The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1893-07-21
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Evening Time OF the Christian
Shall be Light
The Darkness Of Sorrow. the Twilight OF
Old Age, the Gloom of Death shall
he IIlumIned by the Light
from the Cross.


Rev. 4. Dewitt Taimaae delivered
the following sermon in the Brooklyn
tabernacle, taking for his text:
At evening time 1t shall be light.-zeea,
xiv. =
While might" In all languages, lis
the symbol for gloom and suffering, it
Is often really cheerful, bright and inn
| pressive. I speak not of such nights as
come down with no star pouring light
from above, or silvered wave tossing
up light from Overwhelmingly, hur-
ting, portehtous, but such as you
often see when the pomp and ffiaanifil
ccnce of Heaven turn bnt an hirht-ta-
rade; and 1t seems as though the song
which The morning stars began SO long
ago were Ginning yet among the ebn-
stellations, and the sShs OF God were
shouting for Joy. Such nights the
sailor blesses from the forecastle, and
the trapper on the vast prairie, and
the belated traveller by the roadside,
and the soldier from the tent, ear tl1ly
hosts gazing upon heavily, and shep-
herds guarding therir fiocks afeld,
while angel hands above them set the
silver bells a ringing: "Glory 20 God
DEaGRs
| good will toward men,"
What a solemn and glorious thing ls
night in the wilderness Night among
the monntainsl Night on the oceanl
Fragrant night among tropical grovesi
Flashing night amid arctic severitiesl
Calm night on Roman CanpagnaI Aw-
full night among the Cor dillerasl Glori-
Gus 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 allsailing, 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. Ny text may well suggest that,
as the natural evening is often 1umin-
GUS, SO it shall be light in the evening
of our sorrows-of old age-of the
worlds history-of the Christian life.
''At eyentide 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 a thousand arms, and
terry made discovery, and the invest
ment yielded its twenty 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 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 so many thunderbolts of power.
But every sun must set, and the bright
est day must have its 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. 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-
lished credit Up few flock of calum-
niesl The new book would not sell.
A patent could not be secured for the
invention. Stocks sank like lead. The
insurance company exploded. "How
much" says the sheriff, will you bid
for this piano?'' How much for this
library?n GLOW much for this family
picture?" VIII the grace of God hold
mp 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 ust,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 say:
"All my treasures are gomez" Did
they stand by the grave of their dead,
saying: There never will be a resur-
rection?n
Did they bemoan their thwarted
plans and cry: THE stocks are down
would God were deadr' Did the night
of their disaster come upon them moon
less, starless dark and bowling, sInoth-
ering and choking their life out? Mol
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 1uster. 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 ass1Ir-
ances of Christ's sympathy filed
all the atmosphere with Heaven. Tho
soul at every step seemed to start up
from its feet bright-winged joys, war
bling heavenward. 1T is good that
have been afflicted" cries David. 1.-THE
Lord gave and the Lord hath taken
away" exclaims Job. 'sSorrowful, yet
always rejoicing" says st. Paul ''And
God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes," exclains John, in apoca-
lyptic vision. AT eventime it was
light. Light from the crossl Light
from the promises, Light from the
throne! Streaming, joyous, outgush-
ing, everlasting light
The text shall also find fu1fillment
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 march
ing on to the drumming of a stout
heart. Mid-life and old age will be de-
MED many of US, but youth-we all
know what that is Those wrinkles