Very early in life the boy seems to have decided that he would _do something with his life worth while_; that he would do that which should help others, and realizing that there is a world to be saved, he grew up with the hope of one day becoming a minister. His studies were carried on for a time at home, afterwards at a neighboring academy. Later he engaged in teaching, continuing his studies by himself, and finally he had fitted himself for college. Not every boy would have the will and perseverance to carry on a course of study while teaching six hours or more each day. However, he did not finish his college course. Not for any want of persistence, neither did he consider such a course unimportant. But he was anxious to be about his Master’s work, and thus it was that before he was twenty-one years old he set out to preach “on a thirty-mile circuit, over the mountains and through the valleys of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.” He travelled on horseback, studying and thinking out his sermons as he journeyed. Everybody, young and old, were glad to see his bright, smiling face and feel the warm grasp of his hand. It has been said that “he never shook hands with the tips of his fingers, nor preached dry sermons.” It was during this period of his life that his mother whose parting words when he went out into the world were, “My son, live near to God; live near to God,” went to be with God. One near the throne in heaven, the other living near the throne on earth; is this the secret of John H. Vincent’s success in the Lord’s vineyard? At length he became a pastor, preaching for a few years in New Jersey, afterwards in the vicinity of Chicago. But all the time he was busy with plans of an educational character. These plans which were at first carried out in the establishing of Saturday afternoon classes of young people, called Palestine Classes, with the purpose of studying about the Holy Land, have at length developed a Chautauqua. I need not tell you about Chautauqua; about the C. L. S. C., nor about the C. Y. F. R. U.; you do not need to be told about the town and country clubs, nor about the society of Christian ethics. Many of you have listened to those Sunday afternoon talks in the Children’s Temple, and afterwards gone to the vesper service in the Hall of Philosophy. I ought to tell you that although Dr. Vincent postponed his college course, he never gave it up, but outside college walls, he continued his studies by himself, even in the midst of a busy life, until by regular examinations he took his degrees, and also passed through the regular theological course of study of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which denomination he belongs.