The Brookhaven leader., 1891-02-05
RFI7lI-SHAZZAR'S BANQUET.
n,scourse by Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage on Gods Messages.
.u sbou,d be Rightly Interpreted and
'" r.,,hfully Heeded-The Feast OF sin'
the wages of which, Surely
Paid, is Death.

The following sermon on Inc manu-
-, ON the Wall' was delivered by
w. r Dewitt Talmage in Brooklyn
I'D New York City from the text:
- that night was Belshazzar, the King OF
~ ChaIdeans, slain.-Daniel ", 80.
w .tor the site of Babylon had been
,oIocted, two millions of men were en-
uIoved for the construction OF the wall
"a nrincipal works. The walls of the
.;tv we're sixty miles in circumference.
Thev were surrounded by a trench, out
~ which had been dug the material for
.ho construction of the city. There
were twenty-five gates of solid brass on
eocb 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, on either side,
street ran straight through to the gate
on the other side, so that there were
fftv streets, each fifteen miles long,
which gave the city an appearance of
wonderful regularity. The houses did
NOT ioin each other on the ground, and
between them were gardens and shrub
berv. From house-top to house-top
bridges swung, over which the inhab-
itsnts were accustomed to pass. A
branch of the Euphrates went through
the citv. over which bridge of marvel
GUS structure was thrown, and un-
der which tunnel ran. To
Keen t,c river from overflow
ing the city in times of freshet, a
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 teach
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
Nebuchadnezzar, having been brought
up among the mountains of Media,
could not stand it ip this fiat country of
Babylon, and SO, to please her, Nebu-
chadnezzar had mountain, four hun
dred 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 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 de-
posted was so deep that the largest
trees had room to anchor their roots.
All the glory of the fowcry tropics was
spread out at that tremendous height,
until it must have seemed to one below
as though the clouds were all in bios
som, 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
wife. ! think she must have been
pleased.
In the midst of this city stood also the
Temple of Bclus. One of it's 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 height, one could easily
talk with the stars. This temple was
full OF cups and statues and censers, all
OF gold One image weighed one thou
sand 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 Eu-
pirates 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.
Inc hanging gardens of Babylon, wet
with the heavy dew, began to pour,
from Starllt flowers and dripping leaf, a
fragrance for many miles around. The
streets and squares were lighted for
uance and frolic and promenade. The
'neaters and galleries of art invited the
wealth and pomp and grandeur of the
Guy 10 rare entertainments. Scenes of
iioI and wassail were mingled in every
street; goddess mirth and outrageous ex-
cess and splendid wickedness came to
s Sne Alngs palace to do their mightiest
Ueeus OF darkness.
A royal feast tonight at the Kings
palace! Rushing up to the gates are
siariots' upholstered with precious
oiO'nS from Dedan and drawn by fire.
eyeo horses from Togarmah, that rear
'AII aIu neigh in the grasp of the charioteers,
WINE thousand lords dismount, and
Solnen' dressed in all the splendors of
oslian emerald, and the color blending
y. agate and the chasteness of coral,
snS sna 'he somber glory of Tyrian purple
afo princeiy embroideries, brought from
sL: af oy camels across the desert, and by
''ilpS OF Iarshish across the sea.
open wide the gates, and let the
suests come in. The chamberlains and
up1earers rut. are all ready. Hark to the
.Sa SS'le OF the robes and to the carol of
Ia. music! See the blaze of the Jewels!
tba Vle banners. Fill the cups. Clap
tho oynnals. Blow the trumpets. Let
sns e hight go by with song, and dances,
.o u ovation, and let that Babylonish
SMsue "n1 be palsied that will not say:
Vn' hing Belshazzar, live forevery'
ran an my friends, it was not any COM
nlO n banquet to which these great peo-
ssrt M eame: All parts of the earth had
r., tneir richest viands to that table.
G.S. GAetS and chandeliers flashed their
Frn;. upon tankards of FURNISHED gold.
silrnU ripe and luscious, in baskets of
frora entwined with leaves plucked
Iais royal Conservatives. Vases in
on;.. win emerald and ridged with ex-
VS. e traeeries, filed with nuts that
Lana. 'nreshed from forests of distant
vatS ~ Wine brought from the royal
brht,, ,Ioaming in the decanters and
csSs; olng in the chalices. Tufts of
Swaaau ana frankincense waiting their