Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-11-16
BEISHAZZAR'S FEAST
REV. Or. TALMAGE breaches ON THE
HANDWRITING ON THE WALL.

REV. Or. TALmAGE breaches ON THE
HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
Lessons From = Banquet Of sin-The Sud-
denness Of Gods Judgments--A Word Of
warning-An Echo OF the Text.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10. Since his
coming 10 Washington DR.. Talmage's
pulpit experience has been remarkable
one. Not only has the church in which
he breaches been filled, but the audiences
have overfowed into the adjoining
streets to an extent that has rendered
them impossible. Similar scenes were
enacted at today's services, when the
preacher took for his subject, Hand
writing on the Wall" the text chosen
being Daniel v, 3, In that night was
Belshazzar. the king Of the Chaldeans.
slain. :"
Night was about to come down on
Babylon. The shadows of her $50 tow
ers began to lengthen. The Euphrates
rolled on, touched by the fiery splendors
of the setting sun, and gates of brass,
Furnished and elittering, opened and
shut like doors of flame. The hanging
gardens of Babylon, wet with the heavy
dew, began to pour from starlit flowers
and dripping leaf fragrance for many
miles around. The streets and squares
We're lighted for dance and frolic and
promenade. Tho theaters and galleries
of art invited the wealth and pomp and
grandeur Of the city to rare entertain
ments. Scenes Of riot and wassail were
mingled i'll every street, and goddess
mirth and outrageous excess and splen-
did wickedness came to the king s palace
to do their mightiest deeds of darkness.
A royal feast tonight at the kings
palace Rushing up to the gates are
cbariots, upholstered with precious
cloths from Dedan, and drawn by fire
eyed horses from Togarmah, that rear
and neigh in the grasp of the characters,
while a 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 princely embroideries, brought from
afar by camels across the desert and by
ships of Tarshish across the sea.
The Guests Assemble.
Open widefhe gates and let the guests
come in. The chamberlains and cup
bearers are all ready. Hark to the rustic
of the silks, and to the carol of the
music! See the blaze of the jewels! Lift
the banners. 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 foreverr'
All, my friends, it was not any COM
mon banquet to which these great peo-
pie camel All parts Of the earth had
sent their richest winds to that table
Brackets and chandeliers flashed their
light upon tankards Of FURNISHED gold
Fruits, ripe and luscious, in baskets of
silver, entwined with leaves, plucked
from royal Conservatives. Vases, inlaid
with emerald and ridged with exquisite
traceries, filed with nuts tina. were
threshed from forests of distant lands
Wine brought from the royal yats, foam
iEg in the decanters and bubbling in the
chalices Tufts of cassia and franklin
cense waiting their sweetness from wall
and table Gorgeous banners unfolding
in the breeze that came through the open
window, bewitched wit. the perfumes
of hanging gardens. Fountains rising up
from Enclosures of ivory, in jets Of crys-
tai, to fall in Gathering rain OF diamonds
aud pearls. Statues of mighty men look
ing down from inches i'll the wall upon
crowns and shields brought from sub
dued empires. Idols of wonderful work
standing on pedestals of precious stones.
Embroideries STOPPING about the win
dows and wrapping pillars Of cedar and
drifting on floor inlaid with ivory and
agate Music, mingling the tbrum of
harps, and the clash of eylnbals. and the
blast Of trumpets in one wave of trans
port that went ripping along the wall
and breathing among the garlands and
pouring down the corridors, and thrill
ing the souls of a thousand banqueters.
The signal is given, and the lords and
ladies, the mighty men and women Of
the land, come around the table Pour
out the wine. Let foam and bubble kiss
the rim Hoist every one his cup and
drink to the sentiment, 80 King Bel
shazzar, live foreverr' Bestarred head
band and carcanct of royal beauty CLEAN
to the -uplifted chalices, as again, and
again, and again they are emptied
Away with care from the palace! Tear
royal dignity to tatters Pour out more
wine Given more light, wilder music,
sweeter pelfumei Lord shouts to lord,
captain ogles to captain. Goblets clash;
decanters rattle There come in the OBJ
scene song, and the drunken hiccough,
and the slayering lip. and the guffaw of
idiotic laughter, bursting from the lips
Of princes, flushed, Keeling bloodshot,
while miugling with it all ! hear,
Huzza, huzza, for great Belshazzar !"
Seen on the Wall.
What is that ON the plastering of the
wall? Is it a spirit? Is it a phantomf Is
it God? The music stops The goblets
fall from the nerveless grasp. There is a
thrill. There is a start. There is thou
sand voiced shrek of horror. Let Daniel
be brought in to read that writing. He
comes in. Ee reads it, Weighed in the
balance and fouLd wanting"
Meanwhile the Modes, who for two
years had been laying siege to that city,
took advantage of that carousal and
came in. / hear the feet of the conquer
ors on the palace stairs. Massacre rushes
III with Thousand cleaning knives.
Death bursts upon the scene, and ! shut
the door of that banqueting hall, for /
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 and tumbled carcass Of a
dead king. For Sin that night was
Belahazzar, the king of the Chaldeans,
slain.
go on to learn some lessons from all
this. / learn that when God writes any
thing on the wall a man had better read
ii as it is Daniel did not misinterpret
or modify the handwriting on the wall.
1t is all foolishness to expect a minister
Of the gospel to preach always things
that the people like or the people choose.
Young men of Washington, what shall
preach to you tonight Shall / tell you
of the dignity Of human nature? Shall
tell you Of the wonders that our race
has accomplished? "Oh, no. you say.