The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-02-11

harps, and the clash of cymb ,ls, and the
blast of trumpets in one wave of trans
port that went ripping along the hall
and breathing among the garlands, and
pouring down the corridors, and thrill
ing the souls of thousand banqueters.
The signal is given and the lords
and ladies, the mighty men and wom-
en- OF the land, come around the
table. Pour out the wine! Let foam
and bubble kiss the rim! Hoist every
one his cup, and drink to the sentiment,
20 King Belshazzar, live forever" Be-
starred headband and carcanet Of royal
beauty CLEAN to the uplifted chalices,
as again, and again, and again they are
emptied. Away with care from the
palace! Tear royal dignity to tatters!
Pour out more wine! Give US more
light, wilder music, sweeter perfume!
Lord shouts to Lord. Captain ogles to
Captain. Goblets clash, decanters rat
tie. There comes in the vile song and
drunken hiccough and the slavering lip
and the guffaw of idiotic laughter,
bursting from the lips Of Princes,
flushed, reeling, bloodshot, while ming
ling with it all hear, "Huzzah, huz-
zah for great Belshazzar.'"
What is that on the plastering Of the
wall? Is it spirit? Is it phantom?
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
flame, engraves on the plastering the
doom of the King The music stops.
The goblet falls from the nerveless
grasp. There is thrill. There is start.
There is thousand-voiced shrek of ter
ror. Let Daniel be brought in to read
that writing. He comes in. He readsit;
weighed in the balance and found
wanting"
Meanwhile the Assyrians, who for
two years had been laying siege tc
that city, took advantage of that carous'
al and came in. hear the feet of the
conquerors on the palace stairs. Mas
sacre rushes in with a thousand CLEAN
ing knives Death bursts upon thu
scene; and l shut the door of that ban
quoting hall, for do not want to look
There is nothing there but torn ban
ners, and broken wreaths, and the slusl
of upset tankards, and the blood of muir
dered women, and the kicked and tum
bled carcass of dead King. For ''il
that night was Belshazzar, the King O
the Chaldeans, slain"
60 on to learn that when God writes
any thing on the wall, man had bette
read it as it is. Daniel did not misin
terpret or modify the handwriting OF
the wall. 1t is all foolishness to expec
q minister Of the Gospel to preach al
ways things that the people like, o
the people choose. Young men, wha
shall ] preach to you tonight? Shall
tell you of the dignity of human nature
Shall ! tell you of the wonders that ou
race has accomplished? ooh, no." yov
say; tell me the message that cam,
from God" l will. If there is an.
handwriting on the wall, it is this les
son: accept of Christ, and be saved!
l might talk of great many othe
things; but that is the message, and s
l declare it.
Jesus never flattered those to whor
he preached He said to those who di
wrong, and who were offensive in hi
sight, "Ye generation of vipers! y
whited sepulchers! how can you escap
the damnation of hellr Paul the apos
tie preached before man who was no
ready to hear him preach. What sub
ject did he take? Did he say, "Oh! yo
are good man, a very fine man, yer,
noble MANI" No: he preached of right
eousness to man who was unright
eous: of temperance to ma
who was the victim {
hard appetites; of the Judgment
come 70 man who was unfit for 1t. S
we must always declare the messae
that happens TO come to u.s. DAME
must read it as it is. A minister preach
ed before James 1. of England, VIII
was James VI. of Scotland. What sui
ject did he take? The King was note
all over the world for being unsettle
and wavering in his ideas. What di
the minister preach about to this ma
who was James l. of England and jaime
vi. of Scotland9 He took for his te,
(James l., g.. ''He that wavereth is iii,
q wave of the sea, driven with the win
and tossed"
Hugh Latimer offended the King /
a sermon he preached, and the Kin
said Hugh Latimer, come and apol
gize." II will" said Hugh Latino
So the day was appointed, and Il
Kings chapel was was full of Lords ar
Dukes and the mighty men and wome
of the country, for Hugh Latimer w,
to apologize. He began his sermon /
saying: Hugh Latimer, bethink the
Thou art in the presence of thine earth
King, who can destroy the body. b
bethink thee, Hugh Latimer, that the
art in the presence of the King
Heaven and earth, who can destroy Dol
body and soul in hell-fre." Then ]
preached with appalling directncss
the Kings crimes.
Another lesson that comes to. d
there is great difference between Il
opening of the banquet of sin and i
close. Young man, if you had look,
in upon the banquet in the first fe
hours, you would have wished you h;
been invited there and could sit at Il
: feast. ''Oh! the grandeur of Belsha
zar's feastr you would have said; b
you look in at the close of the banqu
and your blood curdles with horror
The King of Terrors has there