Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-01-31

WASHINGTON. Jan. 26.-From an I'M
usual standpoint DR.. Talmage in this
discourse looks, at the duties and trials
which belong to the different decades
OF human life; text. Psalms &c, 10,
fsThe days of our years are threescore
years and ten
The SEVENTEEN milestone of life is
here planted as at the end OF the jour-
ney. A few so beyond it. Multitudes
never reach it. The oldest person of
modern times expired at 16o years. A
Greek OF the name of Strayqride lived
TO 49, years. An Eneltshman of the
name of Thomas Parr lived 152 years.
Before the time OF Moses people lived
$50 years, and If you go far enough
back they lived 900 years. Well, that
WAS necessary, because the story of
the world must come down by tradi-
ton, and 1t 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 aud
parchment told it from century to CEN
fury 1t was not necessary that people
live 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 il is
put In print and is no longer dependent
on tradition. Whatever your age, will
today directly address you. and shall
speak to those who are in the twenties,
the thirties, the forties. the fifties, the
sixties, and to those who are in the sew
entities and beyond.
First then, 1 accost those of you who
are 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. IL | find
some one in the twenties without any
sort of ambition, / 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
your board? There is n mistake about
the fact that you were born at ALL"
Advice to the Tyvcuties.
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 want and
something better. Are you looking for
wealth? We'll, 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 n
great deal. To feed and clothe and
shelter you for lifetime requires n big
sum Of money, and If you get nothing
more than the absolute necessities you
get an enormous amount of supply.
Expect as much as you will of any
Kind OF success, If you expect ii 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 n good thing in the
crisis of life TO have man of large
means back you up. 1t is great thing
10 have moneyed institution stand be-
hind you In your undertaking. But IL
is mightier thing 10 have the God of
heaven and earth your coadjutor. and
you may have him. l am so glad that
met you while you are I'm the TWEEN
ues- You are laying out your plans,
and oil your life in this world and the
next Tor five hundred million years OF
your existence will be affected by those
plans 1t is about o'clock in the
morning OF your life. and you are Just
starting out. Which way are you 60
Ing to start? Oh, the twenties!
Twenty is a great word I'm the Ri
BILE. Joseph was sold for twenty pieces
OF silver; Samson judged Israel TWEEN
~ years; Solomon gave Hiram twenty
cities; the flying roll that Zechariah
saw was twenty cubits; when the SAIL
ors or the ship on which Paul sailed
sounded the Mediterranean sea, it was
twenty fathoms- What mighty things
have been done in the twentiesl Rom
illus founded Rome when he was twen-
ty; Keats finished life ut twenty-five:
Lafayette was world renowned
soldier at twenty-three; Oberlln ac-
complished his chief work ct TWEEN
ty-seven; 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 was
twenty-six; Grotius was attorney gen.
eral at twenty-four. Some of the
mightiest things for God and eternity
nave been done In the twenties. AS
long as you can put the figure before
the other figure that helps describe
your age 1 have high hopes about you.
Look out for that figure 2. Watch its
continuance with as much earnestness
as you ever watched anything that
promised you salvation or threatened
you demolition. What a critical time
the t%ectieSs.. While they continue
you decide your occupation and the
principles by which you will be guided;
you make your most abiding friend
ships; you arrange your home life;
you fix your habits. Lord God AL
mighty, for Jesus Christ's sake, have
mercy on all the men and women in
the twentiesl
The Waiting Age.
Next / accost those in the thirties.
You are at an age when you find what
a tough thing it is to get recognized
and established in your occupation or
profession. Ten years ago you thought
all that was necessary for success was
TO put on your shutter the sign OF ply
stefan or dentist or attorney or broker
or agent and you would have plenty
or business. How many hours you sat
and waited for business, and waited
IN vaip, three persons only know-God,
your wife and yourself. In CONNER
cial life you have not had the promo
ton and the increase in salary you an
ticipated, or the place you expected to
occupy in the firm has not been va
Gated. The produce OF the farm with
which you expected to support your
self and those depending on you and
to pay the interest on the mortgage
has been far less than you anticipated,