 
 the truth of what has been said, you will feel that it is 
 indeed a hard work to be holy — to be pre-eminently 
 holy— so that men will look up to you as examples. 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 15 
 
 You will find it very hard to live near to God. It is 
 difficult to attain that nearness, and still more diffi- 
 cult to maintain it ; but this is our great duty : to 
 live near to God. This implies having God always 
 in our thoughts ; his fear always before our eyes ; re- 
 ferring everything to Him ; looking always unto Him 
 for his guidance and approbation ; not asking, " What 
 is easy? what is agreeable? what is popular?" but 
 simply, "What is the will of God?' 7 To live with a 
 mind, with the whole heart, full of adoring reverence 
 for God; with love for God ; with trust in God ; with 
 a zeal for God's glory. You know that this is a hard 
 work ; and yet it is an absolutely necessary work, with- 
 out which you will be cold, barren, powerless, worth- 
 less, no matter what else you may be. 
 
 It is also hard to live, as we are told we must live, by 
 faith in Jesus Christ. Instead of trusting in ourselves, 
 which is so natural, and in some aspects would seem to 
 be so reasonable, we must have no trust but in Him ; 
 we must have the confident conviction (we can hardly 
 conceive how much is included in this) that Jesus of 
 Nazareth is the Eternal God manifest in the flesh. To 
 believe that, not with the casual, cold assent founded 
 on the outward testimony of the Bible, but with that 
 assent which arises from the testimony of the Spirit re- 
 vealing to us the glory of God as it shines in the face 
 of Jesus Christ, so that we believe Him to be God be- 
 
16 COMMENCEMENT W^K, 
 
 cause we see Him to be God. Dear, dear brethren, if 
 you can attain to that one thing, if you can have faith, 
 that faith founded on the testimony of the Spirit, that 
 faith in the Godhood as well as in the manhood of our 
 divine Redeemer, you will bave a strength which can 
 lie derived from no other souree. No intellectual gifts, 
 no power of eloquence or persuasion, no stores of learn- 
 ing, no adventitious circumstances will be anything 
 compared with the power which you will experience 
 from the belief that Jesus is the Son of God. And then, 
 as the Apostle says, when he refers to the source of the 
 life which he lived, he believed not only that Jesus was 
 the Son of God, but that Jesus loved him ; not only 
 that he loved mankind, loved the world, but that — ■ 
 Jesus — Christ — loved — him. Now, think again of this. 
 Connected with the faith that Jesus is the Eternal 
 God manifest in our nature, to have the conviction 
 that we individually and personally are the objects of 
 the love of Christ— love, as the Apostle tells us, the 
 length and breadth and height and depth of which 
 passes all knowledge ; a love that is infinite, immut- 
 able, and perfectly gratuitous, — 0, what strength, what 
 power must that soul experience that has this convic- 
 tion sealed upon his heart ! What can he need more, 
 what can he care about anything else, who likes or dis- 
 likes, who praises or applauds, or who blesses or who 
 reviles? It is bard to attain this. 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 17 
 
 This conviction of the love of God and the love of 
 Christ, and that he gave himself for us, is, as I said, 
 a very hard thing to attain. It is, however, like all 
 other graces, presented in the Bible, a thing to be 
 labored for, and yet a thing to be given. It is a gift, and 
 yet it must be striven for. We must labor to attain it, 
 and yet look to God for his Holy Spirit to give it. And 
 here I say again, dear brethren, no matter what else 
 you may be, what you may attain, what advantages 
 you may have of other kinds, if you have not this be- 
 lief in the divinity and humanity of Christ, and in his 
 love to you, you will go tottering and feeble all your 
 life long. 
 
 I cannot dwell on all these sources of difficulty, how- 
 ever, which every man will find within himself. You 
 do not know, you cannot know, how hard it will be to 
 resist pride, ambition, the desire of ease, the desire of 
 distinction, the desire of wealth, the desire, especially, 
 of popular success and applause. Do you think it will 
 be easy to put your feet upon these evil affections, to 
 tread out this fire of hell that is in every man's bosom? 
 You know it will be hard ; you have had experience 
 on this subject ; we have all had it, and we have had it 
 all our lives long. 
 
 Besides, it is very probable that Satan may assail 
 you from another side, not simply or alone through 
 these corruptions of our nature, but through the under- 
 
IS COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 standing, exciting skeptical doubts in your minds, try- 
 ing to undermine your faith ; and so assiduous are the 
 advocates of error, so plausible, so varied in their as- 
 saults on the truth of God, it will be a rare thing if you 
 escape all these arrows — they are fiery arrows from the 
 Evil One. All I have to say to you, in reference to this 
 source of trouble, is, to make very little of your under- 
 standing, very little of your power to refute the objec- 
 tions that are brought from one source and another, sci- 
 entific and critical, against the doctrines of the Bible. It 
 is very well to refute such objections if you can, but my 
 earnest advice to you, brethren, is, fall back upon your 
 religious experience and the testimony of conscience 
 and of your religious feelings. They are more far- 
 sighted (if that expression be proper), more certain, 
 more reliable, than any speculations of reason. Fall 
 back upon your religious consciousness and upon the 
 simple word of God. One of the most powerful dis- 
 courses I ever heard was from a Methodist minister at 
 Saratoga some years ago. The subject of it was faith 
 in the infallibility of the Scriptures. The object of the 
 preacher was to show the inestimable blessing and 
 benefit of having a firm faith that the word of God is 
 infallible ; that all it teaches God teaches ; that all it 
 promises God promises. The man that places his feet 
 upon this immovable rock stands firm and unshaken 
 in the midst of all the turmoil arising from the specu- 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 19 
 
