The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-08-12
"THE MIDNIGHT REVEL."
TALMAGE'S LAST SUNDAYS SERMON
IN WISCONSIN.

In WISCON SIN.
That of Belshazzar The Handwriting
the Wall-Close of the banquet in
Suddenly Intrudes on the Feast-An
Eloquent Sermon Concluded by n Pow
erful Appeal.
Specially Reported for The Sentinel.
MoMoNA. Wis, August 8, 1886: A
great outdoor meeting was held here to-
day. Thousands attended it from the
city of Madison, which Is only few
miles distant. The Rev. T. Dewitt
Talmage, d. D., lectured here yesterday,
and to-day he preached to uncounted
multitudes. The subject of the sermon
was q The Midnight Revel," and the text
was Daniel V. 80: In that night was
Belshazzar the King OF the Chaldeans
slain" DR.. Talmage said:
Feasting has been known in all ages
It was one OF he most exciting times in
English history when Queen Elizabeth
visited Lord leicester at ke. ilworth
Castle. The nlolnent o her arrival was
considered iIili RANT iifa all the
clocks of the c. site >t..;.;, d. so
that the hands NIGH T. int 10 tina, one
moment as being the most 81 .i:..citIlt OF
all. She was greeted to q gate with
floating islands, and t"rchr AMI the
thunder Of cannon, and fireworks that
set the night ablaze, and .i-at burst Of
music that lifted the wit,,.. -rs.:,.. into
perfect enchantment. lheit 5hs. WIS
introduced in Il dining-hall th.. .uxuries
of which ustonishcd the woIl,i in,,. hun
dred $ rrn- Is waited upon TIM guests.
the entertainment cost five thousand
dollars each day. Lord Leicester made
that great supper in Kenilworth Ca.,lc
Cardinal Nolsey entertaine; the
French ambassadors at Hampton Court.
The best cooks i'll all the Ian prepared
for the banquet, purveyors 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 theii
appetites might be keen and then in the
evening, to the sound of the trumpeters.
they were introduced into a hall hung
with silk and cloth of gold and there
were tables glitter with imperial plate,
and laden with the rareSt of meats, and
a-blush with the costliest wines; and
when the second course OF the feast
came it was found that the articles of
food had been fashioned into the shape
of men. bird AMI beasts, and groups
dancing, and jousting parties riding
against each other with lances Lords
and princes and ambassadors out Of
cups filled to the brim drank the health,
iii ofthe King of England, and next to
the King of France. Cardinal Wolsey
prepared HAT great supper in Hampton
Court.
But my text takes US to a more ex-
citing banquet. Night was about to
come own upon Babylon. The shadows
OF hcI two hundred and fifty towers be
gan To lcngthen. The Euphrates rolled
OH, touched by the fiery spl.udors OF
the setting sun and gates OF brass, bur
nished and glittering, opened and shut
like doors of flame. The hanging gar
dens OF Babylon, wet with heavy dew,
began to pour from starlit flowers and
dripping leaf a fra rance for many miles
around. The streets q: .quar.-- wcr-
lighted for dance and frolic and prom
eiade. The theatres and galleries OF
art invited the wealth and pomp and
grandeur OF the city to rare ,ntertaiu-
ments. Scenes of riot and wassail were
mingled in every street; and goddess
mirth and outrageous excess and Splen-
did wickedness came to the kings
palace to do their mightiest deeds OF
darkness.
A royal feast tonight at the kings
palace! Rushing up to the gates are
chariots upholstered with precious cloths
from Dedan and drawn by fre-eyed
horses from Togarmah, that rear and
neigh in the grasp of the chariOteers;
while a thousand lords dismount, and
women dressed in all the splendor OF
Syrian emerald, and the color-blending
of agate, and the chasteness OF coral,
and the sombre glory Of Tyrian purple,
and princely embro deries brought from
afar by camels ACROSS the desert and by
ships Of Tarshish across the sea- Open
wide the gates and let the guests como
in! The chamberlains and cup-bearers
are all ready. Hank to the rustic of
& 4 -. kk<.w cyAe
See the blaze of the jewels Lift the
banners Fill the cups! Clap the
cymbals! Blow the trumpets! Let
the night go by with song and dance and
ovation and let that Babylonish tongue
be palsied that will not say: 20 King
Belshazzar, live for ever!'
All my friends it was not any COM
mon banquet to which these great peo-
pie came. All parts of the earth had
son cir richest viands to that table.
Brackets and chandeliers flashed their
light upon tankard, Of FURNISHED gold.
Fruits, ripe and luscious, in baskets Of
silver .ntwined with leaves, plucked
from royal coneeryatories. Vases in
laid with emerald and ridged with ex-
quisi;e traceries. filled with nuts that
were threshed from forests of distant
lands. Win, brought from the royal
watts. foaming in the doc. nters and bub-
bling III the chalices. Tufts of cassia
and frankincense waiting their sweetness
from wall and table. Gorgeous banners
unfolding n the breeze that came
through the opened window. bewitched
with til. perfume OF hanging gardens.
Fountains rising up from Enclosures Of
ivoty in jets of crystal. to fall in clat-
tering rain of diamonds and pearls.
Statues of mighty men looking down
from inches iii the wall upon crowns
and shields brought from subdued
enpIrs. Idols OF wonderful work
sta.uing on pedestals OF precious
stones. Embroideries STOPPING about
the windows and wrapping pillars Of
cedar. ami drifting OH floor inlaid with
ivory All. agate. Music. iningling the
thr,Im OF harps and Tin. clash or Gym balls.
AID The Last OF trumpet i'll ole wave
/ I .nsp,.rt that WE'LL ripping long
! the wall ~nd br. at ing i.nio. ( the gar
/ lands, and pouring down the corridors,