Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-23


A handwriting on the wall! The nation
has been weighed and found wanting.
Darkness! Darkness! DarkneSsi Woe
to the North! Woe to the South. Woe
to the East. Woe to the West, Death
at the banquet
| have also to learn from the subject
that the destruction of the vicious and
of those who despiSe God will be very
sudden. The wave of mirth had dashed
to the highest point when the Assyrian
army broke through. TWAS unexpect-
ed. Suddenly, almost always, comes
the doom of those who despise God
and defy the laws of men. How was it
at the deuge? Do you suppose it came
through long northeast storm so that
the people for days before were sure it
was coming? No; l suppose the morn
ing was bright; that calmness brooded
on the waters; that beauty sat en-
throned on the hills; when suddenly the
heavens burst and the mountains sank
like anchors in the sea, that dashed
clear over the Andes and the Hima-
layas. The Red Sea was divided. The
Egyptians tried TO cross it. There
could be no danger. The Israelites mad
just gone through; where they had gone
why not the Egyptians? Oh! it was
such u beautiful walking place A
pavement of tinged shells and pearls,
and on either side two great walls of
water, solid There can be no danger.
Forward, great host of the Egyptians!
Clap the cymbals and blow the trum-
pets of victory! After them! We will
catch them yet and they shall be de-
stroyed. But the walls of solidiiied
water began to tremble. They rock
They fall. The rushing waters! The
shrieks of drowning men! The SWIM
ming of the warehouses in VAIN for the
shore. The strewing of the great host
on the bottom of the sea or pitched by the
angry waves on the beach dash batter
ed, bruised and loathsome wreck
Suddenly destruction came. One-half
hour before they could not have be-
lieved it. Destroyed and without rem
edy. | am just setting forth fact
which you have noticed as well as L.
Ananias comes to the Apostle. The
Apostle says: "Did you sell the land
for so much?' He says, YES" "A
| lie, and dead as quick as that! Sap
phira, his wife, comes In. ''Did you
sell the land for so much?" "Yes. :"
"a lie," and dead as quick as that!
Gods judgments are upon those who
despise and defy him. They come sud-
denly. The destroying angel went
through Egypt. DO you suppose that
any of the people knew he was coming?
Did they hear the flap of his great
wing? No! no! Suddenly, unexpect-
eddy, he came. Skilled sportsmen do
not like to shoot a bird standing on
sprig near by. If they are skilled
the wing and they wait till it starts.
Death is an old sportsman and he loves
to take men flying near the very sun.
| He loves to take them on the wing.
Are there any here who are unpre-
| pared for the eternal world? Are there
an here who have been living without
| God and without hope? Let me say to
you that you had better accept of the
| Lord Jesus Christ, lest suddenly your
last chance be gone. The lungs will
cease to breathe, the heart will stop.
The time will come when we shall go
no more TO the office, or to the store,
or the shop. Nothing will be lett but
death, and Judgment and eternity. Oh
| flee to God this hourl If there is one
in this presence who has wandered far
away from Christ, though he may not
| have heard the call of the gospel for
many year, invite him now to come
and be saved. Flee from thy sin! Flee
to the stronghold of the gospel
To-day invite you to grander ban
quet than any | have mentioned. My
| Lord, the King, is the banqueter
/ Angels are the cup-bearers. All the
redeemed are the guests. The halls of
eternal love, frescOed with light and
paved with JOY, and curtained with un-
fading beauty, is the banqueting place.
| The harmonies of eternity are the
music. The chalices Of heaven are the
plate; and | am one Of the servants
coming out with both hands filled with
invitations, scattering them everywhere:
and of that, for yourselves, you might
| break the seal of the invitation, and
| read the words written in red ink of
| blood by the tremulous hand of dying
| Christ. Come now, for all things are
ready" After this day has rolled by
and the night has come may you have
rosy sleep, guarded by Him who never
| slumbers, May you awake in the morn
ing strong and weli But, Oh! art thou
a despjser of God? Is the coming night
the last night on earth? Shouldest thou
be awakened in the night by something,
thou knowest not what, and there be
shadows floating in the room, hand
writing on the wall, and you feel that
your last hour has come. and there be
fainting at the heart, and tremor
Ill e u. L......