Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-10-12
THICKENING GLOOM.
GROWING OLD WITHOUT RELIGION A
DISMAL PROSPECT.

DIR. THsn1Ge Offers CoasoIInss Sug-
Ecsts0ns to Those Who Have Pass
cd Life's Neutrality-suspicious. Rris-ntenx
the Shadows of EvcainE.
WASHINGTON. Oct. TN this sermon
Dr. Talmage discOurses upon the invi-
tatiOn given 10 Christ to stay overnight
in the oriental village and makes some
coDsolatOry suggestions. The text is
Luke NNiy, 30, abide with us, for it is
toward evening""
Two villagers. having concluded their
GRAND in Jerusalem. have started out
at the city Sate and are on their way
TO EmmaCs. the place of their resi-
dence. They so with'a sad heart. Je-
sus who had been their admiration
and their joy. bad been basely massa-
cred and entombed. AS. with sad face
and broken heart. they pass on their
way a stranger accosts them. They
tell him their anXietieS ard bitterness
OF soul. He in turn talks to them,
nightly eXpoundng the Scriptures.
lie throws over them the fascination
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 before the entrance and at
tempt to persuade the stranger TO tar
ry with them. They press upon him
their hospitalitles. Night is coming on.
and he may meet providing wild
beast or be obliged to be unsheltered
from the dew. He cannot go much far
Their 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
1T is toward evening" The lamps are
lighted, the table is spread. pleasant
socialities are enkindled. They re-
joice in the presence of the stranger
guest. lie asks n blessing upon the
bread they eat, and he hands a piece
of it to each. Suddenly aud with over
whelmlng power the thought flashes
upon the astounded people-;t is the
Lord! And rs they sit in GREATNESS
wonder looking upon the resurrected
body of Jesus, he vanished. The in
terview ended. He was gone.
On the Down Grade OF Life
With many of us it is n bright sun
shiny day of prosperity. There is not
cloud in the sky, not Il leaf rustling
in the forest. no chill in the air. But
we cannot expect all this TO last Tie
is not an intelligent man who expects
perpetual daylight Of joy. The sun
viii after awhile near the horizon: the
shadows will lengthen. While l speak
A.
scribed I'm the text. For it is toward
evening" The request of the text is
appropriate for some in every commu-
nifty, for with them it IS toward the
evening Of old age. They have passed
the meridian of life. They are some
times startled to think how old they
are. They do not. however. like others
to remark upon ii. If others suggest
their approximation toward venerable
appearance. they say. "Why, l am not
so old after ALL" They. do. indeed. no.
tee that they cannot lift quite as much
as once; they cannot walk quite so
last; they cannot read quite so well
without Spectaclcs; they cannot so cas-
lily recover from n cough or any occa-
sional ailment; they have lost their
at the quick passage of the year; they
. say that 1t only seems but little while
ago that they were boys; they are go
ing little down hill; there is some
thing in their health. something in
their vision. something in their walk.
something I'm their changing associa-
tons, something above, something be-
meath, something within TO remind
them that 1t is toward evening.
The great want Of all such is to have
Jesus abide with them. 1t is n dismal
thing to be getting old without the re-
luvcnating influence OF religion. When
we stop on the down grade of life and
see that IL dips TO the verge Of the cold
river, we want 10 behold some one
near who will help us across IL. When
the sight loses its power 10 glance and
gather up, we need the faith that can
nlumine. 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 cadences
OF mercy. When the axmen OF death
hcw down whole forests OF strength
and beauty around us and we are left
I'm solitude. we need the dove of divine
mercy To sing In our branches. When
the shadows begin to fall and we feel
that the day is far spent. we need
most OF all TO supplicate the beneficent
Jesus in the prayer of the Villa gers.
abide with US. for it Is toward even
ing
Indications Of Night.
The request of the text is an appro-
pirate exclamation for all those who
are approaching the gloomy hour of
temptation. There is nothing easier
than 10 be good natured when every
thing pleases. or 10 be humble when
there is nothing TO puff us up. or for
giving when we have not been assai-
ed, or honest when we have no induce
ment to fraud. But you have felt the |
grapple OF some temptation Your ma
ture Mt sorie time quaked and groaned |
under the internal power. You felt |
that the d.'vil was after you; you saw |
your Christian graces retreating; you |
feared that you would fail in the awful |
wrestle with sin and be thrown into |
the dust. The gloom thicxened. The |
first indications of the night were seen. |
In all the trembling of your soul. in all |
the Internal suggestions OF satan. in |
oil the surglng up OF tumultuous pas
sions and excItements. you felt with |
awful emphasis that 1t was toward
evening. In the tempted hour you
need to ask Jesus TO abide with you.
You can beat back the monster that
would oevour; you can unhorse the
sin that would ride you down: you can
sharpen the battleax With which you
split the head of helmeted abomina-
ton. Who helped Paul shake the bra
zen gated heart Of Felix? Who acted
ike good sailor when all the crew
howied in the Mediterranean ship
wreck? Who helped the martyrs to be
hrm when one word of recantation
would have unfastened the withes Of
the stake and put out the kindling fire?
When the night of the soul came ON