The Penn's Grove record., 1896-08-07
REV. DR. TALMAGE,
The Eminent Divine's Sunday
Discourse.
Subject. "The Glow of Sunset"

Subject: "The Glow of Sunset"
Text: "Abide with US. for 1t is toward
evening. Luke XIV, %.
Two villagers, having concluded their
GRAND III Jerusalem, have started out at the
city gate and are on their way to Emmaus,
the place OF their residence. They go with a
rad heart. Jesus, who had been their ad-
miration and their Joy. bad been hasely
massacred INT entombed. As, with sad face
ard broken heart, they pass on their way a
stranger accosts them. They tell Him their
aDxieties and bitterness OF soul. He in turn
talks 10 them, nightly ~expounding the
Scriptures. He throws over them the ~fascina-
lion 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 10 tarry with them. They press
upon HIN their Inequalities. Night Is looming
on, and He may meet a prowling wild beast
or be obliged to lie unsheltered from the
dew. He cannot go much farther nov. 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, for it
Is toward evening""
Inc chuuleS Hfe HRultui InBltDie lsspTtHu;
pleasant soeialities are enkindied. They re-
joice in the presence OF the stranger guest.
He asks a blessing upon the bread they eat.
and He hands a piece Of it to each. Suddenly
and with overwhelming power the thought
flashes Upon the astonished 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 II is a bright, sunshiny
day Of prosperity. There is not Il cloud In
the sky; not a 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 lengthen. While Ispeak many
Of us stand in the very hour described In the
text, 'for it Is toward evening" The re-
guest Of the text is appropriate for some be-
fore me, for with them ii Is steward the even
ing of old age. They have passed the meridian
of life. They are sometimes startled to think
how old they are. They donot, however, liketo
have others remark upon it. II others sug-
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 so fast. They cannot
read quite so well without spectacles. They
cannot SO easily recover from a cough or
any occasional ailment. They have lost
their taste for merriment. They are sur
prised Mt the quick passage Of the year.
They say that 1t only seems a little while ago
that they were boys. They are going a little
down hill. There Is something in their
health, 3 1mething 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.
Tha orauf u-opf ~ Ill ar,ob 10 60 ba,a To,,o
abide with them. II Is a dismal thing to be
getting old without the reiuvenating infiu-
ence OF religion. When we step on the down
grade OF lille and see that 1t dipsto the verge
OF tho cold river, we want to behold some
one near who will help us across it. When
the sight losts 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 lefs in soli-
tude, We need the dove of divine mercy to
sing in our branches. When the shadows
begin 10 fall and we feel that the day is far
spent, we need most of all to supplicate the
strong beneficent Jesus In the prayer OF the
villagers, "Abfde with us, for 1t is toward
evening""
Tie request OF the text is an appropriate
exclamation fc- ala those who are approached
IN the gloomy horE OF temptation. There is
nothing easier than to be good natured when
everything plesses, or to be humble when
.here 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-
tion. Your nature at some time quaked and
gr0sned under the Internal force. You felt
that the devil was after you. You saw your
Christian graees retreating. You feared
that you would tall in the awful wrestle with
sin and be thrown into the dust. The gloom
t~hickened. The first indications of the night
were seen IL all the trembling of your soul,
in all the internal suggestions of Satan, in
all the surging up of tumuituous passions
and excitements. You felt with awful en-
pbasis that 1t 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 thar would ride you down.
You can sharpen the battleax with which
you split the head Of helmeted a~bominution.
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 n word of ~recanta-
ton would have unfastened the withes of
the stake and put out the kindling fire? When
the night OF the sopl came on and all the
deniEens OF arkness came riding upon the
winds OF perdition who gave strength to the
soul7 Who gave oalmness to the hearth
Who broke the spell of Internal enchant-
ment2 He who heard the request Of the vii
layers. abide With us, for 1t Is toward even
ing"
One Of the forts of France was attacked,
and the Outworks were 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
a back Stairs, they escaped into the country.
In the morning the b~esieging army sprang
upon the battlements, but found that their
prey was gone. So, when we are assaulted
In temptation, there is always some secret
stair by which we might get of. God will
not allow US to be tempted above what we
are able. but with every temptation will
bring a way OF escape that We may be able to
bear II.
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 BIZ making special prepare
tion for its coming.
One of your children has lately become a
favorite. The cry Of that child strikes deep
er into the heart than the cry Of all the 9TH
ers. You think more about It. You give 1t
more attention, not because II is any more Of
a treasure than the others, but because it is
becoming frail. There is something in the
cheek, In the eye and In the walk that makes
you quite sure that the leaves OF the flower
are going to be scattered. The utmost nurs-
ing and medical attendance are Intellectual.
The pulse becomes feeble. the complexion
lighter, the step weaker, the laugh ~lainter.
No more rompihg for that one through hall
and parior. The nursery Is darkened by an
approaching calamity. The heart feels with
mournful anticipation that the sun is going
down. Night speeds on. 1t is toward even
ing.
You have long reioiced in the care of n
mother. You have don everything to make
her last days happy. You nave run WITH
quick feet TO wait upon her every want. Her
presence has been q perpetual blessing In the
household. But the fruit gatherers are look
ing wistfully at that tree. Her sou is rlpr
for heaven. TIL gates are ready to fast
open for her entrance. But your soul sinks
ct the thought of a separation. You canno.
bear to think that soon you will DO called to
take the last look at that face which from
the first hour has looked Upon you with af-
lection Interchangeable. But you see that life
Is ebbing and the grave will soon hide her
from your sight. You sit quiet. You feel
heavy hearted. The light Is fading from the
sky. The air is chill. 1t IS toward evening.