South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-11-16
STORY OF BABYLON
STILL APPLICABLE
Many People Defy God Now as
in Time of BeIsHazzar, Says
Rev. Thomas J. PaTSon at
Quincy Street Baptist.

The conquest OF Babylon by the
MeadS and Persians furnished the
theme for Rev. Thomas j. Parsons
Sunday evening sermon at the Quincy
st. Baptisc church. The discourse was
the NTH OF a series on night scenes
from the Bible. the subject OF Sun
days sermon being "A Night OF
Blasphemy." The minister said in
part:
Every student OF history is aware
that the Babylon empire was one Of
the prOudest and strongest OF ancient
times. head OF fine gold In COM
parIsOn with the succeeding empires
OF Persia, Greece and Rome.
I'm the year 53S Il G., Belshazzar.
the grandson Of the famous empire
builder, NebuchadneZzar. was holding
high carnival in his palace in the city
~ Babylon. HerOdotus the historian
mas attempted 10 give US a descrlp-
zion OF the city ana palace with their
boulevards and gardens and mansions,
Drt suffice 1t 10 know that Babylon Is
The symbol Of luxury. splendor. SEN
sualism, gaiety and utter Amendment.
The king gave feast TO 1000 Of
his lords with their wives and con
cubines. For brilliance and EGG
az was unSuTDasseu aid vas probably
held 10 celebrate the retreat from the
city Of the beseiging army under
Darius.
Give Up to Revealing.
Feeling secure, the gay jewellers
gave themselves up 10 unusual excess
and the king in the heat of passion
called for the sacred vessels which
Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the
temple at Jerusalem. He now desc
crates them in his bacchanalian orgy
and glories in his idolatry
That is an old story from the rec
ords OF the past, but il finds its cOun-
u
sons who owe everything 10 christian
ity and are insOlently defying God
while they desecratc the golden YES
sells OF oJtr holy religion, the Bible,
the Lords day, the church, and even
the Lord Himself They sheer at His
holy birth and sacrificial death and
eternal priesthood, feeling perfectly
secure In their goddess revelry.
God will not forever tolerate the
insane acts OF incarnate demons and
vet He seldom sends his thunderbOltS
without previous warning of gather
ing clouds. YOnder on the wall, over
against the blazing lamp where all
might see II they were not too drunk
10 understand the finer of God is
writing the doom Of blasphemy. The
King is struck with terror and his
knees smite together with uncontroll-
able fear.
Indulgence, intoxication and ex-
cess produce, two opposite conditions
in the human soul. First il embold-
ems a person TO do and say that which
would be resented as unthinkable in
sober, rational moments Many a
man tonight is behind the bars of a
feIon's cell for what ne did while his
mind was deranged by drink or in
famed by passion.
In Sight of Judgment.
Second, IL produces a feeling of
fear and superstition. Balshazzar had
the temerity to deseCTate holy vessels
IN n blasphemous debauch and the
next moment his teeth were chatter
ing with a nervous chill. his hair stood
on end from fright. while his feet
reeled on the brink OF hell-a sinner
in sight Of the judgment.
The mysterious words spelled the
doom OF the Chaldean monarch.
weighed and found wanting No doubt
many envied BalshaZzar in his i'm
9erial glory. Weighed in any other
balances than Gods ne was not found
wanting. In the scales Of position.
wealth, society, friendship, pleasure.
he weighed heavily, but his soul was
AS light as a feather.
While king and COurtierS celebrat-
I'd their supposed victory the army of
Cyrus was diverting the channel OF
the Euphrates, they marched up the
river bed under the BRIDGES and gate
ways into the unEuarded city and the
night OF blasphemy was turned into q
night OF judgment May God impress
the lesson on our hearts"