Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-05-27
in GODS BALANCES.
Human Lives and Actions Weighed
In the Divine Scales.
Or. TainiaSe breaches on Personal
Responsibility. Taking El- Text
frOm the handwriting on
the wall at nabyI Ion.
Copyright. 1893. by Louis Kiopsch.)
Nr--rN.f~.~sg~

personal responsibility before God VIII
be read with a deep and solemn inter
est. Text. Daniel 5:27: Thou art
weighed In the balances and art found
wanting"
Babylon was the paradise Of archi-
lecture. and driven out from thence the
grandest buildings Of modern times are
only the evidence OF her fan. The site
having been selected for the city. 2000.-
600 men were emplc ed in the rearing
OF her walls and the building OF her
works. IL was a city 60 miles in circum-
ference. There was a trench all around
the city. from which material for the
building Of the city had been digred.
There were 25 gates on each side OF the
city, between every two gates tower
OF defense springing into the skies.
from each gate on the one side a street
running straight through TO the CORE
spending gate on the other side. so that
there were 80 streets f5 miles long.
Through the city ran branch Of the
river Euphrates. This river sometimes
overfowcd its banks. and 20 keen Il
from running the city a lake was con
structed into which the surplus water
OF the river would run during tNc time
Of freshets. and the water was kept in
this artificial lake until time OF d~ourb-.
and then this water would stream down
over the city. At either end OF the
bridge spanning this Euphrates there
was palace-thc one palace a mile and
q half around. the other palace 7ik
miles around.
The wife Of Nebuchadnezzer had been
born and brought up I'm the country and
in mountainous region. and she could
not bear this fat district Of Babylon.
.pnd so. TO please his wife Nebuehadncz-
$ar built In the midst Of the city
Fountain 800 feet high. This mountain
rs built cut into terraoes supported on
H. hes. On the top OF tl-cse arches a
II fr OF fiat stones. on the top Of that
Ier OF reeds and bitumen. on the top
n two layers % bricks closely cc-
y. on the top Of that heavy sheet
q and on the top OF that the soil
placed-Jhe soil so deep tnat Lebanon
cedar had room 20 anchor its roots.
There were pumps worked by mighty
machinery fetching up the water from
the Euphrates TO this hanging garden.
as il was called. SO that there were foun-
tains spoutinC into the sky. Standing
below and looking up. IL must have
seemed as IL the clouds were ia bios
som or as though the sky leaned on
the shoulder % cedar All this Neb-
uckadnezzar did 20 please his wife
Well, she ought 20 have been pleased.
] suppose She was pleased II that
would not please her. nothing would.
There We In that city also the temple
OF Bleus. with towers-one tower the
eighth OF mile high. in which there
was an observatory where astronomers
talked 10 the stars. There was in that
temple an image. just one image. which
would cost what would be our S52.-
oOO, 600.
Oh. what a city, The earth never saw
anything like il. never will see anv-
thing Ike il. And yet have 10 tell YOU
that it is going to be destroyed. The
king and his princes are at a feast.
They are al intoxicated. Pour out the
rich wine juto the chalices, Drink 10
the health of the king Drink 10 the
glory 90 c.,Oylonl Drink TO a great fu-
tCrel A thousand lords reel intoxi-
Gated. The king seated upon a chair.
with vacant look, as intoxicated men
will-with vacant look stared at the
wall. But soon that vacant look takes
on intensity. and il is an affrighted
look, and al the princes begin 10 look
and wonder what is the matter, and
they look at the same point on the wall.
And then there drops a darkness into
the room that puts out the blaze OF
the golden plate. and out Of the sleeve
of the darkness there comes a finger
q finger of fiery terror. circling around
and circiing around as though il would
write. and then IL comes up. and with
sharp tip of Same il inscribes on the
plastering of the wall the doom OF the
king: Weighed in the balances and
found wanting"
The bang OF heavy fists against the
gates of the palace is followed by the
breaking in of the doors. A thousand
cleaning knives strike into a thousand
hearts. Now death is king.
and he is seated upon a throne OF
corpses. In that hall there is a balance
lifted. God swung il. On one side OF
the balance are put Belshazzar's oppor-
on the other side of the bah
ance are put Belshazzar's sins The sins
come down. His opportunities go up.
Weighed in the balances-found want
ing.
There has been great deal of cheat
Ing In our country with false weights
and measures and balances, and the
government, TO change that state of
things. appointed commissioners whose