The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-10-12
DR.. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE sY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Iuhject; rhicksning G,oon Growins
oid without Religion = Dismal Pros
pect-Consoiing Suggestions 20 Those
Who Have Passed life. Meridian.
tcopyriSht l~al

evening.
Two villagers. having concluded their
errand IN Jerusalem. have started out at
the city gate and are on their way 90
Emmaus, the place Of their residence.
They CO with a sad heart. Jesus. who
had been their admiration and their iov.
had been haSclv massacred and entomhcd.
As, with sad face and broken heart they
pass on their way stranger accosts
them. They tell Him their anxieties and
bitterness Of soul. lie in turn talks 20
them. nightly expounding the Scriptures.
He throws over them the fascination Of
intelligent conversation. They forget the
time and notice not the objects they pass
and before they are aware have come IN
front of their house. They pause before
the entrance and attempt to persuade the
stranger 20 tarry with them. They press
upon Him their hospitalities Night is
coming on, and He NAV meet a proving
wild beast or be obliged 90 be unshcltered
from the dew. He cannot go much farther
now. Why not stop there and continue
their pleasant convcrsations They take
Him by the arm, and they insist upon His
coming i'm. addressing Him in the words.
Abide with us. for il is toward evening
The lamps are lighted. the table is spread.
pleasant socialties are enkindled. They re-
loice IN the presence of this stranger guest.
He asks a blessing upon the bread they cat
and lie hands piece of IL 90 each. Sud
denly and with overwhelming power the
thought flashes upon the estounded peo.
ple--it ls the Lord, And "a they sit in
breathless wonder. looking upon the resur.
rected body Of Jesus. lie vanished The
interview ended. He was gone.
With many Of us IL is bright suushinv
day of prosperity. There is not cloud
in the sky, not leaf rustlng in the forest,
no chill i'm the air. But we cannot eNpcct
all this 10 last He is not an intelligent
man who expects perpetual daylight of
joy The sun will after ewhile near the
horizon: the shadows will lengthen.
While | speak many Of Us stand IN the
very hour described in the text, For IL is
toward evening The request of the text
is appropriate for some in every commu-
nifty, for with them II is toward the even.
inc Of old ace. They have passed the me-
ridan Of life. They are sometimes star
tied 20 tank how old they are. They do
not, however, like others TO remark upoG
it, II others suggest their approximation
toward venerable appearance, they say,
"Whv. | am not so old, after all" They
do indeed. notice that they cannot lift
quite as much as once; they cannot walk
quite so fast; they cannot read quite SO
well without spcctacles; they cannot 30
easily recover from n cough or any occa'
sional ailmcnt: they have lost their taste
for merriment. they are surprised at the
quick passage of the year they saw that II
only GEMS but n little while ago that they
were boys; they are going little down
hill there Is something IN their health
something in their vision, something in
their walk. something IN their changing
associations, something above, something
beneath, something within TO remind them
that u is toward evening.
The great want Of all such is 10 have
Jesus abide with them. II is a dismal
thing 10 be getting old without the reiu-
venating influence Of religion. When we
stop on the down grade Of life aud see
Tat IL dips 20 the verge of the cold river.
we want 90 behold some one near who
will help us across il. When the sight
loses its Dowcr 90 glance and gather up,
we need the faith that can illumine. 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 ak.
men Of death hcw down whole forests OF
strength and beauty around us and we
arc left in solitude. we need the dove OF
divine mercy 20 sing in our branches.
When the shadows begin 90 fall and we
feel that the day IL far spent, we need
most of all 10 supplicate the bcneficcnt
Jesus in the prayer OF the villagers.
abide with us for Il is toward evening"
The request Of the text is an appropriate
preaching the gloomy hour Of temptation.
There is nothing easier than 90 be good
natured when everything plcases, or 10 be
humble when there IL nothing 60 puff us
M. or forgiving when we have not been
assailed, or honest when we have no in.
ducement 90 fraud. But YOU have felt the
grapplc OF some temptation Your nature
At some time orakcd aud proancd under
the internal power. You feel that the devil
was after you. you saw your Christian
Rraccs retrcating you fca ed that you
would fail i'm the awful wrcstle 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 soul, m all the Internal suggestions Of
Satan, in all the surRing up Of tumultuous
passions and eXctements, you felt with
awful emphasis that IL was toward even
ing. In the tempted hour you need TO ask
Jesus 90 abide with you. You can beat
back the monster that would dcvOur you
you can unhOrse the sin that would ride
you down. you can sharpen the battlcaN
with which you split the head Of hcmeted
abomination. Who helped Paul shake the
brazcn gated heart OF Felix Who acted
like good sailor when all the crew howlcd
in the Mediterranean shIpwrccky Who
helped the martyrs 10 be firm when one
word Of recantatiOn would have uniastencd
the witiies ot the stake and put out the
kndlng fire;
When the night Of tho soul came on
and all the denlzens of darkness came rid
ing upon the winds OF pcrditiOn, who
gave strength 10 the soul; Who gave
calmness TO the hcarty Who broke the
spell Of Internal enchautmenty He who
heard the request OF the villagers, Abide
with us, for II is toward evening" One
oi the forts Of France was attacked, and
the outworks were taken before night.
Tht bescginR army lay down, thinking
that there wgs but little 90 do m the
morning, and that the soldiery ~ the fort
could be easily made % surrender Bot
during the night, through a back stairs,
they escaped into the country. la the
morning che bcscgnz army sprang upon
the battlcmcuts, but found that their prey
was gone. So when we are assaulted by
temptation there is always some secret
stair by which we might get on God
will not allow us % be tempted above
what We are aDlS, but with every temDta.
tiOn viii bring a way Ot escape thai we
may be able 10 Jear u.
The prayer Of the text IL appropriate
f0r all who arc anticipating sorrow The
planet is the tendency 20 borrow trouble,
but there are times when approaching
sorrow ~ 20 evident that we need % b.
making especial preparations for its com
Ing. One oil your children has lately be.
come a favOrite. The cry oi that child
strikes dee ,,er into the heart than the cry
OF all the Others You think more about
o., you <. q - more attention. not because
10 ~ any more OF a treasure than the 9th
ers, but because % D. becoming frall. There
h. something IN the cheek, IN the eye and
IN the walk that makes you quite sure
that the leaves u the flower are going %
be catered The utmost nursing and
medical attendance are Intellectual. The
pulse becomes feeble. the complexion light.
or. the step weaker, the laugh fainter No
more r0mping Tor that one through ball