Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-02-15

.-hours

WASHINGTON, ID. C.-In this subjfc DR.
Talmage puts glow OF gladncss and
triumph upon passages of life that are usu
ally thought to be somewhat gloomy; text,
Zachariah xiv, Z, AT evening time it shall
be light"
While might" in all languages is the
symbol for gloom and suffering, il is often
'ealiy cheerful, bright and impressive. j
peak not Of such nights come down
xith no star pouring light from above or
silyered wave tossing up light from be.
neath-murky. hurting. portentious, but
such as You often see when the pomp and
magnifcence of 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 consultations
and the sons OF God were shouting for Joy.
Such lights the sailor blesses from the fore
castle. and the trapper on vast prairie, and
the belated traveller by the roadside, and
the soldier from the tent, earthly hosts
gazing upon heavenly and shepherds guard.
ing their focks afeld. 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 wilderness. Night among the
mountainsi Night on the ocean, Fra.
grant night among tropical grovesi Flash.
ing night amid arctic seventies! Calm
night on Roman campagna, Awful night
among the cordilleras! Glorious night mid
sea after a tempest! Thank God for the
night! The moon and the stars which rule
1t arc lighthouses on the coast toward
which hope we are all sailing, and blind
mariners are we If, 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 it
shall be light in the evening of our sorrows,
of old age. OF the worlds history, of the
Christian lie. AT eventime it shall be
light"
This prophecy will be fulfilled in the
evening OF Christian sorrow. For n long
time it is broad daylight. The sun rides
high. 1nnumerable activities go ahead with
thousand feet and work with thousand
arms, and the pickax struck a mine, and
the battery made discovery, and the in
vestment yielded its twenty per cent, and
the book came to its twentieth edition, and
the farm quadrupied in value, and sudden
fortune hoisted to high position, and chill
dren were praised, and friends without
number swarmed into the family hive, and
prosperity sang in the music and stepped
IN the lance and glowed in the wine and
ate at the banquet, and all the gsds OF mu.
sic ana ease and qualification gathered
around this Jupiter holding in his hands
50 many thunderbolts of power. But every
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 fam.
lily fold and carried off the beet 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 es.
tab,ished credit Up few a flock OF calum.
MES! The new book would not sell! A
patent could not be secured for the inven.
ton, Stocks sank like lead, The insurance
company 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? VIII
you Jet it go at less than half price: Going
-going-gone,"
VIII the grace OF God hold one up in
such circumstances? What has become OF
the great multitude OF Gods children who
have been pounded OF the fail and crushed
under the wheel and trampled under the
hoof: Did they lie down in the dust, weep
ing, wailing and crashing their teeth: Did
they when they were afflicted like Job
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, 'All my treasures are gomez!
Did they stand by the grave OF their dead,
saying, There never viii be a resurrec
tion:s
Did they bemoan their thwarted plans
and say. The stocks are down; would God
were deads' Did the night OF their dis
aster come upon them moonless, starless,
dank and bowling, smothering and choking
their life out. No, no. At eventide il
was light. The swift promises overlook
them. The eternal consultations, from
their circuit about Gods throne. poured
down an infinite lustre. Under their shin
ing the pillows of trouble took on crestt
and piumes OF gold and jasper and anne
thyst and flame. All the trees of life
rust,ed in the midsummer of Gods love
The night blooming assurances of Christie
sympathy filed all the atmosphere with
heaven.
The soul at every step seemed to start
up from its feet bright winged joys. warb
ling heayenward. 1T is good that have
been afflicted" cried David. The Lore
gave, and the Lord hath taken away
excams job. ''Sorrowful. yet always re
joicing." says ST. Paul And God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes" ex
claims John in apocalyptic vision. Al
eventime it was light. Light from the
cross, Light from the promises Ligh
from the thronei Streaming, joyous, out
gushing. everlasting light.
Again. the text shall find fulillment il
the time OF Old age. 1t is grand thing tt
be young, to have the sight clear and the
hearing acute and the step elastic and al
our pulses marching on to the drumming o.
a stout heart. Midlife and old age will be
denied many OF US. but youth-we all know
what that is. Those wrinkles were not al
ways on your brow; that snow was not al
ways on your head: that brawny muscle
did not always bunch your arm; you have
not always worn spectacies. Grave ano
digniiied you now are. You once went
coasting down the hillside or threw of
your hat for the race or sent the ball fly
ing sky high. But youth will not Away,
last. II stays only long enough to give VI
exuberant spirits and broad shoulders fol
burden carrying and an arm with which tt
battle our way through difficulties. Lifei
path. if you follow il long enough. viii
come under frowning cras and cross trem
bling causeway. Blessed old age, il yoI
let It come naturally You cannot hide it,
You may try to cover the wrinkles, but
you cannot cover the wrinkles. If the time
has come for you to be old, be not ashamed
to be old. The grandest things in all the
universe are o'd-old mountains. old riv
ers. OLD seas. old stars and an old eternity
Then do not be ashamed to be old unless
you are older than the mountains and old.
er than the stars.
How men and women will lie, They say
ay they are forty, but they are sixty.
Nhey thar hut has