Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-07-15
LIGHT FROM THE CROSS.
Or. Talmage on the Evening Time
Of the Christian Life.
Tho Darkness of Sorrow, the Twilight of
Old Age and the Gloom of Death
Shall lse Illuminated by
Light from the Cross.

his text in recent sermon preached at
brooklyn the words, lat evening time
it shall be light" Zech. xiv. Z. lie
said:
While might" in all languages, is
the symbol for gloom and suffering, it
is often really cheerful, bright and inn
pressivc. speak not of such nights as
come down with no star pouring light
from above, or silvercd wave tossing
up light from bcneath-murly, hurt
ling, portentous, but such rs 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-
tions, and the songs of God were shout
ing for joy. Such nights the sailor
blesses from the forccastle, 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 focks atield, 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 a 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!
Awful night among the Cordilleras.
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 Il
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
rs 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 eventime it shall be light"
This prophecy will be fulfilled in the
evening of Christian sorrow. For
long time it is broad daylight. The
sun rides high. Innumerable activities
go ahead with thousand feet, and
work with a thousand arms and the
pickaX struck mine, and the battery
made a 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
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 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 it's 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 bust
ness firm! Away went long-esta blished
credit! Up flew 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. ''How much"
says the sheriff, Twill you bid for
this piano." ''How much for this
library?" !'How much for this |
family picture?" Will the grace of God
hold one up 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 |
backP Because they found one bitter cup |
on the table of Gods supply, did they |
upset the whole table? Did they lneel
down at their empty money vault and
say: ''All my treasures are gomez"
Did they stand by the grave of their
OCdu, ody ing AhSAS hS'Si wa ~ - Il
resurrection"
Did they bemoan their thwarted plans
and cry: 1.-The stocks are down-would
God l were dead?" Did the night of
their disaster come upon them moon
less, starless, dank and bowling,
smothering and choking their life out?
No. No! No! Ateventime it was light
The swift promises overlook them.
The eternal consultations, from their
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 fame. 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