The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-26

Eminent men encourage nlni. AIber aWnlto
You may see him standing in the United
States Senate, or moving a popular assem-
blage by his eloquence, as trees are moved
in whirlwind. Some night he retires early.
A fever is on him. Delrium, like a reckless
charioteer, seizes the reins of his intellect
Father and mother stand by and see the
tides of his life going out 10 the great ocean.
The banquet is coming to an end. The lights
of thought, and mirth, aud eloquence are
being extingulshed. The garlands are
snatched from the brow. The vision is gone.
Death at the banquet
We saw the same thing, on larger scale,
Our whole nation had been sitting at a ma
tional banquet-north, south, east, and
west. What grain was there, but we grew
1t on our hills. What invention was there.
but our rivers must turn the new wheel,
and rattle the strange shuttle. What warm
furs. but our traders must bring them from
the Arctic What fish, but our nets must
sweep them for the markets. What music,
but 1t must sing in our halls. What
eloquence. but It must speak In
our senates. Hol to the ma
tional banquet, reaching from noun
tain to mountain. and from sea 10 seal To
prepare that banquet the sheepfolds and the
aviaries Of the country sent their best treas
ures. 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 Carolinian
from the rice fields and the western emil
grant from ths pines of Oregon, and we
were all brothers-brothers at a banquet.
Suddenly, the feast ended. What meant those
mounds thrown up at Chickamauga, Shiloh,
Atlanta, Gettysburg, South Noun
tainl What meant those golden grain
fields. turned into pasturing ground for
cavalry horses9 What meant the corn
fields quilted with the wheels OF the heavy
supply trainl Why those rivers Of tears
those lakes of bloodl God was angry JUS
tice must come. A handwriting on the wall |
The nation bad been weighed and found
wanting. Darknessl Darknessl Woe to
the north Woe to the south Woe TO the
cast Woe to the westl Death at the ban
quetl
have also TO learn from the subject that
the destruction Of the vicious, and of those
who despisa God, will be very sudden. The
wave Of mirth had dashed TO the highest
point when that Assyrian army broke
through. IL was unexpected. Suddenly,
almost always, comes the doom of those
who despise God, and defy the laws Of men.
How was IL at the delugei Do you suppose
1t came through long northeast storm, so
comingl No; l suppose the morning was
bright; that calmness brooded on the
waters; that beauty sat enthroned on the
hills; when suddenly the heavens burst, and
the mountains sank like anchors into the
sea that dashed clear over the Andes and
Himalayas.
The Rcd Sea was divided The Egyptians
tried TO cross il. There could be no danger.
The Israelites had just gone through; where
they had gone. why not the Egyptianss OF
it was such beautiful walking piacei A
pavement of tinged shells aud pearls, and
on either side two great walls Of water
solid. There can be no danger. Forward,
great host OF the Egyptiansl Clap the
cymbals, and blow the trumpets Of victory !
After theml We will catch them vet, and
they shall be destroyed. But the walls
begin to tremble. They rock! They fall !
The rushing watersl The shrek Of drown
ing menl The swimming OF the war
horses in vain for the shorel The strewipg
OF the great host on the bottom of the sea,
or pitched by the angry wave on the
beach-a battered, bruised and loathsome
wreck Suddenly destruction came. One
half hour before they could not have
believed it. Destroyed; and without
remedy.
am just setting forth a fact, which you
have noticed as we'll as |. Auanias comes
to tho apostle; the apostle says: did you
sell the land for so muchP He says: "Yes.
1t was a lie. Dead as quick as that Sap
Phira, his wife, comes iD; Did you sell the
and quick as that she was dead Gods
judgments are upon those who despise him
and defy him. They come suddenly.
The destroying angel went through
Egypt. Do you suppose that any OF the
people knew that he was comings Did
they hear the flap Of his great wingl Mol
Mol Suddenly. unexpectedly, he came.
Skillod sportsmen do not like TO shoot a
bird standing on a sprig near by. IL they
are skilled, they pride themselves on taking
it on the wing and they wait till 1t starts.
Death Ii am old sportsman; and he loves to
take men flying under the very sun. He
loves to take them on the wing.
Arc there any here who are unprepared
for the eternal world? Are there any here
who have been living without God. and
without hope2 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. Ths time will come when you
shall 60 no more to the Office, or to the
store, or to the shop. Nothing will be left
Oil flee to God this hourl IL 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 q
year, l invite him now TO come and be
saved Flee from thy sin Flee to the
stronghold OF the gospel Now Is tine ac-
cepted time; now Is the day of salvation.
Goodnight, my young friendsl May yen
have rosy sleep, guarded by him who never
slumbersl May you awake in the morning
strong and well But OH art thou de-
spiser of Godl Is this thy last night on
earthl Shouldest thou be awakened sin
the night by something, thou knowest not
what ana there be shadows floating in the
room, and handwriting on the wall, and
you feel that your last hour is come, and
there be fainting at the heart, and
tremor in the limb. and catching of the
breath-then thy doom would be but an
echo of the words of the text: "In that
night was Belshazzar, the King Of the
Chaldeans, slain"
Hear the invitation of the gospel There
may be some one in this house TO whom /
shall never speak again. and therefore let
it be in the words Of the gospel, and not in
my own, with which / close: "Ho, every
one that thirstethl Come ye to the waters.
And let him that hath no money come, buy
wine aud milk without money and without
price," "Corne unto me, all ye who are
weary and heavy laden, and will give you
rest OF that my Lord Jesus would now
make himself SO attractive to your souls
that you cannot resist him. and that, IL you
have never prayed before, or have not
prayed since those days when you knelt
down at your mothers knee, then that to-
night you might pray, saying: