The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1892-02-11
REV. DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
srSxrNo TO THE LEVEL OF FBRurEs
The Sermon ss Delivered by the Brooiiyn
Divine.


says that the exhumed bricks. not only of
Babylon, but Of q hundred towns In an area
of one hundred miles In length and thirty In
breadth are inscribed with the name OF
Nebuchainezzar. He was a great warrior
and at the glance Of bis sword nations pros.
trated themselves. He was great king
and built a city reservoir ninety miles in cir
cumference and one hundred and twenty
feet deep, and constructed hanging garden
four hundred feet square and sevsnty-hve
feet high, some say TO please Amuhis, his
wife. who had been born among the hills,
and others say TO get pleasure ground free
from the mosquitoes which afiiict the levels.
/ think from his character the latter
reason may have impelled him as much as
the former. When he conquered King Zed-
ekiah. so rs 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 bousetops were connected
with each other by bridges. and one day
Nebuchadnezzar walked out on those stis-
pension bridges and showed, perhaps 10 a
royal visitor, the vastness of his realm as
the sun kindles the domes with glistenings
almost insufferable and the great strests
thunder up their pomp into the ear OF the
monarch, and armed towers stand around
adorned with spoils Of conquered empires
Netuchadnezzar waves his hand above the
stupendous scene AMI exclaims, as not this
house OF the kingdom by the might Of my
power and for the honor of my maiestyy,
In other words: "Whnt great man / am.
Babylon was not anything until adorned
1t. See those water works; see those gar
dens: see those forts I did all this. 1 shall
every brick in all those walls Just look at
me. ] am more than man."
Butin an instant oil that splendor Is gone
from his vision. for voice falls from
heaven, saying, 20 King Nebuchsdnezzar,
TO thee IL Is spoken: the Kingdom Is departed
from thee, and they shall drive thee from
men and " 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 aud
giveth it to whomsoever He willr
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 NAV dig the
earth for roots and climb the trees for nuts.
The mental disaster that seized him was
what the Greeks called lyclnthropy, by
which n man imagines himself beast and
prefers 70 go out and mingle with brutes. He
who had been eating pomegranates and april
cots off OF plates of gold inlaid with
richest wines from the royal watts, 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 a city on n
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. met a gentleman, with whom fell into
delightful conversation, and he seemed intel
= HyaptJor~Ill ssithisets After awhile JsRaid
''I.et us sit down ON this bench and rest
awhile and enjoy the scene OF yerdure and
fountains" NO" said he. "You sit down,
'eut cannot. L am made OF glass, and IL 1
hould sit down l would break to pieces"
Then saw that he was insane and belonged
b the large building just behind us.
After such an interview as that can easily
believe this account Of my text. Here Is
/. .Nebuchadnezzar on all tours. He once
Prided himself on being more than
man, and now he turns out less than man.
he courters look out of the windows upon
kim as he moves among the royal herds and
cry, "A beastw Seven years pass when sud-
f4ienly his reason returns and he comes back
70 Babylon humble worshiper of the God
Ipf heaven.
~ What must have been the excitement in
D. the royal court as this restored maniac
emperor walks into the palace. What time
fhey had In cutting his nails and his hair,
(which bad grown for seven years without
being interfered with by any shears. What
p scrubbing down must have taken place in
kthe 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 prinres.
fWhat change from sty TO throne rooml
While walking from his Babylonian palace
down to the pasture fisld, and from the pas
\ ture field back to the palace, the first thing
that impresses me is what AN incongruous
thing IL is Tor king to be eating grass. 1t
4 is good for cattle but not it for man. And
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
4 earth might contribute-what an amaze
ment! And yet the scene Is as common Az
\ the daylight.
When see a man Of regal nature, made
to rule in realms of thought, capabls of all
Nmoral elevation, bestowipg his faculties at
tempting out OF low sensualities to satisfy
his immortal energies, coming down Off of
4 bis throne OF power into brutalities, sacrific-
f1ng his higher nature to his lower nature,
X STOPPING and STOPPING, coming down and
4 coming down until all his influence for good
u
< ..sgrass like an OK
II And there are tens of thousands of such
t Nebuchadnezzars. So there are queens who
dedicate themselves to the same humiliation.
W. hat power for good God gave that woman.
ltMagnetism 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-
Tow, and reforming so much waywardness,
And welding SO much elevated power; yet
~ the call of worldlness, 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
Gown and coming down until she has no
moro soul than the dead bird transfixed in
y Rer millinery or the chinchilla that was
kain to afford her warmth, or the kid that
Furnished her the glove and finding her only
delight in batteries of brainless men and
midnight schottische and debauchei
Il povelettes. say, There is one who might
pave been queen unto God forever, yet
eating straw like an OK
4 look over the pasture fields of folly and
& tln and lind many groveling who ought 10
~. .A IL e..