The Penn's Grove record., 1891-02-06
REV. DR.. lALNAGES SERMON.
Ihs Brooklyn Divine's Sunday
Sermon.
Subject : ewonders of Babylon"


Subject -wonders of Babylon"
----
TEXT. "M that night wds BefShazsar.
the k.iy Of the C~hdtdeans, sldia."-Daniel
", 70.
After the sight of Babylon had been Sc
lectsd, two million of men were employed
fer the construction Of the wall and priuci-
pal works. The walls of the city were sixty
miles in circumference. They were sur
rounded by u 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. Be
tween every two gates a great tower sprang
up into the heavens. From each OF the twen-
ty-ive gates on either side q street ran
straight through to the gate on the other side,
so that there were fifty streets, each fifteen
miles long, which gave to the city an APP
p~earance Of wonderful regularity.
The houses did not join each other on the
ground, and between them were gardens and
~shrubbery. From housetop to housetop
bridges swung, over which the inhabitants
were accustomed to pass. A branch of the
Euphrates went through the city, over which
and under which a tunnel ran. To keep the
river from Overlooking the city in time Of
freshet, q great lake was arranged to catch
the surplus, in which the water vas kept as
in a reservoir until times Of drought, when
1t was sent streaming down over the thirsty
land. A palace stood at each end of the
Euphrates bridge; one palace a mile and
three-quarters in compass, and the other
palace seven and a half miles in circumfer-
ence The wife of Nebuchadnezzar, having
been brought up among the mountains of
Media, could not stand 1t in this fiat country
of Babylon, and SO to please her Nebucbad-
nezzar had a mountain four hundred feet
high built In the midst of the city.
This mountain was surrounded by ter
races, for the support of which great arches
were lifted. On the top Of these arches fat
stones were laid; then a 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 here
deposited was so deep that the largest trees
had room to anchor their roots. All the
glory of the fiowery tropics was spread out
at that tremendous height, until it must hava
seemed to one below as though the clouds
were all in blossom, and the very sky leaned
on the shoulder of the cedar. At the top an
engine was constructed which drew the water
from the Euphrates, far below, and made ID
spout up amid this garden of the skies. All
this to please his wifel think she must have
been pleased.
In the midst of this city stood also the
temple Of Belus. One OF its towers was one
eighth of a mile high, and on the top of it an
observatory, which gave the astronomers
great advantage, as, being at SO great a
height, one could easily talk with the stars,
This temple was full Of cups and statues aud
censers, all Of gold. One image weighed a
thousand Babylonish talents, which would
be equal to ffty-two million dollars. All this
by day: but now night was about to come
down on Babylon. The shadows Of her two
hundred and fifty towers began to lengthen.
The Euphrates rolled on, touched by the
fiery splendors Of the setting sun, and gates
of brass FURNISHED and glittering, opened
and shut like doors of fame. The hanging
gardens of Babylon, wet with the heavy
dew, began to pour from starlit flowers and
dripping leaf a fragrance for many miles
around. The streets and squares were
lighted for dance and frolic and promenade.
The theatres and galleries Of art invited the
wealth and pomp and grandeur of the city to
rare entertainments. Scenes Of riot and
wassail were mingled in every street; goddess
mirth, and outrages excess, and splendid
wickedness came to the kings palace to do
their mightiest deeds Of darkness
A royal feast tonight at the kings palacei
Rushing up to the gates are chariots, up
holstered with precious cloths from Dedan
and drawn by fire eyed horses from Togar-
nah, that rear and neigh in the grasp of the
Characters while a thousand lords dismount,
and women dressed in all the spiendors Of
Syrian emerald, and the color blending Of
agate, and the chasteness Of coral, n the
somber glory of Syrian purple, and the
princely em~broideries brought from afar by
camels across the desert, and by ships from
Tarshish across the sea.
Open wide the gates and let the guests come
in. The chamberiains and cup bearers are
all ready. Hank to the rustic of the robes,
and to the carol of the musici See the blaze
of the jewelsl Lift the banners. FIJI the
cups. Clap the cymbals. Blow the trumpets.
Let the night go by with song and dance and
ovation; and let the Babylonish tongue be
palsied that will not say, "Oh, King Bel
shazzar, live foreverp
Ali my friends, it was not any common
banquet to which these great people came.
All parts of the earth had sent their richest
viands to that table. Brackets and chande-
liers flashed their light upon tankards of
FURNISHED gold, Fruits, ripe and luscious, in
baskets Of silver, entwined with leaves,
plucked from royal c~onseryatories. Vases,
inlaid with emerald and ridged with exquis-
tie traceriss, filled with nuts that were
thrashed from forests Of distant lands.
Wine brought from the royal watts, foaming
In the decanters and bubbling in the chal-
ices. Tufts of cassia and frankincenss
waiting their sweetness from wall and table.
Gorgeous banners unfolding in the breeze
that came through the opened window, be-
W ILIuCu a tlS Rg4 bLL VI 4aAkA IL ka4-
dens. Fountains rising up from Enclosures
Of ivory in jets of crystal, to fall in clatter-
ing rain Of diamonds and pearls. Statues of
mighty men looking down from inches in the
wall upon crown and shields brought from
subdued empires. Idols Of wonderful work,
standing on pedestals of precious stones.
Embroideries dropping. about the windows
floor inlaid with ivory and agate. Music,
mingling the thrum Of harps, and the clash
cymbals, and the blast of trumpets in one
wave of transport that went ripping along
the wall, and breathing among the garlands,
and pouring down the corridors N thrill
ing the souls of athousand b%anqueters.
The signal Is given, and tue lords and
land, come around thetable. Pour out the
wine. Let foam and bubble kiss the rim.
Hoist every one his cup, and drink to the
sentiment: Job, King Belshazzar, live for
everr' Bestarred headband and carcanet of
royal beauty CLEAN to the uplifted chalices,
as again and again and again they are emp
tied. Away with care from the palacei Tear
royal dignity to ~tattersl Pour out more wine!
Give us more light, wilder music, sweeter
perfume. Lord shouts to lord, captain ogles
to captain. Goblets clash, decanters rattle.
There comes in the vile song, and the drunken
hiccough, and the slavering lip, and the gut
faw Of idiotic laughter, bursting from the
lips OF princes, flushed, reehng, ~bloodshot;
while mingling with 1t all / hear; "Huzzai
huxzal for great Belshazzarp
What is that on the plastering Of the WALL
Is it a spiritf Is it a phantomf Is it Gods
Out Of the black sleeve of the darkness a
finger Of fiery terror trembles through the
air and comes to the wall, circling about
as though IL would write, and then, with
sharp tip OF flame, engraves on the plastering
the doom Of the king. The music stops. The
goblet falls from the nervelsss grasp. There
Is q thrill. There Is a start. There is a
voiced shrek of horror. Let Daniel
be brought In toread that writing. He comes
In. He reads II, "Weighsd in the balance
and found wanting"
+ Meanwhile the Assyrians, who for two
had been laying siege to that city,
took advantage OF that carousal and came
in. I hear the feet Of the conquerors on
the palace staira. Massacre rushed in with
thousand cleaning knives. Death bursts
upon the scene, and shut the door Of that
ball, for I 10 not want to look.
There Il nothing there but torn banners,
and broken wreaths and the slush Of upset
tankards, and the blood of murdered women,
and the kicked and tumbled carcass of a
dead king. For sin that night was 2 l.
shaxxar, the king Of the Chaldsans, slain"
i go on to learn that when God writes any
thing on the wall, . man had better read il
a. It Il. Daniel did not misinterpret or modi-