The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-27
REV. DIR. TAIMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE. .. o..
Subject: "Handwriting on the Wall. -

Night was about to come down on Baby
lon. The shadows OF her $50 lowers began
to. lengthen. The Euphrates rolled on,
touched by the fiery splendors Of the setting
sun, and gates of hrass, FURNISHED and gilt
tering, opened and shur like doors Of fame.
The hanging gardens OF Babylon. wet with
the heavy dew, began to pour from starlit
flowers and dripping leaf a fragrance for
many miles around. The streets and squares
we're lighted for dance and frolic and prom
enade. The theatcrs 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 aud outrageous
excess and splendid wickedness came to the
kings palace to do their mightiest deeds OF
darkness. r..t ....
A royal feast tonight at the kings palace!
Rushing up to the gates are chariots, uphol-
stored with precious cloths from Dedan, and
drawn by fire eyed horses from ToSarmah,
that rear and neigh In the grasp of the char
ioteers, while a thousand lords dismount,
and women, dressed in al 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 Tarshtsh
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. FIJI the
cups. Clap the cYmbals. Blow the,trum-
pets. Let the night 90 by with song and
dance and ovation, and let that Babylonish
tongue be palsied that will not say, 10 King
Besshazzar, live forever"
Alb, my friends, 1t was not any common
banquet to which these great people came!
All parts OF the earth had sent their richest
ylands to that table. Brackets and chande-
liers flashed their light upon tankards oi
FURNISHED gold. Fruits, ripe and luscious,
In baskets Of silver. entwined with leaves,
plucked from royal conservstortes. Vases,
inlaid 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 frankinceAse
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 and
drifting on floor inlaid with ivory apd ag-
ate. Music, mingling with the thrum oi
harps, and the clash Of cYmbals. and the
blast Of trumpets In one wave OF transport
kok r1prtfn0 olAnop tho xuo1I ON "A
breathing among the garlands and pouring
down the corridors, and thrilling the souls
OF thousand banqueters. -
The signal1s 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 and bubble kiss the rim!
Hoist every one his cup and drink to the
sentiment. 30 King Belschazzar, live for
eyer!" Bestarred head band and carcanet
Of royal beauty CLEAN to the up
lifted chalices, rs 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. Gohlets clash; de-
canters rattle. There come In the obscene
song, and the drunken hiccough, and the
slavering lip. and the guffaw ofidiotic laugh
ter, bursting from the lips Of princes, flushed,
reeling, bloodshot, while mingling with Ii
all hear, 'Huzza, huzza, for great Bel.
shazzarr .l... ~
What is that on the plastering of the wall?
Is it spirit? Is 1t phsutom2 Is 1t God?
The music stops. The goblets fall from the
neryeless grasp. There is thrill. There is
start. There is thousand voiced Shrek
OF horror. Let Daniel,be brought In to read
that writing. He comes in. He reads It,
"Weished in the balance and found want
Ing" 49,. "
Meanwhile the Medes, who for two years
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 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 dead king.
For Sin that night was. Belshazzar, tho king
OF the Chaldeans. slain
90 on to learn some lessons from all this.
I learn that when God writes anything on
the wall man had better read 1t as It is.
Daniel did not misinterpret or modify the
handwriting on the wall. It Is all foolish
ness to expect a minister OF the gospel 10
preach always things that the people like or
the people choose. Young men OF
Washington. what shall I preach to
you tonight Shall tell you OF
the dignity Of human nature2 Shall
tell you OF the wonders that our race has
accomplished "Oh, no" you say. Tell
me the message that came from God"
ie hon n1,r-rj TIM
wall. it is this lesson: "Repent! Accept Of
Christ and be saved!' I might ask OF a
great many other things, but that Is the mes
sage, and so declare It. Jesus never fat
tered those to whom He preached. He said
to those who did wrong and who were offen-
sive in His sight: "Ye generation of vipers.
Ye whited sepulchers! How can ,ye es-
cape the damnation of hell!" Paul the
apostle preached before man who was not
ready to hear him preach. What subject
did he take2 Did he say: "Ob, you are
good man, q very fine man, a very noble
MANI" No. He preached OF Righteousness
to man who was unrighteous, OF temper
ance to a man who was avict1m OF pad ap-
petites, of the judgment to come to man
who was unfit forit. So we must always de-
clare the message that happens to come to
us. Daniel must read 1t as 1t Is. A minister
preached before James I. of England, who
was James VI. Of Scotland. What subject
did he take? The king was noted all over
the world for being unsettled and wavering
In his ideas. What did the minister preach
about to this man who was James I. OF Eng
land and James VI. OF Scotland? He took
for his text James l., 6: "He that wavereth
Is like wave OF the sea driver with the
wind and tossed" Hugh Latimer offended
the king by sermon he preached, and the
king said, Hugh Latimer, come anil
apologize" II will" said Hugh Lati:,
mer. so the day was appointed, and
the kings chapel was full Of lords and dukes
and the mighty men and women OF the
country, for Hugh Latimer was to apologize.
He began his sermon by saying: Hugh
Latimer, bethink thee! Thou art IN the
presence of thine earthly king. who can de-
stroy thy body. But bethink thee, Hugh