Milford chronicle., 1902-02-14

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s WASHINGTON. Feb. DIN this subiec
Q DR.. Talmage puts a glow of gladnes
a and triumph upon passages Of life tina
' are usually thought to be somewhat
9 gloomy; text Zechariah xiv, Z. "a
Q evening time it shall be light"
While might" in all languages is thu
! symbol for gloom and suffering. it i.
' often really cheerful, bright and i'm
. pressive. l speak not of such nights as
e come down with no star pouring light
/ from above or silvered wave tossing
up light from beneath-murky. hur.
Ting, portentous, but such as you often
see when the pOmp and magnificence
? or heaven turn out on night parade
and 1t seems as though the song which
the morning stars began so long ago
were Ginning yet among the constella.
lions and the sons of God were shout
Ing for joy. Such nights the sailor
blesses from the fOrecastle. and the
trapper on vast prairie, and the belated
traveller by the roadside, and the sol
der from the tent. earthly hosts gazing
upon heavenly and shepherds guarding
their hocks afield, while angel hands
ABOVE them set the silver bells airing
ing Glory to God in the highest and
on earth peace; good will toward men"
What a solemn and glorious thing is
night in the wilderness! Night among
the mountains! Night on the oceanl
fragrant night among tropical grovesl
Flashing night amid arctic severitiesl
calm night on Roman campagnal Aw-
ful night among the cordilleras! Glori-
GUS night mid sea after a tempestl
Thank God for the night! The moon
and the stars which rule it are light.
houses on the coast toward which
nope we are all sailing, and blind
mariners are we if. with so many beam.
ing, burning, flaming glories 10 guide
u.s. we cannot find our way into the
harbor.
MY text may well suggest that, as the
natural evening is often luminous. so
it shall be light in the evening of our
sorrows, of old age, of the worlds his.
tory, of the Christian life. AT even
time it shall be light"
When the sun Sets.
This prophecy will be fulfilled in the
evening of Christian sorrow. For
long time it is broad daylight. The
sun rides high. Innumerable activities
90 ahead with a thousand feet and
work with a thousand arms. and the
pickax struck mine, and the battery
made discovery. and the investment
yielded its 20 per cent. and the book
came TO its twentieth edition, and the
rarm quadrupled in value, and sudden
fortune hOisted to high position. and
children were praised, and friends
without number Swarmed into the fam |
lly hive. and prosperity sang in the
music and stepped in the dance and
glowed IN the wine and ate at the ban |
quet, and ali the gods of music and
ease and qualification gathered around
this Jupiter holding in his hands so |
many thunderbOlts of power But ev-
cry sun must set, and the brightest day |
must have its twilight. Suddenly the |
SKY was overcast. The fountain dried |
up. The song hushed. The wolf broke
INTO the family fold and carried off the
best lamb. A deep howl Of woe came
crashing down through the Joyous
symphonies. At one rough twang of
the hand Of disaster the harpstrings
all broke. Down went the strong busi-
ness firm! Away went long established
credit! Up flew a flock of calumniesl
The new book would not sell! A Datent
could not be secured for the inventioni
Stocks sank like lead! The insurance
company exploded! How much" saws
the sheriff, will you bid for this nj.
ano? How much for this library? How
much for this family picture? How
much? viii you let it go at less than
half price? Going going-gonep'
Will the grace Of God hold one nm in
such circumstances? What has become
OF the great multitude of Gods chill.
dren who have been pounded of the
nail and crushed under the wheel
ana trampled under. the hoof? Did
they lie down in the dust, weeping.
wailing and gnashing their teeth? Did
they when they were afflicted like lob
curse God and want to die? When the
rod of fatherly chastisement struck
them, did they strike back? Because
they found one bitter cup on the table
OF Gods supply, did they upset the
whole table? Did they kneel down at
their empty money vault and say. "AlI
my treasures are gomez Did they
stand by the grave of their dead. saw
ing, There never will be a resurrec.
tion?"
Did they bemoan their tbwarted
plans and say. ''The stocks are down;
would God ! were dead?" Did the
night of their disaster come upon them
moonless, starless, dank and bowling
smothering and choking their life outf
No. no! At eventide it was light. The
swift promises overlook them. The
eternal consultations. from their cir
cult about Gods throne. poured down
an Infinite luster. Under their shining
the pillows of trouble took on crests
and plumes of gold and jasper and am
ethyst and fame. All the trees of life
rustled in the midsummer of Gods
love. The night blooming assurances
of Christ's sympathy filled all the at
mosphere with heaven. The soul at
every step seemed to start up from its
feet bright winged joys, warbling heav-
onward. at is good that have been
afiicted?' cried David. The Lord
gave. and the Lord hath taken awayw
exclaims Job. "Sorrowful, yet always
rejoicing" says st. Paul. And God
shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes!' exclaims John in apOcalyptic vi.
sion. At eventime it was light. Light
from the cross! Light from the prom.
ises! Light from the throne! Stream.
ing joyous, Outgushing, everlasting
light!
The Glory of Old Age.
Again, the text shall find fulfillment
In the time of old age. 1t is a grand
thing to be young, to have the sight
clear and the hearing acute and the
step elastic and all our pulses march
ing on to the drumming of a stout