The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-04-29

tiesl Joseph stood before Pharoah at
the age Of thirty. David was thirty
years old when he began to reign. The
height of Solomon's temple was thirty
cubits. Christ entered upon His active
ministry at thirty years Of age. Judas
sold him for thirty pieces Of silver. Oh,
the thirtiesl Whata word suggestive
of triumph or disaster. Your decade Is
the one that will probably afford. the
greatest opportunity for victory, be-
cause there is the greatest necessity for
struggle. Read the worlds history
and know what are the thirties for
good or bad. Alexander the Great
closed his career at thirty-two. Fred
crick the Great made Europe trcmble
with his armies at thirty-dve. Cortcs
conquered Mexico at thirty. Grant
fought Shiloh and Donelson when
thirty-eight. Raphael died at thirty
seven. Luther was the hero of the
Reformation at thirty-five. Sir Philip
Next accost the forties. Yours is
the decade of discovery. do not mean
the discovery of the outside, but the
discovery OF yourself. No man knows
himself until he is forty. He overesti-
mates himself by that time he has
learned what he can do, or what he can
not do. lie thought he had comm crcial
genius enough to become a millionaire,
but now he is satisfied to make COM
Portable living. He thought he had
rhetorical power that would bring him
into the United States senate; now he
is content if he can successfully argue
a common case before petit jury. He
Thought he had medical skin that
would make him Mott or a Crosse or
a Willard Parker or Sims; now he
finds his sphere is that of family ply
stefan, prescribing for the ordinary
ailments that af1ict our race. He was
sailing on in fog and could
not take reckoning, but now
it clears up enough to allow him to find
ont his real latitude and longitude. He
has been climbing. but now he has got
10 the top of the hill and he takes a
long breath. He is halfway through
the journey at least, and he is in POI
sition to look backward or forward.
He has more good sense than he ever
had. He knows human nature, for he
has been cheated often enough to see
the bad side of it, and he has met so
many gracious and kindly and splendid
souls, he also knows the good side of it.
Now, calm yourself. Thank God for
the past. and deliberately set your
compass for another voyage. You have
chased enough thistledown. You have
blown enough soap bubbles. You have
seen the unsatisfying nature of all
earthly things Open q new chapter
with God and the world. This de-
cade of the forties ought to
eclipse all its predecessors in
worship. in usefulness and in
happiness Forty is great word in
the Bible. Gods ancient people were
forty years in the wilderness. David
and Solomon and Jehoash reigned for
ty years When Joseph visited his
brethren he was forty years old Oh,
this mountain top of the fortiesl You
have now the character you will prob
ably have fof all time and all eternity.
God. by His grace. sometimes changes
man after the forties, but after that
man never changes himself. Tell me,
on, men ana women VINO are IN the
forties, yonr habits OF thought and
LIE, ana Will tell you what you VIII
forever be. ! might make . mistake
once IN a Thousand times, but not more
than IN That proportion.
My sermon next accosts the fifties.
How queer 1t looks when. in writing
your age, you make the first of the two
figures IS" This is the decade which
shows what the other decades have
been. If a young man has sown wild
oats, and he has lived to this time, he
reaps the harvest OF it in the fifties, or
if by necessity he was compelled toover-
toll in honest directions, he Is called to
settle up with exacting nature some
time during the fifties. Many have it
- hard in early life that they are oc-
togenarians at hfty. Sciaticas, and
rheumatisms, and neuralgias, and YER
tigos, and insomnias have their play
ground in the fifties A mans hair be-
gins to whiten, and, although he may
have worn spectacles before, now he
asks the optician for No. IA, or No. II,
or No. 10. When he gets q cough and
Is almost cured, he hacks and clears
his throat good while afterward. Oh.
We who are in the ffties think OF it!
A half century OF blessing to be thank