THE PREACHERS AND THE LAYMEN.
Lots of churches will sidestep the man with two dollars, but who ever heard of a man with five hundred thousands being turned out of church.
Lots of sermons today are nothing but a book review with a little religion tacked on the end.
A poor sinner couldn’t find Jesus Christ in some of the churches with a searchlight.
We’ve got too many preachers breaking their necks, trying to please the worldly gang that is going to increase their salaries.
Nobody nowadays is afraid of God; the picture of Jesus Christ is fading from the world; the word of God has been discarded as being too crude for this enlightened age.
Many churches are nothing but social clearance houses.
There are lots of people in this city who would rather have their friends go to hell than be saved by my preaching.
The best Christian will be the best citizen everywhere.
An employer is a thief if he takes advantage of his employe by not paying him for the honest work he does; the employe is a thief who does not give honest toil for honest wages.
Public opinion is not always competent to judge whether or not a man is worthy.
BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST.
What the Bible says.
“Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords and drank wine before the thousands.
“Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines might drink therein.
“They drank wine and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood and of stone.
“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw part of the hand that wrote.
“Then the king’s countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another.
“The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans and the soothsayers.
“Then came the king’s wise men; but they could not read the writing nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
“Then was Daniel brought before the king, and the king said: “If thou canst read the writing thou shalt be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about thy neck and shalt be third ruler of the kingdom.”
“Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let thy gifts be to thyself and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing and make known unto the king the interpretation.”
“And this is the writing that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”
BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST.
“Billy” Sunday’s Version.
Belshazzar’s feast was no common beer, pretzel and dill pickle blow-out, but the real goods. Nude and lewd women wormed and wriggled their way through the banquet hall. The bunch began to get soused and the revelry increased.
Then came the obscene song, the drunken hiccough, the slavering lip, and the guffaw of idiotic laugh bursting from the lips of princes, flushed, reeling and bloodshot, while mingled with it all were the hurrahs for great Belshazzar.
Then from the atmosphere flashed an armless hand which wrote upon the frieze in words that blazed like fire and glistened like gold. Terror froze Belshazzar to the very soul. His countenance changed, his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his loins were loose and his knees smote together. I tell you old “Bel” was about all in.
In a few moments he hoarsely cried: “Bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans and the soothsayers (we’d call ’em mediums today). And in came the Magi and when they couldn’t decipher the heiroglyphics, Belshazzar cried, “Give ’em the hook.”
Then he sent for Daniel on his mother’s advice.
I can see him say: “Put her there Dan,” as he slapped his hand in Daniel’s, and say, “My maw’s be tellin’ me about you. This bunch has got on my nerves. The four-flushers have been feedin’ and fattenin’ around here and can’t read that writing. If you’ll do it I’ll give you a chain and a ring of gold.”
But Daniel said: “Nothin’ doing on the chain and ring proposition, Bel.” Then Daniel read the writing. “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”
A REMARKABLE PRAYER.
Sunday says Devil Growls when 10,000 Confess their Wrongs.
“Oh, Jesus, isn’t this a great spectacle? This must make you smile, Jesus. I know it does me. And devil, this sight must make you growl. I can hear you saying, ‘What’s Bill Sunday doing up there? Look at that crowd of 10,000 people standing because they’re sorry they broke any of God’s commandments. We’ve got to get busy or we’ll lose thousands. Come on all you devils, get out of hell. Get out I say.’
“And Jesus, I’ll bet all those devils are trembling when they look up here, and I’ll bet all the angels in heaven are rejoicing and shouting with joy. I can see mothers and fathers up there saying, ‘Get back, Moses, get back Solomon, get back David, you haven’t got any children down there. Let me look and see if my boy or girl is in that audience. Yes, there she is down in section 27; yes, there is my boy over by post 14; thank God for that.’
“And, oh, Jesus, if any preacher here tonight has got cold feet, help him to stiffen up; give him backbone so he can fight for you. And, Jesus, bless these preachers, thank them for deepening the spirit here tonight. Bless all newspaper boys who are giving us such wonderful reports. Bless all in their offices that we met the other day—all of the clerks, stenographers, printers, pressmen and from the men that own the papers down to the boys that sell the papers on the street.
“And, Jesus, bless this choir, bless the ushers, bless the Chief, the Mayor, the Governor, help the state officials, Jesus. And bless this old state and this city and may we have a rousing time here. Guide us and keep us for your sake, Jesus, amen, amen, amen and amen. Good night.”