The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-28

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-From an un-
usual standpoint DR.. TaImage in this
discourse looks at the duties and trials
which belong to the different decades
OF human life: text, Psalms &c. 10.
FsTbe days of u years are threescore
years and ten.:,s
The SEVENTEEN milestone of life is
here planted as at the end of the jour-
ney. A few go beyond it. Multitudes
never reach 1t. The oldest person Of
modern times expired at 100 years. A
Greek Of the name Of Stravaride lived
TO 132 years. An Englishman Of the
name of Thomas Parr lived 152 years.
Before the time of Moses people lived
15O years. and if you go far enough
back they lived 900 years. Well, that
sfs necessary, because the story of
Efe world must come down by tradi-
ton. and it needed long life safely to
transmit the news of the past. If the
generations had been short lived, the
story would SO often have changed lips
that 1t might have got all astray. But
after Moses began to write it down and
parchment told it from century to CEN
fury 1t was not necessary that people
Dive so long in order to authenticate
the events of the past. If in our time
people lived only twenty-five years,
that would not affect history, since it is
put in print and is no longer dependent
on tradition. Whatever your age, / will
today directly address you. and I shall
Speak to those who are in the twenties,
the thirties. the f~orties. the fifties. the
sixties. and to those who are in the sew
entities and beyond.
First. then. / accost those of you who
pre- in the twenties. You are full of
expectation. You are ambitious-that
is. if you amount to anything-for some
kind Of success. commercial or mechan-
zeal or professional or literary or agri-
cultural Or social or moral. If | find
some n in the twenties without any
sort Of ambition. l feel like saying:
my friend. you have got on the wrong
planet. This is not the world for you.
You are going to be in the way. Have
you made your choice of poorhouses?
You will never be able to pay for your
cradle. Who is going to settle for
SOuk OOuLds 4nCIS 10 a AllStdhS oDOUI
the fact that you were born at ALL"
Advice to the Twentfes.
But. supposing you have ambition. let
me say to all the twenties. expect every
thing through divine manipulation, and
then you will get all you wan and
something better. Are you looking for
wealth? Well. remember that God con-
trolls the money markets, the harvests,
the droughts. the caterpillars, the To-
Gusts. the sunshine. the storm. the land,
the sea, and you will get wealth. Per-
haps not that which is stored up in the
banks, in safe deposits. in United States
securities. in houses and lands, but
your clothing and board and shelter,
and that is about all you can appro-
PIRATE anyhow. You cost the Lord a
great deal. To feed and clothe and
shelter you for a lifetime requires a big
sum Of money, and if you get nothing
more than the absolute necessities you
get an enormous moun of supply.
Expect al much as you will of any
kind of success. if you expect it from
the Lord you are safe. Depend on any
other resource. and you may be badly
chagrined, but depend on God and all
will be well. 1t is q good thing in the
crisis Of life to have a man of large
means back you up. 1t is a great thing
to have a moneyed institution stand be-
hind you in your undertaking. But it
is a mightier thing to have the God of
heaven and earth your coadjutor, and
you may have him. / am so glad that
met you while you are in the TWEEN
ties. You are laying out your plans,
ind all your life in this world and the
next for FIVE hundred million years of
your existence will be affected by those
plans. 1t is about 3 o'clock In the
morning of your life. and you are just
starting out. Which way are you go
ing to start? Oh. the twentiesI
Twenty" is a great word in the Bt
bic. Joseph was sold for twenty pieces
OF silver; Samson judged Israel TWEEN
ty years; Solomon gave Hiram twenty
cities; the flying roll that Zechariah
saw was twenty cubits; when the sail
ors OF the ship on which Paul sailed
sounded the Mediterranean sea. 1t was
twenty fathoms. What mighty things
have been done In the twenties. Rom
illus founded Rome when he was TWEEN
ty; Keats finished life at twenty-five
Lafayette was world renowned
soldier at twenty-three; Oberlin &C
complished bis chief work at TWEEN
~ty-sesen; Bonaparte was victor over
Italy at twenty-six; Pitt was prime
minister Of England at twenty-five
Calvin had completed his immor
tai institutes" by the time he wa:
twenty-six: Grotius was attorney gen
eraI at twenty-four. Some OF thu
mightiest things for God and eternit!
have been done In the twenties. A.
long as you can put the figure 2 befor'
the other figure that helps describ'
your age / have high hopes about you
Look out for that figure 2. Watch it
continuance with as much earnestnes'
as you ever watched anything tina