The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-09-25
MODERATE EXPECTATIONS.

When an inspired apostle exhorted
those to whom he wrote at Philippi, saw
ing: 'Iet your moderation be known
unto all men,, he would, undoubtedly,
among other things, counsel them to be
moderate in their expectations. This
may be inferred from the added suo-
gestion: The Lord is at hand.n Thus
he would say: Presume not upon an
abundance OF time, or opportunity, or
prosperity, or aught that is temporal,
since everything pertaining to this world
is OF uncertain continuance.
Too much should not be expected
from that the fashion OF which s.pass-
eth away" and will soon be no more to
those who ''dwell in houses of elay.n all
OF whom may accept the eyer-timely ad-
monitiOn: ''Pass the time of your So
journing here in fear" Earth never
was designed to fill the desires or satisfy
the longings of humanity. A voice from
Heaven may always be heard, saving:
''Arise We, and depart; for this is not
your rest" Nothing, therefore, can be
more unjustifable than to say: eMv
mountain stands strong, ard shall never
be moved. " The extreme hopefulness,
which amounts well-nigh to audacious-
ness, is the sure precursor of bitter dis
appointment. Such ''trust" is as the
spiders web, as ''house built upon
the sand.'
1t is well known that multitudes fail
in life, SO far as their own expectations
and the expectations of others are con-
cerned. Who is not aware of this from
observation as well as from experience?
Where arc any ones acquaintance of
thirty, or twenty, or even ten years agoP
Some are dead, and some are alive. but
worse than dead, being either "crea-
tons blot" or creations blank"
Very few have made their morning
promise good. The ocean of life IS
strewed with wrecks. Many destined
harbor is never reached. Compare
lively few make prosperous voyage.
Only moderate, reasonable, religious
expectations, therefore, should be in
obliged, for they alone can be realized.
Worse than in vain is the incessant
day-dreaming of multitudes, and it is
not the worst that can be said of nu-
merous as well as gorgeous castles built
in the air that they are doomed to
perish. Such folly is fearfully democrat
izing as well as disappointing. They
who start in life with the idea that their
way is always to be bright and JOYOUS.
successful and prosperous, must, inev-
itably, be ill-prepared for the rebuffs
and reverses that are sure to be encoun-
tered. He who is intent upon finding
his heaven here is liable to be soon
soured by incredulity and misanthropv,
and he not unfrequently passes TO the
other extreme, so that from thinking
life is heaven here, he bitterly calls It
hell.
The way to be saved from being mis-
cradle in advancing life is to make the
most of the present as the basis Of a
really desirable future, both temporal
and eternal. Happiness should not be
wholly OF mainly in great expectations.
Anticipations should not preclude real
izations. All may hope for much; but
none should hope for too much. AS
earthly hopes are placed too high, inYal-
liable relish may be lost for the objects
OF those better hopes which Law hold on
eternal things. Many, alas, hope for SO
much in this world that they hope for
nothing in the world to come. They
expect SO much here that they have no
room for any well-founded expectations
in the great hereafter. Such unfound-
ell and perilous hopes should. to saw
the least, be moderated. They involve
ar extreme by all means to be avoided.
What is thus said should not be un-
derstood as implying that because the
Gospel reveals better than an earthly
hope it is not far from despising the
duties and enjovments of this life, for it
is far enough from such a truly ire
ligious contempt of this words good
things which, though they may ''perish
with the using" are nevertheless worth
using. There are blessings to be desired
IN the present state of existence. They
make an important part of the most un-
questionably lawful experience on earth.
Hope may properly embrace them
largely, but not exclusively. In hoping
for much in this world, care should be
taken lest it be for too much. It is pos
sible to rely unadvisedly and ruinoasly.
on worldly success. Presumption NAV
thus result in deplorable failure. So,
also, OF all the objects to be desired this
side of Heaven, it may be said that
great expectations in relation to them
may end in bitter lamentations, so that
as to presumption, the exhortation is
ever timely: Let your moderation be
known unto all meC. y WfTEchY1aa,a