 lations of men. Try to get this firm conviction in th« 
 truth of God's word. It is not at all necessary in order 
 to have this rational faith in the Bible that we should 
 be able to answer all the objections against it. Go to 
 an uneducated Christian, who has experienced the 
 power of the truth, and tell him of what this philoso- 
 pher and that scientific man says. It is nothing to 
 him. You might as well attempt to convince him that 
 there is no external world when he sees and feels it. A 
 Christian does not trust to his understanding, but trusts 
 to his religious experience and to the clear revelation 
 God has made of himself in the world. You need not 
 fear although Satan were to fill the atmosphere with 
 these fiery darts emitted by his emissaries — philoso- 
 phers and scientists* — thick as snowflakes in a storm. 
 
 There is one other remark that it occurs to me to 
 make in this connection, that God in his great mercy 
 has given us the power of intuition— the gift of seeing 
 intuitively certain things to be true. He has impressed, 
 in other words, certain laws of belief upon us— such 
 laws, for example, as confidence in the veracity of our 
 own consciousness. Now a man cannot help believing 
 his own consciousness. If he is conscious that he sees, 
 he knows he sees ; and if he is conscious that he exists, 
 
 * The venerable Doctor of course does not decry 
 sound learning, but only scientists " falsely so-called." 
 
20 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 he knows that he exists ; and if conscious that he is an 
 intelligent and voluntary agent, he knows that such is 
 the fact. He sees intuitively the difference between 
 right and wrong, knows intuitively that there is effi- 
 ciency in the production of effects. Now, I think a 
 man is absolutely helpless and hopeless who has passed 
 the limits of the knowable and entered on the outer 
 darkness of absolute skepticism. 
 
 It is impossible to specify all the difficulties which 
 you may have to encounter in your ministerial work. 
 You will have to meet the opposition of the world ; the 
 disposition of ungodly men to misrepresent and de- 
 fame, especially as ministers of the gospel ; the obduracy 
 of the men with whom you will have to deal; their 
 insensibility. You will be sorely tempted to faint by the 
 way, to feel that the work is too great for you, that you 
 do, and have, and can accomplish nothing. Let this 
 truth, then, rest upon your minds, that you are going 
 to battle. You are not going to sit down at ease 
 and enjoy yourselves. You are going out to fight, 
 not into garrison. You are going into battle — a pitched 
 battle, which will end only when you die. Fix that in 
 your mind, that you have difficulties innumerable and 
 insurmountable in your way — insurmountable in the 
 strength within yourself; and therefore the exhorta- 
 tion of the Apostle to be strong in the Lord. 
 
 It occurs to me that I have not referred, in reference 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 21 
 
 to these enemies, to that class of them of which alone 
 Paul takes notice in connection with this exhortation. 
 He does not care anything about men — men of science 
 and philosophical men ; he overlooks them as enemies 
 not to be regarded. He says our controversy is not 
 with flesh and blood, not with men, but with princi- 
 palities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high 
 places. The Bible does not reveal much on this subject. 
 It lifts the 'curtain that hides the spiritual world from 
 us, but it only lets us see that there is such a world, 
 and that we are surrounded and enveloped on all sides 
 by spiritual beings unspeakably more numerous and 
 greater than ourselves ; spirits that are called world- 
 rulers ; against these you will have to contend. 
 
 But, in the little I can add now, I want to dwell upon 
 this thought: "Be strong in the Lord." What does 
 this mean ? To be strong in the Lord implies that we 
 are not strong in ourselves. It implies a real, sincere, 
 continual self-renunciation — that is, the renunciation 
 of all self-dependence for success ; self-reliance in this 
 inward conflict with the evil of our own hearts ; self- 
 reliance in our conflicts with the world of wickedness 
 that lies around us ; self-reliance with regard to success 
 in the work to which God has called us. 
 
 The one thing which the Spirit of God would im- 
 press on your mind is emptiness of self; the stripping 
 off of everything that pertains to yourself, and putting 
 
22 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 on the armor of G-od. This is one preliminary of 
 
 success. 
 
 The affirmative idea included in this exhortation of 
 course means that our confidence should be in Christ. 
 " Be strong in the Lord" if you would be really strong. 
 You must have such views of Christ, of the glory of 
 his person, of the perfection of his work, of his love, 
 and of the certainty of the fulfilment of his promises, 
 as will make you strong — strong in Him, and strong 
 also in the conviction that He is with you ; He is by 
 your side. He has not sent you to conquer the world 
 in your own strength. I suppose every one has tried 
 (if I may use the expression) to convert a soul, to bring 
 a sinner to repentance, conviction, faith. And the trial 
 must in every case have given rise to a sense of utter, 
 absolute impotency. You can no more accomplish the 
 conversion of a single soul than you can create a World. 
 The work to which Christ has called us is one in which 
 he promises to be with us : " Go ye into all the world," 
 and, " Lo I, I, am with you " — I am with you. that 
 each of you could believe that — believe that wherever 
 you are, and under whatever circumstances you may 
 be placed, you can turn and see Jesus Christ by your 
 side. This is the truth I want to present to you, dear 
 brethren, that, if you can believe that Christ is with 
 you so that you can gain his aid, speak to Him, mak- 
 ing Him hear you, rely upon Him just as reasonably 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 23 
 
 and as really as if you could see Him with your mortal 
 eyes, then you will be strong in the Lord, and in the 
 power of his might. Farewell, dear brethren. 
 
