The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-10-18

the oriental village. and makes some con-
solatoTv suggestions. The text is Luke
xiv. %. ABIDE with lis, 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
Emm2us. the place of their residence
They 20 with 4 sad heart. Jesus. who
had been their admiration and their JOY,
had been h'se'y massacred and entomhed.
As with sad face and broken heart, they
pass or their Wv stranger accosts
them. Thev tell Hin 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 Inequalities. Night IS
coming on, and He NAV meet a proving
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-
ioice in the presence of this stranger guest.
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 Is the Lord And as they sit in
breathless wonder, looking upon the resnr-
rected body of Jesus, He vanished. The
interview ended. He was gone.
With many of us it is a bright sunshiny
day of prosperity. There is not a cloud
in the sky not leaf rustling in the forest.
no chill in fine air. But we cannot expect
all this to last he is not an intelligent
man who expects perpetual daylight Of
Joy. The sun will after awhie near the
horizon: the shadows viii lencthen.
While | speak mauv of us stand in the
very our described in 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 even
ing of old age They have passed the me-
ridan of life. They are sometimes star
tied to tain'l how old they are, They do
not, however, like others to remark upo1
it. IF others suggest their approximation
toward venerable appearance, they say
"Why. I 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 soectacles; they cannot so
easily recover from a cough or any occa-
sional ailment; they have lost their taste
for merriment: they are surprised at the
quick passage of the year: they say that 1t
only seems but 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 it is toward evening.
The great want of all such is to have
jesus abide with them. 1t is a dismal
thing to be getting old without the reju-
venating influence of religion. When we
stop on the down grade of life and see
tnat it dips to the verge of the cold river,
we want to behold some one near who
will help us across it. When the sight
loses its power to glance and gather up,
we need the faith that can iliumine. 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 hew down whole forests of
strength and beauty around us and we
are left in solitude, we need the dove OF
divine mercy to sing in our branches.
When the shadows begin to fall and we
most of all to supplcate the heheheent
Jesus in the prayer of the villagers.
"Abide with us, for it is toward evening"
The request of the text is an appropriate
exclamation for all those who are APP
preaching the gloomy hour of temptation,
There is nothing easier than to be good
natured when everything pleases, or to be
humble when there is nothing to puff US
IN, or forgiving when We have not been
assailed, or honest when we have no in
ducement to fraud. But You have felt the
grapple of some temptation. Your nature
at some time quaked and groaned under
the internal power. You feel that the devil
was after You; you saw your Christian
graces retreating; you feu ed that you
would fail in the awful wTestle with sin
and be thrown into the dust. The gloom
thckencd. The first indications OF the
night were seen. In all the trembling Of
your soul, in all the internal suggestions Of
Satan, in all the surgng up OF tumui uous
passions and eYcitementS, You fe!t with
awful emphasis that it was toward even
ing. In the tempted hour You need to ask
back the monster that would devour you;
you can unhorse the sin that would ride
you down; you can sharpen the battleaX
with which you split the head Of helmered
abomination Who helped Paul shake the
brazen gated heart of Felix? Who acted
like good sailor when all the crew howed
in the Mediterranean shipWreck? Who
word of recantation would have unfasrea"i
the withes of the stake and put out t5'
kindling fire.
When the night of the soul came or
and all the denizens of darkness came r3-
ing upon the winds of perdition, 0'p
gave strength to the soul? Who & So
calmness to the heart? Who broke e
spell of Internal enchantment? He 10
heard the request of the villagers, Az t.
with us. for it is toward evening % p"
of the forts of France was attacked.
the outworks were taken before mig.
The besieging army lay down, think-',
that there was but little to do IN tt,
morning, and that the soldiery in the Tor;
could be easily made to surrender. H5l
during the night, through a back stars,
they escaped into the country. In the
morning the besegng army sprang upon
the battlements, but found that their prey
was gone. So when we are assaulted b.
temptation there is always some secret
stair by which we might get off. God
viii not allow us to be tempted above
What We are able, but with every tenpta-
ton viii bring a way of escape thai We
may be able to bear it,
The prayer of the text is appropriate
for all who are anticipating sorrow Tie