Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-11-20
REL. DR.. TaLAaeE:
The Eminent Divine'S Sunday
Sermon.
Subject: Handwriting on the WALL y

TEXT: "In that night was Belshazzar
he King Of the Chaldeans. slain. Daniel
", 30.
Night was about to come down on Babv.
ION. The shadows of her $50 towers began
to lengthen. The Euphrates rolled on,
touched by the fiery splendors of the setting
sun. and gates of brass, FURNISHED and gilt.
tering, opened and shut like doors of fame.
The hanging gardens Of Babylon. wet with
flowers and dripping leaf a fragrance fo,
many miles around. The streets and square
were lighted for dance and frolic and prom
enade. The theaters and galleries OF arl
invited the wealth and pomp and grandeur
OF the city to rare entertainments. Scenes
OF riot and wassail were mingled in every
street, and goddess mirth and outraseon,
excess and splendid wickedness came TO the
kings palace to do their mightiest deeds OF
darkness.
A royal feastto-nieht at the kings palace
flushing up to the gates are chariots. uphol
stored with precious cloths from Dedap. ana
Drawn ny fire eyed horses from Togarmah.
that rear and neigh in the grasp of the char.
ioteers, while a thousand lords dismount,
ana women. dressed in a the splendors oI
Syrian emerald. and the color blending oi
agate, and the chasteness of coral, and the
somber glory of Tyrian purple and princel,
embroideries. brought from afar bv camel
across the desert and by ships of Tarshisl
across the sea-
Open wide the gates and let the guests
come In. The chamberlains and cupbear rer.
are all ready. Hark to the rustic of the silks
and to the carol of the music! See the blaze
OF the jewels! Lift tha banners. Fill the
cups. Clap the cvnbals. Blow the trum.
pets. Let the night go by with song and
dance and ovation. and let that BabvIonish
tongue be palsied that will not saw. 80 King
De shazzar, live foreverr'
All, my friends. 1t was not any common
banquet to which these great people came
All parts OF the earth had sent their riches,
viands to that table. Brackets and chande.
Hers flashed their light upon tankarIs o.,
Furnished gold. Fruits, ripe and lusciousI
in baskets C. silver, entwinei with leaves
Pincked from royal conservatories. Vases,
inlatd with emerald and ridged with ex-
quisite traceries, filled with nuts that were
threshed from forests of distant lands.
Wine brought from the royal watts, foam.
ing 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, be-
witched with the perfumes OF hanging gar.
dens. Fountains rising up from Enclosures
OF ivory, In Jets OF crystal. to fall in clatter-
ing rain OF diamonds 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 win.
dows and wrapping pillars of cedar aud
drifting on floor inlaid with ivory and ar.
ate. Music, mingltng with the thrum o.
harps, and the clash OF oymbals. and tn.
blast OF trumpets in one wave OF transport
that went ripping along the wall ant
breathing among the garlands and pourins
down the corridors. and thrilling the souls
OF a thousand bangueters.
The signal is given. and the lords and la
dies, the mighty men and women of the
land, come around the table. Pour out the
Hoist every one his cup and drink to the
sentiment. 30 King Belschazzar, live for,
ever!' Bestarred head band and carcanes
OF royal beauty CLEAN to the up.
lifted chalices, as again, and again,
and again they are emptied, Away
dignity to tatters! Pour out more
wine! Give us more light, wilder music
sweeter perfume! Lord shouts to lord, cap,
tain ogle5 to captain. Goblets clash; de.
canters rattle. There come in the obscene
song, and the drunken hiccoush, and thu
slavsring lip. and the guffaw of fidiotic laugh,
ter, bursting from the lips of princes, flushed,
reeling, bloodshot, while mingling with IL
all hear, "Huzza, huzzs, for great Bel,
sbaZzarn
What is that on the plasterinS Of the WALL
Is it II spirit? Is it a phaHtom? Is it God
The music stops. The goblets fail from tn,
nerveless grasp. There Is a thrill. There il
a start. There Is u thousand voiced shriel
of horror. Let Daniel be brought in to reac
that writing. He comes In. He reads it
"Weighed in the balance and found want.
ing"
Meanwhile the Medes, who for two wear.
had been laying siege to that city, took ad-
vantage OF that carOusal and came in.
hear the feet of the conquerors on the palace
stairs. Massacre rushes in with thousand
cleaning knives. Death bursts upon the
scene, and shut the door of that banquet
ing hall, for l do not want to look. There is
nothing there but torn banners, and broken
Wreaths, and the slush of upset tankards,
and the blood of murdered women, and the
kicked aa3 tumb!ed carcass of dead king
For ''in that night was Belshazzar. the king
Of the Chaldeans. sIain."
go on to learn some lessons from all this.
learn that when God writes anything on
the wall man had better read it as it isl
Daniel did not misinterpret or modify thu
handwriting on the wall. 1t Is all foolish.
ness to expect q minister OF the gospel tc
preach always things that the people like OF
Washington. what shall preach t.
you to-nigh? Shall 1 tell you o
the dignity of human nature? Shal
tell you OF tne wonders tnat our race has
accomplished? "Oh, no." you say. "Tel
me the message that came from God" !
will. II there is any handwriting on the
wall, il is this lesson: "Repentl Accept OF
Christ and be saved!' l might ask of &
great many other things, but that is the mes.
sage. and so l declare it. Jesus never Fat.
tered those to whom He preached. He said
to those who did wrong and who were Often
sive in His sight: aye generation of vipers
Ye whited sepulchers! How can We es
cape the damnatiOn of hell" Paul the
apostle preached before a man who was MOI
ready to hear him preach. What subject
did he talle2 Did he say: "Oh, you are a
good man, very fine man, a very noble
MANI" No. He preached of righteousness
to a man who was unrighteous, of temper
ance to a man who was a victim of bad ap-
petites, of the judgment to come to a man
who was unfit forit. SO we must always de.
clare the message that happens to come to
US. Daniel must read 1t as it is. A minister
preached before James L of England, whe
was James vi. of Scotland. What subject
did he take? The king WAS noted all over
the world for being unsettled aud waverine
in his ideas. What did the minister preact
about to this man who was James 1. of Eng.
land and james VI. of Scotland? He tool
for his text James j., g.: HE that waveretf
is like wave of the sea driven with the
wind and tossed" Hugh Latimer offended
the king by a sermon he preached, and tn,
king said. "Hush Latimer, come and
apologies" Il will," said Hugh Latt
mer. SO the day was appointed. and
the kings chapel was full Of lords and dukei
and the mighty men and women OF the
country, for Hugh Latimer was to apologize.
He began his sermon by saying: "Bugil
Latimer, bethink thee! Thou art in the
presence Of thine earthly king. who can de.
stroy thy body. But bethink thee, Hugh
Latimer, that thou art in the presence of the
King of heaven and earth. who can destroy
both body and soul in hell fire." Then ht
preached with appalling directness at tn
Kings crimes.
Another lesson that comes to us tonight
there is great difference between the open
ing of the banquet of sin and its close
Young man, If you had looked in upon the
banquet in the first few hours, you woult
,ave wished you had been invited there ant
.ould sit at the feast. "Oh, the grandeur
u Belshazzar's feast" you would hav'
aid, but you look in at the close Of tn
banquet and your blood curdles with hor
or. The king of terrors has there a Shast
Ter banquet. Human blood Is the wine ant
lying groans are the music. Sin has mad
eoalf kinO In tho oov<b II h,a orown of