The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-08-14
GOSPEL OF GOOD CHEER.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Talks About the
Evening Of Life.
II should be So Ordered That Christ may
Come in and Abide, Even as hs
Did With the Two VII
layers Of Emmaus.

il
The following discourse was deliv-
cred by Rev. r. Dewitt Talmage peiore
his Washington congregation. Inc
text was:
Abide with us, for it is toward evening
Luke xiv, 90
Two villagers, having concluded
heir errand in Jerusalem, have started
out at the city gate and are on tnei'
way to Emmaus, the place OF their
residence. They go with sad hear1
Jesus. who had been their admiration
and their Joy, had been basely massa-
cred and entombed. As with sad race
and broken heart they pass on Ineir
way. a stranger accosts them. Ihey
tell Him their anxieties and bitterness
of soul. He in turn talks to them,
nightly expounding the Scriptures.
He throws over them the fascination OF
intelligent conversation. They 1orget
the time. and notice not the objects
thew pass. and before they are aware
have come up in front of their house.
They pause before the entrance ana
attempt to persuade the stranger TO
tarry with them. They press upon
Him their Inequalities Night is com
ing on, and He may meet proving
wild beast, or be obliged to lie I'M
sheltered from the dew. He can not
90 much further now Why not stop
there. and continue their pleasant
conversation? They take Him by the
arm and they insist upon His coming
in. addressing Him in the words:
abide with us, for it is toward even
ing"
The candles are lighted, the table is
spread, pleasant socialities are en-
kindled. They rejoice in the presence
of the stranger guest. He asks a
blessing upon the bread they eat, and
He hands piece of it to each. Sud
denly. AMI with overwhelming power
the thought flashes upon the aston
ished 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 it is bright, sun
shiny day of prosperity. There is not
cloud in the sky, not leaf rustling
in the forest. No chill in the air.
But we can not expect all this to last.
He is not an intelligent man who ex-
poets perpetual daylight of joy. The
sun will after awhile near the hori-
zon. The shadows will lengthen.
While speak many of us stand in the
very hour described in the text, "for
it is toward evening"" The request q
the text is appropriate for some
before me. For with them il
is toward the evening of old
age. They have passed the me-
ridian of life. They are sometimes
startled to think how old they are
They do not, however, like to have
others remark upon it. If Others sug
gest their approximation toward ven
cradle appearance, they say: why
I'm not SO old, after all" They do
indeed, notice that they can not hf
quite so much as once. They can no
walk quite so fast. They can no
read quite SO well without specta
cles. They can not SO easily recove
from a cough or any occasional all
meut. They have lost their taste TO
, merriment They are surprised at tn
: quick passage of the year. They sa.
: that it only seems little while ag
that they were boys. They are goin
| a little down hill. There is somethint
; in their health, something in thei
vision, something in their walk, some
thing in their changing associations
) something above, something beneath
: something within, to remind theI
! that it is toward evening.
S The great want of all such is to hav
Y Jesus abide with them. 1t is disIns
thing to be getting old without tn
S reiuvenating influence of religion
e When we step on the down grade
q life and see that it dips to the verge
e the cold river, we want to behold SON
e one near who will help us across
" When the sight loses its power
:, glance and gather up, we nee
). the faith of the ear, we need tt
clear tones of that voice which
t olden times broke up the silence OF I'll
v deaf with cadences of mercy. Wht
d The axmen of death hew down who
s. forests of strength and beauty arour
t. ms and we are left in solitude, we ne'
1t the dove of divine mercy to sing in Of
d branches. When the shadows beg
l. to fall and we feel that the day is
y spent, we need most OF all to supp
'e cate the strong, benefcent Jesus in t
le PRAYER of the villages: abide wi
k us. for it is toward evening"
is The request of the text is an app
70 nriate exclamation for all those W
are approached in the gloomy hour
temptation. There is nothing cas-
~ than to be good-natured when evel
Id thing pleases. or to be humble VIII
ut there is nothing TO oppose us, or 4