The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1900-10-12
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
COMFORTING WORDS TO THOSE
IN DECLINING YEARS.
Some Thoughts Suggested by the InvI-
tation to Christ to Abide overnight
in an Oriental vIlage-The Eternal
Resting Pace.


tation given to Christ 10 stay over
night in the oriental village ana
makes some consolatory suggestions.
The text is Luke xiv, 20, abide with
us, for it is toward evening"
Two villagers, having concluded
their errand in Jerusalem, have started
out at the city gate and are on their
way to Emmaus, the place Of their
residence. They go with a sad heart.
Jesus, who had been their admiration
and their joy, has 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 and bitterness
of soul. He In turn. talks to them,
nightly expounding the Scriptures.
He 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
attempt to persuade the stranger to
tarry with them. They press upon him
their Inequalities. Night is coming
on and he may meet prowling wild
beast or be obliged to lie unsheltered
from the dew. He cannot go much
further now. Why not stop there AMI
continue their pleasant conversation?
They take him by the arm and they
insist upon his coming in, addressing
n Inn IL, hn xtrith
II is toward evening"" The lamps are
lighted, the table Is spread, pleasant
socialities are enkindled. They rejoice
in che presence of the stranger guest.
He asks a blessing upon the b. cal
they eat, and he hands a piece Of it
to each. Suddenly, and with over
whelming power the thought flashes
upon the astounded people-it is the
Lord! And as they sit in breathlcss
wonder, looking upon the resurrecte1
body OF Jesus. he vanished. The in
terview ended. He was gone.
Our Greatest Need.
The great want of all is to have Je-
sus abide with them. 1t is a dismal
thing to be getting old without the re-
juvenating influence OF religion. When
we stop on the down grade of life and
see that it dips to the cold verge of the
cold river, we want to behold some
one near who will help Us acrcs5 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 cadence of mercy. When
the axmen of death hew down who,e
forests of Strength and beauty arounl
us, and we are left in solitude, We need
the dove of divine mercy to sing IN
our branches. When the shadows be-
gin to fall and we feel that the day is
far spent, we need most OF all to sup
plicate the benefcient Jesus in the
prayer of the villagers, abide with
us, for it is toward evening"
The request Of the text is an ap2ro-
pirate exclamation for all those who
are approaching the gloomy hour OF
temptation There is nothing easier
than to be good natured when every
thing pleases, or to be humble when
there is nothing to puff us up or for
giving vixen we have not been assailed
or honest when we have no induce
ment to fraud. But You have felt the
grapple of some temptdtion. Your ma
ture at some time quaked and groaned
under the internal force. You fet
that the devil was after you. You saw
your Christian forces retreating You
feared that you would fail in the awful
wrestle with sin and be thrown into
the dust. The gloom thickened. The
first indications of the night were
seen.
The Source OF Strength.
When the night of the soul came on
and all the denizens of darkness came
riding upon the winds OF pcrdition,
who gave strength to the soul? Who
gave calmness to the heart? Wh1
broke the speil of internal enchqn.-
ment? He who heard the request o.
the villagers, abide with We, for X
is toward evening"" One of the forts
OF France was attacked and the out
works we're taken before night The
besieging army lay down, thinking
that there was but little to do in the
1.crning and that the soldiery in the
fort could be easily made to surrender
But during the night, through back
stairs, they escaped into the country
In the morning the besieging army
sprang upon the battlements, but
found that their prey was gone. SO
when we are assaulted by temptation,
there is always some secret stair b.
which we might get off. God wei 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 - bear II.
The prayer of the text is appropriate
for all who are anticipating sorrow.
The greatest folly that ever grew on
this planet is the tendency TO borrow
trouble. But there ere times when ap-
v~Aool,fno cn~roxw 10 On, opf1or,t fbot