Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-11-15

west hudl gram Nuo iucLC DAb No
grew it on our hills? What invention
was there but our rivers must turn the
new wheel and rattle the strange shut
tie? 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 in our senatesi 10, 10 the
national banquet, reaching from noun
tain to mountain and from sea TO sea
To prepare that banquet, the sheepfolds
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 sic al that
table came the yeomanry Of New Hamp-
shire, and the lumbermen Of Maine, and
the Carolinian from the rice plantation,
and the western emigrsnt from the
pines Of Oregon, and we were all broth
ers-brothers at banquet. Suddenly
the feast ended. What meant those
mounds thrown up at Chickamauga,
Shiloh, Atlanta, Gettysburg, South
Mountain1 What meant those golden
grainfelds turned into pasturins
ground for cavalry horses? What meant
the cornhelds quilted with the wheels Of
the heavy supply trainI Why those
rivers Of tearE-those lakes Of blood?
God was angry! Justice must come. A
handwriting on the wall! The nation
had been weighed and found wanting.
Darkness Darknessl Woe to the north
Woe to the south Wee to the east Voc
to the west Death at the banquet
Sure and Sudden.
have also to learn from the subject
that the destruction 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 invading
army 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 1t came through
a long northeast storm, so that people
for days before were sure it was coming?
No. I 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 ike anchors into
the sea that dashed clear over the Andes
and the Himalayas.
The Red sea was divided. The Egyp-
tians tried to cross it. There could be
no danger. The Israelites had just gone
through. Where they had gone, why not
the Egyptians? Oh, It was such beau
tiful 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 destroyed. But the walls begin
to tremblel They rock! They fall! The
rushing waters The shrek Of drowning
men! The swimming Of the war horses
in vain for the shore The strewing Of
the great host on the bottom Of the sea,
or pitched by the angry wave on the
beach-a battered, bruised and loath-
some wreck Suddenly destruction came.
One half hour before they could not have
believed it. Destroyed, and withous
remedy.
I am Just setting forth fact, which
von have noticed as well as 1 Ananias
comes to the apostle. The apostle says,
"Did you sell the land for so muchf"
He says. Eyes. a" II was lie. Dead, as
Quick as that sapphira, his wife, comes
in. Ibid you sell the land for so muCh'"
eyes" A" 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.
Words of Warning.
The destroying angel went through
Egypt. Do you suppose that any Of the
people knew that he was cominsl Did
they hear the flap Of hi, great wing?
mol Nol Suddenly, Unexpectedly, no
came.
Skilled sportsmen do not like toshoot
a bird standing on sprig near By. II
they are skilled, they pride themselves
on taking it On the wing, and they wait
till Il starts. Death is an old sportsman
and he loves 10 take men flying under
the very sun. He loves 10 take them on
the wing. Oh, fee TO God this night
If 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 a year, I invite him row
to come and be saved. Flee from thy
sin! Flee to the stronghold Of the gos-
pell Now is the accepted time Now IS
the day Of salvation.
Good night, my young friends; may
you have rosy sleep, guarded BY nm
who mover .lumbers May you awake in
the morning strong and we'll! But, Oh,
art thou a despiser Of Godi Is this thy
last night on earthi 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 a tremor
in the limb, and catching Of the breath
then thy doom would be but an echo
81 the words Of the text: "In that night
was Belshazzar, the king Of the Chsi-
deans. slain. "
Oh, that my Lord Jesus would now
make himself so attractive to your souls
that YOU cannot resist him, and If you
have never prayed before or have not
prayed since those days when you knelt
down at your mothers knee, then that
tonight you might pray. saying:
lust as am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me
And that thou bidst me come to hee,
OLamb Of God, I comei
But if you cannot think Of so long
prayer as that, will give you a shorter
prayer that you can say, "God be mer-
ciful to me, a sinnerW Or, II you can
not think Of so long prayer as thas
Twill give you a still shorter one thas
you may after, Lord save me or per-
hhp Or, II that be 700 long a prayer,
ron need not make ~ Use the wora
"hslpp' Or, II that Be too long a WORD,