Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-02-10

gloomy; text, IecHarlan NV, {, Al
evening time ii shall be light
While "uight" in all languages is the
symbol for gloom ana suffering, it is
often really cheerful. bright and i'm
pressive. | speak not Of such nights as
come down with no star pouring light
from above or silycred wave tossing
up light from beneath murky. hur-
fling, portcntous, but such as you often
see when the pomp and magniticence
of heaven turn out on night parade,
and it seems as though the song which
the morning stars began 50 long ago
were Ginning yet among the cOnstella-
tons and the SONS of God were shout
ing for joy. Such nights the sailor
blesscs from the fOrecastlc. 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 tlocls atield, 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 n solemn and glorious thing is
night in the Wilderness. Night among
the mountains Night on the ocean!
Fragrant night among tropical groves
Flashing night amid arctic seventies!
Calm night ON Roman campagna! Aw-
full night among the cOrdillcras! GlOri-
GUS night mid sea after a tempest!
Thank God for the night. The moon
and the stars which rule it are light
houses on the coast toward which /
hope we are all sailing, and blind
mariners are we if. with so many BEAM
ing. burning, flaming glories to guide
us, 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 il is broad daylight. The
sun rides high. Innumerable activities
go ahead with thousand feet and
work with Il thousand arms, and the
pickaX struck Il mine. and the battery
made discovery, and the investment
yielded its % per cent, and the book
came TO it's twentieth edition, and the
farm quadrupleG in value, and sudden
fortune hoiSted to high position, and
children were praised, and friends
without number Swarmed into the fam
lily hive, and prosperity sang in the
music and stepped in the dance and
gloved in the wine and ate ut the ban
quet, and all 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 it's 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. n 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 bust
ness firm! Away went long established
credit! Up flew q flock of calumnies
The new book would not sell. y patent
could not be secured for the invention
Stocks sank like lead, The insurance
company exploded! How much" says
the sheriff, will you bid for this pi
ano? How much for this library? How
much for this family picture? How
much? Will you let it go at less thar
half price? Going going-goner
Will the grace of God hold one up in
such circumstances? What has become
of the great multitude of Gods chill
dren who have been pounded Of the
fail and crushed under the whee
and trampled under the hoof? Die
they lie down in the dust, weeping
wailing and gnashing their teeth? Die
they when thCy were afflicted like Jol
curse God and want to die? When the
rod Of fathcrly chastisemcnt strucl
them. did they strike back? Becaus,
they found one bitter cup on the tabl,
of Gods supply, did they upset thu
whole table? Did they kneel down a
their empty money vault and say, AL
my treasures are gone Did the
stand by the grave of their dead. say
ing, There never will be resurreC
tion?"
Did they Jemoan their thwarte
plans and say, The stocks are down
would God | were dead:" Did til
night of their disaster come upon ther
mooness. starless. dank and bowling
smothcring and choking their life out
No, no. At Cventide it was light. TIL
swift promises overlook them. TIL
eternal consultations from their Gil
cult about Gods throne. poured dow
an infinite luGtCr. Under their shinin
the pillows of trouble took on crest
and pIumes of gold and jasper and an
ethyst and flame. All the trees of lif
rustled in the midsummer of Cod
love. The night blooming assurance
of Christ's sympathy filed all the u
mosphcre with heaven. The soul {