New-York tribune., 1880-04-04
HRrtrJyG Dowy IN MlDDLE-dGE

Middle aged business men WOulu plondnJ
consult the Bible and listen to preachers Oftener
If they thought they could get from either adj
vice available in their daily life. They have a
vague idea that the practical teaching OF the
Bible might all be Jumped in the maxim, BE
"yirtnous and you will bc h9ppy.' Comprehen-
sivc. but hardly satisfactory when you come to
the details which yex his brain; what profession
70 choose for his boys7 how much to risli IN
mining? how far his wolldly-wisc experience
ought to interfere with the love affairs of his
girls Yet if hc would search tbcm these OLD
Scriptures are full of just such hints as he
needs; maxims Dictated not only by the broad
cs, Justice, hut hy profound prudence and keen
iusiob. into all the vice and weakness Of human
nature.
As, for example. There is 10 question which
pcrplcxcs busy man more than how to make
hi, body stand the wear and demand on it, and
70 hold out until old age. 1t Is 50 difficult that
he is inclined to think that, considering the
work God sets before u.s. the machine lie has
riycn us TO work with Is failure. There Is
his boy Of twelve, pccring through spectncles
already. his face twtching with chorca when
ever the Spring comes on. There are the wo-
men about him. Ii they belong to the cdu-
cated wcll-tO-do class III cities that lead easy,
wholesome lives, increasing wealth and knowl.
edge of sanitary laws toll on them; tncy are
stout, healthy and llord; but If they are far
mers or mechanics wives, with work To dO,
they are as n rule lean, shfewd, and sickly.
The Bible promises that, AZ thy day H. 80
shall thy strength be which means, in modern
English, that each of us can be sure that neither
brain nor body will break down until we have
finished our work. II this is true, why should
our business man bc threatened with parly lysis
at forty or be ordered TO leave business for
year and sent abroad to recuperatei His
work, he knows, is not bad in purpose. If God
really takes note OF these trilles. lIe would APP
prove it. Take our business pen in n mass
their work is good; lawyers, grocers, cobblers
they are in the man honest and useful the
thieves and brbe- takers are in the minority.
Why can they not depend upon this promise.
then Was it only meant for the old Hebrews
or Christians at Antioch, and not for New
Workers or ChicagOansl ltis all very well, says
our dOubter, to urge him Z" not TO be weary in
swell doing; but with neuralgia In his face and
rheumatism In his spinal column, how il his
consciousness Of well-doing to keep him up1
Mental, sooner than physical strength, gives
way in the heat and struggle of q busy lfc
The number of anxious, sad faces which one
meets Oh American streets Oppresses every
traveller. If genial light hearted fellow
laughs more than once in car, what startled
| envlOus eyes turn on him.
When our work is good, why are not courayc
and hope sustained for us, if there be abOve,a
Divine Sustainerl The answer rs it seems 10
us, is that we measure our own "dayr and
work, and undertake great deal more thnn God
ever meant that We should. He rules Ms
through simple, inflexbe laws An ambitious
woman Tor example, urges her boy to the head
of his class; he must do better than this or
| that lad his brain il crammed with hetero-
geneOus mass of facts which she or some fatu-
GUS teacher deems essential In Massachusetts,
last week, a little fellow went mad under this
pressure and shot himself sooner than face his
defeat. In any case boys brain il weakened
and injured for life. Now God made every
child's brain and body for certain useful
though probably humble work in life. Train
him for that, and he remains healthy drag him
up to some height which he was never meant
to reach, and the supply OF strength fails AS
his day, not as your ambition, shall his strength
be.
As with the boy, so with the man. Nature
Gas we like to call our Maker, by way of dodg-
Ing personal recognition of Him) is lntolerant
of attempts to reach " tho head of the class" No
strength was ever promised for that days work.
Let man set out in life with such an aim to
win a great fortune, fame, nOtOriety. even in
his own village, and he Will get many sharp
reminder from the Director of his life that this
was not the work which he was set to do. Let
our dscOntented business man estimate how
much of his physical breakdown, or his mental
dependency, has been caused by necessary,
useful work, and how much from arriving tC
give his family high social position. to leave hiH