Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-01-26
DR.. VIOLETTE
DRAWS LESSON
FROM BABYLON

A new approach to his subject was
observed last night in Dr.. E. E. Vio-
lette's sermon on "A Night in Ancient
Babylon" from Daniel 5th chapter. He
built up a great background for his
message by relating how Babylon had
come to it's state of magnificence after
fifteen hundred years of building and
which collapsed in one night. DR.. Vio-
lette said
"EIave YOU ever gone through his
tory and observed how many tragedies
have occurred at night? Rome was
burned at night the Lisbon earth
quake. the japanese earthquage, the
great Chinese flood, GethSemane, all
occurred at night. The tragedy on
the night of Belshazzar'S feast was
baptism of darkness.
After making wonderful descrip-
ton of the Babylonian palEce, the
city and the kingdom, the customs OF
oriental feasts, the evangelist showed
that he had the knack of deducting
from the historical events vital lessons
for the present generation. He said
that the same God that dealt thus
with Babylon, with the Medes and
Persians, and other nations and in
diyiduals is the God who deals with
u.s. and disobedience to His laws today
will bring retribution on us just the
same as it did to past generations. The
main lessons deducted from the feast
of BeIshazzar were as follows:
First, the sin of laying hands Vio-
Ientlv upon sacred things. cit was q
custom! said Doctor Violette, ''for ma
tions to respect the Gods and sacred
things and vessels of another nation,
but in this instance Belshazzar decided
to do some outstanding and unusual
thing to show his power to the thou
sand lords, and did the unusual thing
of taking the sacred vessels broughC
out of the temple OF God at Jeru-
salem which were dedicated to Coo,
and which were not to be used until
the priests first sanctified themselves
and approached them in reverence. So
Belshazzar challenged and dared the
God of heaven and laid his hands vlo-
lentlv on sacred things This was the
last straw on the camePs back, Tor
Gods patience was exhausted and His
sentence was written on the wall. In
the midst of all this revelry and sim
fulness Gods voice appeared, not IN
an earthquake, but silently and there
was no one to be found able to read IT..
The nagicians and, rheathen priests
failed. but Daniel, who had been cast
ont but who had not lost faith in God,
notwithstanding all his suffering, was
in demand in the day OF trouble anu
was able TO speak the mind OF Goa.
"The written word of God comes 10
all of u.s. said the speaker, "and false
priests and false religions will fall
when the truth of God is proclaimed.
Another sin of Belshazzar was his
wilful pride or lack Of humility before
God. He, did ,anot Recognize God al
though He had given. him majesty,
glory and honor. He had lifted up
himself God and his day of Judgment
had arrived. That night he was slam
and the kingdom given to the. MedeS
and Persians. You can go to this
country today and observe the desCruc-
ton of these magnificent cities and
ruins and mounds and seem to hear
rthe voices of Isaiah and Nahum warn
inc them beforehand, of their doom.
NO nation nor. individual can sin
against God. and get away with it. The
world offers it's prize like Belshazzar
did to Daniel when he offered him
third place in his kingdom but It was
a kingdom that ended that night.
This afternoon at four p m. DR.. Vlo-
lette will give another travelogue on
( the subject, can Hour With Rudyard
Kipling." This will bring out many
interesting things about, India. To-
night his subject will be, 'What Must
Do to Be Saved?" OF "The New Creed
of Christendom, from Revelation 22nd
chapter.