The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-11-15


have been struggling for years. A
profession opens before him. He is esr
tablished in the law. His friends
cheer him. Eminent men encourage
him. After while you may see hiB
standing in the American senate. or
moving a popular assemblage by his
eloquence. as trees are moved in q
whirlwind. Some night he retires
early. A fever is on him. Delirium-
like reckless charioteer, seizes the
reins of his intellect. 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 banquet,
We saw the same thing, on a larger
scale, illustrated in our civil war. Our
whole nation had been sitting at a ma
tional 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 hallsl
What eloquence. but it must speak ID
our senatesi HO! to the national ban
quet, reaching from mountain to noun
tain, and from sea to seal To prepare
that banquet, the sheep folds and the
aviaries of the country sent their best
treasures. The orchards piled upon
the table their sweet fruits. The
presses burst out with new wines.
To sit at that table came the yeO-
manry of New HAMPSHIRE. and the
lum bermen of Maine. and the Caro-
linian from the rice plantation, 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 Chickamauga.
Shiloh, Atlanta. Gettysburg, South
Mountain? What meant those golden
grain fields, turned into pasture
ground for cavalry horses? What
wheels of the heavy supply train?
Why those rivers of tears-those lakes
of blood? God was angry! Justice
must come. A handwriting on the
walt The nation had been weighed
and found wanting. Darkness! Dark
ness! Woe to the north! Woe to the
south! Woe to the east! Woe to the
westl Death at the banquet!
| have also to learn from the subject
that the obstruction of the vicious, and
of those who despise God, will be very
sudden. The wave of mirth had dashed
to the highest point when the invad
ing army broke through. 1t was un-
expected. Suddenly, almost always
comes the doom of those who despise
God aud defy the laws of men. How
was it at the deluge? Do you suppose
it came through a long northeast
storm, so that people for days before
were sure it was coming? No; | sup
pose 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 the Himalayas.
am just setting forth fact. which
you have noticed as well as l.
Ananias comes to the apostle. The
apostle says: Did you sell the land
for so much?" He says: Yes" II
was a lie. Dead. as quick as that! Sap
phira, his wife, comes in. Did you sell
L. Il
was 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
wing? No! No! Suddenly, unex-
pectedly, he came.
Skilled sportsmen do not like to
shoot a bird standing on a sprig near
by. If they are skilled, they pride
themselves on taking it on the wing:
and they will wait till it starts. Death
is an old sportsman; and he loves tc
take men flying under the very sun.
He loves to take them on the wing.
Oh! fee to God this nighti II there
be one in this presence who has wan
dered far away from Christ, though ne
may not have heard the call of the
gospel for many a year, invite him
now to come and be saved. Flee from
thy sin. 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 well.
But, oh! art thou a despiser of
God? Is this thy last night on
earth? Should'st thou be awakened
in the night by something. thou know
est not what, and there be shadows
floating in the room, and a handwrit.
ing on the wall, and you feel that youl
last hour is come, and there be faint
ing at the heart, and a 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, the king of the
slain"