Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-08-12
REV. DR.. TALMAGE,
The Eminent Divine's Sunday
Discourse.
Subject: "The Glow Of Sunset"

ey ening. Luke xiv, 29.
Two villagers, having concluded their
errand in Jerusalem. have started out at the
city gate and are on their way to Emmaus,
the place of their residence. They go with
sad heart. Jesus, who had been their ad-
and their joy. had been basely
massacred and entombed. As, with sad face
stranger acccsts them. They tell Him their
aDxieties and bitterness of soul. He in turn
talks to them, nightly expounding the
Scriptures. He throws over them the fascina-
iion Of intelligent conversation. They for
get the time and notice not the objects they
pass, and before they are aware have como
up In front Of their house. They pause be-
fore the entrance and attempt to persuade
the stranger TO tarry with them. They press
upon Him their hospitalities. Night Is coming
on, and He may meet prowling wild beast
or be obliged to lie uusheltered from the
dew. He cannot go much farther now. Why
not stop there and continue their pleasant
They take Him by the arm,
and they insist upon His coming in, address,
ing Him In the words. "Abide with US, for 1t
is toward evening"
The candles are lighted the table is spread; /;
pleasant socialities are ebkindled. They re-
joice in the presence OF the stranger guest
He asks blessing upon the bread they eat.
and He hands piece of il to each. Suddenly
and with overwhelming power the thought
flashes upon the astonished people-it is the
Lord. And as they sit in breathless wonder,
looking upon the resurrected body of Jesus,
He vanished. The interview ended, He was
gone.
With many of us 1t is bright sunshiny
day of prosperity. There is not cloud in
the sky; not a leaf rustling in the forest; no
chill in the air. But We cannot expect all
this to last. He is not an intelligent man
who expects perpetual daylight of joy. The
,Ixst
shadows will lengthen. While Ispeak many
Of us stand in the very hour described in the
text, "for it ia toward evening" The re-
quest of the text is appropriate for some be-
fore me, for with the m it is toward the even.
ing of old age. They have passed the meridian
OF life. They are sometimes startled 10 think
how old they are. They do not however, liketo
have others remark upon it. If others sug-
gest their approximation toward venerable
appearance, they say, why, I'm not so old,
after ALL" They do. indeed. notice that they
cannot lift qui;e SO much as once. They
cannot walk quite so fast. They cannot
read quite SO we'll without spectacles. They
cannot so easily recover from a cough or
any occasional ailment. They have lost
their taste for merriment. They are sur
prised at the quick passage OF the year.
They say that it only seems a little while ago
that they were boys. They are going little
down hill. There is something in their
health, 'mething in their vision, something
In their walk, something in their changing
associations, something above, something
beneath, something within, to remind them
hat it is toward evening.
The great want OF all such is to have Jesus
ABIDE with them. 1t Is a dismal thing to be
getting old without the reiuvenating infu-
ence OF religion. When We step on the down
grade of life and see that it dips to the verge
OF the cod river, we want to behold some
" hall
the sight los 5 its power 10 glance and gather
up, We need the faith that can illuminate
When we feel the failure of the ear, we need
the clear tones OF that voice which in olden
times broke up the silence of the deaf with
cadence of mercy. When the axmen OF
death hew down whole forests of strength
and beauty around Us and We are LETT in soli-
tude, we need the dove of divine mercy to
sing in our branches. When the shadows
begin 10 fall aud we feel that the day is far
spent, We need most of all to supplicate the
strong beneflcent Jesus in the prayer of the
villagers, abide with us, for it is toward
evening""
TIE request of the text is an appropriate
exclamation fc- oil those who are approached
IN the gloomy hour of temptation. There is
nothing easier than to be good natured when
everything peases, or to be humble when
.here is nothing to oppose US. or forgiving
when we have not been assailed. or honest
You have felt the grapple of some tempta-
ton. Your nature at some time quaked aud
Gro1ned under the Internal force. You felt
,nat the devil was after you. You saw your
Christian graces retreating. You feared
tina: you would TALL in the awful wrestle with
sin and be thrown into the dust. The gloom
thickened. The first indications of the night
were seen j: all the trembling of your soul,
In all the Internal suggestions of Satan, in
all the surging up OF tumultuous passions
and exciteDents. You felt with awful EN-
phasis that il was toward evening. In tha
tempted hour you need to ask Jesus to
abide with you. You can beat back the mon
ster that would devour you. You can un-
horse the sin that would ride you down.
You can sharpen the battleax with which
ou split the head Of helmetei abomination
Who helped Paul shake the brazen gated
heart OF Felix? Who acted like good sailor
when all the crew howled in the Mediter-
ranean shipwreck? Who helped the mart yrs
to be firm when one word of recanta-
ton would have unfastened the withes of
the stake and put out the kindling firef When
the night of the soul came on and all the
denizeDs OF darkness came riding upon the
winds Of perdition who gave strength to the
soul? Who gave oalmness to the heart 7
Who broke the spell of Internal enchant-
menl? He who heard the request of the vii
layers. "Abide With US, for it is toward even
ing"
One Of the forts of France was attacked,
aud the outworks were taken before night
The besieging army lay down, thinking there
was hut little to do in the morning, and that
the soldiery In the fort could be easily made
to surrender. But during the night, through
a back stairs, they escaped into the country.
In the morning the besieging army sprang
upon the battlements, but found that their
prey was gone. So. when we are assaulted
In temptation, there is always some secret
stair by which we might get of. God will
not allow US to be tempted above what we
are able, but with every temptation will
bring way Of escape that We may be able to
bear Ii.
The prayer of the text Is appropriate for
all who are anticipating sorrow. The great
est folly that ever grew on this planet is the
tendency to borrow trouble, but there are
times when approaching sorl ow is SO evident
that we need to BIZ making special prepara-
ton for its coming.
One OF your children has lately become a
favorite. The cry Of that child strikes deep
er into the heart than the cry of all the 9th
ers. You think more about II. You give II
more attention, not because it is any more oil
a treasure than the others. but because it Is
becoming frail. There is something in the
cheek, in the eve and in the walk that makes
you quite sure that the leaves of the flower
are going to be scattered. The utmost nurs.
ing and medical attendance are Intellectual
The pulse becomes feeble. the complexion
lighter, the step weaker. the laugh fainter
No more romping for that one through hal
and parlor. The nursery is darsened by m
approaching calamity. The heart feels with
mournful anticipation thar the sun is going
down. Night speeds on. 1t is toward even
ing.
You have long rejoiced in the care of 6
mother. You have done everything to MAKE
her last days happy. You have run Will
quick feet 10 wait upon her every want. He
presence has been a perpetual blessing in tn,
household. But the fruit gatherers are look
ing wistfuily at that tree. Her soul is rips
for heaven. The gates are ready to fasi
open for her entrance. But your soul sink
st the thought of separation. You canno
bear to think that soon you will be called tc
take the last look at that face which from
the first hour has looked upon You with az
fection unchangeable. But you see that lIf
is ebbing and the grave will soon hide he
from your sight. You sit quiet. You fee
heavy hearted. The light is fading from th'
sky. The air is chill. 1t IS toward evening
You had a considerable estate and felt in
dependent. In five minutes on one fair bal
ance sheet you could see just how you stoot
a. ILL &<~~A