The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-01-06
WESTERN DEMOCRAT.
~oQCHARLOTTE.0oe
THE RESULTS AND REWARDS OF
STUDY

Among recent emissions of the press we
have met with literary discourse, which
we find so replete with just and elevating
sentiments, eloquently expressed, that we
copy below, for the qualification of our read
ers, few of its passages. 1t lis discourse
on Study, its Aims, Theories, Results, and
Rewards delivered before the literary So
cieties of Jefferson College, Pennsylvania,
in August last, by the Rev. DIR. Junkins, of
Holidaysburg; and what perhaps obtained
for it our especial attention is that the rev.
erend author was formerly our felow-towns-
man and the able and esteemed pastor of
one of our churches :-Nationdi Intelligen-
Ger.
THE philosopher who deals with nature,
forgetful of Natures God, is employed, like
the anatomist, upon cold corpse. Link by
link he may trace the chain of second caus-
es by which the scheme of nature is carried
on; but unless he recognized first cause
the others will never live nor move, and his
theory will be imperfect. His investigations
may evolve some light; but, like star beams
on the snow. if lovely, it will be cold and
dim. The Psychologist may investigate our
bodily system, so fearfully and wonderful
ly made" Dissecting- knife in hand, he
may scrutinize every muscle, and fibre, and
Joint, and vessel, and membrane of the dead
subject, until he may fancy that he has
mastered the theory of life, and can tell how
every function is subserved. He may al
most conclude with the materialist that life
is the result of mere organization; but still
he cannot make the dead subject live if tho
animated sout be gone. Just so in regard
to the whole field of nature. God excluded
in our researches, nature is corpse. God
excluded from the theories of science, and
all is cheerless as the shadow of death! Tell
me, as gaze upon the glories of the heav-
ems or upon the loneliness of earth, that
there is no god; or that, if there be- he
takes no part i'll administering the laws and
carrying on the vast process of nature, and
if | can believe it, nature dies beneath nay
gaze! Tell me, as behold the mighty roll
of suns, and worlds, and systems, that there
is no AlI-wise mind to guide, no Almighty
arm to control and regulate their motions,
and, if I can believe you, my rapture turns
to terror, my admiration to anguish! l know
not the moment when world may dash a
gainst world, and sun rush blazing to the
embrace Of sun, and system become entan-
gled with system, and / and all love be
crushed in the catastrophe.
but tell me that Jehovah reigneth and
I can rejoice. Tell me, as I bend my at
tention to the study of mind and its laws;
as look into the deep and dark rccesses
of the heart out of which are the issues of
life;' as behold the human intellect in ruin,
yet mighty and immortal in its ruins; as
gaze with trembling on the maelstrom of
human passions, tell me there is no God to
restrain, no spirit to renew, no blood to
cleanse the mind of the fallen, and, if be-
lieve, may faith, like that of devils, will
make me tremble more. But let me recog-
nize, in all the fields of human knowledge,
a God of infinite perfection; let me discover
God in nature, God in the heavens, upon
earth, God in philosophy, in geology, in
astronomy, in chemistry, in exact science,
in history, in government, and in literature
as well as religion, and then light and life
pervades them all an object worthy of
the aspirations of the immortal mind is
found in every department Of science. And
1 can trace her labyrinths, and scale her
heights, and explore her depths, and on
counter her labors and trials, feeling at eve
ry step that Fathers eye is upon me, a
Fathers arm around me, that a Fathers
favor will secure my triumph. and Faith
ers smile reward my tolls.
Study is in degree its own reward
The very exercise of the faculties is itself
Measurable; and the successive evolutions
of truth, tire flow of thought, the influx of
new ideas, and the stirring of emotion are
occasions of delight. What Tyro has not
heard of the glad Eureka, eureka of the
delighted mathematician! and who has not
experienced kindred ecstacy when some
new truth has thrilled the mind?
THE earliest. AMI by no means the least
important of the benefits of study are the
discipline and Improvement of mind, which
prepares it for higher flights, steadier eff
forts. and wider range. All things but
God are progressive. The past and the
present are the parents of the future; and
he who will not take the steps that belong
to the present will not have made the pro-
cress which the future will demand. The
experience and the wisdom of many gener-
atoms have proven, beyond reasonable
doubt, that the usual college curriculum af-
fords the most efficient process of mental
discipline, which is most valuable result
of stuty.
Il am aware that, in this age of short
sighted utilitar:anism, the conceit of scioi-
lists, the pragmatisn of visioDaries. the in
diligence or avariee of parents, and the i'm