Connecticut western news., 1893-07-13
IN THE SILENT NIGHT
OR. TALMAGE ON THE MINISTRY OF
 SILENCE, GRIEF AND DEATH.

The Mysterious Law by Which God Warns
 Us of Coming Change Compared With
 Which All Earthly Changes Are as
 Naught-The Great Compensation.
 BooKLYN, July s.-Rev. Dr. Talmage has chosen as his subject for today the text. "At evening time it shall be light" tZechariah xiv, ?.
 While might" ill all languages is the the symbol for gloom and suffering, it is often really cheerful, bright and impress i've. speak not of such nights as come down with no star pouring light from above or silvered wave tossing up light from beneath-murky, hurtling, portent- ous-but such as you often see when the pomp and magnifcence of heaven turn out on night parade, and it seems as though the song which the morning stars began so long ago were chiming yet among the cancellations and the sons 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, earthly hosts gazing upon heavenly, and shepherds guarding their 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,"
 night in the wildernessl Night among the mountainsl Night on the ocean! Fragrant night among tropical groves! Flashing night amid arctic seventies! Calm night on Roman campagnal Aw- full night among the cordilleras! Glori- ous 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 mariners are we if with so many beaming, burn ing, flaming glories to guide us we can not find our way into the harbor. My text may we'll suggest that as the nat ural evening is often luminous so it shall be light in the evening of our sor- rows-of old age-of the worlds history of the Christian life. ''At eventime it shall be light"
 This prophecy will be fulfilled in the evening of Christian sorrow. Fora long time it is broad daylight. The sun rides high. Innumerable activities go ahead with thousand feet and work with thousand arms, and the pickax struck mine, and the battery made discovery, and the investment yielded it's 20 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 gathered around this Jupiter holding in his hands so many thunderbolts of power.
 But every sun must set, and the bright est day must have it's twilight. Sudden ly the sky was overcast. The fountain 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 business firml Away went long established cred itl Up flew flock of calumniesl 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, twill you bid for this pianor "How much for this ibrary?" "How much for this family picture?"
 Of Hol ho11 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 hoofp Did they lie down in the dust weeping, wailing and gnashing their teeth? When the rod of fatherly chastisement struck them, did they strike back2 Because 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 gone~ Did they stand by the grave of their dead saying, "'There never will be a resurrec- tiOnY'
 Did they bemoan their thwarted plans and say, 1.-The stocks are down-would God I were dead?" Did the night of their disaster come upon them moonless, starless, dark and bowling, smothering and choking their life out? No! No! No? At eventime it was light. The swift promises overlook them. The eter- nal cancellations from the circuit about Gods 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. summer air of Gods love. The night blooming assurances of Christ's sympa- thy filled all the atmosphere with heav- Sn. The soul at every step seemed to start up from it's feet bright winged joys warbling heavenward.
 s'It is good that I 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 apocalyptic vision. At eventime it was light. Light from the cross! Light from the promises! Light from the throne Streaming, joyous, outgushing, everlast ing light!
 The text shall also find fulfllment il the time of old age. It is 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 tht drumming of a stout heart. Midlife an6 old age will be denied many of us, but youth-we all know what that is. Those wrinkles were not always on your brow That snow was not always on your head That brawny muscle did not alwayl bunch your arm. You have not alwayl
 worn spectacles. Grave and dignifed a
 you now are, you once went coastin,
 down the hillside, or threw off your ha
 for the race. or sent the ball flying six,
 high.
 But youth will not always last. I
 stays only long enough to give us exu
 berant spirits, and broad shoulders fo
 h11rday, ~orrvipo opd on own, fb iol