The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-08-20
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
suNDAY,s DISCOURSE BIZ TIL
VOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "The Glow of Sunset.n

TEXT; abide with us. for 1t is toward
evening, S-Luke XIV, 20.
Two villagers, haylas Concluded their
errand In Jerusalers, have started out at the
city gate and AFRO on their way to Emmaus,
the place of their residence. They go with
sad heart. Jesus, who had been their ad-
niration and their Joy, had been basely
massacred and entombed. AS, with sad face
and broken heart, they pass on their way
stranger accosts them, They tell Him their
anxteties and bitterness of soul. He in turn
talks to them, nightly expounding the
Scriptures. He throws over them the faseina-
ton of Intelligent conversation. They for
get the time and notice not the objects they
pass, aud before they ere aware have como
up in front of theif house. They pause heA
fore the entrance and attempt to persuade
the stranger to tarry with thsim. They press
upon Him their inequalities. Night is coming
on, and BE may meet prowling wild beast
or be obliged to lie unsheltered from the
dow. He cannot go much farther now. Why
not stop there and continue their pleasant
conversation? Tsey take Him by the arm,
and they ins,st upon His. coming in, address
ing H.tst ia the words, "Abide with us, for it
is toward evening""
The candlesare lighted; the table isspread,
pleasant socialities are enkindled. They re-
joice in the presence OF the stranger guest
He asks blessing upon the bread they eat,
and He hands piece Of II to each, Suddenly
md with overwhelming power the thought
flashes upon the astohished people-it is tho
Lord And rs they sit in breathless wonder,
looking upon the resurrected body OF Jesus,
He vanished. The interview ended, He was
gone.
With many Of US it is bright sunshlny
day of prosperity. There Is not n cloud in
the sky; not 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 expect perpetual daylight of joy. The
sur will after awhile near the horizon. The
shadows will lengthen. While Ispeak many
of US stand in the very hour described in the
text "for it is toward evening"" The re-
quest of the text is appropriate for some be-
fore me, for with them it is toward the even
ing Of old age. They have passed the meridian
Of life. They are sometimes startled to think
how old they are. They do not, howevefj liketo
have others remark upon it. II others suga
gest their approximation toward venerable
appearance, they say, ''Why, I'm not so old,
after all. They do, indeed, notice that they
cannot lift quite so much as once. They
cannot walk quite 50 fast. They cannot
read quite so we'll without spectacles. They
cannot SO easily receiver from cough or
any occasional ailment. They have lost
thoir 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 o little
down hill. There is something III their
health, s lmething In their vision, something
in their walk, something in their changing
associations, something above, something
beneath, something within, to remind them
that it is toward evening.
The great want of all such is tO have Jpsl1g
abide with them. 1t is q dismal thing to be
getting old without the rejuvenating infu
ence of religion. When we step on the down
grade of life and See that it dips to the verge
of the cold river, we want to behold some
one near wbS will help us across it. When
the sight loses its power TO glance and gather
up, weAeed the faith that can illuminate.
Which 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 left in soi-
tude, we need the dove of divine mercy to
sing in our branches. When the shadows
begin to fall and 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"
exclamation for all those who are approached
in the gloomy hour of temptation. There is
nothing easier than to be good natured when
everything ple6ses, or to be humble when
there is nothing to oppose US. or forgiving
when we have not been assailed, or honest
when we have no inducement to fraud. But
you have felt the graphic OF some tempta-
ton. Your nature at some time quaked and
groaned under the internal force. You felt
6pyil W a y
Christian graces retreating, You feared
that you would fall in the awful wrestle with
sin and be thrown into the dust. The gloom
thickened. The first indications OF the night
were seen in all the trembling of your soul,
in all the Internal suggestions of Satan, in
all the surging up Of tumultuous passions
and eXcitements You felt with awful en-
phasis that it was toward evening. In the
tempted hour you need to ask Jesus to
abide with you. You can beat back the mon
ster that would devour you. You can I'M
horse the sin that would ride you down.
You can sharpen the battleax with which
you split the head of helmeted abomination
Who helped Paul shake the brazen gated
heart of Felix? Who acted like good sailor
when all the crew howled in the Medter-
ranean shipwreck? Who helped the martyrs
to be sfirm when one word of recanta-
ton would have unfastened the withes OF
the night of the soul came on and all the
denizens OF darkness came riding upon the
winds of perdition who gave strength to the
pul2 Who gave ohlmness to the heart :
Who broke the spell of Internal enchant-
ment? He who heard the request of the viii
layers, "Abide With US, for it is toward even
ing"
One of the forts Of France was attacked,
and the outworks were taken before night
In Il hi,,1,i
was but little to do in the morning, and that
the soldiery in the fort could be easily made
to surrender. But during the night, through
back stairs, they escaped into the country.
In the morning the besieging army sprang
upon the battlements, but found that their
prey was gone. &c. when we are assaulted
in temptation, there is always some secret
stair by which we might get off, 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 it.
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 sorrow is so evident
that we need to be making special prepara-
ton for its coming.
One of your children has lately become
favorite. The cry of that child strikes deep
or into the heart than the cry of all the 9TH
ers. You think more about it. You give 1t
more attention, not because it Is any more of
a treasure than the others, but because it is
Becoming fral. There Is something in tho
cheek, in the eye and in the walk that makes