Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-02-18
AT THE TABERNACLE
Or. TALMAGE ON THE 8esTlAL PRO-
PENsITlES OF A SINFUL NATURE.


History and Natural Law.
BROOKLYN. Feb. with mighty nc,
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. Talnlage's SER
mon this morning The brilliant and origi-
nal preacher chose rs his text the humilia-
lion Of the Babylonish king, who. being
destitute of religion, sank to the level OF
the brute Daniel Nv. %. IAN this came
upon the King ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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 great king
and built city reservoir ninety miles in
circumference and one hundred and TWEEN.
ty feet deep, and constructed 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 ger n
pleasure ground free from mosquitoes
which affiict 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, be put his eyes out-a most bar
harous way OF incapacitating 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 observation-disclosures walked out
on those suspension bridges and showed,
perhaps TO royal visitor. the vastness of
his realm ~ the sun kindles the domes
with glistenings almost iIisllfferlble 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.
NebuchadneZzar waves his hand above
the stupeudous scene and exclainls is 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 maj
estyY" In other words What great
man am. Babylon was not sitnything mn
Til adorned IL see those water works
see those gardens. see those forts / did
all this | shall never he forgotten Why
my name is on every brick 10 all those
walls Just look ut me ! am more than
a man"
But in an instant all that splendor is
gone from his vision for voice falls from
the heavens. sasing 70 King \ebnchad
nezzar tothee IT is spoken. the Kingdom is
departed from thee. and they shalt 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 il to whomsoeyer he
will One hour from the time he made
the boast he Is on his way 10 the fields a
maniac and rushing into the forests he he
comes rs one of the beasts and IL after
awhile covered with eagles feathers for
protection from the cold. and his nails
grow 10 look like birds claws, in order
that he may dig the earth for roots and
climb the trees for nuts.
HEBucHADNEzZAR A LycANTHRoPE.
The mental disaster that seized him was
what the Greeks called lycanthropy, by
which a man inlagines himself a beast
and prefers 10 go out and mingle with
brlItes 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 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 IL not hard for me TO believe. TOR the
forms of dementia are innumerable
A few wears ago arriving IN Il city on
summer afternoon. while waiting for my
engagement in the evening | sauntered
forth into what seemed 10 he "A park in
trout OF large public building. the use of
which knew not met gentleman.
with whom fell into delightful converse
ZION. and he seemed intelligent on all sub
)ects After awhile | said. let us SIT
down on this bench and rest awhile sud
enjoy the scene of ver,lure 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 as that can
easily believe this account of my text.
Here is ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS on all fours. He
once prided himself of being more than
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 beastP Seven years pass.
when suddenly his reason returns and be
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 hefng interfered with by any
shears What a 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 hi to
associate with princes. What change
Rom sly TO throne room
While walking from this Bahyonian
palace down so the pasture field and from
the pasture field hack TO the palace the
first thing that impresses me is what an
Homogeneous thing il is for a king to be