 Sabbath Services, 
 
 April 27th, 
 
 The celebration of the Lord's Supper, which was ar- 
 ranged for 11 a.m., was necessarily postponed until the 
 afternoon, and the hour of the Missionary Meeting 
 changed from 3.30 to 6.15 p.m. 
 
 At the hour of morning worship we assembled in 
 the Chapel. The services were conducted by Rev. 
 William H. Green, and consisted of the reading of 
 the 28th chapter of Matthew's Gospel, a discourse from 
 Luke 24: 48, "And ye are witnesses of these things," 
 and the following hymns : — 
 
 257 " Come let us join our friends above ;" 
 
 117 " How beauteous are their feet ;" 
 
 547 " ' Go, preach my Gospel,' saith the Lord." 
 
 The Discourse followed this line of thought : — The 
 
 church founded by the Apostles, Jesus Christ himself 
 
 being the chief corner stone, was a perpetual "witness 
 
 of these things," in that (a) it extended back to the 
 
24 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 time when they oecurred ; (6) in that it maintained the 
 faith through these many years ; and (c) in that it pre- 
 served institutions commemorative of "these things," 
 e. g. the Supper celebrating the death of Christ, the 
 Sabbath his resurrection. 
 
 How can Christians at the present day be "witnesses 
 of these things ?" Not by mere belief in the testimony 
 of others, hereditary faith; not by rational faith, 
 founded on logic. Beth of these are important, but 
 their value is in being preliminary, or auxiliary, to 
 the higher form of faith. They may make a man a 
 nominal, not a real, Christian, and as such he cannot 
 be a witness. 
 
 The faith of the believer has two characteristics 
 which fit him to be a wutness. 1st. It is divine — the 
 gift of God by the illumination of the Spirit. Seeing 
 his own depravity, the holiness of God, the gospel way 
 of salvation, can he hesitate to believe in Christ? Now 
 what he has experienced he can testify to. 2nd. It is. 
 an experimental faith. He realizes he is dead in sin, 
 has learned to love and serve God, and now the fruits 
 of the Spirit are growing up in his heart. Every exer- 
 cise of this new principle of life is proof to him of the 
 working of divine power within him ; and to this he 
 can bear witness. 
 
 The claims of Jesus are submitted to the judgment 
 of every one who hears them, and here you are sum- 
 
CLASS OF 1873, 25 
 
 moned to render open and manly testimony for Christ. 
 And the testimony required and expected is not only 
 from the lips but the language of your lives. This 
 testimony is capable of being made clear and con vine- 
 ing, it may be even as strong as that of the Apostles. 
 
 Two things gave power to their testimony : 1st. The 
 energy of their conviction of the truth of that to which 
 they bore witness. They had seen Christ, had been 
 with Him. Why should not we have a conviction 
 equally profound ? 2nd. It was every where confirmed 
 by signs and miracles as God's attestation. The same 
 almighty energy attends the gospel message now, It 
 is the power to sanctify the soul. 
 
 Ye are witnesses of these things. You must give in 
 your evidence. Christ and the world are waiting for it. 
 Silence will be testimony against Him. Vascilating 
 testimony will cast discredit upon his cause. 
 
 THE COMMUNION 
 
 At 3.30 p.m. we assembled around the Lord's table 
 spread in the chapel. The class in a body filled the 
 middle bank of pews. Dr. McGill, who had been in= 
 vited to preside, was detained by illness, and Dr. Hodge, 
 for a similar reason, occupied his accustomed seat, and 
 took no part in the services. The younger professors 
 were seated behind the table, Dr. Aiken to the left, and 
 Dr. Moffat, Dr. Green, and Dr. Caspar W. Hodge in 
 
2G COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 the order named. The elements were passed by "Waller 
 and March of the graduating class. 
 
 The celebration was opened by Dr. Caspar "W. Hodge. 
 After the prayer of invocation, he read two selections 
 from the scriptures — John 14: 15 to end, and 1 Cor. 
 11: 23-27, the words of institution, and announced 
 "My faith looks up to Thee," hymn 358. After re- 
 marks by Dr. Moffat, Dr. Green offered the prayer of 
 consecration and gave the bread ; Dr. Aiken gave the 
 cup. The closing exercises were conducted by Dr. 
 Aiken. After prayer we sang with new vigor " I love 
 thy kingdom, Lord," with the doxology, " Ye angels 
 round the throne," and were dismissed with that com- 
 forting benediction which begins, " Now the God of 
 peace." 
 
 . One thought will render the memory of this occasion 
 for ever sacred. It was the last time on earth when a 
 united class we met with our professors around the 
 table of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we were so soon 
 to preach, and in the knowledge of whose gospel they 
 had instructed us. That company has not yet been 
 broken by a home-call from the Master, but it has been 
 scattered; and the holy devotion to one, whom, not 
 having seen, we have loved, which inspired us then, 
 now fires the hearts of noble men located from Rhode 
 Island to Oregon, and China, and from Nova Scotia to 
 Mississippi. Yet we are bound together by the closest 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 27 
 
 of ties, love for our blessed Saviour, and in spite of 
 our isolation we can say, 
 
 " Though sundered far, by faith we meet 
 Around one common mercy-seat." 
 Great will be our rejoicing when from many a field we 
 shall return with our sheaves of ripened grain, to lay 
 them at the feet of the " Lord of the harvest," and 
 join our voices in the song of Moses and the Lamb. 
 Let our watchword be " Fidelity," " Be thou faithful 
 unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." 
 
