Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-03-13
SELF-CULTURE.
An Address by J. L. LODGE, d. D., deliv-
cred before public meeting of Good Tenn
plars, at Gaithersburg, Maryland, ON
February 10th, 1891.
Concluded from, last ,neeh.

Concluded from last soeeh.
The great law of culture is to test the
capacity of being. This is the due of man
to himself, to respect his origin and endow-
ments, to realize the dignity and value of
nature which forms his Creators crowning
work, and in its highest, spiritual develop
ment partakes of the divine. He who vol
UNFAIRLY neglects or abuses the gilt of intel
lect, denying to his mental powers the cul-
tivation of which they are capable, or sub
ordinates their exercise to material aims, is
scarcely less a criminal than he who throws
away his life. Higher still than that which
his own constitution imposes is the obliga-
ton the divine law places upon him. For
every talent bestowed specific interest is re-
quired. Where there is disproportion be-
tween capital and increase outlines cannot
be escaped. The rendition of some sort of
an account will not satisfy; the best possi-
BILE use of ability and the largest possible
returns are demanded. The best will be
beautiful in its degree. 1t will require re-
sistance and attempt; conformity to fixed
law of progress, whose measure will differ ac-
cording to the ratio of ofcapacity and the nature
of environment "It is accepted of a man
according to that which he hath, and not
according to that which he hath notp
Originality is An inseparable effect, If, in
operate as direct cause. In any event, it
is itself a kind of perfection; for genuine
ness is the essence of excellence, and indi
visible from originality. That remark of
Leasing, that "every man has his own style,
like his own nose," Is readily adaptable to
cases other than literary. All honest de-
mands will be met if the nose be not facti
tious but belong TO the individual, growing
where and how nature designed. Its native
la IL x&fAI ,rrr,n ka han
pitied, nay, even so far praised, that it is
genuine-a real nose. The noses OF many
are borrowed and deceptive. If there be
one thing more than another contemplate
and more to be utterly scorned by all honor
able men, it is the interested struggle OF
some men to repress the natural expression
of themselves, the conciliatory speech and
action, the counting of favor, which leads
them to be slaves,
And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee,
Where thrift may follow fawning.
In the church, the university, the lodge, the
editorial sdnctlnp, the mart of trade, the So
cial circle, the detestable scheming and
hypocrisy are manifest Kindness, appre-
citation, favor, tributes to merit real or sup
posed, are not TO be repelled, but accepted
with humility; but the cunning fraud OF
the panderer to pride, vanity and interest,
nal, genuine honesty has this advantage,
that it is seldom seduced by such false foes
1t is its own security and defence. Great
examples remain and shine for the inspira-
ton and cheer of the loftily willing. Shak
speares genius is still solitary OF all prose
writers Carlyle is the greatest Quickener Of
intellect, the Incompatible sower OF seed
thoughts, whom no mortal can copy, but
whose wonderful originality creates, de-
velops, nourishes originality in his studious
readers. Change the word, retaining the
idea, and we have a striking example in
Schiller The brave boy, reprimanded by
his parent for exposing himself in terrific
storm replied, "that the lightning was so
beautiful, and he wished TO see where it was
coming from" His youthful dreams and
hopes seemed to be blasted when the stern
mandate of the Grand Duke of Wiirtemberg
consigned him for six years to the military
discipline of the seminary at Stuttgard;
but, as Carlyle says, "there is in genius that
alchemy which converts oil metals into
gold; which from suffering educes strength,
from error clearer wisdom, from all things
good" Schiller found means to escape from
despotism, and became one of the creators
and brightest ornaments of German litera-
ture
Contemplation leads to the progressive
mastery OF gravest mysteries; the deep
questions it propounds bring sublimest an
swers to the consciousness. 1t must ever be
sad when the soul has not learned its birth
place; but like the mad Laird in "Malcom"
ranges abroad moaning"l dinna ken what
cam frae" What am L? Whence came
L? Whittier tend? What to become? What
should be? interrogation points studding
the ornament, speaking from the stars,
The souls of systems, and the lords of life
Through their wide empires.
Uuder the sky, in infinite universal spaces,
the soul may be studied, and the vast mys
terry solved. knowledge increasingly spurs
the quckened nature. The acquisitions OF
any measure of time serve only TO whet de-
sire to know. Greater than the ambition oil
any subjugator OF kingdoms is the passion
of the mind to extend its conquests, en-
hance its exquisite pleasures, TO question
planets and systems, interrogate subterran-
can depths, and hold converse with the sol
emn sea The secret of the longing is with
held from aliens. A well.intentioned friend
demands: Why, now that there is no pres
ent or prospective field for the employment
and utilization of the fruits oil study, do
you not rest from labors, and enjoy what
has been won? What a question! AS If
there could be any rest or pleasure in listless
mental inactivity AS if the passion burn
ing for wears could be extingushed by
fiat, and thought be damned up to stagnate
in a sterile slough? While life lasts, frag
mentary, isolated opportunity must be held
as sacred Who knows into what mind and
heart "a word fifty spoken" may fall like u
gracious seed and spring up laden with gold
en- frutage to the harvest? Still, In the ab
sence of that hope, the GctttteHitde-the shady
groves beckon and invite TO ramble through
their enchanting depths; and beyond, one
| L. nd RI tod IA at
nifty Among the reasons for such a high
grade of culture are the immediate and de-
ferred advantages OF a high aim in elevated
endeavor, lofty success, and preparation for
an unceasing search for knowledge infinite.
These, in their natural order, sustain the re-
lation of cause and effect "rhe pilot steers
his bark by the polar star, although he new
er expects 10 become possessor OF 1t" But
the star has served the Indispensable and
coveted service of leading into port. The
high aim was the sole cause of the mighty
attempt; an inferior mind would not have
known, nor cared, nor tried what dwelt
above the mountain tops. Success crowns
the attempt of the skilled, the trained, the
intelligent striver. If the man is satistted
with his groveling, he is doomed to grovel.
| If he has no ambition To rise, no desire 10
improve, but resists friendly efforts TO win
him from his mud bath and clothe him in
the purple, he ought TO cease his complaints
against condition comfortless and dreary
enough, indeed. but which is his own de-
liberate choice. Intellectual philosophy,
moral intuitions, above all, revelation, teach
the everlasting progression of thought, un
ceasing advances in knowledge. Nothing
can be more certain than that the utmost
acquisition in this sphere is merely the al.
phabet, preparatory TO infinite, eternal study,
and that cultivated, expanded minds must
take the front ranks among the pupils of
the heavenly college. This, to one who
knows and feels the truth, is an all sufficient
spur TO subimated. treless diligence.
1 Moral culture is infinitely assisted, even
if not generated, by the intellectual. II is
not claimed that all educated men are reli-
gious, or even moral, virtuous, and sober :.
but that the tendency is in the direction OF
all goodness is undeniable. For reason