Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-01-30
A SERMON ON BABYLON.
DISCOURSE PREACHED SUNDAY. JAN.
25, BY DR.. TALMAGE.


sons That s,ou,d BE Needed to BE
Drawn from Its Fail.
NRooKLYN, Jan. 25. - DR.. Talmage
preached the following sermon this morn.
ing in the Acadenay of Music in this CITY,
and he repeated 1t tonight at The Chris
TIM Herald service in tho New York Acad-
envy Of Music His text was Daniel v, 30
I'm that night was Bclshazzar, the king OF
the Chaldeans, slain. v
After the site of Babylon had been Sc
]ectcd, two million Of men were Employed
for the construction of the wall and prt-
cipal works. The walls Of the city were
sixty miles in circumference. They were
surrounded By trench, out Of which had
been dug the material for tho construction
of the city. There wore twenty-five gates
Of solid brass on each side Of the square
city. Between every two gates great
tower sprang mp into the heavens. From
each of Il ne twenty-five gates on either side
81 street ran straight through TO the gate
on the other side, so that there wc1p fifty
streets, each fifteen miles long. which gave
20 the city an appearance of wonderful
regularity.
The houses did not join each other on the
ground, and between them We're 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 a bridge of marvellous structure
was thrown, and under which a tunnel ran
TO keep the river from OVERLOOKING the city
in time of freshet, a great lake was ar.
ranged TO catch the surplus in which the
water was kept as in a reservoir until times
of nubt ,t-bp mt or pir1r
down over the thirsty land A palace
stood at each end of the Euphrates bridge:
one palace a mile and threc-guartcrs it,.
compass, and the other palace seven and n
Jalf miles in circumference. The wife of
Ncbuchadnezzar, having been brought up
among the mountains of Media, could not
stand it in this fat country of Babylon,
and so to please her NehuchadnezZar had a
mountain four hundred feet high built in
the midst of the city.
This mountain was surrounded by ter
races, for he support of which t5reat arches
were lifted. On the top OF these aIsnCs fiat
stones were laid; then layer of reeds and
bitumen; then two rows OF bricks, closely
cenentcd: then thick sheets Of lead. upon
which the soil WAS placed. The earth here
deposited was so deep that the largest trees
lad room to anchor their roots All the
glory Of the flOweTy tropics was spread out
at that tremendous height. until 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 WHtcr from the EuphratcS,
far below, and made it spout Mp amid this
garden of the skies. MI this to please his
wife! | think she must have been pleased.
THE TEMPLE OF BELCS.
In the midst of this city stood also the
temple of Belus. Ole Of its towers was
onc-eighth Of mile high, and on the top
of it an observatory, which gave the as
trouomcrs great ADVANTAGE, rs, being Mt so
great a height, one could easily tall> with
the stars This temple was full OF cups
au. statues and ceHsrrS, all of gold. One
lt.."> wei hed thousand Babylonish Ia
len'.- which would b. equal to nity-two
milton dollars. All this b. day; but now
night WIS about to come down on Babylon.
Ti- shadows OF her two hundred ana tiny
towers BEGAN - >ngthen. The Luphrates
rolled on. touched by the fery plenI1rs of
the setting sun, and gates Of brass. bur
n.~Ard and gIltterinE, opened aud shut
H., doors Of flame. The hanging gurdens
@. Babylon, wet with che h".vy dew, began
t. pour from starlit flowers and dripping
leaf fragrance for many miles around.
Tie streets 3n9 squares were lighted for
dance and frolic and promenade The
theatres and gallerics Of art invited tho
wealth and pOmp and grandeur of the
city to rare entertainments. Scenes OF
riot and w;t,saii We're mingled in every
street goddess mirLh, and Outrageous eX-
cess, and splendid wickedncss came to the
kings palace TO do their Inigntiest deeds