The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-08-13
Subject: "The Glow of Sunset"

Tx1r: "Abide with US. for it is toward
evening. Luke xiv, 80.
Two villagers, having concluded their
GRAND In Jerusalem, have started out at the
city gate and are on their way to Emmaus,
the place Of their residence. They 60 with
sad heart Jesus, who had been their ad-
mration and their joy, had been basely
massacred and entombed. As, with SAD face
ard broken heart, they pass on their way
stranger accosts them. They tell Him their
aDxiettes and bitterness of soul. He In turn
talks to them, nightly expounding the
Scriptures. He throws over them the fascina-
tion of intelligent conversation. They for
get the time and notice not the objects they
pass, and before they are aware have come
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 HIN their Inequalities. Night is coming
on, and He may meet Il prowling wild beast
or be obliged to lie unshetered from tho
dew. He cam 80 much farther now. Why
not stop there aud continue their pleasant
conversation? They take Him by the arm,
and they insist upon His coming in, address,
ing Him in the words. "Abide with US, for it
is toward evening"
The candles are lighted thetable Is spread;
pleasant sOc.aHitieS are enkindled. They re-
jOice in the presence OF the stranger guest.
He asks blessing upon the bread they cat.
and He hands IL piece of it to each. Suddenly
and with overwhelming power the thought
flashes upon the astonished people-it is the
Lord! AMI as they sit in breathless wonder,
looking upon the rpsurrected body of Jesus,
He vanished. The interview ended. He was
gone.
With many of us it is bright, sunshiny
day OF prosperity. There is not a cloud in
the sky; not q 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
sun will after awhile near the horizon. The
shadows will leuSthen. 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-
| tore ne, for with tn IN it istoward the even
ing If Old age. They have passe! the meridian
| Of life. They are sometimes startled TO think
| how old they are They dol not however, like to
| have others remark upon it. If others sug-
Sest 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 so fast. They cannot
read quite SO we'll without spectacles. They
cannot so easily recover from cough or
any occasional aiiment. They have lost
| their taste for merriment. They are sur
prised at the quick passage Of the year.
They say that it only seems little while ago
that they were boys. They are going little
down Hill. There is someh hing in their
health, s omething 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 Jesus
abide with them. 1t is dismal thing to be
getting old without the rejuvenating inf1u-
ence OF religion. When we stepon the down
grade of life and see that it dips to the verge
of the cod river, we want to behold some
one near who will help us across it. When
the sight los, 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 left in soil
tude, we need the dove of divine mercy tt
sing in our branches. When the shadow!
begin 10 fall and we feel that the day is fa
spent, we need most of all to supplicate tn,
strong benefcent Jesus in tie prayer of tn,
villagers, abide with us, for it is TOWARD
evening"
The request Of the text is an appropriat,
exclamation for all those who are approached
Iii the gloomy hour of temptation. There j
everything pleases, or to be humble whel
:here is nothing to oppose US, or forgivins
when we have not been assailed, or homes
when we have no inducement to fraud. Blu
you have felt the grapple o: some tempta
ton. Your nature at some time quaked an
groaned under the Internal force. You fel
that the devil was after YOU You saw YOU
Christian graces retreating. You feare
that you would fall in the awful wrestle wit
sin and be thrown into the dust. The gloon
thickened. The first indications of the nigh
were seen in all the trembling OF your sou
in all the Internal suggestions of Satan, j
all the surginS up of tumuituous passion
and excitements. You felt with awful en-
phasis that it was toward evening. In tn
tempted hour you need to ask Jesus t
abide with you. You can beat back the MOI
ster that would devour you. You can VI
horse the sin that would ride you dow
You can sharpen the battleax with whic
YOU split the head of helmeted abominatiol
Who helped Paul shake the brazen gate
heart of Felix? Who acted like good sailt
when all the crew howied in the Medite
J ranean shpwreck? Who helped the marty
to be firm when one word Of recant,
tion would have unfastened the wlthes
the stake and put out the kindling fire? Whe
the night of the soul came on and all IL
/ denizens OF darkness came riding upon Il
F winds OF perdition who gave strength to Il
souf Who gave calmness to the hear
Who broke the spell Of internal enchar
lnent? He who heard the request of the "
Layers. "Abide With US, for it is toward eve
Ing"
One Of the forts Of France was attacke
i and the outWOrks were taken before nigh
l The besieging army lay down. thinking the
j, was but little to do in the morning, and tn
the soldiery in the fort could be easily ma
:, 10 surrender. But during he night, throu,
e a back stairs. they escaped into the countr
O In the morning the besieging army spral
- upon the battlements, but found that the
. prey was gone. So. when we are assault
p in temptation, there is always some secl
; stair by which we might get off. God "
q not allow us to be tempted above what
are able. but with every temptation "
bring a way of escape that We may be able
: bear it.
The prayer of the text is appropriate I
all who are anticipating sorrow. The gre
est folly that ever grew on this planet Is t
!, tendency to borrow trouble, but there
, times when approaching sorrow is so evids
that we need to be making special prepal
ton for its coming.
- One CT your children has lately become
1 favorite. The cry of that child strikes de,
or into the heart than the cry of all the o
ers. You think more about it. You give
y more attention, not because 1t is any more
a treasure than the others. but because II
u