The Forrest City times., 1891-01-30
BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST
Dk TALMAGE BREACHES ABOUT
 BABYLON AND ITS SIN.

A Brilliant Description of the Glory
 of the Ancient City and the Rcvels
 Held Therein. - Lessons Deduced
 for the Use of Everyday People.
 BROOKLYN, Jan. 25. - Dr. Talmage 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 5:3O: 'In that night was Belshazzar, the king of the ChaldeaAs slain"
 After the sito Of Babylon had been selected, two million of men wcre 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 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 watch tower sprang up into the heavens. From each of the twenty gates, on either side, 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 house-top to house. top bridges swung. over which the inhab itants were accustomed to pass. A branch ,f the Euphrates went through the city, over which bridge of marvellous structure was thrown, and under which a tunnel ran. To keep the river from overfiowing the city in times of freshet great lake was arranged to catch tho 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 Ut each end of the Euphrates bridge; oue palace, milo and three quarters in compass, and the other palace seven and half miles in circumference. The wife of Nebuchadpezzar, having been brought up among the mountains of of Media, could not stand 1t in this flat country of Babylon, and so, to please her, Nebuehadnezzar had a 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 Hat stones were laid; then layer of reeds and btumen; 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 tlowery tropics was spread out at that tremendous height, until 1t 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 Rn engine was constructed, which drew water from tho Euphrates, far below, and made it spout up amid this garden of the skies. All this to please his wife! I think she must have been pleased.
 In the midst of this city stood also the temple of Belus. One of it's towers was one-eighth of 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 fui of cups, and statues, and censers, all of gold One image weighed n thousand Babylonsh tai. ents, which would be equal to fifty-two million dollars. All this by day, bv. now night was about to come oown on Babylon. The shadows of her two hundred and fifty towers began 10 lengthen. The Euphratcs rolled on, touched by the fiery splendors of the setting sun, and gates of brass, bur nished and glttering, 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. The streets and squares were lighted for dance, and frolic, and promenade. The theatres and galler es 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 palace! Rushing up to the gates are chariots. up- holstered with precious cloths from Dedan, and drawn by hre-eyed horses from To- garmah, that rear and neigh in tho grasp of tho charioteers; while thousand lords dismount, and women dressed in all the splendors of Syrian emerald, and the color blending of agate and the chastcness of coral. and the somber glory of Tyrian pur- pie, and princely embroideries. brought from afar by camels across the desert, and by ships of Tarshish across the sea
 Open wide the gates and let the guests come in. The chamberlains and cup bear CTS are all ready, Hark to the rustic of the robes, and to tho carol of the music, See the blaze of the jewels. Lift the ban ners. Fill the cups. Clap the symbals Blow the trumpets. Let the night go by with song and dance and ovation, and let that Babylonish tongue bc pals.ed that will not say, 70. King Belshazxar, live for ever!" Away with care from the palace. Tear royal dignity to tattcrs. Pour out more wine! Give us moro light wilder music, sweeter perfume Lord shouts to lord. captain ogles to captain. Goblets clash. decanters rattle. There come In the vile song and the drunken hiccough and the slavering lip. and the gutYaw of idiotic laughter. bursting from the lips of prinoes flushed. reeling. bloodshot; while mincling with It all hear, ''Huzra! hu1xa! fer great Belshazzar!"
 What is that on the plastering of the wall? Is 1t spirit? Is it Q phantom? Is 1t God? Out of the black sleeve of the darkness finger of fiery terror .reln bles through the air and comes to the wall cirsling about as though it would write and then. with sharp tip of flame, en- graves on the plasterin2 the doom of tho king The music stops. The goblet Nlls from the nervclcss grasp. There h a thrill. There is start. There is . thousand-voiced shriek of horror. Let Daniel oe brought in to reaG that writing. He comes In. He reads it: Weighed in the balance and found wanting
 Meanwhile the Assyrians. who for two years had been laying siecc to that city LOOK aavantage of that carousai and came in. hear the feet of the conquerors on