Milford chronicle., 1892-02-12
At THE TABLE AOiN1
DR.. TALMAeE ON THE eEs' AT,,er
PsNsITlEs OF A SINFUL ~

Science and Archaeology Have otFeFSlA
New Light on the story Of Nebuchad7
pezzar and shown It's Agreement with
History and Natural Law.
BRooKLYE, Feb. with mighty ac-
claim the long meter doxology rose at the
beginning of the service The inestinable
value Of Christianity rs an elevatlng ana
ennobling influence on the nature OF man
formed the subject of Dr. Talmage's ser
mon this morning. The brilliant and orlgl'
mai preacher chose as his text the humilia-
tion Of the Babylonish king, who being
destitute of religion, sank to the level OF
the brute. Daniel iv, D, "All this came
upon the King ACKNOWLEDGMENT" "
Colonel Rawlinson. the oriental traveller,
saws that the eXhumed bricks, not only oi
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
Nebuehadnezzar He WIS great WARRIOR
and ut the glance of hi- word nations pros
tratpd themselves He-was "A great king
and built a city reservoir ninety miles IN
circumference and one hundred and TWEEN
ty feet deep. and constructed a hanging
garden four hundred feet square and
seventy five feet high, some say to please
Amuhia. his wife, who had been born
among the hills, and others say to get a
Measure 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 par
barous way of incapacitating an enemy
But Babylon was great place; the houses
surrounded by gardens and the honsetops
were connected with each other by bridges
and one day Nebuchadnezzar walked Out
on those suspension bridges and showed
perhaps to royal visitor, the vastness ol
bis realm as the sun kindles the dome'
with glistenings almost insuiferable. and
the great streets thunder up their pomT
into the ear of the monarch, and armed
towers stand around adorned with spoil'
of conquered empires.
Nebuchadnezzar waves his hand above
the stupeudous scene and eSclaims rs moi
this great Babylon that have built fol
the house of the kingdom by the might o
nv mower and for the honor of my maj
estv3" In other words: What great
man am. Babylon was not anything IN
til adorned it, See those water works
see those gardens, see those forts. 1 die
all this [ shall never he forgotten. Why
my name is on every brick in all thos'
walls Just look at me am more thar
q man.
But in an instant all that splendor Is
gone from his vision, for voice falls from
the heavens. saying, 20 King Nebuchad
4 ss,e IL Z lseL b. -
departed from thee, and they shall drive
thee from men and thy dwelling shall n'
with the beasts of the field; they shat
make thee to eat grass us oxen, ana sever
times shall pass over thee until thou know
that the Most High ruleth in the Kingdom
of men and giveth it to whomsoeYer n
will" One hour from the time he mad
the boast he is on his way 10 the fields
maniac, and rushing into the forests he he
comes as one of the beasts and II aIte
awhile covered with eagles feathers 10
protection from the cold, AMI his nail
grow to look like birds claws, in orde
that he may dig the earth for roots an'
climb the trees for nuts
NERUCHADNEZZAR A LTcANTHRoPE.
The mental disaster that seized him wa
what the Greeks called lycanthropy, b.
which man imagines himself beas
and prefers to go out and mlngle VIII
brutes. He who had been eating pome
Cranates and apTicots off of plates OF gol'
inlaid with amethyst and diamond, an'
drinking the richest wines from the roya
vats, now browsing on grass and struci
by the horn of the OK as he contends Tor
better tuft of the pasturage, and instead
of an orchestra on benches of ivory playing
the national airs. now listening to th'
moan and below and grunt Of the beasts
This is not hard for me to believe. for tn
forms of demeutia are innumeFable.
A few years ago, arriving IN . clgy Oh
summer afternoon. while waiting FOR M.
engagement in the evening, sauntere'
forth into what seemed to he park II
front of a large public buildiHg. the use o
which knew not. | met gentleman
with whom fell into delightful converse
tIon and he seemed intelligent on all sub
iects. After awhile said "l.et us 81
down on this bench and rest awhile AM
enjoy the scene OF verdure and fountains.
no" said he "You sit down, but can
not. am made of glass, and il ! should
sit down | would break TO pieces.
Then ! saw that he was insane and be
longad TO the large building just hehin'
MS After such an interview ~ chat ell
easily believe this account OF my teXi
Here is Nebuchadnezzar on all fours II
once prided himself of being more than
man. and now he turns out less than man
The courtiers look out of the windows upo
him as he moves among the royal herd
and cry. "A beastr Seven years pass
when suddenly his reason returns ami b
comes back to Babylon humble worship
er Of the God of heaven.
What must have been the excitement u
the royal court rs this restored mama
emperor walks into the palace. What
time they had in cutting his nails and hi
hair. which had grown for seven year
without being interfered with By an
shears. What "A scrubbing down mus
have taken place in the imperial baths
1 What a transformation necessary IN orde
that be sha had been heFdipg with camel
+ and goats and swine may be nude ilt I
| associate with princes what a chahg
from sty to throne room.
/ While walking from this Babylonla
palace down TO the pasture field and iron
the pasture field back 70 the palace tn
FIRST thing that impresses me IL what a
homogeneous thing it is for a king to
eating grass. Il is go0d for cattle. but no
ht for man. And then for one 70 prefer
toa royal table toward whose bounty I'll
orchards and pa,ldocks and streams an
vineyards in all the earth might contribut
what an alnazementl And yet lhe seen
is MS common as the daylight.
HOW HUMANITY IS DEcRADEb.
When / see Il man Of regal nature mad
TO rule in realms OF thought, capable g
ali moral elevation, besotting his facu
ties. attempting ont Of low sensualities
satisfy his immoral energies, comm
down off mis- throne of power into brutal
ties. sacrificing his higher nature TO hi
lower nature, STOPPING and stopping, CON
inu down and coming down until all nj
influence for good is gone, ! cry on
There is "A king eating grass Ike an OK
And there are tens Of thousands OF sue
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
So there are queens who dedicate then
selves To the same humiliation. Wha
power for good God gave that woman
.a.nsiism Of personal presence. Inn!
ence more than imperial. BY her INTEL
gencr. by her tenderness, by her charm
smile and manner capable Of soothing
much sorrow. and reforming to much wa.
wardness. and welding SO much elevate
power: yet at tho call Of worldliness. con
Ing ont Of the throne room Of good inn
u hon mir