Year: 1870

in an old man, rs nothing is more sad, or
unjust, than this feeling; against moth
ing should age striye with more unwea-
ried carDestDess than the giving up the
mind TO these dark and melancholy fore
holdings in regard to the condition Of the
world.


An important question now occurs re-
specting the relation Of an aged man to
these new plans and schemes to the
proper feelings in regard to them {; to the
proper feelings in regard to the world at
large.


lie has had his own responsibilities
respecting things that are past; to
schemes which he originated or in which
he took part TO duties to be perform
ed TO the church aud TO the world. These
responsibilities in regard TO him are pass
ed, and the sooner lie knows and feels
this, the better for himself, the better
for the world. His mind will be calm
only as he Seels this and as his own
plans are completed, his responsibilities
have ceased, for he is not answerable Tor
the acts and plans of others. God has
placed the responsibility in regard to
the world in the hands Of those who are
possessed ofyouth and vigor,a as they
have now the work TO do, the RESPONSE
Uility should be where that work is to
be done. 1t adds much to the comfort
Of life for any man, at any period, and in
any circumstances, to know precisely
what heis responsible for, and 10 leave
the responsibilities OF life where they
thus belong. a man is never calm, new
er happy, who NEEDLES with what be-
longs 10 others. 1t is, indeed, a slow
lesson for an aged man, who has been
active for many years; who has had an
honored place in the movements OF the
world, to learn TO leave things where
the properly belong, and to be willing
to withdraw when the world has 10 lon
ger any occasion for his counsels.


An aged man should learn to feel
that his services are no longer demanded
at the bar, on the bench, in the Senate
char,bcr, or III the mercantile movements
Of busy world, he will be respected IN
his true place, and the world will render
all the honor to him which is his due.
All men, all women, arc respected and
honored when in their true position, and
when they perform the duties which per-
tain TO that position. Woman, every
where aud always, is loved and honored
when she is in her true place, in the sit
uation-the honnred situation-which
God has assigned her. She is not, can
not be, should not he, honored when she
tedves that place, and aspires to one
which Nature never designed that she
should fill. Not in the tented field, not
in the Senate chamber, not in the seen es
of stormy debate, not at the bar, not in
the ministry, not in avigating the
ocean, not in leading armies to victory,
is she in the place designed for her; not
there will she deserve and win the honor
which her Maker designed for her; in
her own sphere she will. So it is with a
man that is venerable in years. He has
a place-not where his place once was
but in his true place he will be remem-
bered and honoied if he has any claim
TO remembrance and honor.


An aged man, himself laid aside
from active life, no longer able to mingle
in the busy scenes of the world, aud no
longer able to labor in carrying out
plans to which he bad devoted his better
years, should feel that lbs plans will be
carried out, so far as it is desirable that
they should be.


The plans and purposes of every man
are of two kinds, or have two bearings
First. They may be regarded as his
o,cn plans, beginning aud ending with
himself, private matters which he wishes
to accomplish; and second, they may be
regarded as part OF the higher plans Of
God, having their place i'll the onward
movement of human affails and enter
ing, as part of the divine purpose, into
the future condition of the world as
the movements of the little eddy in the
great river, lis gentle whirl, its circular
motion, the play on its surface, its col
Letting of sticks and grass, may be coll
temptible in itself, all soon to vanish TO
human view; or it may be contemplated
as part of the movement of the river
to the ocean. While the waters of the
little eddy play among themselves, and
while the eddy itself may soon disap-
pear, the great volume of its waters roll
on; the little eddy has played its part,
but it has been a part of the movement
of the mighty waters, and is now lost i'll
that mightier movement.


So with the plans of man. They may
seem to have no great bearing. They
may not appear sensibly 10 effect the
condition OF the world. But they may
have such general bearing. They may
be of such nature that their influence
will never be lost. They may go into
the great volume by which the world IL
moving on; by which the affairs oftine
will affect the destlnies # eternity. Ev'
ery thing that man does for virtue, for
religion, for truth, lives, and will live for
ever. Every thing that man does foi
the church, lives, and will live forever
Every thing that man does, or has
done for the spread of the gospel IN
heathen lands, lives, and viii live torev'
er. These are part of the great perma'
nent movements of the world a part oi
the onward progress of human affairs; a
mart of those forces and plans that are
ultimately to change the condition Of
the world. A man discovers new
truth in science, or a new invention ~
the arts. He makes the discovery at the
foundation of his own fame, or makes II
source OF dain TO himself lie hyes tc
perfect the plan, and then passes away
lie has his own motives, his own aims
his own ambition, his own ends in wha'
/ 4. a l. H..