Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-02-18
AT THE TABERNACLE
DR. TALMAeE ON THE REsTlAL PRO-
, PeNsITIEs or A SINFUL NATURE.

New Light on the story OF Nebuchad-
nszzar and shown Its Agreement with
History and Natural Law.
BROOKLYN. Feb with mighty ac-
claim the long meter doxology rose at the
beginning of the service. The inestimable
value Of Christianity As an elevating and
ennobling influence on the nature Of man
formed the subject Of Dr. TalmRge's ser
mon this morning. The brilliant and origi-
nal preacher chose as his text the humilifI-
tion Of the Babylonish king. who. being
destitute Of religion, sank to the level OF
the brute. Daniel iv. 2s. "All this came
upon the King Nebuchadnezzar"
Colonel Rawlinson. the oriental traveller,
says that the exhumed bricks, not only Of
Babylon. but OF a hundred towns in an area
OF one hundred miles in length and thirty in
breadth. are inscribed with the name of
Nebuchadnezzar He WAS great warrior.
and at the glance Of his sword nations pros
trated themselves He WAS u great king
and built city reservoir ninety miles in
circumference and one hundred and twen-
ty feet deep, and constructed a hanging
garden four hundred feet square and
seventy-fve feet high, some say to please
Amuhia, his wife, who had been born
among the hills, and others say to get
pleasure ground free from mosquitoes
which afflict the levels.
think, from his character, the latter
reason may have impelled him as much
as the former. When he conquered King
Zedekiah, so as to have no more trouble
with him, he put his eyes out-a most bar
kar ~ tx,a,
But Babylon was great place; the houses
surrounded by gardens and the housetops
were connected with each other by bridges,
and one day Nebuchadnezzar walked out
on those suspension bridges and showed,
perhaps to a royal visitor, the vastness of
his realm as the sun kindles the domes
with glistenings almost insufferable, and
the great streets thunder up their pomp
into the ear OF the monarch, and armed
towers stand around adorned with spoils
of conquered empires.
acknowledgements waves his hand above
the stupendous scene and excIaims, "Is not
this great Babylon that | have built for
the house Of the kingdom by the might of
my power and for the honor of my mai.
esty" In other words: What great
man am. Babylon was not anything TN
til | adorned it. See those water works;
see those gardens; see those forts | did
all this. shall never be forgotten. Why.
my name is on every brick in all those
walls. Just look at me. am more than
a man."
But in an instant all that spendor is
gone from his vision, for voice falls from
the heavens, saying. 20 King Nebuchad
neZzar, to thee it is spoken: the kingdom is
departed from thee, and they shall drive
thee from men and thy dwelling shall be
with the beasts Of the field, they shall
make thee to eat grass rs oxen, and seven
times shall pass over thee, until thou know
that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom
of men and giveth it to whomsoever he
will" One hour from the time he made
the boast he il on his way to the fields
maniac, and rushing into the forests he be
comes rs one Of the beasts and is after
awhile covered with eagles feathers for
protection from the cold. and his nails
grow to look like birds claws, in order
that he may dig the earth for roots and
climb the trees for nuts.
NEBUcHADNEZzAR A LYCANTHROPE.
The mental disaster that seized him was
what the Greeks called iycanthropy, by
which man imagines himself beast
and prefers to go out and mingle with
brutes. He who had been eating pome-
granates and apricots off of plates Of gold
inlaid with amethyst and diamond, and
drinking the richest wines from the royal
vats, now browsing on grass and struck
by the horn of the OK rs he contends for
better tuft OF the pasturage, and instead
of an orchestra on benches of ivory playing
the national airs. now listening to the
moan and below and grunt of the beasts.
This is not hard for me to believe, for the
forms OF dementia are innumerable.
A few years ago, arriving in city on
summer afternoon, while waiting for my
engagement in the evening, | sauntered
forth into what seemed to be a park in
front of large public building the use of
which | knew not. met gentleman.
with whom fell into delightful conversa-
jects After awhile | said, LET us sit
down on this bench and rest awhile and
enjoy the scene of verdure and fountains"
''No," said he. you sit down, but can
not. | am made of glass, and If should
sit down would break to pieces"
Then saw that he was insane and be-
longed to the large building just behind
us. After such an interview rs that can
easily believe this account of my text.
Here is Eebuchadnezzar on all fours. He
once prided himself of being more than a
man, and now he turns out less than man.
The courtiers look out of the windows upon
him as he moves among the royal herds
and cry, "A beast" Seven years pass,
when suddenly his reason returns and he
comes back to Babylon humble worship
er of the God of heaven.
What must have been the excitement in
the royal court as this restored maniac
emperor walks into the palace. What
time they had in cutting his nails and his
hair, which had grown for seven years
without being interfered with by any
shears. What scrubbing down must
have taken place in the imperial baths.
What transformation necessary in order
that he who had been herding with camels
and goats and swine may be made fit to
associate with princes. What change
from sty to throne room.
While walking from this Babylonian
palace down to the pasture field and from
the pasture field back to the palace the
first thing that impresses me is what an
incongruous thing it is for king to be
eating grass. 1t is good for cattle, but not
fit for man. And then for one to prefer it
to royal taIe toward whose bounty the
orchards and paddocks and streams and
vineyards in all the earth might contribute
what an amazement! And yet the scene
is as common as the daylight.
HOW HUMANITY is DEGRADED.
When see man Of regal nature made
to rule in realms Of thought, capable of
all moral elevation, besotting his facul-
ties, attempting out of low sensualities to
satisfy his immoral energies, coming
down off mis- throne Of power into brutal.
ties, sacrificing his higher nature to his
lower nature, STOPPING and STOPPING, COM
ing down and coming down until all his
influence for good is gone, cry out,
There is Il king eating grass like an oxp
And there sre tens Of thousands of such
Nebuchadnezzars.