The Red Cloud chief., 1889-09-06

30
Power to Save.
Rev. I. Dewitt Talmsge. OF Brooklyn,
N. Y, In q recent seI mon ut Omaha, Neb.,
look for his text: Thou art weighed in
the balances and art found wanting"
Daniel v. q. Following is the I'm,
Babylon was the paradise of architect
ure. and driven out from thence the
grandest bull diDgs OF modern times are
only the evidence Of her fall Tn site
having been selected for the city, Zoo, 90
mon were employed in tho rear OF her
walls and the building of her works 1t
was q city sixty miles in circumference.
There was . trench all around the city.
from which b material for the building
Of the city had been digged.
There were twenty five gates on each
side OF the city; between every two gates
q tower Of defense springing into tho
skies; from each gate on the one side q
street running straight through to the cor.
responding street on the other side, 20 that
there were fifty streets fifteen miles long.
Through the city ran . branch Of the river
Euphrates. This river sometimes over
flowed its banks, and to keep it from the
ruin of the city . lake was constructed
into which the surplus water of the river
would run during the time Of freshets, and
the water was kept in this artificial lake
until the time Of drought and then this
would stream down yer the city. At
either end Of the bridge spanning the
Euphrates there was . p~alace-the ono
q palace q mile and Q half around, the
other palace seven and q half miles
around.
The wife of Nebuchadnezzar had been
born and brought up in the country. and
in . mountainous region, and she could
not bear the Nat district Of Babylon; and
90, to pleass his wife, Nebuchadnezzar
built in the midst Of the city . mountain
400 feet high. This mountain was built
out into terraces supported on arches On
the top Of these arches . layer Of nat
stones. on tho top Of that . layer of reeds
and bitumsn, on the top of that two layers
Of bricks closely cemented. on the top Of
that the soil was ~placed-the soil 20 deep
that . Lebanon cedar had room to anchor
its roots. There were pumps worked by
mighty machinery fetching up the water
from the E~uphrates to this hanging gsr.
don, IS ID was called, % that there were
fountains spouting into the sky.
Standing below and looking up It must
have looked rs if the clouds wore in blos-
som, or as though the sky leaned on the
shoulder Of cedar.
Ali this Nebuchadnezzer did to please
his wife. Well she ought to have been
pleased. II that would moi please her
nothing would. There was in that city
also the temple Of Belus with towers-one
owe the eighth of . mile high, IN which
there was an observatory where %astrono.
mers talked to the stars. There was in
that temple an image. just O image.
which would cost what would be our $52.-
900. 600!
O. what . city! The earth never saw
any thing like it, never will sec any thing
like it And yet 1 have to tell you that it
is going to be destroyed. The King and
his princes are ct . feast They are ali
intoxicated. Pour out the rich wine into
the chalicea Drink to the health of the
King. Drink to the glory Of Babylon.
Drink to . great future.
A thousand lords reel intoxicated. The
King. seated upon . chair, with vacant
- intoxicated men wilI-with vacant
look stared at the wall But loon that
vacant look takes on intensity and it 10
an aRrighted look, and all the princes be.
gin to look and wonder what 10 the mat
ter. and they look at the same point on
the wall And then there drops . dark.
ness into the room and puts out the blaze
Of the golden plate and out Of the sleeve
Of the L. kness there comes . ingsr-a
finger Of fiery terror circling around and
circling around a. though it would write.
and then 1t NJ up M with . sharp tip
Of lame it inscribes on the plastering Of
the wall the doom Of the King: 'Weished
bang Of heavy fists against tho gates Of
Of the doors. Athousand cleaning knives
strike into . thousand quivering hearts.
Now death 10 king. and he 10 seated on .
throne OF c0rpses. In that hall there II .
balance lifted. God swung it On a
side Of the balance He put Belshazzar's
opportunities, on the other side Of the bal.
ance are put Belshazzar's sins. The sins
come down. His opportunities 60 up.
Weighed in the balances-found wanting.
There has been . great deal Of cheating
in q country with false weights and
measures and balances, and the Govern.
ment TO change that state OF things up.
pointed commissioners whose business it
Was to stamp weights and balances. and .
great deal Of the wrong has been correct.
ed. But still, after all, there is no such
thing a. . perfect balance on earth. Tho
chain may break, or some Of the metal
may b Clipped, or in some way the
equipoise may bs . little disturbed.
You can not always depend upon earthly
balances. Abound II not alwaysa pound,
and you may pay for q thing and got
another; but in tho balance which is sus.
pended TO the throne Of God. . pound 10 .
pound, and right 10 right and wrong 10
wrong, and . soul 10 . soul. and eternity
10 eternity. God has . perfect bushsl and
. perfect peck and . perfect gallon. When
weigh their goods in the wrong
way, { On the Lord weighs the goods
again. II from the imperfect measure
the merchant pours out what pretsnds to
be . gallon, God knows it. and He calls
upon His recording angel to mark It: so
much wanting In { iat measure Of oil"
The farmer cones In from the country.
M has annlAs In sell He has an inner.