The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-10-17
EVENING SHADOWS.
Ta'mage's ccmfor:ing Words 70
Those in Declaring Years.
ETERNAL RESTING PLACE,
Helpful thoughts Suggested
by the invitation TO ABIDE
Overnight In an OrIsn-
tai ViiIags.

courses upon the invitation given to
Christ to stay overnight in the oriental
village and makes some consolatorY
suggestions. The text IS Luke XIV,
30, "Abide with US, for it IS TOWARD
evening" .1,5o3
Two villagers, having concluded
their errsnG in Jerusalem, have S'a5teo
out st the city gate snd are on tne!r
way TO Emnaus, the place other resi-
Jence They go with sad heart.
Tesns who had been their admiratlon
and their 10y, had been basely massa
cred and entonbed. AS with sad face
and broken heart they psss on their
way stranger accosts them. Ihey
tell him their anxieties and bitterness
Of soul. He in turn talks 10 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
hare come up in front Of their house:
They pause before the entrance and
attempt to persuade the stranger to
tarry with them. They press upon him
their hospitalities. Night is coming
on, and he may meet pEowliDg WILD
beast or be obliged to lie unsheltsred
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, addressing
him in the words Abide with Us, for
it is toward evening" The lamps are
lighted, the table is spread, pleasant
socislities are enkindled. They re.
joice in the presence Of the stranger
guest. He asks a blessing upon the
bread they eat, and he hands piece of
it to each. Suddenly and with over
whelmins power the thought flashes
upon the astounded pecple-it is the
Lord And as they sit in breathless
wonder, looking upon the resurrected
body of Jesus, he vanished. The in
terview ended. He was gone.
With many Of US it IS bright, sun
shiny dav of prosperity. There is not
q cloud in the SKY, not leaf rustling
in the forest. No chill in the air. But
we cannot expect sll this to last. He
is not an intelligent man who expects
perpetual daylight of joy. The sun
will after awhile near tie horizon. The
shadows will lengthen. While | speak
many Of US staDd in the very hour de-
scribed in the text, For it is toward
evening" The ~equest Of the text is
appropriate foc sone in every COM
nunity. For With them it is toward
the evening of old age. They have
passed the meridian of life. They are
sometimes startled to think how old
they are. They do not, however, Ike
others to remark upon it. II others
suggest their approximation toward
venerable appearance, they say, Why,
I'm not so old after all. They do in
deed notice that they cannot quite as
much as once. They cannot walk quite
SO fast. They cannot read quite so
we'll without spectac}es. They cannot
Sc easily recover from a cough or any
occasional ailment. They have lost
their taste for merriment. Trey are
surprised at the quick passag4 OF the
year. They say that it only seems but
s little while ago that they were boys.
They are going a little down hill.
There is something in their health,
something in their vision, something in
their walk, something in their chang
ing associations, something above,
something beneath, something within
to remind them that it is toward even
ing.
The great want of all such is to have
Jesus abide with them. 1t is dismal
thing to be getting old without the re-
iuvenating influence Of religion. When
we stop on the down grade of life aud
see that it dips to the verge of the cold
river, We want to behold some cne near
who will help Us across it. When the
sight loses its power to 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 axmen Of death
hew down whole forests of strength and
beauty around US and We sre left in
solitude, We need the dove divine mercy
to sing in cur branches. When the
shadows begin to fall and We feel that
the day is far spent, we need most Of
I'll to supplicate the bcne6cient Jesus
in the prayer Of the villagers, Abide
with US, for it is toward evening.
When the night Of the soul came cn
and all the denizens Of darkness came
riding upon the winds Of perdition, who
gave strength to the soul? Who gave
eslmness to the heart? Who broke the
spell Of internal enchantment? He
who heard the request Of the villagers,
abide with US, for it is toward even
ing" One of the forts Of Frarce was
attacked and the ousworks were taken
before night. The besiegiDg 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 sur
render. But during the night, through
. back stairs, they escaped into the
country. In the morning the besieg-
ing army sprang upon the battlenents,
but found that their prey was gone.
So when ne are assaulted by teupta
tion, 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 brings way Of escape that We may
be able to bear it.
The prayer Of the text is appropriate
for all who are anticipating SORROW.
The greatest folly ever known on the
earth is the tendency to borrow trcu-