The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-15

or moving O popular assemblage by his eloquance
rs trees are moved in a whirlwind. Some night
he retires early. A fever Is on him. Deiirlum,
like reckless chariOteer seizes the reins OF his
intellect Father and mother stand by and see
the tides Of life going ont to the great ocean
The banquet Is coming 10 an end. The lights or
thought, and mirth, and eloquence are being OK
tinguished. The garlands are snatched from the
brow The vision is gone. Death at ne ban
quetl
We saw the same thing. on larger scale. IL
Illustrated at the last war in this country Our
whole nation had been sitting at national ban
quet-North, South, East and West. What
grain was there but we grew it on our hlllsf
What invention was there but our rivers must
turn the new wheel and rattle the strange shut
tleY What warm furs but our traders must
bring them from the Arcticl What fish bat our
nets must sweep them for the markets. What
music but it must sing in our hallsi What elo-
quence but it must speak in our Senates. Ho,
To the national banquet, reaching from mountain
to mountain and from sea to seal To prepare
that banquet the sheepfolds and the
ayiaries of the country sent their
best treasures. The orchards piled up on
the table their sweetest fruits The presses
burst out with new wines. To sit at that table
came the yeomanry of New Hampshire, and the
lumbermen of Maine, and the tanned Carolinian
from the rice swamns. and the harvesters of
Wisconsin, and the Western emigrant from the
pines of Oregon, and we all brothers
brothers at banquet Suddenly the feast
ended. What meant those mounds thrown up
at Chickahomny, Shiloh, Atlanta Gettysburg,
South Mountain2 What meant those golden
grain fields turned into pasturing ground for
cavalry horses2 What meant the corn fields
quilted with the wheels of the heavy supply
trainY Why those rivers of tears. those lakes of
blood2 God was angry. Justice must come. A
handwriting on the walli The Nation has been
weighed and found wanting. Darkness Dark
nassl Woe to the North! Woe to the SOUTH
Woe to the East! Woe to the West Death at
the banquet!
4. have also to learn from the subject that
the destruction of the vicious and of those who
despise God will be very sudden. Are there any
here who are unprepared Cor the eternal worldY
Are there any here who have been living with
out 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 you shall go no
more to the office, or TO the store, or to the shop
Nothing will be left but Death, and Judgment
and Eternity Oh, fee to God this hour! II
there be 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 sins Flee to the stronghold of the
gospel!
To-day invite you to a grander banquet 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
joy. and curtained with unfading beauty,
the banqueting place. The harmonies of eter
nifty are the music. The chalices of heaven are
the plate, and am one of the servants coming
out with both hands filed with invitations, scat
tering them everywhere; and of that. for your
selves you might break the seal of the invita-
ton and read the words written in red ink of
blood by the tremuous 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 slumbers9 May you awake in the
morning strong and well. But, oh! art thou
despiser of Goda Is the coming night the last
night on earthf Shouldst thou be awakened in
the night by something. thou knowst not what,
and there be shadows floating in the room, and
handwriting on the wall, and you feel that your
last hour is come, and there be a fainting at the
heart. and tremor in the limb, and catching
of the Ereath--then thy doom would be but
echo Of the words of my text In that night
was Belshazzar, the King of the Chaideans, slain"