Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-10-17
SERMON
Rev. DR.. Calmaee

Subject: Thickening Gloom - Growing
Old without Religion a Dismai Pros-
pect-ConsoIing suggestions to Those
Who Have Passed Life's Meridian.
Copyright lsou.l
WASHINGTON, D. C.-In this sermon
DR.. Talmage discourses upon the invita-
ton given to Christ to stay overnight in
the Oriental village, and makes some con-
solatory suggestions. The text is Luke
xiv. %, 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,
| had been basely massacred and entombed.
As. with sad face and broken heart, they
| pass on their wav stranger accosts
them. Thev 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 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 to tarry with them. They press
upon Him their hospitalities. Night is
coming on, and He may meet a prowling
wild beast or be obliged to be unsheltered
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 socialties are enkindled. They re.
4 r Al -
He asks blessing upon the bread they eat,
and He hands a piece of it to each. Sud
denly and with Overwhelming power the
thought flashes upon the astounded peo-
ple-it the Lord! And as they sit in
breathless wonder, looking upon the resur
rected body of Jesus. He vanished. The
interview ended. He was gone
With many of us it is bright sunshiny
day of prosperity. There is not cloud
in the sky, not a leaf rustling in the forest
no chill in the air. But we cannot expec,
all this to last. He is not an intelligent
man who expects perpetual daylight o
joy. The sun will after awhile near thu
horizon; the shadows will lengthen
While l speak many of stand in the
very hour described in the text, For it i,
toward evening" The request of the text
is appropriate for some in every commu
nifty, for with them it is toward the even
ing of old age. They have passed the me
ridian of hfe They are sometimes star
tied to hin how old they are. They de-
not, however. like others to remark upo,
it. If others suggest their approximation
toward venerable appearance, they say
"Why, | am not so old, after all. The,
do, indeed. notice that they cannot hf
quite as much as once; they cannot wall
quite SO fast; they cannot read quite 81
well without spectacles; they cannot s.
easily recover from a cough or any occa
sional ailment: they have lost their tast
for merriment; they are surprised at tn
quick passage of the year; they say that i
only seems but a little while ago that the,
were boys; they are going little dow
something in their vision, something II
their walk, something in their changin
associations, something above, sOmethin
beneath something within to remind then
that it is toward evening.
The great want of all such is to hav
Jesus abide with them. 1t is a disma
thing to be getting old without the rejr
venating influence of religion. When W
stop on the down grade of life and Sc
lat it dips to the verge of the cold rivel
we want to behold some one near VIII
will help US across it. When the sigh
loses its power to glance and gather VI
we need the faith that can illumine. Whe
we feel the failure of the ear, we need tn
clear tones of that voice which in olde
times broke up the silence of the dea
with cadences of mercy. When the a,
men of death hew down whole forests c
strength and beauty around us and W
are left in solitude, we need the dove c
When the shadows begin to fall and W
feel that the day : far spent. we nee
most of all to duplicate the benefcen
Jesus in the prayer of the villagers
"Abde With us, for it is toward evening.
The rec lest of the text is an appropriat
Ell -la-.ation for all those who are al
preaching the gloomy hour of temptation
There is nothing easier than to be goo
natured when everything pleases, or to b
humble when there is nothing to puff u
uD, or forgiving when we have not bee
assailed, or honest when have no il
ducement to fraud. But you have felt tn
grapple of some temptation. Your natur
at some time quaked and groaned unde
tine internal power. You feel that the dev
was after you; you saw your Christia
| graces retreatng; you fe. ed that yo
would fail in the awful wrestle with 81
and be thrown into the dust The glool
thickened. The first indications OF tn
night were seen. In all the trembling {
your soul, in all the internal suggestions {
Satan, in all the surging up of tumultuor
passions and excitements, you felt wit
| awful emphasis that it was toward ever
ing. In the tempted hour you need to as
Jesus to abide with you. You can bea
: back the monster that would devour you
you can unhorse the sin that would rid
with which you split the head of helmete
abornination. Who helped Paul shake I'll
brazen gated heart of Felix? Who acte
, like good sailor when all the crew howle
, in the Mediterranean shipwreck2 WI
, helped the martyrs to be firm when or
word of recantation would have unfastene
the withes of the stake and put out I'll
kindling fire?
When the night of the soul came O
and all the denizens of darkness came ri'
ing upon the winds of perdition, WI
gave strength to the soul? Who ga,
; ] calmness to the heart? Who broke tt
spell of Internal enchantmenty He WI
heard the request of the villagers, ;, "Ablc
; with us, for it Is toward evening". On
| | of the forts of France was attacked, an
the outworks were taken before nigh
| The besieging army lay down, thinkir
that there was but little to do in IL
morning, and that the soldiery in the fo
could be easily made to surrender. b,
| during the night, through a back stair
morning the besieging army sprang upo
the battlements, but found that their pre-
| was gone. So when We are assaulted
| temptation there is always some seer
stair by which we might get off. &c
will not allow us to be tempted aboN
! wnaC We are aDie, Dut Win every tempt
ton will bring a way of escape that v
g may be able to bear it.
The prayer of the text is appropra
4 for all who are anticipating sorrow. I'll
. greatest folly that ever grew on th
= planet is the tendency to borrow troubl
: but there are times when approachir
a sorrow is SO evident that we need to
making especial preparations for its COZ
e ing One of your children has lately b
come a favorite. The cry of that chi
strikes deeper into the heart than the cl
of all the others You think more abol
it; you give it more attention, not becau
, u it is any more of treasure than the OF