OR, THOUGHTS FOR LIFE'S EVENTIDE. BY J. R. MACDUFF, D.D., AUTHOR OF "MORNING AND NIGHT WATCHES," "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day "At evening time it shall be light."-ZECH. xiv. 7. Second Edition. LONDON: JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET. FOR you who have reached life's sunset-hour,-time's Curfew-bell tolling,— the fires about to be put out, and the flocks to be folded,—the following pages, though not exclusively, are more specially intended. They consist of a selection of Scripture texts, accompanied with a few lines of original poetry, (in most cases, a simple paraphrase or expansion of the verses preceding,) put in the form of portions for daily reading. These combined, may serve, with the Divine iv blessing, as "the olive-oil beaten for the light" which fed, of old, the lamps of the Jewish sanctuary, (Exod. xxvii. 20.) The Temple-lamps were lighted "at even." May He who walketh in the midst of the golden candlesticks, cheer the evening of your pilgrimage with His own presence and love. If "the windows and they that look out of them be darkened" and the nightshadows be falling,-may you be able, in calm assurance, to say, "THOU wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness," (Ps. xviii. 28.) Thus, with life's Curfew-hours occupied as an Emmaus - journey, in the fellowship of a present, though unseen Saviour, be it yours ever to breathe the V prayer—“ ABIDE WITH US; FOR IT IS TOWARD EVENING, AND THE DAY IS FAR SPENT:" that so, when the day is spent,-when the summons has been given, "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe,"-you may fall, like the mellowed shock of corn in its season, only to be gathered by the reaperangels into the Heavenly garner. "ASK YE OF THE LORD RAIN IN THE TIME OF THE LATTER RAIN SO THE LORD SHALL MAKE BRIGHT CLOUDS, AND GIVE THEM SHOWERS OF RAIN." ZECH. X. 1. |