Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-11-14
THE BANQUET OF SIN.
REV. Or. TkLMAeE's NEW LESSON
FROM THE FEAST OF 6ELsHAzZAR.

FROM THE FEAST OF 6ELsHAzzAR.
Weighed In the Balance and Found Want
ing-The suddenness Of Gods Judg-
ments-A ThouEht - TO Forms Of Pray
er-Look aad Live.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 10.-Slnce his COM
ing TO Washington DR.. Talmage's pulpit
experience has been a remarkable one. Not
only has the church In which he breaches
beon filled, but the audiences have over
flowed into the adjoining streets to an ex-
tent that has rendered them impossible
Similar scenes were enacted at today's
services, when the preacher took for his
subject, Handwriting on the Wall, " the
text chosen being Daniel v, 80, ''In that
night was Belshazzar, the king Of the
Chaldeans, slain"
Night was about to come down on Baby
lon The shadows of her $50 towers began
10 lengthen. The Euphrates rolled on,
touched by the fiery splendors Of the set
ting sun, and gates of brass, FURNISHED
and glittering, opened and shut like doors
Of fame. The hanging gardens of Baby
lon, wet with the heavy dew, began to
pour from starlit flowers and dripping leaf
o fragrance for many miles around. The
streets and squares were lighted for dance
and frolic and promenade. The theaters
and galleries of art invited the wealth and
pomp and grandeur of the, city to rare en-
tertainments. Scenes of riot and wassail
were mingled in every street, and goddess
mirth, and outrageous excess and splendid
Il. 10 Ak.. IL 60
DO their mightiest deeds Of darkness.
A royal feast tonight at the kings pal
acel Rushing up to the gates are chariots,
upholstered with precious cloths from De-
dan and drawn by fire eyed horses from
Togarmah, that rear and neigh in the
grasp of the charioteers, while thousand
lords dismount and women dressed in all
the splendors of Syrian emerald, and the
color blending Of agate, and the chasteness
of coral, and the somber glory of Tyrian
purple, and prinoely embroideries brought
from afar by camels across the desert and
by ships of Tarshish across the sea.
A Great Banquet.
Open wide the gates and let the guests
come in. The chamberlains and cupbear-
ers are all ready. Hark to the rustic of
the silks, and to the carol of the musicl
See the blaze Of the jewelsl Lift the ban
ners. Fill the cups. Clap the cymbals.
Blow the trumpets. Let the night go by
with song and dance and ovation, and let
that Babylonish tongue be palsied that
will not say, 80 King Belshazzar, live
forcverW
All, my friends, 1t was not any common
banquet to which these great people came.
All parts of the earth had sent their rich
est viands to that table. Brackets and
chandeliers flashed their light upon tank
ards of FURNISHED gold. Fruits ripe and
lucious, In baskets of silver, intwined
with leaves, pluoked from royal conserva-
tories. Vases, inlaid with emerald and
ridged with exquisite traceries, filed with
nuts that were thrashed from forests OF
distant lands. Wine brought from the
royal vats, foaming in the decanters and
bubbling in the chalices. Tufts of cassia
and frankincense waiting their sweetness
from wall and table. Gorgeous banners
unfolding In the breeze that came through
the open window, bewitched with the per
fumes Of hanging gardens Fountains
rising up from Enclosures of ivory, In jets
of crystal, to fall in clattering rain Of dia'
monds and pearls. Statues Of mighty men
looking down from inches in the wall
upon CROWNS and shields brought from
subdued empires. Idols of wonderful work
standing on pedestals of precious stones
Embroideries STOPPING about the window:
and wrapping pillars of cedar, and drift
ing on floor inlaid with ivory and agate
Music, mingling the thrum of harps, ant
the clash of cymbals, and the blast O.
trumpets in one wave of transport tha
went ripping along the wall and breath
ing among the garlands and pouring dowr
the corridors and thrilling the souls Of {
thousand banqueters. The signal is given
and the lords and ladies, the mighty meI
and women of the land, come around tht
table. Pour out the wine. Let foam an(
bubble kiss tho rim! Hoist every one hi
cup and drink to the sentiment: 80 Kint
Belshazzar, live foreverp' Bestarred heat
band and carcanet of royal beauty CLEAN
to the uplifted chalices, as again and agaiI
and again they are emptied. Away will
care from the palacel Tear royal dignit.
to tatters! Pour out more wine! Give u
more light wilder music, sweeter per
fume! Lord shouts to lord, captain ogle
to captain. Goblets clash; decanters rat
tie. There come In the obscene song, ant
the drunken hiccough, and the slaverinl
lip, and the guffaw of idiotic laughter
bursting from the lips of princes, flushed
reeling bloodshot; while mingling with
all hear, "Huzza, huzza! for great Bel
!, shazzarp'
What is that on the plastering of tn
WALTZ Is 1t spirit2 Is it phantom2
it Godp The music stops. The goblets fa
from the nerveless grasp. There Is thrill
There Is start. There Is a thousand voice
shrek Of horror. Let Daniel be brough
in to read that writing. He comes in. H
reads it-"Weighed in the balance an
found wanting"
A Warning.
Meanwhile the Modes, who for two veal
had been laying siege to that city, too
advantage of that carousal and came In.
hear the feet of the conquerors on the pa
ace stairs. Massacre rushes in with
thousand cleaning knives. Death burs
upon the scene, and l shut the door
that banqueting hall, for do not want
look. There Is nothing there but tor
banners and broken wreaths, and IL
slush of upset tankards, and the blood
murdered women, and the kicked an
tumbled carcass Of dead king. For 81
that night was Belshazzar, the king of I'll
: Chaldeans, slain."
20 on to learn some lessons from q
this. learn that when God writes an
thing on the wall man had better read
. as it Is, Daniel did not misinterpret
n modify the handwriting on the wall.
o is all foolishness to expect minister
the gospel to preach always things th
the people like or the people choose. Your
men of Washington, what shall preat
: to you tonight? Shall l tell you of Il
dignity of human nature? Shall tell yC
of the wonders that our race has accor
J plishedf "Oh, noP' you say. "Tell Il
8 the massare that came frnm God y wi