Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-11-01
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby-
terian Church, Chicago


text, Daniel v, 81. Thou art weighed
In the balances and found wanting"
These words were spoken In the royal
banquet hall OF the most famous capi-
tai In the east. This Is Babylon-beau-
tiful. icenlious. corrupt. luxurious,
shameless Babylon; Babylon the pride
Of the Chaldeans; Babylon the wonder
OF the world!
Ctesias tells us that Babylon was
sixty miles square. That means Its
area was more than one-third the size
II the modern city of London. the Eng
lIsh beehive. with its 5.000000 inhabit-
ants. 1t WAS Of such vast wealth that
within It's central temple was an idol
made OF solid gold which alone was
worth ever $2OOOO0.000. Its surround
ing walls were 3GJ feet high and wide
enough TO allow four charioteers to
drive their sixteen chargers abreast
upon the top OF them. while the moon
shimmered upon 250 watch towers and
TIPPED with light the spears OF hundreds
OF sentinels and shonc upon hundred
gntos of solid brass. which swung open
to let friends in and changed shut to
keep enemies out.
Standing upon the heights Of the IA
nous hanging gardens, which Nebu-
chadnezzar. the king who had courted
Amytis among the hills Of Ecbatana.
had thrown. up to humor a whim OF
his oreen. we can see of In the dis
tance the mighty river Euphrates fow-
ing through the midst of the metropolis
and cutting the city IN twain. Along
the wharfs OF the river were daily
heard the cries OF the sailors unloading
from the ships cargoes OF merchandise
aud foodstufls, as well as the gold and
silver and myrrh and precious stones
imported from other lands. In the cen
ter Of the capital we can also see'where
the engineers had gathered the wa
ters Of this mighty river into large
artificial lake forty miles square. This
lake was wide enough nnd deep enough
TO harbor all the modern navies OF the
world. In II all these ships OF war
] could drop their anchors. fold their
white sails and 6oat side by side In
peace.
The boulevards OF this ancient city
were pillared with statuary. The
streets encircled the busy marts where
merchants wrangled for barter and
gain or led down TO the magnihcenl
bridges which spanned the river. These
! bridges were hanked. with palaces
where beauty and wealth lOitered away
the lazy hours or sang themselves te
sleep. cradled in the graceful gondolas
which gently pressed the waters Into
rIpples or contemptuously tumbled th'
foam from Off their crested breasts
Everywhere arteslnn wells tossed vi
the waters into fountains, shining
through which the sun arched th'
flowers with rainbOws. while birds ol
brilliant hue. whose ancestors had beer
brought from tropical climes. stopped
their singing long enough to quenci
their thirst or to cleanse their gorgeous
pnmage. There In the evening houl
these fountains lifted up their lips
while their cheeks blushed Into deeI
red for the good night kiss of the set
ting sun.
The Feast OF DeIshazzar.
But we must hurry on tonight an'
not linger over the scenic delights o
this famous capital. for | am going L
lead YOU Into the royal banquet hall
where Belshazzar. the king of the Chal
deans, is giving great feast to thou
sand lords of his kingdom. He Is CIV
ing this feast tonight In a hall deco
rated with the trophies of conquest AM
the triumph Of art. with the al
rhythmic with song and redolent VIII
incense. with the faces Of his dead an
cestors pictured upon the walls
chiseled by the sculptors In marble o
purcst white. He Is giving TINS feas
in banquet hall where the sandale
foot strikes mosaic floor or sinks INT
coftest rug: where. under the light I'd
nrecious stones sparkle and gleam
the jeweled hand Of an arstocra
pushes back the tapestry or lifts IN
golden chalce to the lip. The king
giving this drunken feast to show nj
contempt for the besieging army o
CYRUS the Great. which for nearly tW
long years had fruitlessly laid siege J
mis- capital. that seemed impregnaDle.
But at last. In this banquet hail. d
this famous fenst. when the intoXica'
J ed eye became more brilliant thah III
diamonds glittering upon the make
throats OF the assembled guests an
the flushed cheek redder than the win
cup, there appears marveious sign
Out Of space there stretches nahu-
= an armless. bodlless hand-and VIII
the finger OF this strange hand Tor
pen a hidden power writes there awrt
words of doom upon the wall Of tina
BANQUET hall. 1t Is to interpret one {
those words. "tekel." which mean
"thou art weighed In the balances an
art found wanting" that ! am toda
preaching this s>rmon. preach upo
this one word because these fatal nv
letters announced to Belshazzar' IL
king Of the Chaldeans that night thf
be had to die.
: Gods balances always have accor'
;, ent ws.ghts. he weighs every ma
nccoi<S.s to the work which be ho
Given him - 80 He weighs ever
:. man in proportic- to the religious o.
porturities mat have surrounded D
past life. He weighs every man VIII
reference to the Christian home
which he was born and to the prayer
of Christian men and women whlc
have been uttered In his behalf. &c
weighs a man not only with regard
his sins OF commission, but also as
what he might have accomplished Z
God had he applied himself for his L
vine Master as he should have done.
The Scales of God.
When God in this royal banquet ht