The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-02-21

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struggle OF the thirtes is for honest and
helpful and remunerative recognition. But
few old people know how 30 treat young
people without ratronizing them on the
one hand or snubbing them on the other.
Oh, the thirtiesl Joseph stood before
Pharaoh at thirty; David was thirty years
old when he began TO reign; the height
of SOlOmou's temple was thirty cuhits.
Christ entered upon His active ministry
al thirty years of age; Judas sold Him
Cor thirty pieces of silver. Oh, the thir-
ties! What a word suggestive Of triumph
or disaster
Your decade is the one that win prob.
ably afford the greatest opportunity for
victory because there is the greatest ne
cessity for struggle Read the worlds his
tory and know what are the thirties for
good or bad. Alexander the Great closed
his career at thirty-two; Frederick the
Great made Europe tremble with his ar
mics at thirty-ive; Cortes conquered Mex
leo at thirty; Grant fought Shiloh and
DonelJon when thirty-eight; Raphael died
at thrty-seven; Luther was the hero of
the reformation at thirty-fve; Sir Philip
Sidney got through by thirty-two. The
greatest deeds for God and against Him
were done within the thirties, and your
greatest battles are now and between the
time when you cease expressing your age
by putting first a figure and the time
when you will cease expressing It by put
ting first a figure 8. AS it is the greatest
time Of the struggle, / adiure you, in
Gods name and by Gods grace, make it
the greatest achievement NV prayer il
for all those in the tremendous crisis of
the thirtles. The fact is that by the way
you decide the present decade of your his
tory You decide all the following decades.
Next ! accost the forties. ours 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 overestimates or underes-
Inmates himself. By that time he has
learned what he can do or what he cannot
do. He thought he had commercial genius
enough TO become millionaire, but now he
is satisfied to make a comfortable living.
He thought he had rhetorical power tbat
would bring him into the United States
Senate; now he is content if lie can sue.
ces5fully argue a common case before a
petit Jury. He thought he had medical
skill that would make him Mott or a
Crosse or Willard Parker or Sims;
now he finds his sphere is that of a fam
lily physician, prescribing for the ordinary
ailments that atilict our race. He was sail
ing on in a fog and could not take a reez.
oning, but now it clears up enough to allow
him to find out his real latitude and long
itude. He has been climbing, but now he
has got to the top of the hill, and he takes
a long breath. He is half way through
the journey at least, and he is in posi-
ton 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 1t, 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 de-
hberately 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 a new chapter with
God and the world. This decade Of the
forties ought to eclipse all its predecessors
IN worship, in usefulness and in happiness.
The world was made to work. There re,
maineth a rest for the people of God, but
it is in sphere beyond the reach of tele-
scopes. The military charge that decided
one of the greatest battles Of the ages-the
battle of Waterloo-was not made until s
o'clock in the evening, but some of you.
propose to go into camp at 2 o'clock in
the afternoon.
My subject next accosts those in the sew.
enties and beyond. My word to them is
congratulation. You have got nearly if not
quite through. You have safely crossed
the sea Of life and are about to enter the
harbor. You have fought at Gettysburg
and the war is over-here and there Skin
mish with the remaining sin of your own
heart and the sin of the world, but | guess
you are about done. There may be some
work for you yet on a small or large SCALE
Bismarck OF Germany vigorous in the
eighties. The Prime Minister of England
strong at seventy-two. Haydn composing
his oratorio, "The Creation" at seventy
years of age. Isocrates doing some of his
best work at seventy-four. Plato busy
thinking for all succeeding centuries at
eighty-One. Noah Webster, after making
his world renowned dictionary, hard at
work until eighty-fve years old. Rev.
Daniel Waldo praying in my pulpit at 100
years of age. Humboldt producing the
Immortal Cosmos" at seventy-six Years.
William Blake at siXty-seven learning Ital-
han so as to read Dante in the original.
Lord Cockburn at eighty-seven writing his
best treatise. Jok:: Wesley stirring great
audiences at eighty-hve. William G. Bryant,
without spectacies, reading in my house
"Thantaposis" at eighty-three years of age.
Christian men and women in all DEPART
ments serving God after becoming septua-
genarians and nonagenarians prove that
there are possibilities of work for the
aged, but I think you who are passed the
seventies are near being through.
How do you feel about it? You ought to
be jubilant, because life is a tremendous
struggle, and if you have got through re-
specially and usefully you ought 10 feel
like people toward the close OF a summer
day seated on the rocks watching the sun
set at Bar Harbor of Cape May or Look
out Mountain. I am glad to say that most
old Christians are cheerful Daniel Webs
ter visited John Adams short time before
his death and found him in very infirm
health. He said to Mr.. Adams 81 am
glad to see you. l hope you are getting
along pretty we'll" The reply was: "Ah,
sir, quite the contrary. / find l am poor
tenant, occupying a house much shattered