 MISSIONARY MEETING. 
 
 At 6.15 p.sj. was held the last of the meetings of 
 prayer and conference for Missions, and especially for 
 those who had gone from Princeton to the Home and 
 Foreign Mission field, As usual, this last meeting was 
 mainly to hear the parting words of those of the 
 Senior Class who were commissioned for such posts, 
 and to pray for a blessing on their labors, 
 
 The Oratory was filled, not a spare seat being avail- 
 able ; and among the number were some students of 
 the College. By appointment of the class B. C. Henry 
 presided. Led by Plan ok we sang hymn 578, " O 
 Lord our God arise," after which the leader requested 
 Gemmill to pray. The scripture passages read were 
 Isaiah 60 : 1-15 ; Matthew 28 : 18, 19, 20 ; and Romans 
 10: 11-16, 
 
28 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 Ben C. Henry then spoke as follows :— * It is usual 
 at this farewell missionary meeting for those of us who 
 are going out as missionaries to tell something of our 
 feelings in view of it. I suppose there is no one who 
 resolves to thus consecrate himself without a struggle. 
 The reason seems obvious : So : many ties bind us to 
 our native land which we shrink from breaking ; there 
 are so many attractions which, harmonizing with our 
 natural inclinations, are hard to resist ; the influence of 
 friends who desire our welfare dismays us ; the claims 
 of the work at home come up and press for considera- 
 tion; and not unfrequently unworthy motives, the 
 promptings of pride and selfishness, — these with other 
 circumstances combine to make it more or less of a 
 struggle to decide at last. I have found it so. But 
 when the decision comes, when the struggle is past, 
 when the full consecration has been made, everything 
 is changed, The magnitude of the work then ap- 
 pears as never before, the great outcrying wants of the 
 heathen world as never before, the pressing need of 
 laborers and the urgent demand that all who can 
 should go so impresses us that we wonder how we 
 could have hesitated for a moment. 
 My feelings as I look forward are anything but sad 
 
 * This speech, phonographically reported, is given in 
 full ; the others are slightly condensed. 
 
CLASS OF 1S73.. 29 
 
 and gloomy. That which T give up is not worthy to 
 be compared with that which I shall gain there in this 
 life, as I view it. The work has two aspects : one pre- 
 sents the bright side, the other the dark ; and the 
 brightness of the one is far .more than the gloom of 
 the other. There appear nations in darkness crying 
 for the light of truth, and I feel like hastening forward 
 to plant the cross of Christ in their midst, that it may 
 diffuse its beams in the gloomiest shades of heathen 
 degradation. And though the position qf missionaries 
 may be attended with more danger than that of other 
 ministers of Christ, yet there must be peculiar honor 
 with it. They stand in the very front rank in the con- 
 test with the powers of darkness. The conflict they 
 wage is not merely defensive, protecting that already 
 the Master's from the encroachments of the enemy, 
 but it is aggressive, assaulting the very strongholds of 
 Satan and gaining new dominion and glory for our 
 Master's empire. 
 
 And then there must be a peculiar charm in telling 
 the story of the cross to those who have never heard 
 it before. It is not to them the old, old story ; all its 
 truths are new. And certainty it must be a glorious 
 privilege to breathe the story of Jesus and his love 
 into ears which have never before been regaled with 
 such words. No striving for originality in the presen- 
 tation of it, no anxious search after new and striking 
 
SO COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 features ; but the simple narrative of his life on earth, 
 his sufferings and his death, comes to them with all 
 the freshness of novelty, 
 
 • And it has been the thought that has often come to 
 my mind in connection with the missionary work, 
 that I may be the means, under God's hands, of reach- 
 ing some souls there that would never have been 
 reached had I not gone to them, while if I remained 
 here in this country, however much I might acconi' 
 plish, others ^could and would do the same, as well, 
 and perhaps better, than I ever could do ; that the 
 little light which I might be able to diffuse would be 
 scarcely noticed amid the brighter radiance which 
 shines everywhere around us ; but in the black, dense, 
 thick darkness of heathenism its rays might be seen 
 farther and shine brighter, and perhaps guide some 
 wandering souls to Him who is the light and the life, 
 who otherwise would have gone on in blackness of 
 darkness for ever. 
 
 I feel that I am unworthy of this work, that I am 
 not fit to engage in it ; but I feel that God has called 
 me to it, and that as it is God's work He will strengthen 
 me and uphold me in it ; and while there are so many 
 millions in that country to which I am going who 
 have never heard the word of life certainly there is 
 something for me to do : I can at least point them to 
 the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world. 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 31 
 
 1 know there will be difficulties and trials such as no 
 conception can be formed of now; but God's promises 
 are precious, and they are Yea and Amen. He who 
 has bid us " Go . > . into all the world and preach the 
 gospel to every creature," added those sweet, blessed 
 words, "Lo, I am with you alway even unto the end 
 of the world." And as He sent out the seventy dis- 
 ciples, two and two, into every city and place whither 
 He himself would come, so now He sends his messen- 
 gers only to those places where He will go with them, 
 and if they go to the uttermost parts of the earth at 
 his command they may be sure that the Lord is with 
 them. 
 
