The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-02-18
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: Wonders of Babylon"

TEXT: SIN that night aras Belshazzar,
the king of the Chaldeans, slatn."-Daniel
v, 30.
| After the sight of Babylon had been Sc
lected, two million Of men were employed
| for the construction of the wall and prlnci-
pal works. The walls of the city were sixty
miles in circumference. They were sur
rounded by 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 great tower sprang
up into the heavens. From each Of tie twen-
| ty-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 ap-
pearance Of wonderful regularity.
The houses did not join each other on the
ground, and between them were gardens and
shrubhery. 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
| 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 arranged to catch
| the surplus, in which the water was kept as
in reservoir until times OF drought, when
It 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 q half miles in circumfer-
ence. The wife of NebuchadnezZar, having
been brought up among the mountains OF
Media, could not stand it in this fat country
of Babylon, and so to please her Nebuchad-
nezzar had q 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 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 fowery tropics was spread out
at that tremendous height, until it must havs
seemed to one below as though the clouds
were all in blossom. and the, very sky leaned
engine was constructed which drew the water
! from the Euphrates far below, and made it
spout up amid this garden of the skies. Ali
this to please his wife! 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 mile high and on the top of it an
observatory, which gave the astronomers
great advantage, as, being at so great a
| This temple was full of cups and statues and
censers, all Of gold. One image weighed a
| thousand Babylonish talents, 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 FURNISHED 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 We're
! 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 aud
wassail were mingled in every street; goddess
miIth 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 palacel
Rushing up to the gates are chariots, up
holstered with precious cloths from Dedan
and drawn by fire eyed horses from fogar-
nah, that rear and neigh i'll the grasp OF the
charioteers, while thousand lords diSmount,
and women dressed in all the splepdors OF
Syrian emerald ami the color blending OF
agate, and the chasteness Of coral, and the
somber glory of Syrian purple, and the
princely embroideries brought from afar by
cames across the desert and by ships from
Tarshish across the sea.
Open wide the gates and let the guests come
in. The chamberlains and cup bearers are
all ready. Hark to the rustic Of the robes,
and to the carol of the music! See the blaze
OF the jewels Lift the banners. Fill the
| cups. Clap the cynbals. Blow the trumpets.
Let the night 60 by with song and dance and
ovation; and let the Babylonish tongue be
palsed that will not say, "Oh, King Bel
shazzar, live forever"
All! 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 aud luscious, in
| baskets of silver, entwined with leaves,
p,ucked from royal conservatories. Vases,
| irlaid with emerald and ridged with e1quis-
| ite traceries, 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 frankincense
waiting their sweetness from wall and table.
Gorgeous banners unfolding in the breeze
that came through the opened window, be-
witched with the perfume of hanging gar.
| dens. Fountains rising up from Enclosures
Of ivory In Jets Of crystal, to fall IN c!atter.
| inc rain of diamonds and pearls. Statues OF
mighty men looking down from inches in the
| wall upon crowns and shields brought from
s1bdued empires Idols of wonderful work,
standing on pedestals of precious stones
Embroideries dropping about the windows
and wrapping pillars of cedar, and drifting
ON floor inlaid with ivory and agate. Music,
mingling the thrum Of harps, and tie CLASH
wave of transport that went ripping along
the wall, and breathing among the gar lands,
and pouring down the corridors, and thrill
ing the souls Of thousand banquetefs.
| The signal Is given, aud the lords and
ladies, tie mighty men and women OF the
land, come around the table. Pour out the
wine. Let foam and bubble kiss the rim.
Hoist every one his cup, and drink to the
sentiment; ''Oh, King Belshazzar, live tor,
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 palace! Tear
royal dignity to tatters! Pour out more wine
Give us mora light, wilder music, sweeter
perfume Lord shouts to lord, captain osles
to captain. Goblets clash, decanters rattle.
There comes in the vile song, and the drunken
hiccough, and the slaverlnS ZIP, and the guI-
faw Of idiotic laughter, bursting from the
lips of princes, flushed, ree;ing blo4dshot;;
while mingling with it all hear: "Huzza!
huzza! for great Belshazzarr
| What is that on the plastering Of the wall?
Is it a spirit? Is it O phantom? Is it God?
Out of the black sleeve Of the darkness O
finger of fiery terror tresubles through the
tankards, and the blood of murdered women,
| and tho Eicked and trmblei carcass OF q
dead king. For sin that night was Bel
shazzar, the king of the Chaldeans slain"
LEO on to learn that when God writes any
| 4h;n2, an 4bo ,uolI q rnon had better read it