The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-02-13
WHEN SUN OF LIFE SETS
DR.. Talmage Says the Christian Finds
FnIfiIIment in the Time Of
Old Age.
The Light Of the Evening Tide-Last Hours
IlIumlned.

>, WASHINGTON, D. Gin this subject DR..
Tamage puts a glow of gladness and
triumph upon passages Of life that are usu
ally thought to be somewhat gloomy; text,
Lachariah xiv, 7, "At evening time it shall
be light"
While might" in all languages is the
symbol for gloom and suffering, it is often
really cheerful, bright and impressive. ]
speak not Of such nights as come down
with no star pouring light from above or
eivered wave tossing up light from be.
neath--murky, hurtling, portentious, but
such as You often see when the pomp and
magnificence of heaven turn out on night
parade, and it seems as though the song
which the morning stars began so long ago
were Ginning yet among the constellations
and the sons OF God were shouting for Joy.
Such ights 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 fiocks a6eld, while angel hands
above them set the silver bells a-ringng,
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.
ing night amid arctic severitiesl Calm
night on Roman campagnal Awful night
among the cordillerasl Glorious night mid
sea after a tempestl Thank God for the
night! The moon and the stars which rule
1T are 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 cyaOino ts oftoY luminous
shall be light in the evening of our sorrows,
OF old age, of the worlds history, of the
Christian life. "At eventime it 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. lnnumerabe activities go ahead with
thousand feet and work with thousand
arms, and the pickax struck 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 quadrupled in value, and sudden
fortune hoisted to high position, and chill
number swarmed into the family hive, and
prosperity sang in the music and stepped
in the uance and glowed in the wine and
ate at the banquet, and all the g ds of mu-
sic and case 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. 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. At one
rough twang of the hand of disaster the
strong business firm! Away went long es.
tablished credit! Up flew flock of calum.
nies! 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 pianoi
How much for this library? How much
for this family picture? How much? Will
you let it 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 crushed
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 back? Because they found one
bitter cup on the table of Gods supply,
did they upset the whole table? Did they
and say, "All my treasures are gomez"
Did they stand by the grave of their dead,
saying, There never will be a resurrec'
ton"
Did they bemoan their thwarted plans
and say, The stocks are down; would God
i We're dead:" Did the night of their dis.
aster come upon them moonless, starless,
dank aud bowling. smothering and choking
their life out! No, no! At eventide it
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 billows of trouble took on crests
and plumes of gold and jasper and ame
thyst and fame. All the trees of life
rustled in the midsummer of Gods love
The night blooming assurances of Christ's
sympathy filed all the atmosphere with
heaven.
The soul at every step seemed to start
up from its feet bright winged Joys, warb
ling heavenward. ut is good that have
been afflicted" cried David. 'The LORD
gave, and the Lord hath taken away'
exclaims 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. A.
eventime it was light. Light from the
cross Light from the promises! Ligh
from the thronel Streaming, joyous, out
gushing, everlasting light
Again, the text shall find fulfllment il
the time of old age. 1t is a grand thing tc
be young, to have the sight clear and the
hearing acute and the step elastic and all
our pulses matching on to the drumming OF
q 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 ,uscle
did not always bunch your arm; you have
not always worn spectacles. Grave anc
digniiied 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 alwayl
last. IL stays only long enough to give III
eyuherant spirits and broad shoulders fol
burden carrying and an arm with which t.
battle our way through difficulties Life'i
path if .you follow it long enough, vii
come under irowning crag and cross trem
bling causeway. Blessed old age, if yor
let II 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 old-old mountains, old riv
ers, old seas. old stars and an old eternity
Theu do not be ashamed TO be old unest
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 say they are sixty but they
L. IL. 4