 We who go to the foreign field may perhaps be spared 
 many of the trials and difficulties that beset those who 
 remain at home, yet we will also have many that are 
 peculiar to ourselves ; and though we are cheerful, 
 almost joyful, in the anticipation of the work, we 
 know that many dark days will come, many trials and 
 disappointments, sharp and bitter, many times des- 
 pondency, leading us almost to despair, and at such, 
 times, dear brethren, we would be assured of your 
 sympathy, of your prayers, and of your assistance. 
 We who go there will doubtless feel the need of sym-r 
 pathy from those who have been associated with us 
 more than those who remain at home. You will be 
 surrounded by your congregations of Christians and 
 
32 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 your christian communities ; you will have the respect 
 and esteem of admiring friends and their active co- 
 operation. Whilst under such circumstances remem- 
 ber us who have gone into heathen lands, surrounded 
 by idolaters, or the followers of the False Prophet, 
 with only two or three, or perhaps no Christian at all, 
 to cheer us. And though, when thus cut off from 
 human association, from human aid and sympathy, 
 we may be driven to rely more entirely upon God, 
 and have our faith in Him strengthened, yet our hearts 
 will crave your sympathy ; and this is what I would 
 ask of you for myself and for those who will go out 
 as I do, that you grant us your sympathy. You re- 
 member us now ; our faces and forms are vivid in your 
 memories ; and in these parting hours our hearts warm 
 and glow with sympathetic love for each other ; but 
 when you go to your congregations, when you are en- 
 gaged in the active work of the ministry, and new 
 duties and cares press upon you, we would ask that 
 you forget us not entirely then, but remember us not 
 only in your sympathies and prayers, but by interest- 
 ing your congregations in the work in which we are 
 engaged, We will be dependent on you for support 
 and for the means to carry forward our work, so that 
 it will be your work as well as our work ; and as the 
 sheaves are gathered from the great harvest-field of the 
 world, your reward, as well as ours, will be storing up, 
 
■CLASS OF 1873. S3 
 
 and stars will be collecting for your crowns of rejoic- 
 ing. Then, dear brethren, let this bond of sympathy 
 and of co-operation, this Christ-bond of brotherly love, 
 extend across the wide expanse that may separate us, 
 and bind us together as brothers in one great family, 
 and as co-laborers in the vineyard of the Lord, so that 
 we may every one have a part in the glory that shall 
 come when the kingdoms of this world shall have be- 
 come the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ." 
 
 Our burdened hearts found relief in singing hymn 
 753:— 
 
 " Though now the nations sit beneath 
 The darkness of o'erspreading death ;" 
 And then we listened to the parting words of Frederick 
 W. March. He said : — 
 
 "I feel like repeating word for word what the leader 
 has said as the expression of my own experience. 
 This question has been on my mind during the whole 
 of the present year. It has seemed extremely difficult 
 to decide. In the early part of the year I made all 
 possible inquiries respecting the work, in order, as we 
 heard last year,* to give Foreign Missions a fair chance ; 
 but in view of the attractions of the work and its 
 
 * From the lips of Gerald F. Dale, Jr., of the class of 
 1872, now missionary in Syria, the country to which 
 Bro. March was going. 
 
34 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 needy condition on the one hand, and the many dif- 
 ficulties and objections on the other, I decided that it 
 was not my duty to go. Yet I was not perfectly satis- 
 fied to make this a final decision. Toward the close of 
 the year I was obliged to settle the matter once for all, 
 and in a few days and weeks decide the work of my 
 whole after life, and I believe that if I ever made a 
 sincere prayer it was then when I said, ' Lord, what 
 wilt thou have me to do?' And the result was, 
 that I decided to go, and from that time onward the 
 question has appeared less and less difficult, and I 
 have become more and more firmly convinced in my 
 own mind. Some have such a burning zeal that all 
 obstacles are easily overcome ; others find it impos- 
 sible to go : both find no difficulty in answering the 
 question. But with very many, probably the greater 
 number, it is an open question. I feel sure, however, 
 since making the decision, that I have made a right 
 one; and I have learned this, that the question of duty 
 always appears difficult to one who is determined to 
 have his own w T ay ; while, w T hen we have decided to 
 yield ourselves into the hands of God to go w r here the 
 Holy Spirit would have us go, then the question of 
 duty becomes clearer and its answer easy. - — 
 
 I feel very grateful for the many warm friendships I 
 have been permitted to make, and it touches my heart 
 when I hear you pray for those who are laboring in- 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 35 
 
 foreign lands ; and now, if these friendships have any 
 strength whatever, I hope they will serve to make 
 your prayers for foreign missionaries in the future 
 something more than general cold petitions. I hope 
 that you will remember those who have gone out from 
 
 - your own number, who have sat by your side listen- 
 ing to the same instructions, and who, in other lands, 
 will be proclaiming these same great gospel truths 
 which we have all learned together." 
 
 Albert Whiting then rose and said : — " Brothers — 
 To-night my mind involuntarily goes back to the only 
 similar meeting I ever attended here. It was three 
 years ago. Every class has since graduated, and I can 
 recall quite a number then present who are now hold- 
 ing up the standard of the cross in Japan, in China, in 
 India, in Africa, and in the islands of the South Pacific. 
 And I recall two at least out of five then present 
 who have laid down their armor and gone home to 
 God. Others are scattered throughout this land, and, I 
 might add, this continent. The question arises in my 
 mind, Where will we all be a few years hence, when 
 another generation of classes have left these halls? 
 We will be widely scattered ; and will we ever meet 
 again this side of the river ? These faces that meet me 
 
 ;here I can never expect to meet until we are all 
 
 gathered home, but I believe that he makes the 
 
 greatest sacrifice who fails to do his whole duty." 
 
