The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-12

Mr.. Scudder Tells Hasbrouck
Graduates How to Grow
Spiritually and
Mentally.
EDUCATION NOT COMPLETE
Pastor Thinks There Will Be
Much to Learn in the
Hereafter.

There was an excellent representation
from Hasbrouck Institute, comprising the
graduates, faculty and many of the under
graduates. yesterday morning at the First
Congregational Church, corner Boyd and
Bergen avenues, when the Rev. John L.
Seudder. pastor of that church, preached
the Hasbrouck bacca1aureate sermon, taxi
ing for his text Psalms, l., 8. And he shall
be like a tree planted by the rivers of wa
ter, that bringeth forth his fruit in his
season, his leaf also shall not wither, and
whatsoever he doeth shall prosper"
"Our text" said Nh. Scudder, "is a pic
ture of luxuriant plant life. AS from an
eminenee in some sun-baked country the
PsaiTnist bids US look upon the landscape
and fix our gaze upon the watercourses
lined with thrifty vegetation. which in the
distance presents the appearance of huge
greenrfbbens and forms a refreshing con-
trast to the prevailing barrenness. Allow
me to follow out this idea of exuberant
growth so beautifully described by the
sacred poet and invite your attention to
the subject of personal development,
which it naturally suggests"
1T is the duty of everyone in this world
to grow; to reach the utmost expansion of
his being. There are magnificent possibiii-
ties in every human soul, and it depends
upon the individual to determine whether
the dormant powers shall remain inopera-
tive or awake the vigorous activity INK
usefulness. Mentally and morally each
one can develop into a good sized grant
if he will, but the reverse is equally true;
If he has not the inclination to encourage
and magnify the latent powers within
he will continue to be a pigmy all his life"
"Trees grow out and up, and these are
the two directions in which we all shall
develop if we are true to our better
selves n fulfil the purpose of our be-
ing. intellectually we shall expand,
spiritually we shall tower"
Then, after dwelling upon the oppor-
tunities of man to improve himself, men,
tally and morally, Mr.. Scudder continued:
In America we appreciate the value of
education more tina any other land. We
make education in fact one of our ma
tional hobbies. and yet today there are
five million people in this country who
cannot read and six millions who cannot
write. In six large States one-third of
the population can neither read nor write.
This unhappy condition is worse In the
South than in the North. The fact is
we think more of money than of mind.
We place a higher value upon getting on
in the world than increasing our store
of knowledge. Real wealth is internal.
1t cannot be measured by the yard nor
weighed in a pair of scales. 1t cannot
be put upon the market and be bought
and sold. It is immateral and invisible
and yet most real.
Some people labor under the delusion
that when their school days are over,
their education is completed. when the
actual fact is they have only commenced.
About all we learn in the schoolhouse is
how to study, and many scholars grad
uate without even learning that. The
world contains many proud and clipper
knownothings, who remind us of the cal
low youth who, When asked If he had
any brothers and sisters, replied,
very pompously, Yes, sir, I've got
four; but I'm the only one who
amounts to anything There are null
titudes of we'll dressed n%onentities in this
world whose thoughts seldom rise above
their own neckties. God gives us brains
and He expects US to use them. Nay, it
to lift ourselves up and out of our intel
leCludl Ciliui1oOu. IL iidltClS HeeS
whether a mans after education
comes through the college or the
great rough school of practical life,
provided it does come in some form or
other. My advice to every one who has
the opportunity to go to college
is, Go by all MEANS but to those who
cannot enjoy this privilege. I would re-
peat the words of Sir Walter Scott that
The best part of every mans education
is tina which he gives himself
There is so much for us to know, so
many fields to be traversed hat it is
ridiculous for anyone to think of master
ing these subjects even in a collegiate
course. Our school days in fact will
never be over until Death informs us that
graduation day has come. and even in the
future life l believe we shall pursue many
branches of study of which we now have
only a smattering.
And now to you. my dear young
friends, who are just setting sail upon
this great sea of knowledge, l wish to
offer the most cordial congratulations.
Your life, though not without its share
of hard work, will be a series of ex-
c~ursions into realms as yet unknown, but
teeming with ~pleasurable surprises and
novel forms of intellectual enjoyment.
You are to cruise in and out of bays in
Vulnerable and feast upon landscapes of
i~utaruinabTe variety. RtIt IT is not enough