Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-08-14
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Washington pivInas
Sunday Sermon.
Subject: ''The Glow of Sunset"
TEXT: "Abide with US. for 1t Is toward
evening. Luke XIV, 20.

sad heart. Jesus, VINO had Deen tnelr al
miration 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
anxieties and bitterness of soul. He in turn
talks 10 them, nightly expounding the
Scriptures. He throws over them the fascina-
ton 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 Him their Inequalities. Night is coming
on, and He may meet prowing wild beast
or be obliged to lie unsheltered from the
dew. He cannot go much farther now. Why
not stop there and 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, Tor 1t
is toward evening""
The candles are lighted; thetable isspread;
pleasant socialities are enkindled. They re-
ioice in the presence OF the stranger guest.
He asks blessing upon the bread they eat
and He hands a piece of it 10 each. Suddenly
and with overwhelming power the thought
flashes upon the astonished people-it is the
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, sunshiny
day Of prosperity. There is not 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 expects perpetual daylight Of JOY. The
sun will after awhile near the horizon. The
shadows will lengtheD. While lspeak many
L 4 iHo1 II, {ha
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 ere sometimes startled 10 think
how old theyGhe They do not, however, hketo
have others remark upon it. II others sug-
gest their approximation toward venerable
appearance, they say, "Wby, I'm not so old,
after ALL" They do, indeed, notice that they
cannot lit quite so much as once. They
cannot walk quite so fast. They cannot
read quite so We. without spectacles. They
cannot so easily recover from a cough or
any occasional aiment. They have lost
their taste for merriment. They are sur
prised at the quick passage OF the year.
They say that it only seems alittle while ago
that they were boys. They are going little
down hill. There is something in the1T
health, s1mething 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 inhu-
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
one near who will help US across it. When
the sight los its power glance and gather
up, we need the faith that can illuminate.
When we feel the failure of the ear. we need
the clear tones o. 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 to
sing in our branches. When the shadows
begin 10 falland we feel that the day is far
spent, we need most Of all to supplicate the
strong benefcent Jesus in the prayer OF the
villagers, abide with US, for it is toward
evening""
The request Of the text is an appropriate
exclamation for all those who are approached
in the gloomy hour Of temptation. There is
nothing easier than to be good nalured when
everything plesses, or to be humble when
there is nothing to oppose US, or forgivlng
when we have not been assaiied, or honest
when we have no inducement to fraud. But
you have felt the graphic OF some tempta-
ton. Your nature at some time QuaEed ana
groaued under the Internal force. You felt
that the devil was after you. You saw your
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 SOU +,
| in all the internal suggestions OF Satan, IN
all the surging up of tumultuous passions
and excitements. You felt with awful en-
| phasis that il was toward evening. In the
| tempted hour you need to ask Jesus 10
abide with you. You can beat back the mon
ster that would devour you. You can IN
| horse the sin that would ride y0I down.
| You can sharpen the battleax with which
YOU split the head Of hemeled abomiDatioD.
Who helped Paul shake the brazen gated
heart of Felix? Who acted like a good sailor
when all the crew hoWled in the Mediter-
ranean shipwreck2 Who helped the martyrs
TO be firm when one word OF recanta-
| ton would have unfastened the withes OF
the stake and put out the kindling lref When
the night of the soul came on and ali the
denizens of darkness came riding upon the
winds of perdition who gave strength to The
SOU? Who gave calmness to the heart'
Who broke the spell of Internal enchant'
meni? 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 we're taken before night.
The besieging army lay down, thinking there
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 sprane
upon the battlements, but found that theil
prev was gone. So, when we are assaulted
! In temptation, there is always some secret
stair by which we might get off. God vii
not allow us to be tempted above what We
are able, but with every temptation vii
bring a way Of escape that we may be able Il
bear it.
The prayer Of the text is appropriate fol
all who are anticipating sorrow. The great
est folly that ever grew on this planet is tn
| tendency to borrow trouble, but there ar
times when approaching sorrow Is SO eVlden
that we need to be making special prepare
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 crvof all the 9th
srs You think more aboutit. You give
more attention, not because it is any more o
treasure than the others. but because 1t
becoming frail. There is something IN tn
cheek. in the eye and in the walk that MAKE
YOU quite sure that tho leaves OF the MOVIE
are going to be scattered. The utmost nur'
ing and medical attendance are ineffectua
The pulse becomes feeble. the compiexio
lighter, the step weaker, the laugh iainte
No more romping for that one through ma
and parlor. The nursery is darkened by a
approaching calamity. The heart reefs VIII
mournful anticipation that the sun Is goln
down. Night speeds on. 1t is toward ever
ing.