Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-01-27
The New Year,
From The JefersonGan, by ]. L. LODGE,
D. D., Editor

The bell strikes one. We take no note of
time
But from its loss. To give it then tongue
Is wise in man. As if an angel spoke
feel the solemn sound Young.
Shall live to see the new year old p
Time past is hidden behind eternity. The
years fugacious speed swiftly thitherward.
Duty first, then safety, commands pause,
asks an interval for thought. What are we
here for; how long shall we stay. Twoin
solvable mysteries speak with one voice.
Life beseeches; death warns. Destiny pro.
ceeds from God. Foreseeing and providing
Tor exercise of powers and compliance with
directions essential to tultllment. Conserv.
ing the right to appoint, and the necessary
liberty, under guidance, to respond. Lift once
the veil that obscures the future, and many
lives would be instantly changed. Thought.
lessness would change TO solicitude; evil
men would be terrified, good men convicted.
lnanity would be substituted by lite at its
greatest strength weak effort become labor
earnest, tireless, intense. Yet much is plain,
and more discoverable, to rouse the dullest
sleeper, and nerve the instructed worker.
What we would do, knowing, let us, not
knowing, do. The highest merit is in the
action from belief, not sight.
Throughout this year iealously care for
every moment. Ever the dominant impel
ling thought, my mind, my mind, must
expand its powers, II must be filled and fur
nished Mentality is divine gift. 1t and
spirit distinguish from anmality. Its de.
gree is fixed by eternal sovereignty. even in
respect of the law of causation. Knowl
edge is not only power, it is possession, 1t is
light, 1t Ia Joy, IL is victory. Ignorance is
humanity's most fearful curse First, we
ought to think OF the responsibility. 1t isa
crime to be ignorant of letters in this day.
Ignorance is fraught with more danger now
than at any former period. Formerly intel
ligence chose the competent for governors;
now the llliterate elect chief magistrates
Part OF the evil results are already seen the
worst are yet to come. Then, the effect OF
mind culture is to have on the eternal future
While II can never affect the fact of entrance
upon an everastngly happy condition, II
must and will intellectually affect the cdpd.
city to enjoy what heaven holds, ~ II limits
ability to use and enjoy even what earth has
TO offer. Educated mind scars; ignorance
grovels. Ones heart aches to mark how
few In the average community have pas
sionate craving Tor learning, or even care to
read the best books freely put within their
reach Still, we must persevere to cry, with
all the wise, over all the earth, educate ed
| To protect the body from abuse To destroy
| 1t even for the sake OF the mind is sin. II lis
as much the object OF redemption as the soul
1t Is Gods temple, when cleansed. 1t is now
earth, but destined to become spiritual, and
immortal. Any man who is going To devote
| every faculty OF body and mind, this year,
to the one object of worldly gain may grasp
| shadow, but must lose liies substance
Only he will use time Alright who shall
begin or continue To aim at highest excel
ence in character and life. SUFFICIENTLY
renders the first proposal difficult. Man Is
To himself the hardest problem. To rule his
own spirit Is severer task than 10 subdue
kingdoms. IL is the crux in progress toward
the mastery. To bring every thought into
| subjection to the law Of right, to formulate
and establish right principles, 10 form
| and preserve resolutions to persevere in
course of . problty, purity, aud right
e0ueness, is no easy task, even when d.
rected and assisted from above. Character
building evokes the concern Of angels. Be-
| cause to do good requires to be good. Vir-
tue simply flows out of the heart In streams
OF action. The great condition and require
| ment is the fountain of supply. High char
acter is attained at great cost. The inward
| conflicts, the defeats, recovery, conquest of
| self, are known only TO one. Other pro,
cesses are open to the worlds vision. Truly,
| II 10 building, for character never had in
| Simultaneous birth. Instruction, rebuke, dsci-
| pline, correction, Christening encouragement,
growth, are all essential to full development
Ii we believe in revelation, at all, or attend
TO the prompt decisions OF our own hearts,
| we know that men who live for themselves
are not admirable to heaven, nor able to inn
press US. Society receives and nurtures such,
but society is itself hollow, corrupt, and
false And many who at heart despise selfish
| creatures find il 10 their interest TO conceal
their disgust, and trade in hattery. | am
| writing, not for this hopeless majority but
| with the view TO help and strengthen some
| who desire to be rather than to appear to
be. To these, the first lesson, perhaps the
| most important lesson, TO be learned, Is that
OF sef.denial. In any case, nothing else
can ever produce really strong man. The
full man never knows that his fellow man
Is hungry. The thing iE mans likeness
who keeps all he can get for himself is sim
| ply a hog without the caudal appendage.
| A good physiognomst recognizes him in
| SANITY, whether he be on the trail of cent or
carrying around the communion vessels.
Sacrifice for the sake of others is the heroic
and sublime in virtue. IL is the felt need Of
another which calls out generous service. II
| all men were equal in supplies OF every
kind, knowledge, faculty, peace of mind, IL
would be a world OF weaklings, without OPP
| pOrtunity TO rise from the dead level.
| think one reason for the ordination that the
| poor shall be ever with us ia that charity
may have Il sphere, and that there may
co-exist the blessedness Of giving and the
| 10y of receiving. Certainly, he who stnts
that he may give is the most blessed among
men. AccretiOns to virtue result from It's
exercise az surely as added strength follows
upon exertion. la the absence Of either,
imbeclity Is the penalty. The discourage
meats ought not To be noted. Virtue never
failed, though the reward WAS delayed.
The reward ought not 10 be expected, here.
This gear, true manliness Is the poor worlds
crying need
At this time infidelty greatly prevails.
| II 10 not 30 much that blatant sort which
with tongue and pen attacks the articles Of
| faith, az 4 settled conviction that the reli
giOn prOLessed in these days Ia worthless
The religious press walls over the loss OF
those evidences which were 80 influential
forty years ago. The secular press most
| bitterly, but not unfairly, hurs It's sarcasm
against the palpable fraud. We, ourselves,
know that the charge Ia true. We know
| that the desertlon by Peter was Insignificant
beside the denlals OF 10 day: His was one 10
| a million. Ihere was never 80 much SOUND
there was never 30 little substance. The
hurrahs, the picnics, the junketlngs, the
parades, the banners, the badges, the alpha
betical designations, and all the clap trap
of appearance, fail 10 convict conscience, or
establish effective Christian character. In
terested and observant people are unwill.
iogly forced TO the conclusion that what Is
| bT favor called "the church" Is fast losing
| ia ancient power What Ia 10 oppose the
sad declineS LiOes Of Gbs0Lute ancertty.-
Faulty, as every life is, no matter who as
serts the contrary; but only make the life
Nnoegef Right now, the world needs men
whose word is better than their oath. Men
who perform what they promise. Men who
never violate a pledge Men who fear God
aud will not flatter. Men who do not leave
their Sabbath coat hanging In the vestibule
Of the church till they come again.
My heart being virtuous, let my face be wan !;
| l am 70 God, l only seem ~ man