Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-11-09
EVENINGS SHADOWS.
DR.. Talmage's Comforting Words
to Those III Declining Years.
Helpful Thoughts Suggested by the
Invitntion to Christ to Abide
Overnight In an Orient
al village.
copyright, 1900, by Louis Klopsch,l
Washington,

In this sermon DR.. Talmage dis
courses upon the invitation given to
Christ to stay over night in the oriental
village and makes some consolatory
suggestions. The text is Luke "a, 80:
abide with us, for it is toward even
ing"
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 resi-
dence. They go with a sad heart.
Jesus, who had been their admiration
and their joy, had been basely massa-
cred and entombed. AS with sad face
and broken heart they pass on their
way 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 in
telligent conversation. They forgot 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 hos
pitalities. Night is coming on and lie
may meet a prowling wild beast or be
obliged to lie 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 sociabilities
are enkindled. They rejoice in the pres
ence of the stranger guest. He asks
a blessing upon the bread they eat, and
He hands a piece to each. Suddenly,
and with overwhelming power, the
thought flashes upon the astonished
people it is the Lord! And as they sit
in breathless wonder, looking upon the
resurrected body of Jesus, He vanished.
The interview ended. He was gone.
With many of us it is a bright, sun
shiny day of prosperity. There is not
a cloud in the sky, not leaf rustlihg
In the forest. No chill in the air. But
we cannot expect all this to last. He
is not an an>intelligent man who expects
perpetual daylight of joy. The sun
will after awhile near the horizon. The
shadows will lengthen. While speak
many of us stand in the very hour de-
scribed in the text: For 1t is toward
evening" The request of the text
is appropriate for some in every com
munity. 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, like
others to remark upon it. If 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 lift quite
as much as once. They cannot wall
quite so fast. They cannot read quite
so well without spectacles. They can
not so easily recover from a cough Of
any occasional ailment. They have los
their taste for merriment. They ar,
surprised at the quick passage of tn,
year. They say that it only seems bu
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 theil
walk, something In their changing rs
sociations, something above, some
thing beneath, something within to re
mind them that 1t is toward evening.
The great want of all such is to hav,
Jesus abide with them. 1t is disma
thing to be getting old without the re
juvenating influence of religion. Whei
we stop on the down grade Of life an,
sec that it dips to the verge Of the coli
river, we want to behold some one nea,
who will help us across 1t. When tn
sight loses its power to glance and gath
.er up, we need the faith that can illum
ine. When we feel the failure of tn
ear, we need the clear tones Of tha
voice which in olden times broke up tn
silence of the deaf with cadences O
mercy. When the axmen of death hey
down whole forests Of strength an
beauty around us and we are left in sol
itude, we need the dove of divine mere
to sing in our branches. When tn
shadows begin to fall and we feel tina
the day is far spent, we need most @
all to supplicate the beneicient Jesu
in the prayer of the villagers: "Abid
with US. for 1t is toward evening""
The request Of the text is an apprt
pirate exclamation for all those wh
are approaching the gloomy hour G
temptation. There is nothing easie
than to be good natured when every
thing pleases or to be humble whe
there is nothing to puff us up or forgi'
ing when we have not been assaile'
or honest when we have no Undue,
ment to fraud. But you have felt til
grapple Of some temptation. Your n,
ture at some time quaked and groane
under the internal force. You felt tn,
the devil was after you. You sa
your Christian graces retreating. Yo
feared that you would fail in the ay
full wrestle with sin and be throw
into the dust. The gloom thickene
The first indications Of the night wei
seen. In all the trembling Of your sou
in all the internal suggestions of Sata
in all the surging up of tumultuol
passions and excitements, you felt wit
awful emphasis that it was towal
evening. In the tempted hour you nee
to ask Jesus to abide with you. Yc
can beat back the monster that wou
devour. You can unhorse the sin tn,
would ride you down. You can sharpe
the battleax with which you split Il
head Of helmeted abomination. WI
helped Paul shake the brazen gat,
heart OF Felix? Who acted like go'