The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-07-19
EVENING OF LIFE
Rev. DIR. TALMAaE's SERMON.
tverF Bun Must Set and Careless Youth
Cannot Last for Always.
rr.r, at evening ttrne q shan b Nqht.

TExr, "At even,ng time q shan be light"
--Zechariah xiv, 7.
While might" in all languages is the
symbol for gloom and suffering, Il fs often
really cheerful, bright and impressive.
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, portentous-but such ms you often
see when the pomp and magnifcence OF
heaven turn out on night parade, and II
seems as though the song which the morn
ing stars began 70 long ago were Ginning
yet among the consultations and the sons
Of God were shouting for Joy.
Such nights the sailor blesses from the
forccastle, and the trapper on the vast
prairie, and the belated traveller by the road.
side, and the soldier from the tent. earthly
hosts gazing upon heavenly. and shepherds
guarding their focks aield while angel
hands above them set the silver bells airing
ing, "Glory TO God in the highest and on
earth peace good will toward men,"
What solemn and glorious thing II night
IN the wilderness Night among the noun.
taine Night on the ocean Fragrant night
among tropical groves Flashing night
amid arctic seventies Calm night on Roman
campagnal Awful night arnAng the cor.
dilleras 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 mariners are we
II with so many beaming. burning, flaming
glores 10 guide us we cannot find our way
into the harbor. My text may we'll suggest
that as the natural evening II often luminous
30 II shall be light In the evening OF our sor-
rows-of old age--of the worlds history-oi
the Christian life. "At eyentime 1t shall bs
light"
This prophecy will be fulfilled in the even.
ing OF Christian sorrow. For a long time 1,
ie broad daylight. The sun rides high. In.
Vulnerable activities go ahead with thou
sand feet and work with thousand nrms,
and the piekax struck n mine, and the bat.
tery made discovery, and the investment
yielded its 20 per cent and the book came Ia
its twentieth edition. and the farm quad.
rupled in value, and the 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 graft
ncation gathered around this Jupiter hold
ing in his hands so many tbunderbolts OF
power
But every sun must set, and the brightest
day must have its twilight. Suddenly 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 firm Away went long established
credit Up flew n 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 ex-
ploded. "How much" says the sheriff,
twill you bid for this piano?" 'How much
for this library" How much for this
family picture"
win the grace OF God hold one up in such
circumstances What have become Of the
great multitude OF Gods children who have
been pounded OF the fail and crushed under
tho wheel and trampled under the hoof? Did
they lie down in the dust weeping, wailing
and gnashing their teeth? When the rod of
fatherly chastisement 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 kneel down ut
their empty money vault and say can my
treasures are gone" Did they stand by the
grave of their dead saying: "There never
will be q resurrection
Did they bemoan their thwarted plans and
say, 1.-The stocks are down-would God
were deadT Did the night of their disaster
come upon them moonless, ,starless. dark and
howlipg, smothering and choking their lives
outY No No No At eventme II was
light. The swift promises overlook them.
The eternal consultations 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
trees of life rustled in the midsummer air of
Gods love. The night blooming assurances
of Christ's sympathy filed all .he atmos-
phere with heaven. The soul at every step
seemed TO start up from its feet bright
winged joys warbling heavenward.
at is good that l have been afflicted"
cries David. ''The Lord gave, and the Lord
hath taken away" exclaims Job. "Sorrow-
ful, yet always rejoicing" says st. Paul.
"And God shall wipe away oil tears from
their eyes" exclaims John in apocalyptic
vision. At eventime II was light. Light
from the cross Right from the promises |!
Light from the throne Streaming, joyous.
outgushing, everlasting light
The text shall also find fulhllment In the
time Of old age. II is q grand thing TO be
young to have the sight clear and the hear
ing acute and the step elastic and all our
pulses marching on to the drumming OF a
stout heart. Midlife and old age will be de-
MED many OF us, but youth-wc all know
what that is. Those wrinkles were not al
ways on your brow. That snow was not al
ways on your nead. That brawny muscle
did not always bunch your arm. You have
not always worn spectacles. Grave and dig.
nifed as you now are, you once went coast
ing down the hillside, or threw of your hat
for the race, or sent the ball flying sky high.
But youth will not always last. 1t stays
only long enough TO give us exuberant spir-
Its, and broad shoulders for burden carry
Nh
way through difficulties. Lies path II you
fellow it long enough will come under frown-
ing crag and across trembling causeway.
Blessed old age IL you let it come naturally.
You cannot hide it. You may try to cover
the wrinkles, but you cannot cover the
wrinkles. II the time has come for you to
be old, be not ashamed to be old. The
grandest things in all the universe are old.
Old mountains, old rivers, old seas, old
stars and an old eternity. Then do not be
ashamed to be old unless you are older than
the mountains and older than the stars.
How men and women will lie They say
they are 40, but they are 60. They say they
Rre 20, but they are 80. They say they are
60, but they are 80. How some people will
lie Glorious old age IL found in the way OF
righteousness How beautiful the old age
Of fJacob, leaning on the top of his staff, OF
John Quincy Adams falling with the harness
on, Of Washington Irving sitting pen in hand
amid the scenes himself had made classical,
Of John Angel James to the last proclaiming
the Gosncl to the masaes of Rirmin CHAM of