The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-07-21
LIGHT FROM THE CROSS
DR.. Talmage on the Evening Time
Of the Christian Life.
The Darkness of Sorrow, the Twilight OF
Old Age and the Gloom of Death
Shall BE Illuminated by
Light from the Cross.

Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage chose TO
his text in recent sermon preached a
Brooklyn the words, cat evening time
it shall be light Zech. xiv I. He
said:
While might in all languages, is
the symbol FOR gloom and suffering, il
is often really cheerful, bright and i'm
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, hurt
ling, portentous, but such as you often
see when the pomp and magnificence
of heaven turn out on night parade;
and it seems as though the song which
the morning stars began SO long ago
were Ginning yet among the constella-
tons, and the songs of God were shout
ing for JOY. Such nights the sailor
blesses from the forecastle, and the
trapper on the vast prairie, and the be-
lated Traveller by the roadside, and
the soldier from the tent, earthly
hosts gazing upon heavenly, and shep-
herds guarding their fiocIs 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 grovesl
Flashing night amid arctic seventies!
Calm night on Roman Campagna!
Awful night among the Cordillerasl
Glorious night mid sea after tempest
Thank God for the night! The moon
and the stars which rule It are light
houses on the coast, toward which
hope we are all sailing, and blind mar
liners are we if, with so many beaming,
burning, flaming glories to guide us,
we cannot 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.
sat eventime it shall be light
This prophecy will be fulfilled in the
evening of Christian sorrow For n
long tilce it is broad daylight The
sun rides high. Innumerable activities
so ahead with a thousand feet, and
work with a thousand arms, and the
pickaX struck a mine, and the battery
made discovery, and the investment
yielded its 20 per cent, and the book
came to its twentieth edition, and the
farm quadrupled in value, and sudden
fortune hoisted to high position, and
children were praised, and friends
family hive, and prosperity sang in the
music, and stepped in the dance, and
glowed in the wine, and ate at the BAN
quet, and all the gods of music, and
ease and qualification gathered around
this Jupiter holding in his hands so
many thunderbolts of power. But every
sun must set, and the brightest day
must have its twilight. Suddenly the
sky was overcast. The fountain dried
mp. The song hushed. The wolf broke
into the family fold and carried off the
best lamb. \ 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 firsnl Away went long-esta blished
credit! Up flew a flock of calumnies!
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." slow much for this
library?' How much for this
family picture?" VIII the grace of God
hold one mp in such circumstances?
What has become of the great multi
tude 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 gnashing their
teeth? When the rod of fatherly chas-
tisement struck them did they strike
back? Because they found one bitter cup
on the table of Gods supply, did they
upset the whole table? Did they lxneel
down at their empty money vault and
say: "An my treasures are gomez"
Did they stand by the grave of their
dead, saying: There never will be
resurrection?''
Did they bemoan their thwarted plans
and cry: The stocks are down-would
God l were dead?" Did the night of |
their disaster come upon them moon
less. starlesS, danh and bowling,
smothering and choking their life out? |
No, No, No. Ateventime il was light. |
The swift promises overlook them.
The eternal consultations, from their |
circuit about God's throne, poured down |
an infinite luster. Under their shining |
the pillows of trouble took on crests, |
and plumes of gold, and Jasper, and |
amethyst, and flame All the trees of life |
rustled in the midsummer air of Gods |
love The niGht-blooming assurances |
of Christ's sympathy filed all the at |
mosphere with heaven. The soul at |
every step seemed to start up from its |
feet bright-winged joys, warbling
1T is good that have |
been afflicted" cries David. "The |
Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken |
away" exclaims Job. ''Sorrowful, yet |
always rejoicing" says st. Paul And |
God shall wipe away all tears from |
their eyes," exclaims John, in apoc- |
alyptic vision At evening it was
light Light from the cross! Light |
loh INC piOH4lScS' LlSht Loih eiS
throne! Streaming, joyous, outgushing,
everlasting light,
The text shall also find fulfillment in
the time of old age 1t is a grand thing |
to be young-to have the sight clear
and the hearing acute, and the step |
elastic, and all our pulses marching on
to the drumming of a stout heart. Mid
life and old age will be denied many of l
us, but youth-we all know what that |
is Those wrinkles were not always
on Your brow. That snow was not al