Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-08-01
THE GLOW OF SUNSET
REV. DR.. TALMAGE SOUNDS THE Cos
PEI OF GOOD CHEER.
Toward Evening-The Gloomy Hour Of
Temptation-Tendency to borrow Trou.
ble-sweeteninE the Cup-The Blotting

Temptation-Tendenc to borrow Trou
ble-sweeteninE the Cup-The BlottinG
Out OF n -Bereavements Lifted.
WASHINGTON, Aug. DR.. Talmasei
subject tomorrow lights up the sorrows o
this life aud sounds the gospel of good cheer
for all who will receivcit. His text will b'
Luke NXiv, 20. Abide with MS. for it i
toward evening.
Two villagers having concluded tneil
errand in Jerusalem, have started out
at the city gate and are on their way tC
Emmaus, the place Of their residence.
They 20 with a sad heart. Jesus, who
had been their admiration and theil
joy. had been bascly massacred and en-.
tombed. As, with sad face and broken
heart, they pass on their way "a stranger
accosts them. They tell him their anx.
ieties and bitterness of soul. He in turn
talks to them. nightly expounding the
Scriptures. He throws over them the
fascination of intelligent conversation.
They forget the time and notice not the
objects they pass. and before they art
aware have come up in front Of theii
house. They pause before the entrance
and attempt to persuade the stranger t.
tarry with them. They press upon hin
their inequalities. Night is coming on
and he may meet n prowling wild beas
or be Obliged to lie unsheltered from tn,
dew. He cannot go much farther now,
Why not stop there and continue theil
pleasant conversation? They take hin
by the arm. and they insist upon hi
coming in, addressing him in the words
abide with us, for it is toward even
ing"
Toward Evening.
The candles are lighted; the table il
spread pleasant socialties are enkindled
They rejoice in the presence Of tn,
stranger guest. He asks blessing upoi
the bread they eat, and he hands piec'
of it 10 each. Suddenly and with over
whelming power the thought flashes
upon the astonished people-it is th'
Lord! And as they sit in breathles
wonder, looking upon the resurrectet
body of Jesus, he vanished. The inter
view ended. He was gone.
With many of MS it is a bright. sun
shiny day of prosperity. There is not ;
cloud in the sky; not a leaf rustling il
the forest; no chill in the mir. But W,
cannot expect all this to last. He is no
an intelligent man who expects perpet
ual daylight of joy. The sun will aftel
awhile near the horizon. The shadows
will lengthen. While l speak many o
us stand in the very hour described il
the text, for it is toward evening
The request of the text is appropriate
for some before me, for with them j
is toward the evening of old age. The,
have passed the meridian of life. They
are sometimes startled to think how ole
they are. They do not, however. like {,
have others remark upon it. If other
suggest their approximation TOWARD
venerable appearance. they say, why
I'm not so old, after all" They do in
deed, notice that they cannot lift quit,
so much as once. They cannot wall
quite so fast. They cannot read quite S,
well without spectacles. They cannot S,
easily recover from cough or any occa
sional ailment. They have lost theil
taste for merriment. They are surprised
at the quick passage of the year. They
say that it only seems little while age
that they were boys. They are going ;
little down hill. There is something il
their health, something in their vision
something in their walk. something il
their changing associations, something
above, something beneath, something
within, 10 remind them that il is to
ward evening.
The great want Of all such is to hav,
Jesus abide with them. 1t is n disma
thing to be getting old without the re
juvcnating influence of religion. Whef
we step ON the down grade of life and
see that it dips TO the verge of the colo
river, we want to behold some one neal
who will help us across it, When the
sight loses its power 10 glance and
gather up. we need the faith that car
illumine. When we feel the failure oi
the ear. we need the clear tones of that
voice which in olden times broke up tn,
silence of the deaf with cadences Of
mercy. When the axmen of death hev
down whole forests of strength anC
beauty around us and we are left in sol
itude, we need the dove of divine mercy
TO sing in our branches When tn,
shadows begin TO fall and we feel thai
the day is far spent, we need most Of
all to supplicate the strong. beneiiccn
Jesus in the prayer Of the villagers
abide with us, for it is toward even
ing"