The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-04


wind. Some night he retires early. a
fever is upon him. Delirium, ike a reck-
less charioteer, seiZes the reins of his in
tellect. Father and mother stand by and
see the tides of his life going out to the
great ocean. The banquet is coming to
an end. The lights of thought, and mirth,
and eloquence are being extinguished.
The garlands are snatched from the brow.
The vision is gone. Death at the ban
Quetl
We saw the same thing, on a larger
scale, illustrated at the last war il this
country. Our whole nation had been sitting
at a national banquet-North, South, East
and West. What grain was there, but we
grew it 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 it must sing
in our halls. What eloQuence, but it
must speak III our senates. Ho! to the
national banquet, reaching from mountain
to mountain and from sea to seal To pre-
pare that banquet the sheepfolds and the
aviaries 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 lumbcrmen OF Maine,
and the Carolinian from the rice fields,
and the western emigrant from the pines
of Oregon, and we were all brothers
brothers at a banquet. Suddenly the
feast ended. What meant those mounds
thrown up at Chicamauga, Shiloh. At
lanta, Gettysburg, South Mountain?
What meant those golden grain fields
turned into pasturing ground for cav
airy horses? What meant the corn fields
Quilted with the wheels OF the heavy sup
ply train? Why those rivers of tears
those lakes of blood? God was angry
Justice must come. A handwriting on
the wall The nation had been weighed
and found wanting. Darkness Dark
ness Woe 10 the North Woe to tho
South Woe to the East! Woe to the
West! Death at the banquet!
l have also to learn from the subject
that the destruction of the vicious and of
those who despise God will be very sud-
den The wave OF mirth had dashed 20
the highest point when the Assyrian army
had broke through. 1t was unexpected.
Suddenly, almost always, comes the doom
of those who despise God and defy the
laws of men. How was it. at the deluge?
Do YOU suppose that it came through q
long northeast storm, SO that people for
DAYS before were sure il was coming? No;
| suppose that 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 iron into the sea that
dashed clear over the Andes and the Him
alayas.
The Red sea was divided. The Egyp-
tians tried to cross il. There could be no
danger The lsraelites had just gone
through; where they had gone, why not
the Egyptians? Oh, il was such a beauti-
ful walking place! A pavement of tinged
shells and pearls, and on either side two
great walls of water-solid. There can be
no danger. Forward, great host OF the
Egyptians! Clap the cymbals and blow
the trumpets of victory After them. We
will catch them yet and they shall be de-
stroyed. But the walls begin to tremble.
Thep rock They fail The rushing
waters The shrek of drowning men!
The swimming of the warehouses; in vain
Tor the shore. The strewing of the great
host on the bottom OF the sea, or pitched
by the angry wave on the beach-a bat
tered, bruised and loathsome wreck sud
denly destruction came. One-half hour
before they could not have believed it.
Destroyed, and without remedy.
am Just setting forth fact which YOU
have noticed as well as !. Ananias comes
to the apostle. The apostle SAYS: Did
YOU sell the land for so much?" lie says:
YES" 1t was lie. Dead as quick as
that Sapphira, bis wife, comes in. did
you sell the land for so much?" Eyes"
1t was a lie; 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 coming? Did
they hear the flap OF his great wings?
No. Suddenly, unexpectedly, he came.
Skilled spOrtsmen do not like to shoot
bird standing ON the sprig near bv. Ii
they are skilled, they pride themselves on
taking it on the wing, and they wait till it
starts Death is an old sportsman, and he
loves to take men flying under the very
sun. lie loves TO take them on the wing.
Are there any here who are unprepared
for the eternal world? Are there any
here who have been living without 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 90 no more to
the Office, or to the store, or to the shop.
Nothing will be left put death, and judg-
ment, and eternity. On flee TO God this
hour If there be one in this presence
who has wandered lar away from Christ,
though ne may not have heard the call of
the gospel for many year, Invite him now
to come and be saved. Flee from thy
SIM Flee to the stronghold OF the gospel /!
Now is the accepted time; now Is the day
of salvation.
Good night, my young friends. May
you have rosy sleep, guarded by Him who
never slumbers. May you awake in the
morning strong and we'll But oh, art
thou a despiser of God? Is this thy last
night on earth? Shouldst thou be
awakened in the night by something, thou
knowest 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 a
catching of the breath-then thy doom
would be but an echo of the words of the
text In that night was Belshazzar, tine
king of the Chaldeans. slain"
Hear the invitation OF the gospel! There
NAV be some one in this house to whom i
shall never speak again, and therefore let
it be in the words of the gospel, and not