36 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 Referring his early missionary impressions to his 
 mother's comments on the persecution of Christians 
 in Madagascar, and to the books brought from the 
 Sabbath school libraries, he said, in regard to the Life 
 of Henry Marty n, a book his grandmother had prized, 
 41 About a year ago I read it, and I was particularly in- 
 terested in the account of the close of his life, where 
 he tells of his peace and repose in God. He died a 
 stranger in a strange land alone. In all his missionary 
 life he was not permitted to see a single soul converted, 
 and the world would say his life-work had been* in 
 vain ; but his translations of the New Testament into 
 Hindoostanee, and subsequently into Persian, have 
 been the means of bringing many souls to Christ. 
 There is one passage in the Bible that has always im- 
 pressed me deeply. It is where St. Paul writes, ■ I 
 have fought a good fight, &c.' I believe he could look 
 back from his prison walls and see the perils through 
 which he had come, and that the conviction that he 
 had done his whole duty, and that therefore he was 
 ready to be offered, enabled him to cry with joy, ' The 
 time of my departure is at hand.' 
 
 But, brothers, time forbids that I should speak much 
 to you on this subject. I wish only to urge one thing 
 upon you. There is a great missionary work for you 
 who remain at home to do, and it seems to me that it 
 should begin in the Sabbath school. I have been 
 
CLASS OF 1873. 37 
 
 greatly pained to see in the one I used to attend so 
 many books of almost worthless value taking the 
 place of those I used to read when I was a boy. "We 
 then had many,jvorks of sterling value — lives of emin- 
 ent christian men— but now they have been supplanted 
 by others. I believe that in all our Sabbath school 
 libraries the greatest efforts should be made to secure 
 books that will instill a true missionary spirit into the 
 minds of the children. 
 
 I hope during the coming summer to bid farewell to 
 my native land, to all the scenes of my boyhood days, 
 and go to Northern China. A few weeks ago Mr. 
 Mcllvaine, whom I hope to join in the Shantung pro- 
 vince, was telling me of the millions of people who 
 had never heard the name of Jesus ; and then, as never 
 before, I rejoiced that I was under appointment'. I 
 have carefully and prayerfully considered this matter. 
 I do not believe that I have been at all moved by the 
 idea of the romance of missions. I have thought that 
 perhaps my grave would be far from where my father 
 and mother sleep ; that I might never again revisit those 
 I love best upon earth ; but if it is so, I shall rest there 
 with the satisfaction that I have tried to do my duty. 
 That was a noble sentiment expressed by Mary Lyon, 
 the founder of Mt. Holyoke, and I commend it to 
 you : — ' There is nothing in the universe that I fear 
 but that I shall not know, or that I shall fail to do, my 
 
.38 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 whole duty.' I ask your prayers. You will be sur- 
 rounded by sympathizing congregations, and they will 
 bear you up. It will not be so with us. We will be 
 subject to peculiar temptations and trials ; we need 
 your prayers, we need your practical sympathy. Oh, 
 brothers, pray for us !" 
 
 Fervent prayers were then offered by Cassat and 
 Webster, and we dispersed after singing hymn 709 : — 
 "Come, Christian brethren, ere we part, 
 
 Join every voice and every heart ; 
 
 One solemn hymn to God we raise, 
 
 One final song of grateful praise. 
 
 Christians, we here may meet no more, 
 But there is yet a happier shore ; 
 And there released from toil and pain, 
 Dear brethren, we shall meet again." 
 
 CONCIO AD CLERUM. 
 
 The Annual Sermon before the professors and stud- 
 ents of the Seminary was delivered by Rev. E. R. 
 Craven in the First Church. Dr. Aiken and Rev. 
 James Macdonald, the pastor of the church, assisting 
 in the services, which commenced at 7.30 p.m. The 
 subject of the written discourse was Rom. 1 : 14, " I 
 am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians ; 
 both to the wise, and to the unwise." In it the 
 preacher showed that Paul and all Christians were 
 
CLASS OF 187B. m 
 
 debtors solely to Christ, and asked the question, How 
 then could Paul say he was debtor to others? Thia 
 he answered by saying that it was because of their 
 representative character [Matt. 25, the lesson of the 
 evening], and the debt of gratitude and labor which 
 Paul owed to Christ was due to them because they 
 were to be to his glory, they were of such as were of 
 the travail of his soul in whom he was to be satis- 
 fied. 
 
 Class Keunion and Supper, 
 
 Mon., Apeil 28th, 8 p.m. 
 
 This delightful gathering in the Refectory, on the eve 
 of commencement day, was attended by 34 members 
 of the class, and one [Thomas] who was formerly with 
 us. Five were necessarily absent, being out of town — 
 Backus, McClelland, J. H. Mcllvaine, Millard, and 
 Temple. Four were in town, but otherwise occupied— 
 Asay, Fullerton, J. W. Mcllvain., and Miller. The 
 evening was passed in social converse among mutual 
 friends who had gathered in groups around the table, 
 until the removal of the cloth, when singing and re- 
 ponses from each member of the class filled up the 
 hours to midnight. After each member had spoken, 
 
40 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 the president, J. G. K. McClure, called upon Jones, the 
 last monitor of the class, to say farewell, which he did 
 with great acceptance. Rising we sang two verses of 
 the beautiful melody, " Shall we gather at the river?" 
 and our hearts were thrilled with expectation as w« 
 afterward repeated in subdued chorus the refrain, 
 " Yes, we'll gather at the river, 
 That flows by the throne of God." 
 Thus we were prepared for the parting prayer, in which 
 the President requested Planck to lead, and by which 
 we were brought close up to the throne of grace ; and 
 so we separated. A glorious reunion and parting, to 
 be cherished in memory till we meet again before the 
 great white throne. 
 
 Commencement Exercises. 
 
 Tues., April 29th. 
 
 Shortly after 1 p.m. the class assembled in the chapel. 
 After a hymn had been sung, and prayer offered by 
 Dr. Paxton, Rev. John C. Backus addressed those 
 about to graduate somewhat as follows : — 
 • "It is with profound interest we welcome you. 
 These occasions are fraught with deepest sympathy on 
 the part of those who know what reception you will 
 
CLASS OF 1873, ' 41 
 
 meet with in the world. It is not my purpose to oc- 
 cupy your attention with subjects you have pursued 
 in your course. These diplomas are the evidence that 
 you have enjoyed, and we trust improved, the advan- 
 tages of this school of the prophets. But coming here, 
 from service in the field, where we have been seeking 
 to carry into practical operation the instructions we 
 received, it may be proper to direct your attention to 
 some of those aspects of your profession in its prac- 
 tical light which seem to us to be especially called for 
 in the rising ministry. 
 
 It is generally recognized by Presbyterians that in 
 the work to which you are called you are to give your- 
 selves chiefly to prayer and the ministry of the word, 
 As soon as you enter the field you will find that you 
 Gan reach the largest numbers under the most favor- 
 able circumstances in this way. Then, too, in this age 
 when knowledge is so generally diffused, and there is 
 Such an interest to hear some new thing, you cannot 
 keep abreast of the progress of society without dili- 
 gent application to this work. Men will not yield sub- 
 mission to what you say on account of your authority, 
 rank, or pretension to learning. They mast be con- 
 vinced, and their hearts must be impressed' as well as 
 their intellects. You will find that the pulpit needs 
 your activities. Here is to be the secret of your, 
 strength in a great measure, 
 
42 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 But, to be successful, you must also 'develope the 
 activities of your flock, practising as well as instructing 
 them. You are their leader, and must secure their co- 
 operation. Imagine a steamer conducted by one per- 
 son who casts off the lines from the deck, runs to the 
 engine room and starts the wheels, and back again on 
 deck to the wheel-house. The pastor is called and 
 trained for the work, but he must not be the sole 
 working power of the church. He is to organize and 
 stimulate God's people, that their various gifts may be 
 brought into requisition. Their spiritual character de- 
 pends on this. He is not to convert men, but to edify 
 them, to build them up in their most holy faith. The 
 need for laborers is so pressing and so vast that the 
 ministry alone cannot evangelize the world. Your 
 best labors then must be given to the particular con- 
 gregation over which you are placed, and through 
 them you will reach others. 
 
 Still you have a duty to the church at large. You 
 should avoid the growing tendency to neglect the 
 church courts, and the missionary work of the whole 
 body. The great want of the ministry — and, may I 
 say, of the rising ministry — is moke public spieit, that 
 spirit which comes from an entire consecration to 
 Christ, which judges with the Apostle that ' if one 
 died for all, then were all dead ; and that he died for. 
 all, that they which live should not henceforth live 
 
CLASS OF 1871 43 
 
 tin to themselves, but unto him which died for them, 
 and rose again.' 
 
 When I was in your situation I turned to an aged 
 professor and asked him, out of pure curiosity, how 
 far they were mistaken in regard to the students that 
 went forth from the Seminary. And he stated to me 
 this fact : ' It is my observation in regard' to the stud^ 
 ents that have gone from this Seminary as long as I 
 have known it, that they have been in the church 
 relatively just what they were here.' How solemn 
 then the time you have come to, and for all your 
 fellow students. Look to your closets and see what 
 they have been - r to your studies, to your classrooms, 
 to your demeanor in the social intercourse of life, and 
 what has the past been to you ? The thing that hath 
 been is the thing ' that shall be, if you go on as you 
 have been living. But if you improve these occasions 
 to prayer, God will give repentance and belief which 
 will blot out all the past, and grace which will enable 
 you, turning over a new leaf, to make every such 
 occasion the means of a great revival and consecra- 
 tion. May God baptize you with his Holy Spirit. 
 May He give you grace to be faithful, and at last give 
 you that crown of righteousness which is laid up for 
 you." 
 
 At the close of the address the names of the gradu* 
 ates were called by Rev. Wm. E. Schenck, the secre- 
 
■44 COMMENCEMENT ' WEEK, 
 
 •tary of the Board of Directors. The class rose indi- 
 vidually as their names were called, walked to the 
 table, received their diplomas at the hands of Rev. 
 ¥m. D. Snodgrass, and took position in the semi- 
 circular line which formed before the pulpit. When 
 all the papers had been presented, Dr. Snodgrass; 
 president of the Board of Directors, addressed us on 
 their behalf, and dismissed us with prayer and the 
 Benediction. 
 
