Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-08
NEBUCHADNEZZAR.
TIE GREAT BROOKLYN DIVINE DISCOUaSES
on PRIDE AND FOLLY.
From ths Palace 70 the Pasture the King Of Egypt
Falls-Lot Warned Before the Destuc-
non ofSodom-Whsi has Infdelity
Done for Humanity?


Christianity as an elevating and emo
bling influence on the nature OF man,
formed the subject Of DR.. Talmage's
sermon this morning. The brilliant and
original preacher chose as his text the
humiliation of the BabylOnish king who
being destitute Of religion sank to the
level Of the brute. Daniel 4:2S: "All
this came upon the King Nebuchadnez-
zar."
Colonel Rawliuson, the Oriental trav-
eller, says that the eXhumed bricks, not
only OF Babylon but OF hundred towns
in an area OF one bundled miles In
length and thirty in breadth, are in
scribed with the name Of Nebuchadnez-
Ear. lie was a great warrior and at the
glance of his sword nations Frustrated
themselves. He was a great king and
built city reservoir ninety miles IN
circumference and one hundred and
twenty feet deep, and constructed q
hanging garden, four hundred feet
square and seyenty-fve feet high, some
say 10 please Amuhia, his wife, who had
been born among the hills, and others
say 10 get pleasure ground free from
the mosquitoes, which atlliCt the levels.
] think, from his character, the latter
reason may have impelled him as much
as tie former.
WHEN HE CONQUERED
King Zedekiah, so as TO have no more
trouble with him, be put his eyes out
most barbarous way OF incapacitatinR
an enemy. But Babylon was great
place, the houses surrounded by gar
dens and the hOuset0ps were connected
with each other by bridges, and one day
NebuchadneZzar walked up on those
suspension bridges and showed, per-
haps 10 a royal visitor, the yaStneSs OF
his realm as the sun kindles the dOmeS
with gliSterings almost insutferable,
and the great streets thunder up their
POND into the ear OF tina monarch, and
armed towers stand around adorned
with spells Of conquered empires. Neb-
uchadnezzar waves his hand above the
stupeudouS scene and eXclaims: rs
not this great Babylon that / have
built for the house of the kingdom by
the might Of my power and Tor
the honor OF my majesty" In other
words: What a great man am. Bah
ylon was not anything uctil l adorned
it. See those waterworks; see those
this. / shall never be forgotten. Why,
my name is on every brick ia all those
walls. Just look at me. | am more
than a man" But, in an instant, all
that SDlendor il gone from his vision
for avOice falls from the heavens, say
ing: 20, King NebUchadnezZar, 70
thee il is spoken; the kingdom is de-
parted from thee, and they shall drive
thee from men and thy dwelling shall
be With the beasts OF the field; they
shall make thee 20 eat grass as oxen,
and seven times shall pass over thee
until thou know that
THE MOST HIGH RULETH
in the kingdom Of men and giveth IL TO
whOmsOever he will" One hour from
the time he made the boast, he is on his
way 90 the fields a maniac, and rushing
into the forests he becomes as one Of
the beasts, aud 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.
The mental disaster that seized him
was what the Greeks called LycapthrO-
py, by which a man imagines himself
beast and prefers 70 20 out and .mingie
with brutes. He who had been eating
pomegranites and apricotS oil OF plates OF
gold inlaid with amethyst and diamond,
and drinking the richest wines from the
royal watts, now browsing on grass, and
struck by the horn of the OK as he con-
tends FOR a better tUft OF the pasturage
,F hal Frn hnnphAs
al ivory playing the national airs, now
listening 30 the moan and below aud
grunt OF the beasts. This is not hard
for me 70 believe. for the forms OF de-
mentia are innumerable. A few years
ago, srriving in a city on summer
afternoon, while waiting for my engage
ment In the evening, l Sauntered forth
into what seemed 70 be a park in front
Of large public building, the use Of
which knew not. met gentleman,
with whom I fell into delightful CONVEX
satiOn, and ne seemed intelligent on all
subjects. Aftef awhile, said: Let
US sit down on this bench and rest
awhile aud enjoy the scene Of verdure
aud fountains" mo" said he. you
sit down, but cannot.
IAN MADE OF GLASS,
and If / should sit down / would break
10 pieces" Then, / saw that he was
insane, and belonged 10 the large build
ing just behinI US. After such an in
terview as that, / can easily believe this
account Of my text, Here IS NebucAad-
nezzar on all fOurs. He once prided
himself OF being more than a 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 20 Babylon humble
worshipper OF the Coo OF heaven, What
must have been the excitement 10 the
rOyal court as this restored maniac en-
peror 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. What a scrubbing down must
have taken place in the imperial baths.
What a transformation necessary In or
der that be who had been herdlng with
camels and goats and swine may be made
fit to associate with princes. What q
change from Sty TO thrOne-roOm!
Learn from my subject that pride is
the precursor OF overthrow. Pride is
commander well plSmed and capariSon-
cd. but il leads forth dark and frown-
inc host pride goeth before destruc-
ton, aud naughty spirit before q fall. !"
THE arrows from the Almighty's QIiver
are ant TO strike q man when on the
wing Goliath shakes his great spear
an defiance. but the smooth stones from
the brook make him Stagger and fall
nc an OK under q butcher's bludgeon.