The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-01-04

tic. What fish, but our nets must sweep
them for the markets What music,
but it must sing in our halls. Whas
eloouence, but it must speak in our
senates. Ho! to the national banquet
reaching from mountain to noun
tain. and from sea to seal To prepare
that banquet, the sheep-folds and tho
aviaries of the country sent their best
treasures. The orchards piled up on
the table their sweet fruits The
presses burst out with new wines. 10
sit at the table came the yeomanry OF
New Hampshire, and the lumbermen
of Maine, and the Carolinian from the
rice plantation, and the western emf
grant from the pines OF Oregon,
and we were all brothers-orotn-
ers Mt banquet. Suddenly the
feast ended. What meant those |
mounds thrown up at Chickamauga,
Shiloh Atlanta, Gettysburg, South
Mountain? What meant those golden
grain fields, turned into pasturing
ground for cavalry horses? WHAT
meant the corn fields quilted with
the wheels of the heavy supply trainf
Wby those rivers of tears, those lakes
of blood? God was angry! Justice
must come. A handwriting on the
wall. The nation had been weighed
and found wanting. Darknessl DARK
ness! Woe to the north! Woe to the
south! Woe to the east! Woe to the
westl Death at the banquet.
have also to learn from the subject
that the destruction of the vicious,
and of those who despise God Will DC
very sudden. The wave of mirth had
dashed to the highest point when the
invading army broke through. 1t was
unexpected. Suddenly, almost always,
comes the doom of those who despise
| God, and defy the laws OF men.
| How was it at the deiuge? DO
YOU suppose it came through long
northeast storm, so that people Tor
DAYS before were sure it was comiugf
No: suppose the morning was bright;
that calmness brooded on the waters;
that beauty sat enthroned on the hills;
when suddenly the heavens burst. ana
the mountains sank like anchors into
the sea that dashed clear over the
Andes and the Himalayas.
| The heQ seq WAS utSASACos 49,
Egyptians tried to cross it. There
could be no danger. The Israclites
had Just gone through; where they
had gone, why not the Egyptians? Oil
il was such a beautiful walking place?
A pavement of tinged shells and pearls.
and on either side two great walls OF
water-solid. There can be no dan
ger. Forward, great host OF the
Egyptians! Clap the cymbals, and
blow the trumpets OF victory
After them! We will catch them
vet, and they shall be destroyed. But
, the walls begin to tremblei They rock
They fall! The rushing watersl The
', shrek of drowning men! The swim
ming of the war horses in vain for the
shore! The strewing of the great hos'
on the bottom of the sea, or pitched by
. the angry wave on the beach-a bat
tered. bruised and loathsome wreck
, | Suddenly destruction came. One hal
. hour before they could not have be
lieved it. Destroyed; and withou
!. remedy.
> am just setting forth fact, which
= you have noticed as well as l. Ana
9 MAS comes to the apostle. The apps
\ tie SAYS: "Did you sell the land for 8
n much?" He says: "Yes." 1t was
: lie. Dead! as quick as thatl Sapphire
: his wife, comes in. did you sell tn
4 land for so much?" "Yes" 1t was
4 lie; and quick as that she was dead
. Gods judgments are upon those wh
a despise Him and defy Him. They com
q suddenly.
: The destroying angel went throug
= Egypt! Do you suppose that any Q
n the people knew that he was coming
:. Did you hear of the flap OF his gres
wing? No! No! Suddenly, unexpected
ly, he came.
Skilled sportsmen do not like
shoot bird standing on q sprig nes
% by. If they are skilled. they prid
~ themselves on taking 1t on the win
l and they wait till it starts. Deaf
:, is an old sportsman; and he loves
- take men dying under the very SUI
W He loves to take them on the win
!: ~ Oh! flee to God this night If there
- one in this presence who has wander'
-, far away from Christ, though he ms
a. not have heard the call of the Gosp
~ for many a year. invite him now
y come and be saved. Flee from Il
=, sin! Flee to the stronghold of Il
'. Gospel! Now is the accepted tim
az az now is the day of salvation.
" Goodnight, my young friends! m,
you have rosy sleep, guarded by Hi
'ce who never slumbers! May you ava
in the morning strong and well. Is
TO oh! art thou despiscr Of God? Is tn
re thy last night on earthl Should
we thou be awakened in the Mig
no by something. thou knowest not whit
no and there be shadows floating in t
ne room, and handwriting on the wa
ne and you feel that your last hour
ne come, and there be a fainting at
ne heart, and tremor in the limb. ant
me catching of the breath-then thy do
would be but an echo OF the words
'oi- the text: "In that night was Belsh
lie Ear, the king of the Chaldeans, slai
by Oh! that my Lord Jesus would n
w make Himself so attractive to yt
zen souls that you can not resist Him;
leu you have never prayed before
l !. ihave never prayed since those d.
Ter when you knelt down at your moths
nu- knee, then that tonight you mil
H. pray, saying:
Just as am, without one plea
Veu mt that THY blood was shed for me,