The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-02-24
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: sinking to the Level of
Brutes"

Brutes."
TEXT: "Au this came upon the King
Nebuchadnezsur." ."-Daniel iv., 2S.
Colonel Rawlinson, the oriental traveller,
saws that the exhuned 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 or
Nebuchadnezzar. He was great warrior
and at the glance Of his sword nations pros
trated themselves. He was a great king
and built city reservoir ninety miles in cir
cumference and one hundred and twenty
feet deep, and constructed a hanging garden
four hundred feet square and seventy-hve
feet high, some say TO please Amuhia, his
wife who had been born among the hills,
and others say to get a pleasure ground free
from the mosquitoes, which at1ict the levels.
I think from his character the latter
reason may have impelled him as much as
the former. When he conquered King Ied-
ekiah, so as to have no more trouble with
him, he put his eyes out-a most barbarous
way of incapacitatiug an enemy. 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 ont on those sls-
pension bridges and showed, perhaps to
royal visitor the vastness Of his realm as
the sun kindes the domes with glistenings
almost insufferable and the great streets
thunder up their pomp into the ear OF thc
monarch, and armed towers stand around
adorned with spoils Of conquered empires.
'Nebuchadnezzar waves his hand above the
stupendous scene and exclaims, us not this
great Babylon that I have built for the
house Of the kingdom by the might OF my
power and for the honor of my majestyp'
In other words: "What great man am.
Babylon was not anything until I adorned
it. See those water works; see those gar
dens; 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 man."
But in an instant all that splendor is gone
from his vision, for a voice falls from
heaven, saying, 20 King Nebuchadnezzar,
to thee it is spoken. the kingdom is departed
from thee, and they shall drive thee from
men and t,y dwelling shall be with the beasts
of the fields; they shall make thee to 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 it to whomsoever He will"
One hour from the time he had made the
boast he is on his way to the fields maniac,
and rushing into the forests he becomes as
one of the beasts, and is after awhile COW
cred 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 lycanthropy, by
which a man imagines himself beast and
prefers to 60 out and mingle with brutes. He
who had been eating pomegranates and apri.
cots of of plates of gold inlaid with
amethyst and diamond, and drinking the
richest wines from the royal vats now brow
sing on grass. and struck by the horn OF the
OK as 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 in
Vulnerable.
A few years ago, arriving in city on a
summer afternoon, while waiting for my
engagement in the evening sauntered forth
into what seemed to be park in front Of a
large public building, the use Of which knew
not. l met gentleman, with whom fell into
delightful conversation, and he seemed intel
Egent on all subjects. 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 cannot. am made of glass, and if
should sit down I would break to pieces"
Then saw that he was insane and belonged
to the large building just behind US.
After such an interview as that1 can easily
believe this account Of my text. Here Is
Nebuchadnezzar on all tours. He oEce
prided himself on being more than q
man, and now he turns out less than man.
The courtiers look out Of the windows upon
tim as he moves among the royal herds and
cry, "a beastp Seven years pass when sud-
denly his reason re.urns and he comes back
to Babylon humble worshipsr OF the God
Of heaven.
What must have been the excitement in
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
q 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 a change from sty to throne rooml
While walking from his Babylonian palace
down to the pasture field, and from the pas
ture field back to the palace, the first thing
that impresses me is what an incongruous
thing it is for king to be eating grass. It
then for one to prefer it to royal table to-
ward whose bounty the orchards and pad
docks and streams and vineyards in all the
earth might coptribute-what an amaze-
ment! And yetthe scene is as common as
the daylight.
when see a man OF regal nature, made
TO rule in realms of thought, capabls Of all
moral elevation, bestoUing his faculties, at
tempting out OF low sensualities to satisfy
his immortal energies, coming down OFF of
his throne OF power into brutalities. sacrihc-
ing his higher nature to his lower nature,
stopping and STOPPING, coming down and
coming down until all his influence for good
is gone, cry out There is king eating
grass like an OK"
And there are tens Of thousands Of such
Nebuchadnezzars. So there are queens who
dedicate themselves to the same humiliation.
What power for good God gave that woman.
Magnetism Of personal presence. Influence
more than imperial. By her intelligence, by
: her tenderness, by her charm Of smile and
manner. capable OF soothing so much sor-
row, and reforming SO much waywardness,
and welding so much elevated power; yet
at<the call of worldllness, coming out Of the
throne room OF good influence where God
would have her reign, coming down over
the ivory stairs OF mortal power, coming
down and coming down until she has no
more soul than the dead bird transfxed in
her millinery or the chinchilla that was
slain to afford her warmth, or the kid that
furnished her the glove. and finding her only
delight in batteries of brainless men and
midnight cchottische and debauched
novelettes. say, "There is one who might
have been a queen unto God forever, yet
eating straw like an OK"
look over the pasture fields Of folly and
sin and find many groveling who ought to
be erect. Oh, men and women, 60 back to
your thrones! A young man ran away from
nome and proKe his widowed mothers neart.
Fourteen years passed, and he returned and
came to the win low at which his old mother