Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-05-30
CalnnaQe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, D. D.

text is Joshua vii, p, "And all Israel
stoned him with stones"
Few people have any adequate con-
ception of the wealth and the luxury of
the ancient peoples of the east. Ever
and anon in our own day the newspa-
pers contain accounts Of the foolish ex-
travagances of the scions of wealthy
families, who show even greater genius
In their ability TO dissipate and scatter
their enormous fortunes than their an
cestors did in the accumulation of their
wealth. By frequent repetition so pro-
sale and commonplace have these &C.
counts become that special trains. pri-
vate yachts and banquets costing ten
and even twenty thousand dollars for
few selected friends attract the read
ers Of the many newspapers hardly
more than passing notice. But even
the widest extravagances of modern
times cannot equal those of the an
clients. Then not only did Stricca and
his friends move around their palaces
in slippers of gold, but when out rid
ing they bestrode horses shod with sill
yer. If perchance one of these silver
shoes should be wrenched from off q
horses hoof the supercilious and AFRO
CANT young Roman mobiles commanded
their servants to leave it lying in the
dirt rather than stop the cavalcade to
pick it up.
Extravagant were the ancients in the
matter Of personal apparel. Pliny the
elder makes mention of an instance
he knew of a bridal dress which was
made entirely of the most precious
kind of pearls, which were strung to-
gether, costing over 100000 sestertii,
or about $1,720,000 in American coin.
Among the famous collections of per-
sonal apparel eXhumed from the buried
cities of the east by DR.. Heinrich
Schliemann, the noted German archae-
Ologist, we find that the ancient peo-
pies of Troy and Mycenae once wore
Wristbands of gold, necklaces of gold
and tiaras of precious stones, which
glittered like the stars Of midnight
EXtravagant were the ancient peo-
pie of the east in their menu, as we'll
as in the adornments of their banquet
halls. Caius Suetonius Tranquillus,
the Roman historian and biographer,
makes mention of one supper given in
honor of Vitellius, where there were
served up to the guests at one sitting
1000 most delicate fishes and 1000
birds, while one immense dish, called
the Shield" was composed entirely of
the brains Of peacOcks and parrots.
Suetonius also records the fact that
fabulous, sums were squandered each
year in the Roman capital and the
mobiles might banquet off the tongues
of nightingales. Like the Count of
Monte-C Christie, they had all the most
delicate tropical productions brought
to their tables in midwinter as well as
during the summer months.
OpuIent but Wicked Jericho.
The traveller in the far east as he
roams through the ruins of ancient cit
les realizes how costly those ancient
palaces must have been, even as from
a broken column of the Alhambra you
can Infer how beautiful must have
once been the palaces of the Spanish
Moors. So in imagination you may
nicture the costly vases of myrrhine,
The priceless robes of silk, the heaps
of Damascus rugs centuries old, the
sword hilts ieweled with diamonds and
other precious stones, the garments
woven out OF thread of gold and the
emptied treasure vaults, with their
countless prizes scattered about the
palace halls in untold profusion on the
day that Jericho fell. Jericho was al
ways noted among the ancients as
city of fabulous wealth. But. though
Herod the Great afterward erected his
palaces in this "City of the Palm
Trees" and though it was for time
the home of Mark Antony and Cleo
patra, yet perhaps in all its history
Jericho was never more opulent than
on the day before its walls tottered be-
fore the blasts of the priests rams
horns.
But, though the wealth of this cap
tured eastern capital was prodigious,
yet not one atom of gold. not one yard
of silk, not one rug, not one diamond,
was TO be taken by the Hebrew sol
diers for their own use. God told
ifosHna.he would give this city into his
soldiers hands, but all the spoils of
gar of this city were to be Gods and
Gods alone But the night after the
battle one Hebrew soldier. instead of
staying in his own company and doing
what he ought to have done. allowed
his sinful curiosity to get the better of
him. He went out among the ruins on
his own account and began to explore.
Then. as he saw the piled up heap or
wealth. his heart began to covet what
was not his, but Gods. When he
thought no one was looking, he stole
n beautiful Babylonish garment. 200
sbekels of silver and a wedge of gold
and went and hid them in his tent.
After many days this theft was ex-
posed. Swift condemnation followed.
and call Israel stoned him with stones"
What interest can that ancient crime
10 70 r.c Of tho