The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-07-08

their color. lose their int resting hue and
drop in rapid succession 10 the ground.
Man that is born OF woman hath but
a short time 20 hve, and Is full OF misery.
h cometh up, and Is cut down like q
flower; he feeth as u were a shadow, and
mids. Of life we are IN death, and science
teaches that we are more apt 10 'ie than
10 live, all our tendencies are toward
death, and II Is one continual struggle 10
keep soul md body together. Where are
now the builders OF Babel! Abraham and
his seeds David and solomon Daniel, the
prophets, the apostles and the great men
OF the pasty Only remembered hy what
they have done. They lriLg dead are
still speaking The serpent comes to the
sinner, coils about his body, presses his
heart tightly, and then comes the awful
sting. The same serpent comes 20 the
Christian. But oh, how changed, The
Christian, as he looks him in the eyes,
can cry out: "Oh, death where is Thy
sting" Il have been dying for many
years now / shall begin to live
:? They Fade Gradually.
The different periods OF life are com.
pared 20 the revolving seasons OF the
year. Childhood aud youth when lie is
all expectation and hope, are like a beauti-
ful May morning when the sun shines
brightly and the dew Is upon the flowers,
and everything is beautiful and lovely.
Nature is bursting her bars and is giving
promise of the unfolded splcndors Of a
summers glory yet 70 come But oh, how
quickly time passes by! TIL boys and
girls of yesterday are the men and women
OF to-day. Then, Tor none OF us is there
such a thing as an ever-endurlng man
hood. I'VE pursue our course, from child
hood, with It's vleor and beauty, TO age
with its feebleness and decay, with the
uniaillng continuance of the rounding sea-
sons. Our march Is an uninterrupted one
from the cradle 20 the grave" Bu', oh.
how we shrink at the thought OF geing
down the western horizon OF our physl.
cial strength! The leaves, which few
days ago felt the first touch of the frost
have day by day been changing in tint.
The work was not completed in day.
No, II has been going on gradually and
after awhile, leaf after leaf they will fall
TO the ground. So with you and me.
From Cay TO day we hardly notice the
change, but the frosts have touched US.
Now 4 rheumatic pain, then lung
trouble, later, heart weakness, the
hand begins TO tremble, the limbs begin TO
totter, the eyes need the aid of glasses.
the mental powers are clouded and breath
grows shorter, and thus we fade. So.omon
has beautifully set forth man IN hls fading
condition: In the day when the keepers
OF the house shall tremble, and the strong
men shall bow themselves, and the grinders
cease because they are few, and those that
look out OF the windows be darkened
., the grasshopper shall become bur
den, and desire shall fail, because man
goeth TO hls long home
3. They Fade Imperceptibly.
We scarcely realize that they are fading
tll they he at our feet, fallen and dead.
Why II seems but as yesterday when they
bloomed IN ycrnal pride and beauty, Int
to-day they are gone All, my aged friends.
is not this very much like the noiscess
and lmperceptble manner IN which age
overtakes you ~ IL steals behind YOU with
muilled footsteps and whtens your halr,
and wrinkles your brows, and stiiiens
your joints before YOU are well aware
that 1t IL on your track at all How long
does II seem since you were careless
child and thought.ess youth, and buoy
ant man? Not long, trow. Some OF yol
viii saw, 1T seems but as Yesterday" Nj
young friends, this ought 10 be a lesson TO
you and me, that what we are going to do
IN this life we must do quickly. for we al
do fade, Jade with the rapIdity and i'm
perceptibilty of leaf.
VI. There is n Greater Beauty and Glory
Attached to the Leaf in It's Fading
and Dying Conditic1 Than at Any
Time IN Its Life.
Along the lake shores and river banks.
and up the slopes OF the mountains, there
~ an inuCscribab!e mlnghng of gold, and
orange, and crimson, and saffron, now So
berlng into drab and maroors now flaming
into solferiDo and scirlet." In the morn
ing the forests look as If they were trans.
figured, "and in the evening hour
as l. the sunset had burst and cropped
upon the leaves" Some Of the mountains
tp ha A
submerged IN ,he glory OF the Lord. Said
Rev c. &. Townsend, as he stood by the
parsonage gate and looked upon the scene:
Isn't that beautiful | must bring my
wife up Lerc to see that foliage" How
)ften while driving along the road we no.
tice a t=se where the leaves have fadel
at the first touch OF the frost, all turning
a russet brown. mo one stops 20 study
ther. They are gathered IN no vase.
They are hung on no wall" No one cares
anything at all about them. Such IN the
death Of the wicked They do not live
out half their days, but pass away into
1lackness, and darkness, and despair with.
out ray Of hight cheer the gloom.
But, thank God, such is not the death Of
the Christian, for, the path OF the Just
Is as the shining light, which shineth more
and more unto the perfect day" What
a beautiful sight IT Is behold father and
mother IN Israel who have spent their
lives in the service Of Christ come down 10
cross the river Oh, what halo Of glory
there is about them What words of peace
and JOY and comfort proceed from their
lips, and how strangely near the Holy
Spirit is as the Angels gently loose the
silver cord.
Fade, fade, each earthly JOY,
Jesus IL Nine"
And the fading body hutters and falls
downward az the leaf, while the spirit
returns 10 God who gave II" Oh, that in
this sense, too, we may all fade with the
beauty and glory Of the leaf.
VII. The Leaves Fall Only 20 Rise Again.
IL 10 one of IL, laws OF nature that
nothing IL really lost Things change their
condition, but exist IN another form In
the Juice and sap and life of the tree the
leaves will come up again. Next May TIE
South wind will blow the resurrection
trumpet and they will rise." SO with
our loved ones VINO sleep IN Jesus.
They shall not all sleep, but they shall
be changed For n we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even 20 them also
which sleep IN Jesus will God bring with
Him. For the Lord Himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout. with the voice
Of the archangel. and with the trump OF
God: and the dead IN Christ shall rise
hrs, Then we whIc, are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them IN
the clouds, 20 meet the Lord m the ar,
and 30 shall We ever be with the Lord"
Hallelujahl Hsllelujahl
VIII. In the Heavenly Jerusalem the
Leaves Shall Never Fade
Soon will the shadows Of earth's l!e be
past,
Sorrow and partlngs be over az last;
Soon shall We meet in the MaEgions OF
Day
Met yhere onr Loved ones can ne-er iade