Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-01-29

sentiment, 'Oh. King Belshazzar, live for
everl' Bestarrsd headband and carcanei
of royal beauty CLEAN TO the uplifted chai
ices, rs again and again and again they arr
enptied. Away with care from the palace
Tear royal digAity to tattersl Pour out
more wine. Give us more light, wilder
music, swseter perfumel Lord shouts &c
lord, captain ogles 10 captain. Goblets
clash, decanters rattle. There comes in
the vile song, and the drunken hiccough
and the slavering lip. and the guffaw OF
idiotic laughter, bursting from the lips Of
princes, flushed, Keeling, bloodshot; while
mingling with it all hear. ''Huzzal huzza
for great Belshazzar"
THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL.
What is that on the plastering of the
wallg Is it spirit? Is it phantoms Is
it God? Out of the black sleeve of the
darkness a finger of fiery terror trembles
through the air and comes to the wall
circling about as though it would write,
and then, with sharp tip of flame, en-
graves on the plastering the doom of the
king. The music stops. The goblet falls
from the nerveless grasp. There is a thrill.
There is a start. There is thousand
voiced shrek of horror. Let Daniel be
brought in TO read that writing. He comes
in. He reads it, weighed in the balance
and 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 PUSHES in with
a thousand cleaning knives. Death bursts
upon the scene, and | shut. the door of
that banquering 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 muir
dered women. and the kicked and tumbled
carcass OF dead king. For lin that night
was Belshazzar. the king Of the Chaldeans.
slain.
READ IT AS IT Is.
| 20 ON 10 learn that when God writes
anything on the wall. u man had better
read it AS it Is. Daniel did not misinter-
pref or modify the handwriting on the
wall. It is all foolishness To expect min
lister of The Gospel to preach always things
that the people like or the people choose.
Young men, what shall preach TO you to
nighty Shall | tell you of the dignity of
human nature. Shall | tell you Of the
wonders that our race has accomplished
"Oh, nor you say; tell me the message
that came from Cod ! will. II there is
any handwriting on the wall il is this les
son, Accept of Christ and be sayedp'
might talk of great many other things,
but that is the message. and so declare il.
Jesus never nattered those 20 whom he
preached. He said to those who did wrong
and who were offensive in his sight, 'Ye
how can We escape the damnation of hellI'
Paul the apostle preached before man
who was not ready to hear him preach.
What subject did he takey Did he say,
"Oh! You are good man, very fine man,
very noble man" No; he preached OF
righteousness to a man who WAS upright
eous; of temperance to u man who was the
victim of bad appetites; of the judgment
to come To man who was unfit for it. So
we must always declare the message that
happens 10 come to us. Daniel must read
il as t is. A minister preached before
James Of England, who was James vi
OF Scotland. What subject did he takef
The king was noted all over the world for
being unsettled and wavering in his ideas
What did the minister preach about to
this man who was James | Of England
and James VI of Scotlandl He took for
his text James /, 6; HE that wavereth is
like "A wave of the sea. driven with the
wind and tossed"
Hugh Latimer offended the king by
sermon he preached, and the king said,
Hugh Latimer, come and apologize.
II will, !" said Hugh Latimer So the day
was appointed, and the kings chapel was
full OF lords and dukes, and the mighty
men and women of the country, for Hugh
Latimer was to apologize. He began his
sermon by saying: Hugh Latimer, be-
think thee Thou art in the presence of
thine earthly king, who can destroy thy
body. But bethink thee, Hugh Latimer,
that thou art in the presence Of the King
Of heaven and earth, who can destroy both
body and soul in hell fire" Then be
with appalling directness at the
kings crimes.
THE BEGINNING AND THE END coNTRAsTED.
Another lesson that comes to us. There
S a great difference between the opening
If the banquet of sin and its close. Young
nan, if you had looked in upon the ban
luet in the first few hours, you would
nave wished you had been invited there,
md could sit at the feast. "Ohi the |
Of Belshazzar's feastw you would |
nave said; but you look in at the close OF
he banquet, and your blood curdles with |
horror The King of Terrors has there a
,hastlier banquet: human blood is the
vine, and dying groans are the music. |
Sin has made itself a king in the earth. 1t |
las crowned itself 1t has spread ban
luet 1t invites all the world to cume to |
I. Il has hung in its banqueting ball the
polls of all kingdoms and the banners of
III nations 1t has gathered from all mu-
ic. 1t has strewn, from its wealth, the
ables and the floors and arches And yet /
low often is that banquet broken up, and /
low horrible is its cndl Ever and anon
here is a handwriting on the wall. A
ing falls A great culprit is arrested.
,he knees of wickedness knock together.
iod's Judgment. Ike an armed host, breaks
n upon the banquet; and that night is
Selshazzar. the king of the Chaldeans,
lain.
Here is young man who says: II can
ot see why they make such fuss about
he intoxicating cup. Why, it is exhila-
atingl 1t makes me feel well. can talk
etter, think better, feel better. cannot
ee why people have such a prejudice
gainst it." A few wears pass an, and he