The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-02-14
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject; When tac Sun Of Life scts-rhe
Christian Finds Fuihiiment In the
Time 90 Old Age-rhe Light II Even
tide-Last Hours Iliumined.

iitne ol Oiu ASc-Ihe Likht III ENcu-
ude-Last Hours Iiiumined.
WASHINGTON, ID. C.--In this subject DR..
Talmage puts a glow Of gledness and
triumph upon passages of life that are usu-
ally thought 70 be somewhat gloomy: text,
ZaehariAh xiv, :, AT evening time II shall
be hight"
While might" in all languages is the
symbol for gloom and suffering IL is often
really cheerful, bright and impressive. l
speak not OF such nights as come down
with no star pouring light from above or
silverec wave tossing mp 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 II seems as though the song
which the morning stars began 80 long ago
were Ginning yet among the consultations
and the sons OF God were shoatng for Joy
Such ights the sailor blesses from the fore.
castle, and the tTapper 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 wildernessl Night among the
mountains, Night on the ocean! Fra
grant night among tropical groves Flash.
ina night amid arctic seventies! Calm
night on Roman campagnal Awful night
among the eordilieras! Glorious night mid
sea after tempest! Thank God for the
night The moon and the stars which rule
II are lighthouses on the coast toward
which l hope we are all sailing, and blind
mariners are We II, with so many beaming.
burning, flaming glories 10 guide US, we
cannot tind our way into the harbor.
My text may well suggest that. as the
natural evening is often luminous, 80 il
shall be light in the evening OF our sorrows,
OF old sge, of the worlds history, of the
Christian life. AT eventime IL shall be
light"
This prophecy will be fulfilled in the
evening OF Christian sorrow For a long
time it is broad daylight. The sun rides
high. lnnumerable activities 90 ahead with
a thousand feet and work with a thousand
arms, and the pickax struck a mine, aud
the battery made a discovery, and the in.
vestment yielded its twenty per cent, and
the book came TO its twentieth edition, and
the farm quadrupled 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 Gancc and glowed in the wine and
ate az the banquet, and all the gods OF mu-
sic ana ease and qualification gathered
around this Jupiter holding IN his hands
so many thunderbolts OF power. Bat every
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 fam.
lily fold and carried off the best lamb A
deep howl OF woe came crashing down
through the joyous symphonies. AZ one
rough twang of the hand OF disaster the
harpstrings all broke. Down went the
strong business firm! Away went long co.
tablished credit! Up few flock of calum.
nies! The new book would not sell A
patent could not be secured for the nven.
tion! Stocks sank like leadl The insurance
company exploded How much" saws
the Sheriff, will you bid for this piano?
How much for this library? How much
for this family pcturey How muchy Will
you let IL 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 children who
have been pounded of the fail and crnshed
under the wheel and trampled under the
hoof? Did they lie down in the dust, weep
ing, wailing and gnashing 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 backg Because they found ono
bitter cup on the table of Gods supply,
did they upset the whole table, Did they
kneei down at their empty money vault
and say, "All my treasures are gone"
Did they stand by the grave of their dead,
saying, There never viii be a resurrec.
ton"
Did they bemoan their thwarted plans
and say, The stocks are down; would God
j were dead" Did the night OF their dis
aster come upon them moonless, starloss,
dank and bowling, smothcring and choking
their life outs No, mol Az eventidc II
was light. The swift promises overtool,
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 crests
and plumes Of gold and jasper and anne
thyst and fame. All the trees OF life
rustled 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 20 start
up from It's feet bright winged Joys warb-
ling heavenward 1T is good that | have
been afflicted" cried David. "1he Lord
gave, and the Lord hath taken away!"
exclaims job. "Sorrowiul. yet always re.
joicing," says ST. Paul And God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes, cx-
claims John in apocllyptic vision. At
eventme IL was light. Light from the
crossl Light from the promises! Light
from the throne Streaming, Joyous, out.
gushing, everlasting light
Again, the text shall find fulhlmeut in
The time OF Old age. IL is a grand thing %
be young, 20 have the sight clear and the
hearing acute and the step elastic and all
our pulses marching on 20 the drumming %
a stout heart Midlife and old age will be
denied many Of us but yoJth-we all know
what that Is. Those wrinkles were not al
ways on your brow; that snow was not az
ways on your head that brawny muscle
did not always bunch your arm; you have
not always worn spectacies. Grave and
dignihed as 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 always
last. II stays only long enough 90 give us
exuberant spIrits and broad shoulders for
burden carrying and an arm with which 10
battle our way through difficulties. Ldfe's
path, II you follow ~ long enough, will
come under frowning crag and cross trem-
bling causeway. Blessed old age, II you
let II come naturally You cannot hide u.
You may try % cover the wrinkles but
you cannot cover the wrlnkles. II the time
has come for YOU 10 be old, be not ashamed
% be DID. The grandcst things IN all the
universe are old-Oid mountains, old riy.
ers. Oh seas. Old stars and an old eternity
Then do not be ashamed % be old unless
you are older than the mountains and old.
er than the stars.
How men and women will liel They say
say they are forty, but they are sixty.
They say they are twenty, but they are
thirty They gay they are gixty, but they
are C.zity. Glorious Old age II found IN
the way oi rghteoUsness'
How beautiful the old age Of Jacob.
80. =. -. a.. ef he af.g. a. T,I,.