The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-27

himself in the clutches Of an evil habit which,
he tries to break. but cannot. and he cries.
out, 20 Lord God. help me!'' It seems asi
though God would not hear his prayer, and!
in an agony Of body and soul he cries out,
"It biteth Ike serpent. and stingeth like
an adder" How bright it was at the start!
How black 1t was at the last!
novels. "They are 80 charming" he says,
~ will 20 out and see for myself whether alt
these things are so.' He opens the gate OF
sinful life., He goes In. A sinful sprite;
meets him with her wand. She waves her
wand, and 1t is all enchantment. Why, Is
seems as II the angelsof God had poured out
vials Of perfume In the atmosphere. AS
he walks on he finds the hills becoming +
more radiant with foliage and tho
ravines more resonant with the falling
water. Oh. what charming landscape he
sees But that sinful sprite, with her wand,
meets him again. but now hereverses the
wand, and all the enchantment Is gone. The
cup Is full OF poison. The fruit turns to
ashes. Allthe leaves ofthe bower are forkedI
tongues OF Kissing serpents. The hoWing
fountains fall back In dead pool stenchfuf'
with corruption. The Turing songs beconne
curses and screams of demoniac laughter.
Lost spirits gather about himand feel Tor his
heart and beckon him on with "Hail brothart
out He comes to the front door where he
entered and tries to push It back, but the.
door turns against him, and In the jar or
that shutting door he hears these words.
"This night is Belshazzar. the king OF the
Chaldeans, slain" Sin may open bright 90
the morning. It ends dark as the night!
I learn further from this subject that death
sometimes breaks In upon q banquet. Why
did he not go down to the prisons In Baby.
lon? There were people there that would
like to have died. I supposethere were mem
and women in torture In that city who
would have welcomed death, but he comes
to the palace, and Just at the time when the
mirth Is dashing to the tiptop pitch DEATH
breaks in of the 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 enthusiastic.
he. Is eloquent. By one spring he may
bound to heights toward which many men
have been struggling for years. A ,Profes-
sion opens before him. he Is establtshed In
the law. His friends cheer him. Eminent
see him standing In the American Senate or,
moving popular assemblsge BY his eio-
auence, as trees are moved In whirlwind.
Some night he retires early. 4 fever Is on
him. Delirium, like reckless oharioteer.f
seizes the reins Of his intellect. Father and
mother stand by and see the tides Of his LIE
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 garlands are snatched from
the brow. The vision Is gone. Death at tha
banquet! i: a. l,l.;s2 SY !, ,f
We saw the same thing on larger scale.
illustrated In our Civil War. Our whole Ma.
tion had been sitting at National banqueti
North, South, East and West. What grain
was there but we grew II on our htliBp WhAe
invention was there but our rivers must
turn the new wheel and rattle the strange
shuttle? What warm furs but our traderSf
must bring them from the Arctic? What
fish but our nets must sweep them Tor the,
markets? What music but It must sing In
our halls2 What eloquence but It mgsS
tional banquet, reaching from noun
tain to mountain and from sea to seai
To prepare that banquet, the sheepfoldS
and the aviaries OF the country sent their
best treasures. The orchards piled up, on
the table their sweet fruits. The pressa5
burst out with new wines. TO Sit at thaf.
table came the yeomanry Of New Hamp-
shire, and the lumbermen Of Maine, ana
the Carolinian from the rice plantation
and the Western emigrant from tha
pines OF Oregon, and we were al
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES =
denly the feast ended. What meant thoss
mounds thrown up at Chickamaugay
Shiloh, Atlanta, Gettysburg. South
Mountain2 What meant those golden grain
fields turned into pasturing ground forl
'cayalry horses? What meant the corhhetds
quilted with the wheels Of the heavy supply
train2 Why those rivers Of tears-those lakes
Of blood2 God was angry! Justice must
come. A handwriting on the wall! The Ma
tion had been weighed and found wantingy
Darkness! Darkness. Woe to the Northt
Woe to the South! Woe to the Eastl Woe
to the We5tl Death at the banquet.
| I have also to learn from the subject THAI
the destruction Of the vicious and OF thos8
who despise God will be very sudden: The
wave OF mirth had dashed to the highest
point when the invading army broke
through. It was unexpected. Suddenly,
almost always, comes the doom OF those who
despise God and defy the laws OF men. How
was 1t at the delugeY Do you suppose tt
came through a long northeast storm, 30
that people for days before were sure 1t wss
coming? No, suppose the morning was
bright; that calmness brooded on the waters;
that beauty sat enthroned on the bills, when
suddenly the heavens burst and the noun
tains sank like anchors into the sea tna1
dashed clear over the Andes and the Himaiar
yas. III.
The Red Sea was divided. The Egyptians
tried to cross 1t. There could be no danger.
The Israelites had just gone through. Where
they had gone, why not the Egyptians3 On,
il was such a beautiful walking place! A
pavement OF tlnged 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
oymbals and blow the trumpets OF vtctoryt
After them! We will catch them yet, and
they shall be destroyed. But the walls begin
to tremble! They rocki They fall! Tho
rushing waters! The shrek OF drowning
men! The swimming Of the war horses N
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 loathsome WrecKt
Suddenly destruction came. One hall noun
before they could not have believed 1t. Do.
stroyed, and without remedy.
The DESTROYING angel went through Egypt.
Do you suppose that any OF the people knew
that He was comirg2 Did they hear the nap
Of His great wing? No! Nc! Suddenly; un-
expectedly, He came.
bird standing on sprig nearby. II they are
skilled. they pride themselves on taking 1t on
the wing, and they wait till 1t starts. Death
ia an old sportsman and be loves to take mem
living under the very sun. He loves to take
them on the wing. Oh, fee to God this
night! II 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 year. invite him now to come
and be saved. Flee from. thy sin. Flee to .
the stronghold Of the gospel! Now is the ac-
cepted time. Now Is the day Of salvation "
Good night my young friends; may you
have rosy sleep. guarded by Him who never
sulmbsrs! May you awake In the mornlng
strong and well! But. oh, art thou do
'spiser of God2 Is this thy last night on
earth2 Shouldst thou be awakened in the
NIGHT nv somethino thou knowest not what,