 Assembling again on the North Campus, we formed 
 a class-circle, soon to be broken, in the midst of pro- 
 fessors, students, and friends. Tossing our hats and 
 parchments into the midst, we joined in singing the 
 parting hymn, under the leadership of Ward. With a 
 slight change adapting it to the occasion, it was. as 
 follows :— 
 
 Am — "Auld Lang Syne." 
 
 Hail sweetest, dearest tie that binds 
 
 Our glowing hearts in one ! 
 
 Hail, sacred hope that tunes our minds 
 
 To harmony divine ! 
 
 It is the hope, the blessed hope, 
 
 Which Jesus' grace has given ; 
 
 The hope when days and years are past 
 
 We all shall meet in heaven. 
 
CLASS OF 1873, 45 
 
 Chorus— We all shall meet in heaven at last, 
 We all shall meet in heaven,; 
 The hope when days and years are past 
 We all shall meet in heaven. 
 
 From China's shores, from Afric's strand, 
 
 From Syria's sacred plain, 
 
 Tho' sundered far by sea and land, 
 
 We hope to meet again ! 
 
 It is the hope, the blissful hope, 
 
 Which Jesus' grace has given, 
 
 The hope when days and years are past 
 
 We all shall meet in heaven. 
 
 No lingering hope, no parting sigh, 
 
 Our future meeting knows ; 
 
 There friendship beams from every eye, 
 
 And hope immortal glows ! 
 
 Hail, sacred hope ! Hail, blissful hope ! 
 
 Which Jesus' grace has given, 
 
 The hope when days and years are past 
 
 We all shall meet in heaven. 
 
 As the melody died away our beloved Senior Pro- 
 fessor, Dr. Charles Hodge, entered the circle, and, with 
 much emotion, commended us in prayer to the guid- 
 ance and protection of Almighty God. 
 
 Then, saddest of all, came our last farewells to one 
 another, when, following our venerable preceptor, we 
 
46 COMMENCEMENT WEEK, 
 
 clasped in succession each the other's hand, and eyes 
 met eyes they ne'er shall see again until they cease to 
 "look through a glass darkly" and "then see face to 
 face." 
 
 Forming again, we sang, as best we could amid our 
 tears, a parting doxology, "Praise God from whom all 
 blessings flow," and never did harmony seem richer 
 or heart-worship deeper than when we thus stood 
 under heaven's canopy amid the trees of that lawn 
 Where many classes before us had stood, and — . parted. 
 
 In the absence of Dr. Hodge, we were dismissed with 
 the Apostolic Benediction invoked by Dr. Aiken ; and 
 the circle parted. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 And now, dear classmates, my work of love is finished. 
 If its perusal shall inspire you to more unyielding 
 struggle with the hosts of darkness, if it shall rekindle 
 drooping courage and animate fainting hearts, if in 
 the burden and heat of the day these words, lightly 
 esteemed perchance when uttered, shall now seem like 
 apples of gold in pictures of silver, then the hours 
 spent in its preparation will not be regretted, but will 
 be laid a willing tribute at the feet of Him whom we re- 
 joice to serve. The wish of Tiny Tim is my heart's 
 best service to you all, 
 
 "GOD BLESS US: EVERY ONE!" - • 
 
CLASS OF 1378, 
 
 47 
 
 LIST OF GRADUATES. 
 
 Gharles T. Anderson, 
 Charles H. Asay, 
 Norman W. Cary, 
 David W. Cassat, 
 John M. Cross, 
 D. Merchant Davenport, 
 James M. Denton, 
 John Dixon, 
 J. Quincy A. Fullerton, 
 William Gemmill, 
 Andrew Glendenning, 
 Edward P. Hawes, 
 William J. Henderson, 
 Ben C. Henry, 
 George E. Jones, 
 Frederick W. March, 
 James G. K. McClure, 
 John McColl, 
 
 J. William Mcllvain, 
 Thomas B. McLeod, 
 Y\ r m. Hamilton Miller, 
 Thomas Parry, 
 John E. Peters, 
 D. A. Planck, 
 John Reid, 
 
 Wm. Henry Rhoberts, 
 James Rosborough, 
 William A. Smick, 
 Horace C. Stanton, 
 W. Scott Stites, 
 William B. Waller, 
 George K. Ward, 
 Richard B. Webster, 
 Albert Whiting, 
 Robert G. Williams, 
 Charles Wood. 
 
 The following were connected with the class during 
 a portion of the course, but did not graduate with 
 them : — 
 
 Clarence W. Backus, 
 Isaac Baird, 
 E. P. Butler, 
 
 Lewis E. Con diet, 
 William L. Findlay, 
 William S. Frackleton, 
 
43 
 
 NON-GRADUATES. 
 
 William R. Henderson, 
 Samuel M. Jackson, 
 George T. McClelland, 
 Edward McKee, 
 Leander G. McNeill, 
 J. Hall Mcllvaine, 
 D. K. Millard, 
 Oliver C. Morse. 
 John F. Patterson, 
 Theodoric B. Pry or (dec'd), 
 James H 
 
 Archibald A. Schenck, 
 James W. Stewart, 
 Thomas D. Suplee, 
 Asher B. Temple, 
 William D. Thomas, 
 H. P. Ustic, 
 — Urquhart, 
 Edward Vincent, 
 James N. West, 
 J. B. Woodward, 
 Wright. 
 
 Feed the flock of God ; . . . 
 
 and when the Chief Shepherd 
 
 t shall appear, ye shall receive 
 
 a crown of glory that fadeth 
 
 not away. 
 
 
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