Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-01-30

preached the following sermon this morn
ing in the Academy of Music in this city,
and he repeated it tonight in the New
York Academy OF Music. His text was
Daniel 5 80: sin that night was
Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans
slain"
After the site of Babylon had been
selected, two million Of men were employed
for the construction of the wall and princi-
pal works The walls OF the city were
sixty miles in circumference. They were
surrounded by trench, out OF which hid
been dug the material for tho 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
watch tower sprang up into the
heavens. From each of the twenty-five
gates en- either side, street ran straight
through 10 the gate on the other SIDE, so
that there were fifty streets, each fifteen
miles long, VIII ch gave to the city an
appearance of wonderful regularity. The
houses did not JON each other on the
ground, and between them were gardens
and shrubbery. From house-top To house
top bridges swung, over which the inhab-
itants were accustomed 10 pass. y branch
OF the EuphrItcs went through the city,
over which bridge Of marvellous structure
was thrown, and under which tunnel
ran. TO keep the river from overflow ng
the city in times of freshet, great lake
was arranged TO catch the surplus, in
which the water was kept as in a reservoir
until times of drought, whom it was sent
streaming down over the thirsty land. A
palace stood at each end of the Euphrates
bridge; one palace, mile and three
quarters in compass, and the other palace
seven and half miles in circumference.
The wife Of acknowledgements, having
been brought up among tho mountains of
of Media, could not stand IL in this fiat
country Of Babylon, and SO, 10 please her,
NebuChadneZZar had mountain, four
hundred feet high, built In the midst of
the city. This mountain was surrounded
by terraces, for the support Of which great
arches were lifted. On top of these arches
fiat 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 deposited was so deep that the largest
trees had room TO anchor their roots. All
the glory of the howery tropics was spread
out at that tremendous height, until it
must have 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 water from the Euphrates,
far below, and made it spout up amid this
garden of the skies. All this to please his
wife! l 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 u mile high. and on the top
OF it an observatory, which gave the as
tronomers great advantage, as. be ng at so
great "a height, one could easily talk with
the stars. TIL temple was full Of cups.
aud statues, and censers, all Of gold. One
image weighed a thousand Babylonish tai
ents, which would be equal to flty-two
million dollars. All this by day, but now
night was about to come Gown on Babylon.
The shadows OF her two hundred and fifty
towers began 70 lengthen. The EuphrAtes
rolled on, touched by the fiery splendors of
the setting sun, and gates OF brass, bur-
nished and Offering, 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 outrageous ex-
cess, and splendid wckcdness cIme TO the
kings palace, to do their lnigLtlest deods
of darkness.
A royal feast tonight at tho kings palacel
Rush ng up to the gates are charots. up
holstered with precious cloths from Dedan,
and drawn by fire eyed horses from To-
garmah, that rear and ne gh 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 pur-
pie, and prncely embroideres, brought
from afar by camels across the desert, and
by ship of Tarshsh across the soa.
/ Open wide the gates and let the guests
! come in. The chamberlains and cup-belr-
ers are all ready. Hank to the rustic OF
] the robes. and TO the carol of the music
See the blaze of the jewels! Lift the bun.
/ ners. Fill the cups. Clap the symbsls,
Blow the trumpets. Let tho night so By
with song and dance and ovation. and lei
TINT Babylonish tongue DO palsied th II w Il
not say, 30. King BelShazzIr live FOR
ever~ Away with care from the palace
! Tear royal dignity to .atters! Pour out
more wlnc Give us more light, wilder
music, sweeter perfume! Lord shouts 10
lord. captain ogles TO captain. Gobets
clash, decanters rattle. There come in the
vile song and the drunken hiccpugh and
the slavering | p. and tho outlaw of ID otto
laughter, bursting from the lips of princes
flushed. rcelng. b God shot; while m nglire
with it al | hear, 'Huzza! huzza! foI
great Ee,shazzar"
What is that on tho plastcring of the
wall? 10 IL spirit? Is it phantom? is
il God? Out OF the black sleeve of tho
darkness fin ,er of fiery terror trembles
through the air and comes TO the wall
circing about as though it would write
and then. with sh rp tip Of iiame en-
graves on the plaster ny the doom OF the
king. The music stops. The goblet falls
from the nerveless grasp. There is q
thrill. There is start. There Is &
thousand-voiced shrek CT horror. Let
Daniel be brought in to rezd that writing
He comes in. He reads il: "N'eighed In
the balance end found wanting"
Meanwhile the Assyrians. who for two
years had been layiny siege to that CITY