Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-03-09

The struggle of the thrties is for honest
and helpful and rcmunerativc recognition.
But few old people know how TO treat
young people without patronizing them on
the one hand or snubbiug them on the
other Oh, the thirtiesl Joseph stood be
fore Pharaoh mt 30 David was 80 years old
when he began to reign. The height of
Solomon's temple was 30 cubits. Christ
entered upon his active ministry at 80 years
of age. Judas sold him for 30 pieces of sill
yer. Oh, the thirtics What a word, sug-
Eestive of triumph or disaster. Your
decade is the one that will probably afford
the greatest opportunity for victory, be
cause tuere is the greatest necessity for
struggle. Read the worlds history and
know what are the thrties for good or bad.
Alexander the Great closed his career at 30.
Frederick the Great made Europe tremble
with his armies at 81. Cortez conquered
Mexico at 30. Grant fought Shiloh and
Uuelsuu when IS. Raphael died at 81.
Luther was the hero Of the reformation at
Is. Sir Philip Sydney got through by 81.
The greatest deeds for God and against
him were done within the thirties, and
vour greatest battles are now and between
the time when you cease expressing your
ngc by putting first Il figure ''2' and the
time when you will cease expressing it by
putting first a figure 80" AS it is the
greatest time of the struggle adjure you,
in God is name and by Gods grace, make it
the greatest achievement. My prayer is for
al those in the tremendous crisis of the
thirties. The fact is that 10y the way you
decide the present decade of your history
Won decide all the following decades
When was in Russia, was disappointed
in not SEEING the battlefield Of Borodiuo
Why was there fought such n battle ut
that small village? 1t was 10 miles from
Moscow. Why that desperate struggle in
which 10000 FreuChmen prappled with
100000 Russians aud 80, coo dead Freedmen
and - coo dead Russians were left on the
field? 1t was because the fate of Moscow,
the sacred city of Russia, was decided there
decided 20 miles away. And let me tell
YOU people of the thirties, you are now at
the Borodino. whence will re~ound its sue
ccsscs orits moral disasters clear on into the
seventies if you live to the threcscore and
ten of the text.
WHEE MAN KNOWS HIMSELF.
Next I accOst the fortes. Yours is the
decade of discovery do not mean the dis
covery Of the outside but the discovery of
Yourself No man knows himself until he
is 90 He oyerestimates or underestimate
himself BY that time he has learned what
he can do or what he cannot do. lie
thought he had commercial genius enough
60 become a millionaire but now lie Is sat
isGed to make "A comfortable living lie
thought lie had rhetorical power that
would bring him into the United States
senate. Now he is content if he can Sue
cessfully argue a common case before u
petit jury. He thought he had medical
skill that would make him Il Mott or a
/ Crosse or a Willard Parker or Sims. Now
/ he finds his sphere is that of q family ply
stefan, prescribing for the ordinary ailments
that afIlict our race. He was sailing Oh in
a fog and could not take reckoning, but
now it clears up enough to allow him to
find out his real latitude and longitude He
/ las been climbing, but now lie has got to
I the top Of the hill, and he takes a long
breath He is half way through the Jour
hey at least and he is in position to look
backward or forward He has more good
sense than he ever had. lie 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
slleudid 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. Nou have chased
enough thistledowu. You have blown
enough soap bubbles. You have seen the
Uusa-isfying nature of all earthly things.
Open 4 new chapter with God and the
world This decade Of the torties ought to
eclipse all its predecessors in worship, in
usefulness and in happiness. Forty is a
great word in the Bible. Gods ancient
people were 40 years in the wilderness Eli
Judged Israel 40 years David and Solomon
and Jchoash reigned 40 years. When Joseph
| visited his bret hrcn, he was - years Old.
Oh, this mountain top Of the fortiea. You
/ have now the character you will probably
have for all time and all eternity. God by
his grace sometimes changes a man after
Tho forties, but after that man never
/ changes himself Tell me. o men and
women who are in the forties, your habits
Of thought and life and | will tell you
what you will forever be. | might make Il
mistake once in thousand times, but not
more than in that proportion.
PEEMONIrOkY SYMPTOMS OF OLD AGE
My sermon next accosts the tltics. How
queer it looks when in writing your age you
make the first Of the two figures a -. 4"
This is the decade which shows what the
other decades have been. If young man
has soUn wild oats and he has lived to this
time, he reaps the harvest Of it in the fiji
ties, or if by necessity be was compelled to
overtoil in honest directions he is called to
settle up with eNaCtlug nature some time
during the iiftics. Many have it 50 hard IN
early life that they are octogenariaus at So
Sciaticas and rheumatsms and ucuralgi
and vcrtigos and nsomnias have theirplay-
ground in the lities. A mans hair begins
to Written, and. although he may have worn
spectacles before, now hc asks the optcan
for No. II or No. - or No. TO- When he
gets cough and is almost cured, lie hacks
and clears his throat II good while after
ward. Oh, ye who are in the iifties, think
of it! A half century Of blessing to be
thankful for, and half century substracted
from an existence which, in the most
marked cases of longevity, hardly ever
reaches whole century. By this time you
ought to be eminent for piCry. You have
been in so many battles you ought to be n
brave soldier. You have made 50 many voy-
ages you ought to be n good sailor. So
long protected and blessed, YOU ought to
have soul fun Of doXology. In Bible
times in Canaan every 80 years was by
God 8 command a year of jubilee. The peo-
pie did not work that year. II property