The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-01-18

(AOuCluueQ rom last week.
'The davs OF u years are three score
years aud ten,
Or even by reason Of strength fore
score years;
Yet lin their pride but labor and
SORROW;
For it is soon gone and we fly away" ,
All this Moses admits and there after
making the petition i'll the text he adds,
20 satisfy US in the NOR hing with
thy mercy;
That we may rejoice and be glad all
our days,
Make us glad according to the days
wherein thou hast afflicted us,
And the years wherein we have seen
evil"
Even evil and atlliction may be the
inspiration Tor a song when through
them we discern the face Of God who in
love has suffered them to prove the
hearts of men.
But the final thought to which a wise
numbering of our days leads us is that
the brief aud restless activity to which
we are here consigned is not the sum
of our existence, but o ally a preparation
for a larger life i'll the presence OF God.
AS the true background OF all life is
God, SO the true outlook for every hui
man soul is toward the second volume
of lives history which will be writtel in
in the presence of that same God. This
is the thought hat sustains the aged
patriarch and man Of GOD as he draws
near to the erd Of his earthly career.
At the close Of the Psalm he says:
"Let the work appear to the SER
wants,
And thy glory upon their children.
And let the beauty of the Lord
our God be upon US,
And establish thou the work of our
hands upon US;
Yea, the work of our hands Establish
thou it,"
Since his final resting place is to be
with God the Psalmist prays that
he may be allowed a vision Of the
beauty of the Lord and to participate
in his work. so may we, who desire to
make out of our lives what God Intended
we should, and that we may, ''belold
the king in his beauty" This, which
is the greatest ambition a human soul
can have, is the natural and prorel
fruitage of a wise numbering Of II
days. A plan or purpose which falls
short OF this is unworthy of our highest
endeavor. If we ponder the question
carefully we cannot think that the brief
span Of years allotted to us here is the
sum total Of our existence. 1t cannot
be that in a world where SO many plans
and purposes 20 awry and where SO
many longings are born with the soul
which in this life cam, Vt be satisfied.
1t cannot be that such a state OF things
is to mark the close Of our existence
which all along the way has been at
tended by more OF less pain and sorro"
and dis appointment. Are the ideals
and dreams and visions that have sus.
taiued the souls OF men in their weary
journey through a world OF sin to 60
Pickering out and never to be brought
to completion All, it cannot be that
there is no other goal for the hopes and
! ambitions of men. The very thought
Z of such a thing is a hollow mockery.
Better be a gibbering monkey, or a hog
Il ! ,yn1 lou,tr,s -, {la miro than, - -,,t
or a Newton if life has nothing more
! for us than be thrust into an existence
OF three score years and ten.
Z But we may calm our iea,s for O
such tragedy marks the ext: OF the Soul
] from the scenes Of earth. Mi.rn olIc,.
we have gained life's true perspective
we see opening out before US an uieno-
ing vista of delightslin the depths nt
| which all the deep heart yearninsa viii
J be answered and the stream OF life flow
on through an unending day of Joy and
blessing. The triumphant issue OF all
right hopes and plaus, the banishmenl
of sin and wrong, the drying of all tears.
! this infinitely more than this is the bar
vest growing Ct the wisdom which
comes from a right numbering Of our
days.
And now, what response does there
come tronaur heart to these words.
Do the c.osiu. days Of the year that is
almos. & ,ne it'd us turning our thoughts
upon ~ ,utusc Enough which we have