The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-08-03
LIGHT FROM THE CROSS.
DR.. Talmage Talks on the Evening
Time Of Christian Life.
Whatever May Have Been the Darkness
and Sorrows of Former Days. At the
Evening Time the Light from
the Cross Shall Triumph.


At evening time it shall be light,-Zech.
xiV,7.
While night" in all languages, is
the symbol for gloom and suffering, it
is often really cheerful, bright and inn
pressive. speak not of such nights as
come down with no star pouring light
from above, or silvered wave tossing
up light from beneath-murky, hur-
Ting, portentous, but such as you
often see when the pomp and magnifi-
cence OF Heaven turn out on night-pa-
rade; and it seems as though the song
which the morning stars began so long
ago were Ginning yet among the con-
stellations, and the sons of God were
shouting for joy. Such nights the
sailor blesses from the for ecastle, and
the trapper on the vast prairie, and
the belated traveller by the roadside,
and the soldier from the tent, ear thly
herds guarding therir focks afield,
while angel hands above them set the
silver bells a ringing: "Glory to God
In the highest, and on earth peace;
good will toward men"
What solemn and glorious thing is
night in the wilderness. Night among
the mountains! Night on the ocean!
Fragrant night among tropical groves!
Flashing night amid arctic seventies,
Calm night on Roman Campagna! Aw-
full night among the Cor dilleras. Glori-
ous night mid sea after a tempest!
Thank God for the night! The moon
and the stars which rule it are light
houses on the coast, toward which I
hope we are all sailing, and blind mar
liners are we If, with so many beaming,
burning, flaming glories to guide us,
we can not find our way into the har-
Dor. My text may well suggest that,
as the natural evening is often lumin-
GUS, SO it shall be light in the evening
of our sorrows-of old age-of the
worlds history-of the Christian life.
'At eventide it shall be light"
This prophecy will be fulfilled in the
evening of Christian sorrow. For a
long time it is broad daylight. The
sun rides high. Innumerable activi-
ties go ahead with a thousand feet,
and work with thousand arms, and
the pickax struck mine, and the bat
terry made discovery, and the invest
ment yielded its twenty per cent, and
the book came to it's twentieth edition,
and the farm quadrupled in value,
and sudden fortune hoisted to high
position, and children were praised,
and friends without number swarmed
into the family hive, and prosperity
sang in the music, and stepped in the
dance, and glowed in the wine, and
ate at the banquet, and all the gods of
music, and ease and qualification gath
cred around this Jupiter holding in his
hands SC many thunderbolts of power.
But every sun must set, and the bright
est day must have it's twilight. Sud-
denly the sky was overcast. The foun-
tain dried up. The song hushed. The
wolf broke into the family fold and
carried off the best lamb. A deep
howl of woe came crashing down
through the joyous symphonies. At
one rough twang of the hand
of disaster the harp strings all
broke. Down went the strong bust
ness firm! Away went the long-estab-
AAohOu vi Oulp' " new d lOCh Ol
MES! The new book would not sell.
A patent could not be secured for the
invention. Stocks sank like lead. The
insurance company exploded. Glow
much" says the sheriff, will you bid
for this piano?" How much for this
library?" "H ow much for this family
picture?" Win the grace of God hold
up under such circumstances? What
have become of the great multitude of
Gods children who have been pounded
OF the fail, and crushed under the
wheel, and trampled under the hoof?
Did they lie down in the dust, weeping,
wailing and crashing their teeth?
When the rod of fatherly chastisement
struck them, did they strike back? Be
cause they found one bitter cup on the
table of Gods supply, did they upset
the whole table? Did they kneel down
at their empty money vault and saw:
"AH my treasures are gomez" Did
they stand by the grave of their dead.
saying: There never will be a resur
rection?'
Did they 'bemoan their thwarted
plans and cry: THE stocks are down
would God were deadT' Did the night
OF their disaster come upon them moon
less, starless. dark and bowling, smooth
ering and choking their life out? No,
No! No! At eventime it was light. The
swift promises overlook them. The
eternal consultations, from their cir
cult about Gods throne, poured down
an infinite luster. Under their shining
the pillows of trouble took on crests
and piumes of gold, and jasper, and
amethyst, and flame. All the trees of
life rustled in the midsummer air of
Gods love. The night booming assur-
ances of Christ's sympathy filled
all the atmosphere with Heaven. The
soul at every step seemed to start up
from its feet bright-winged lows, war
bling heavenward. ut is good that I
have been afflicted" cries David. THE
Lord gave and the Lord hath taken
away" exclaims Job. 'Sorrowful, vet
always rejoicing" says St. Paul. And
God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes," exclaims John, in apoca-
lyptic vision. At EVENT. mo it was
light. Light from the cross! Light
from the nrornisaSI I;1b4 fro,,, A.