Milford chronicle., 1891-01-30
A SERMON ON BABYLON
DISCOURSE PREACHED SUNDAY, JAN.
%, BY DR.. TALMAGE.

A Graphic Description of the Wonder
Of this Ancient Pagan City-some Les
sons That Should BE Heeded to b
Drawn from It's FAN.
BRooKLYN, Jan. %. - Dr. Talmag
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
emy of Music His text was Daniel V, SO
''In that night was Belshazzar, the king o
the Chaldeans, slain"
After the site of Babylon had been Sc
lected. two million Of men were employed
for the construction of the wall and prin
cipal works. The walls of the city wer'
sixty miles in circumference They were
surrounded by a trench, out of which haC
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 a great
tower sprang up into the heavens. From
each Of the twenty-five gates on either side
a 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 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 inhab-
itants were accustomed to pass. A branch
| of the Euphrates went through the city,
over which bridge of marvellous structure
was thrown, and under which tunnel ran.
! To keep the river from overhOwing the city
| in time of freshet, great lake was ar
ranged to catch the surplus, in which the
water was kept as in a reservoir until times
/ of drought, when it was sent streaming
/ down over the thirsty land. A palace
stood at each end of the Euphrates bridges;
I one palace a mile and three-quarters il.
compass, and the other palace seven and a
half miles in circumference. The wife of
Nebuchadnezzar, having been brought up
among the mountains of Media, could not
stand it in this fiat country of Babylon,
and so to please her Nebuchadnezzar 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 flat
stones were laid; then 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
deDosited was so deep that the largest trees
had room to anchor their roots. All the
glory of the fowesy tropics was spread out
at that tremendous height, unJil it must
have seemed to one below rs 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 it spout up amid this
garden of the skies. All this to please his
wifel think she must have been pleased.
THE TEMPLE on BELUs
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 as
tronomers great advantage, as, being at so
great height, one could easily talk with
the stars. This temple was full of cups
and statues and censers, all of gold. One
image weighed a thousand Babylonish ta-
lents, which would be equal to fifty-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, bur
nished and glittering, opened and shut
like doors of flame. The hanging gardens
of Babylon, wet with the heavy dew, began
to pour from starlit flowers and dripping !
leaf 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 outrageous eX-
cess, and splendid wickedness came to the |
kings palace to do their mightiest deeds .
of darkness.
A royal feast tonight at the kings pal
acel Rushing up to the gates are chariots,
upholstered with precious cloths from De
dan and drawn by fire eyed horses from
Togarmah, that rear and neigh in the
grasp of the chariOteers, while thousand
lords dismount, and women dressed in all
the splendors of Syrian emerald, and the
color blending of agate, and the chasteness
of coral, and the somber glory of Tyrian
purple, and the princely embroideries
brought from afar by camels across the
desert, and by ships from Tarshish across
the sea.
LET THE GUESTS COME IN.
Open wide the gates and let the guests
come in. The chamberlains and cup bear
ers are all ready Hark to the rustic of
the robes, and to the carol of the musicl
See the blaze of the jewelsl Lift the ban
ners. Fill the cups. Clap the cymEals.
Blow the trumpets. Let the night 60 by
with song and dance and ovation; and let
that Babylonish tongue be palsied chat
will not say, "Oh, King Belshazzar, live
foreverP'
Ahl my friends, it was not any common
banquet to which these great people came.
All parts of the earth had sent their rich
est viands to that table. Brackets and
chandeliers flashed their light upon tank
ards Of FURNISHED gold. Fruits, ripe and
luscious, in baskets Of silver, entwined
With leaves, plucl1ed from royal cOnserva-
5ories. Vases, inlaid with emerald and
ridged with exquisite traceries, filed with
nuts that were thrashed from forests of
iistant lands. Wine brought from the royal
rats, ,foaming in the decanters and bubbling
n the chalices. Tufts Of cassia and franklin
,ense waiting their sweetness from wall and
able. Gorgeous banners unfolding in the
lreeze that came through the opened win
low, bewitched with the perfume of hang
ng gardens. Fountains rising up from in
,losures of ivory in jets of crystal, to fall
n Gathering rain of diamonds and pearls.
Statues of mighty men looking down from
inches in the wall upon crowns and shields
,rought from subdued empires. Idols Of !
wonderful work, standing on pedestals of 6
precious stones. Embroideries dropping y
bout the windows and wrapping pillars !
f cedar, and drifting on floor inlaid with {
worry and agate Music mingling the {
hrum Of harps, and the clash OF cymbals, |
md the blast Of trumpets in one wave of !
that went ripping along the S
vail, and breathing among the garlands, )
nd pouring down the corridors, and thrill G
ng the souls of a thousand banqueters.
The signal is given and the lords and
aides, the mighty men and women of the
and, come around the table. Pour out the
vine. Let foam and bubble kiss the riml v
Ioist every one his cup, and drink tc the v
entiment sob, King Belshazzars live for. !
verl" Bestarred headhand and csrcanet !
# royal beauty CLEAN to the uplifted ehal- :
ces, as again and again and again they are =
implied. Away wish care from the palaeel =
Tear royal dignity to tattersl Pour out :
.r,iroT Give rar,pa liuht rvildarl 4