Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-02-13
rALMAGE'S SERMON.
r. T FROM ZACHARIAH: "AT EVEN
z Ti@E IT SHALL BE LIGHT.
The autifui Evening That Desoends
U as Christians Life of Toll
Cah and Glory of the Closing
Hour-Darkness Swept Away.


DR.. Talmage puts glow Of gladness
and triumph upon the passages of life
that are usually thought to be some
what gloomy; text, Zachariah xiv. z,
AT evening time 1t shall be light"
When might" in all languages is
the symbol for gloom and suffering. 1t
Is often really cheerful. bright and
impressive. Such nights the sailor
blesses from the forecastle. and the
trapper on vast prairie. and the be-
lated traveller by the roadside. and the
soldier from the tent. earthly hosts
gazing upon heavenly and shepherds
guarding their focks afield. while
angel hands above them set the silver
bells a-ringing, GLORY to God In the
highest and on earth peace: good will
toward men,"
What a solemn and glorious thing Is
night in the wildernessl Night among
the mountains! Night on the ocean!
Thank God for the night! The moon
and the stars which rule it are light
houses on the coast toward which I
hope we are all sailing. and blind
mariners are we II. with SO many
beaming, 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 1t shall be light in the evening Of
our sorrows of old age. Of the worlds
history of the Christian life. AT
eventime 1t shall be light"
This prophecy will be fulfilled in
the evening of Christian sorrow. For
a long time 1t is broad daylight. The
sun rides high. Innumsrable activities
go 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
farm quadrupled Its value. and sudden
fortune hoisted to high position, and
children were praised and friends
without number swarmed into the
family hive. and prosperity sang in
the music and stepped In the dance
and glowed in the wine and ate at the
banquet. and all the gods OF music and
ease and qualification gathered around
this Jupiter holding In his hands SO
many thunderbolts of power. But
every sun must set. and the brightest
day must have its twilight. Sudden
ly the sky was overcast. The fountain
dried up. The song hushed. The
wolf broke into the family fold and
carried of 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 business firm! Away went
long established credit! Up few q
flock Of calumnies! The new book
would not sell! A patent could not be
secured for the invention! Stocks
sank like lead! The insurance COM
pany exploded! How much" says
the sheriff. will you bid for this
piano? How much for this library !?
How much for this family picture?
How much? Will you let 1t go at less
than half price? Going-going-gone
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 wheel and
trampled under the hoof? Did they
lie down in the dust, weeping, wailing,
and crashing their teeth? 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. "All
my treasures are gone? Did they
stand by the grave Of their dead. say
ing. There never will be q resurrec-
tion?"
Did they bemoan their thwarted
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 out ?
ANos hOs NJ ONCAttuC ~ was I6ut. ue
eternal consultations. from their cir
cult about Gods throne. poured down
an infinite luster. The night blooming
assurances OF Christs sympathy filled
all the atmosphere with heaven. The
soul at every step seemed to start up
from its feet bright winged Joys. warb-
ling heavenward. at Is good that /
have been afflicted" cried David. 1.-THE
Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken
away?" eyclaims Job. "Sorrowful, yet
always rejoicing" says st. Paul. "And
God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes!" exclaims John in apoca-
lyptic vision. At eventime 1t was light
Light from the cross! Light from the
promises! Light from the throne!
Streaming. Joyous. outgushing. ever
lasting light!
Again. the text shall ind fulfillmen,
in the time Of old age. It 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
heart. Midlife and old age will be de-
MED many of us. but youth-we all
know what that Is. Grave and digni.
fed as you now are. you once wen,
eoasting down the hillside or threw of
your hat for the race or sent the ball
flying sky high. But youth will moi
always last. Lies path. II you follow
It long enough. will come under frown-
ing crag and cross trembling cause
way. Blessed old age. II you let II
come naturally! You cannot hide it
You may try to cover the wrinkles. but
you cannot cover the wrinkles. II the
time has come for you to be old, be
not ashamed to be old. The grandest