Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-11-22
REV. DR. fTALMAGE.
The Eminent Washington Divine's
Sunday Sermon.
Subject: Handwriting on the WalI.'

sun, and gates of brass, FURNISHED and gilt
tering, 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 a fragrance Tor
MANY miles around. The streets and squares
were lighted for dance and frolic and prom
enade. The theaters and galleries Of art
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 outrageous
excess and splendid wickedness came to the
kings palace to do their mightiest deeds Of
darkness.
A royal feast tonight at the kings palace!
Rushing up to the gates are 'charlots, uphoi-
stored with precious cloths from Dedan, ana
drawn by fire eyed horses from Togarmah,
that rear and neigh in the grasp Of the char
ioteers, while thousand lords dismount.
and women, dressed in a | 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.
Open wide the gates and let the guests
come in. The chamberlains and cupbearerS
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 trum.
pets. Let the night go by with song and
dance and ovation. and let that Babyl0nish
tongue be palsied that will not say, 30 King
Belshazzar, live forever!"
All. my friends, it was not any common
BANQUET to which these great people camel
All parts of the earth had sent their richest
viands to that table, Brackets and chande..
liers 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 ex-
ouisite traceres, 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 cassa 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 fal in clatter-
ing rain of diamonds and pearls Statues OF
mighty men looking down from inches inthe
wall upon crowns and shields brought from
subdued empires. Idols of wonderful work
standing on pedestals Of precious stones
Embroiderles stopping about the win
dows and wrapping pillars OF cedar and
drifting on floor inlaid with ivory and ag-
ate. Music, mingling with the thrum OF
harps, and the clash of cYmbals, and the
blast Of trumpets in one wave OF transport
that went ripping along the wall ana
breathing among the garlands and pouring
down the corridors, and thrilling the souls
of a thousand banqueters.
The signal is given, and the lords and Ia
| dies, the mighty men and women OF the
land. come around the table. Pour out the
wine. Let foam aGd bubble kiss the rim!
Hoist every one his cup and drink to the
sentiment, 30 King Belschazzar, live for
eyerl" Bestarred head band and carcanet
of royal beauty CLEAN to the up
! lifted 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! Give us more light, wilder music,
sweeter perfume! Lord shouts to lord, cap
tain ogles to captain Goblets clash; de-
canters rattle. There come in the obscene
song. and the drunken hiccough, and the
slaysring lip. and the guffaw ofidiotic laugh
ter. bursting fromthelips of princes, flushed
reeling. b.oodshot, while mingling with !
all hear, "Huzza, huzza, for great Bel
sbazzar!" -,
What is that on the plastering OF the WALL
Is it spirit? Is it phantom? Is it God
The music stops. The gobets fall from tht
neryeless grasp. There is thrill. There j.
q start. There is thousand voiced shriei
of horror. Let Daniel be brought in to reat
that writing. He comes in. He reads II
"Weighed in the balance and found want
ing"
Meanwhile the Modes, who for two year;
had been laying siege to that city, took ad
of Shof
hear the feet Of the conquerors on the palace
stairs. Massacre rushes in with Thousand
cleaning knives. Death bursts upon th'
scene aud shut the door of that banquet
ing ball, for I do not want to look. There il
nothing there but torn banners, and broker
wreaths, and the slush Of upset tankards
and the blood OF murdered women, and TIT
kicked and tumbei carcass OF dead king
For Gin that night was Belshazzar, tho kin!
of the Chaldeans. slain.
[ go on to learn some lessons from all this
learn that when God writes anything o.
the wall man had better read 1t as 1t IL
Daniel did not misinterpret or modliy IN
handwriting on the wall. 1t is all foolish
ness to EXPECT q minister of the gospel I
preach always things that the people like q
the people choose. Young men c
Washington, what shall 1 preach t
you to-nigh,? Shall 1 tell you,
the dignity of human nature? Shal
tell you of the wonders that our race ha
accomplished? "Oh, no" you say. "Tel
mo the message that came from God"
will. Ii there is any handwriting on tn
wall, it is this lesson: "Repentl Accept o
Christ and be saved!' I might ask of
great many other things, but that is the mes
sage, and so I declare it. Jesus never fiat
tered those TO whom He preached. He sal
to those who did wrong and who we're offer
sive in His sight; Eye generation Of viper
Ye whited sepulchers! How can We e
cape tho damnatiOn OF hell" Paul u
apostle preached before man VINO was nl
ready to hear him preach. what suoJec
did he take? Did he say: "On, you are
good man. O very fine man, very nooi
mani" No. He preached OF rlghteousno o,
to man who was unrighteous, OIL temper
ance to a man who was victim OF pad III
netites. of the judgment to come to ma
who was unfit forit. SO we must always u
clare the message that happens to come
us. Daniel must read it as it is. mlnist'
nreached before James l. OF England, WI
was James VI. of Scotland. What suDJe'
did he take? The king was noted all owe
fine world for being unsettled and Waverln
in his ideas. What did the minister preac
about to this man who was James L. OF Enl
land and James VI. of Scotland? He roc
for his text James j., 6: "He that wavere
is like a wave of the sea driven with Il
wind and tossed" Hugh Latmer, offend 4,
the king by sermon he preached, and Il
king said. "Hugh J,atimer. come al
apologize" IT WILL" said Hugh Lat
mer. So the day was appointed, an
the kings chapel was full OF lords and duk
and the mighty men and women OF Il
country for Hugh Latimer was to apoliSiz
He began his sermon by saying; "Ru;
/ Latimer, bethink thee! Thou art in t
} presence of thine earthly king. WAC can q
stroy thy body. But bethink thee, Hue
|, Latimer, that thou art in tho presence OF Il