Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-01-26
A SERMON ON BABYLON.
DISCOURSE PREACHED SUNDAY, JAN.
rs, BY DR.. TALMAeE.

of this Ancient Pagan City-sOme Les
sons That should 10 Needed TO BE
Drawn from It's Pail.
BRooKLYN, Jan. %. -- Dr. Talmage
preached the following sermon this morn
ing in the Academy OF Music In this city.
and he repeated It tonight at The Chris
tian Herald service in the New York Acad-
envy Of Music. His text was Daniel v, 30:
elm that night was Bclshazzar, the king Of
the Chaldeans, slain"
After the site Of Babylon had been se.
lec.ted. two million OF men were employed
for the construction Of the wall and prin-
cipal works. The walls Of the city were
sixty miles In circumference. They were
surrounded by a trench, out Of which had
been dug the material for the construction
of the city. There were twenty-five gates
of solid brass on each side OF the square
city. Between every two gates great
tower spranR up into the heavens From
each Of the twenty-five gates on either side
a street ran straight through 10 the gate
on the other side, so that there were hfty
streets, each fifteen miles long. which gave
10 the city an appearance OF wonderful
regularity.
The houses did not Join each other on the
ground, and between them were gardens
and shrubbery. From housetop TO house
top bridges swung, over which the inhnb-
itants were accustomed 10 pass. A branch
OF the Euphratsa went through the city,
over which "A bridge OF marvellous structure
was thrown, and under which tunnel ran.
To keep the river from OVERLOOKING the city
In time Of freahet, "A grent lake was mr.
ranged 10 catch the surplus, In which the
Mt A. n "A FfaaTVniF until Times
OF drought, when II was sent streaming
down over the thirsty land. A palace
stood at each end Of the Euphrates bridge:
one palace "A mile and threo-quarterA H.
compass, and the other palace seven and a
half miles In circumference. The wife or
NebuchadnezLar, having been brought up
among the mountains OF Media, could not
stand Il In this fiat country of babylon,
and 40 20 please her Nebuchadnezznr had Il
mountain four hundred feet high built In
the midst OF the city,
This mountain WINS surrounded by ter,
races, for the support OF which great arches
were lifted On the top Of these arches Hat
stones were laid; then n layer Of reeds and
bitumen; then two rows of bricks, closely
cemented then thick sheets OF lead, upon
which the soil was placed The earth hero
Deposited WINS NO deep that the largest trees
had room 10 anchor their roots. All the
glory OF the howery tropics was spread out
nj that tremendous height, until II must
have seemed 10 one below as though the
clouds were all In blossom, and the very
Gky leaned on the shoulder OF the cedar.
At the top AN engine WAS constructed
which drew the water from the Euphrntes,
far below. and made II spout up amid this
garden Of the skies. All this % please his
L.. l.,... ..l.. ..s.l
Tng TEMPLE oF ngLUs
In the midst Of this city stood also the
temple Of Belus. One uf Its towers was
one-eighth Of mile high, aud ON the top
of II an observatory, which gave the ns
tronomers great advantage, as, being at 80
Rrrat "A height, one could easily talk with
the stars This temple was full Of cups
and statues aud ccnsers, all Of gold one
Image weighed thousand Babylonish ia
lents, which would bc equal to nifty two
million dollars All this by day; but now
night was about To come down on Baby Ion
The shadows OF her two hundred and hfty
towers began 20 lcngthen. The Euphratte,
rolled on, touched 10y the fiery splendors of
the setting sun, and gates OF brass, bur
nished and glittering opened and shut
like doors Of flame The hanging gardens
Of Babylon, wet with the heavy dew, began
10 pour from starlit flowers and dripping
leaf fragrance for many miles around,
Tho streeta aud squares were lighted for
dance and frolic aud promenade, The
theatres aud galleries of art Invited the
wealth aud pomp aud grandeur of the
city 10 rare entertainments Scenes ~
riot aud wassai were mingled In every
street; goddess mirth, aud outrageous cN
ncAs, and splendid wickedness came 10 the
king'a palace TO do their mightiest deeds
pf darkness,
A royal feast 70 night at the kings pal
aeel flushing up 20 the gates arc chartots,
apholsserod with precious cloths from de
ian aud drawn 10y iirc eyed horses from
rogarmah, that rear and neigh In the
grasp of the ohAriotcers, while a thousand
lords dismount, aud women dressed In all
The splendors Of Syrian emerald, and the
,olor blending OF agate, and the chasteness
d coral, aud the somher glory OF Tyrian
purple, and the prlncely emhroidorics
brought from affair hy camels across the
desert, and by ships from rarshish across
the sea
LEr rHE QUESTS ooME IN,
Open wide the gatas aud let the guests
some in. Tho ehAmtorlains and cup heAr'
srs Arc all ready iark 10 tho rustic of
the robos, and "a the carol OF the muslci
See tho hlaHe ~ tho jewelsi Lift the Tau.
ners Fill the cups. Clap tho cymla ais,
Blow the trumpets lot this night W by
with song and dance aud ovation, and let
Lhat liabylonish tongue hc palsied chat
sill NOT say "oh, King bolshaHGar, live
lopySFf
Ahl my fFisnds, 10 was not amy conn
banquet 90 which these great people cnno.
All parts of tho earth had srut their nch-
pst viands IA that tAhls. brackets and
chandeliers dashed their Hight upoa tank
Ards Of huruished gold Fruits, rips and
luscious, la baskets oi silver, oatNincd
with leavos, pluckrd from royal oonserNa
torlus. Vase, inlAid with emerald aud
rllged With exquisite traccrics, nlled with
outs thai wcre thrashed from forvsts oi
distant lands Wine brought from the royai
sais, ,foaming la the decAngors aud bublding
Ia the ci,alices- fufts az oassia aisi ifankin-
uenss eafting their s~vctness from wall aud
lAhle. Gorgeous hanners unfolding in the
brucEa thai came through the oI~ned Win
dow, switched with the I'erfume ~ hang
lag gaTlens fountAins rislns up trom Ia.
elosares of lvoFy la lcss Of crystal, a. fail
Ia claEtoring rain II diamonds aud Irarls
Statues of mighty men booking down iroin
niehes in tho wall ap0a CFsgns and shields
broughl frlln nnbdaed emplrss. Id0ls "
Nondsrial WORK. standing on ledeassls ~
PRECIOUS sionas. kmbrolderiua droopins
about tho windows aud wrapping piilArs
" cedar, aud drlftiuE 90 hoof inlAid With
ivory and agata Ausic, uainglins The
lhram ~ hzrIa. aud the clash of % cymhAis,
and the blast ~ tFumpcts in cos NAse ~
TRANSPORT thai went rlppling Al0ng ne
vail, and bFoathinF Aniong the gaFiands,
and lousinE daWn the corridors, snd thuA