Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1895-11-22

Itself king In the earth. II has crowned
itseI. II has spread BANQUET. II invites
All the world to come to ft. 1t has hung IN
It's panqueting hall the spoils of all king
ooms and the banners Of all Nations. II has
gaiherod from all music. II has strewn
rom its wealth the tables and floors and
ercnes. And yet how often Is that banquet
broken up and how horrible is it's end Ever
and anon there Is a handwriting on the wall.
A. KING 1atls. A great culprit Is arrested.
Inc knees OF wfcSedness knock together.
God s1udgment, Ike an armed host. breaks
IN upon the banquet, and that night IL Bel
snazzar. the king Of the Chaldeans, slain.
mere Is young man who says: 9T cannot
see why they make such fuss about the In
toncating cup. Why, II Is exhIlarsting! It
makes me teel well. can talk better, think
better, feel better. Icannot see why neonIe
nave such prejudice against it." A few
years pass on, and he wakes up and finds
nlmsen In the clutches of an evil habit which
ne trlee 70 break. but cannot. and he cries
out, 70 Lord God. help mel" II seems as
though God would not hear his PRAYER. and
IN an agony OF body and soul he cries out.
AZ Diteth ike serpent, and stin9eth like
an ADDER. How bright It was at the start
How black IT was at the last
Here Is a man who begins to read loose
novels. "They are so charming" he saws.
II Will go out and see for myself whether all
these things are So" He opens the gate of
An1ul life. He goes In. sinful sprite
meets him with her wand She waves her
wand, and 1t is all enchAntment. Why. II
seems as IL the angels of God had poured out
yials OF perfume in the atmosphere. As
he walks on he finds the hills becoming
moro radiant with foliage and the
raVtneS more resonant with the falling
water. Oh, what a charming landscape he
sees! But that sinful sprite, with her wand,
meets him again. but now she reverses the
wand, and all the enchantment Is gone. The
cup Is full OF poison. The fruit turns to
ashes. Allthe leaves ofthe bower are forked
tongues OF kissing serpents. The flowing
fountains fall back in dead pool stenchful
with corruption. The Turing songs become
curses and screams OF demoniac laughter
Lost spirits gather about him and feel for his
heart and beckon him on with "Hail brotherI
Hall, blasted spirit, hail!'' he tries to get
out. he comes to the front door where he
entered and tries to push II back, but the
door turns against him, and in the Jar OF
that shutting door he hears these words,
This night is Bslshazzar, the king Of the
Chaldeans, slain" Sin may open bright as
the morning. 1t ends dark as The night!
lean further from this subject that death
sometimes breaks in upon a banquet. Why
did he not go down to the prisons in BABY
like to have died. fsupposs there were men
and women In torture in that city who
would have welcomed death, but he comes
10 the palace, and just Mt the time when the
mlrtn Is dashing TO the tiptop pitch death
breaks 10 at tho banquet. We have
often seen the same thing illustrated. Here
Is young man just come from college. He
Is kind. He is loving. He is enthusiasts.
he 1s eloquent. By one spring he may
hOnnh n hntnkko 90
nave been struggling for years. A profess
sion opens before him. He is established In
the law. His friends cheer him. Eminent
men encourage him. After awhile YOU NAV
see him standing In the American Senate or
moving popular assemblage by his elo-
quence, as trees are moved in a whirlyind.
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 aud 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 extin-
guished- The garlsnds are snatched from
the brow. The vision Is gone. Death at the
banquet,
have also to learn from the subject that
the destruction OF toe 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 deluge5 Do YOU suppose II
came through a long northeast storm, so
that people for days before were sure it was
coming? No, 1 suppose the morning was
bright; that calmness brooded on the waters.
that beauty sat enthroned on the hills. when
the heavens burst and the noun
tains sank like anchors into the sea that
dashed clear over the Andes and the HImala-
vas.
The Red Sea was divided. The Egyptians
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 beautiful walking place! A
pavement OF tinsed shells and pearls, and
On either side two great walls OF water
'oltd. There can bs mo danger. Forward,
great host OF the Egyptisnsl Clap the
,ymoals and blow the trumpets OF victory!
After themi We will catch them vet. and
hey shall be destroyed. But the walls begin
% tremblei They rock They fall! The
,ushing waters! The shrek Of drowning
men! The swimming of the war horses in
rain for the shore! The strewing OF the
yreat host on the bottom OF the sea, or
pitched by the angry wave on the beach-a
Suddenly destruction came. One half hour
'efore they could not have believed it. De- |
troyed, aud without remedy.
am just setting forth fact, which YOU
lave noticed as we'll as L Ananias comes |
o the apostle. The apostle says, ibid you
ell the land for so much?" He says, eyes" |
[ was a lie. Dead. as quick as that! |
'apphira, his wife, comes in. "DId you sell |
he land for so much?" "Yes" It WAS a |
lie, and quick as that she was dead! Gods |
judgments are upon those who despise Him |
nd defy Him. They come suddenly.
Skilled sportsmen do not like to shoot q |
trd standing on sprig nearby. II they are !
killed, they pride themselves on taking il on |
he wing, and they wait till it starts. Death !,
} an old sportsman and he loves TO take men |,
ying under the very sun. He loves to take !
hem on the wing. Oh, fee to God this |
ightl II there be one in this presence who |
as wandered far away from Christ. though |
% may not have heard the call of the gospel |
Or many year. invite him now to come |
nd be saved. Flee from thy SIN! Flee TO |
he stronghold OF the gospel Now Is the ac- |
epted time. Now Is the day of salvation.
Good night, my young friends; may YOU
ava nav alaan Onardad nv Him who nevar
ulmbers! May you awake in the morning |
tron9 and we'll! But. oh, art thou de- 1
piser Of God2 Is this thy last night on |
arth2 Shouldst thou be awakened in the
light by something. thou knowest not what,
nd there be shadows floating In the room, |
nd handwriting on the wall, and you feel |
nat your last hour is come. and there be
sinting at the heart, and q tremor IN tho 1
mo, and catching OF the breath-then thy |
DOM would be but an echo of the words OF |
ne text: "In thar night was Belshazzar, the |
ing OF the Chaldeans. slain"
Oh, that my Lord Jesus would now make |
Timseh 50 attractive TO your souls that you |
annot resist Him, and II you have never |
rayed before or have not prayed since |
hose days when you knelt down at your /