The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-25
DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE MIDNIGHT REVEL.
Preached at Monona, Wis.l

was one of the most exciting times IN Eng.
lsh history when Queen Elizabeth visited
Lord Leicester at Kenilworth Castle. !he
moment of her arrival was asconsidered 80 i'm
portant that all the clocks Of the castle were
stopped, so that III, hands might point to
that one moment as being thu most signlh-
cant of all. She was greeted to the gate
with floating islands and torches and the
thunder of cannon and fireworks that set the
night ablaze, and q great burst of music that
lifted the whole scene into perfect enchant-
ment Then she was introduced In dining
hall, the luxuries of which astonished the
world; 400 servants waited upon the guests;
the entertainment cost $1,000 each day
Lord Leicester made that great supper in
kenilworth Castle
Cardinal Wolsey entertained the French
ambassadors at Hampton Court. TIE best
cooks in all the land prepared for the ban
qUet; puryeyors went out and Travelled all
the kingdom over to find spoils for the table.
The time came. The guests were kept during
the day hunting in the Kings park, so that
their appetites might be keen; and then, in
thu evening, to the sound of the trumpeters,
they were introduced into hall hung with
silk and cloth Of gold, and there were tables
a glitter with imperial plate and laden with
the rarest of meats and a-blush with the cost
lest of wines; and when the second course
of tho feast came it was found that the arti-
cles of food had been fashioned into the
shape of men, birds and beasts, and groups
dancing and jousting parties riding against
ca h other with lanceS. Lords and Princes
and Ambassadors, out of cups filed to
the brim, drank the bealth, first of the
King of England and next to the
King of France. Cardinal Wolsey pre-
pared that great supper in Hampton Court.
But my text takes us to more exciting
banquet. Night was about to come down
upon Babylon. The shadows of her $50 tow.
ers began to lengthen. 'Ths Euphrates rolled
ting sum- and gates of brass, FURNISHED and
glittering, orenei and shut like doors of
flame. The hanging gardens Of Babylon, wet
with heavy dew, began to. pour from starlit
flowers and dripping leaf fragrance for
many miles around. The streets and S luares
were lighted for dance and frolic and prom
enade. The theatres and galleries of art in
vited the wealth, and pomp, and grandeur of
the city to rare entertainments Scenes ct
riot and was;ail were mingled in every
street, and goddess mirth and outrageous ex-
cess and splendid wickedness came to the
Kings palace to do their mightiest deeds of
darkness. A royal feast tonight at the
Kings palacel Rushing up to the gates
are chariots upholstered with pre-
cious cloths from Dedan and drawn
by fire-eyed horses from Togarmah,
that rear and neigh in the grasp Of the
charioteers, while thousand Lords dismount,
and women dressed in all the splendor of
Syrian emerald, AMI the color blending Of
agate, and the chasteness of coral" and the
sembre glory Of Tyrian purple, and princely
embroideries brought from afar by camels
across the desert and by ships Of Tarshish
across the sea. Open wide the gates and let
the guests come in! The chamberiains and
cup.bearers are all ready. Hark to the rustic
Of the silks and to the carol cf the music!
See the blaze Of the jewels! Lift the bar
ners Fill the cups! Clap the cymbals!
Blow the truml cts! Let the night 70 by
with song and dance aud ovation, and let
that Babylonish tongue be palsied, that will
not say: 20 King Belshazzar, live for ever!"
Alb, my friends! it was not any common
banquet to which these great people came.
viands to that table. Brackets an / chande-
liers flashed their light upon tankards of bur-
nished gold. Fruits, ripe and luscious, in
baskets of silver, entwined with leaves,
plucked from. royal conserratories. Vases
inlaid with emerald and rfdged with exquis-
ite ira: cries, filled with nuts that were
threshed from forests Of distant lands. Wine
brought from the royal watts, foaming in the
decanters and bubbling in the chalices. Tufts
of cassia and frankincense waiting their
sweetness from wall and table. Gorgeous
banners unfolding in the breeze that came
through the opened window, bewitched with
the perfume Of hanging gardens. Fountains
rising up from Enclosures of ivory in jets of
crystal, to fall in Gathering rain of diamonds
and pearls Statues of mighty men looking
down from inches in the wall upon crowns
and shields brought from subdued empires.
Idols Of wonderful work standing on
pedestals of precious stones. Embroid-
cries dropping about the windows and
wrapping pillars of cedar, and drift
ing on floors inlaid with ivory and agate.
Music, mingling the thrum of harpS, aud the
clash of cymba 8, and the blast OF trumpets
In one wave of transport that went ripping
along the wall and breathing among the gar
lands, and rouring down the corridors, and
thrilling the sous of thousand banqueters.
The signal is given and the lords and ladies,
around the tab'e. Pour out the wine! Let
foam and bubble kiss the. rfm Hoist every
one his cup, and drink to the sentiment: "Oh,
King Belshaz2ar, live for erern' Restarred
headband and carcanet Of royal beauty
CLEAN to the uplifted chalces, as again and
again and again they are emptied. Away
with care from the palace! Tear royal dig
nifty to tatters! Pour out more wine! Give
US more light, wilder music, sweeter perfume!
Lord shouts to lord, captain ogles to cap
tain, goblets clash, decanters rattle. There
comes in the obs cene song and the drunken
hiccough and the slavering lin and the guffau
or 1d1otic laughter bursting from the lips OF
Princes, flushed, reeliny, bloodshot; while
mingling with it all hear: "Huzza, huzza,
for great Pelshazzarw
What is that on the plastsring Of the wall9
Is it spirita Is it a phantom. Is it God!
The music stops. The goblets fall from the
nerveless grasp There is thrill. There is
a start. There is a thousand.voiced shrek Of
horror Let Daniel be brought in to read
that writing He comes in. He reads it:
weighed in the balances, and art found
wanting" Meanwhile the Assyrians, who
for two years had been laying siege to that
city. took advantage Of that carousal, and
came in. hear the feet Of the conquerors
on the palace stairs. Massacre rushes in
with thousand cleaning knives. Death
bursts upon the scene; and 1 shut the door of
that bauqueting hall, for do not want to
look. There is nothing there but torn banners
and broken wreaths, and the slush Of upset
tankardS, and the blood of murdered women,
| and the kicked and tumbled carcass Of dead
King. For in that night was Belshazzar
slain.
l. learn from this, that, when God writes
anything on the wall, man had better read
it as it IS. Daniel did not misinterpret or
| modify the handwriting on the wall. 1t is
all foolishness to eIpecta minister of the gos-
pei to preach always things that the people
| like or the people choose. What shall
preach to you to-day' Shall I tell you Of the
| dignity of human nature! Shall tell you Of
the wonders that our race has accomplished! !!
"Oh. MOI" you say, ''tell me the message that
came from God" I will II there is any
handwriting on the wall, it is this lesson:
Repent, accept Of Christ and be saved
might talk of great many other things, but
that is the message, and so declare it. Jesus
never f1attered those to whom he preached
He said to those who did wrong and who