The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1896-08-07

when all the crew howled in the Med
iterranean shipwreck? Who helped
the martyrs to he firm when one word
of recantation would have unfastened
tho withes of the stake and put out the
kindling fire? When the night or the
soul came on and all the denizens or
darkness came riding upon the WINDS OF
perdition-who gave strength TO the
soul? Who gave calmness to the heart?
Who broke the spell Of Internal en-
chantment? He who heard the request
of the villagers. "Abide with us, for 1t
is toward evening"
You have long rejo!ced in the care OF
a mother. You have done everything
to make her last days happy. You
have run with quick feet to wait upon
her every want. Her presence has
been perpetual blessing in the house
hold. But the fruit-gatherers are look
ing wistfully at that tree. Her soul is
ripe for heaven. The gates are ready
to flash open for her entrance. But
your soul sinks at the thought Of a
separation. You cannot bear to think
that soon you will be 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.
You had considerable estate and
felt independent. In five minutes on
one fair balance-sheet you could see
just how you stood in the world. But
there came complications. Something
that you imagined impossible hap
pened. The best friend you had proved
traitor to your interests. A sudden
crash of national misfortunes pros
trated your credit. You may today be
going on in business, but you feel anx-
ious about where you are standing, and
fear that the next turning of the wheel
will bring you PROSTATE. You foresee
what you consider certain defalcation.
You think of the anguish Of telling
your friends you are not worth a dollar.
You know not how you will ever bring
your children home from school. You
wonder how you will stand the selling
of your library or the moving into a
palmer house. The misfortunes of life
have accumulated. You wonder what
makes the sky SO dark. 1t is toward
evening.
Trouble is an apothecary that mixes
a great many draughts, bitter and sour
and naueeous, and you must drink
some one of them. Trouble puts up a
great many packs, and you must carry
some one of them. There is no sandal
so thick and we'll adjusted but some
thorn will strike through it. There is
no sound so sweet but the undertake
er's screw-driver CRATES through it. In
this swift shuttle of the human heart
some of the threads must break. The
journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus
will soon be ended. Our Bible, our
common-sense, our observation reiter-
ate in tones that We cannot mistake
and ought not to disregard. 1t is to-
ward evening.
Oh, then, for Jesus to abide with us
He sweetens the cup. IIe extracts the
thorn. He wipes the tear. He bushes
the tempest. He soothes the soul that
flies to him for shelter. Let the night
swoop and the euroclydon cross the sea
Let the thunders roar-scon all will
be we'll Christ in the ship to Goothe
his friends. Christ on the sea to stoI
its tumult. Christ in the grave TO scat
ter the darkness. Christ in the heav'
ems to lead the way. Blessed all such
His arms will enclose them, his grace
comfort them, his light cheer them
his sacrifice free them, his glory en-
chant them. If earthly estate take!
wings he will be an incoruptible treas
ure. If friends die, he will be theil
resurrection. Standing with us in thu
day of our prosperity, he will not for
sake us when the lustre has faded ant
!, it is toward evening.
, This ought not to be depressinl
, theme. Who wants to live here for
) ever? The world has always treated
me well, and every day l feel less AM
, less like scolding and complaining
{ But yet l would not want to make thi
= my eternal residence. l love to watcl
s the clouds, and battle my soul in tn
| blue sea Of heaven; but expect whcr
e the armament is rolled away as q scroll
r to see a new heaven, grander, highe
0 and more glorious. You ought to b.
r willing to exchange your body that ha
= headaches and sideaches and weak
g nesses innumerable, that limps witt
J. the stonebruise, or testers with tn
thorn, or flames on the funeral pyr
of fevers, for an incorruptible body an
= an eye that blinks not before the jas
. per gates and the great white throne
- But between that and this there is al
; hour about which no man should b
n reckless or foolhardy. l doubt not you
; courage, but l tell you that you vii
want something better than stron
J.. arm, q good aim and a trusty swor
O when you come to your last battle