Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-05-26
Caln1aSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De wiz raImase. D. d.


today the theme Of the preacher. The
text Is Joshua vii, 20. And all Israel
stoned him With stones"
Few people have any adequate con-
ceptiou Of the wealth and the luxury Of
the ancient peoples of the east. Ever
md anon in our own day the newspa-
lravagances of the scions Of wealthy
families, who show even greater genius
in their ability to dissjpate 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 ac-
counts become that special trains. pri-
vate yachts ard banQuets costing ten
and even twenty thousand dollars for
q few selected friends attract the read
ers of the many newspapers hardly
more than a passing notice. But even
the widest extravaCances 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. II perchance one of these silver
shoes should be wrenched from off
horses hoof the supercilious and AFRO
giant 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 il the
matter of personal apparel. Pliny the
elder makes mention Of an instance
he knew of bridal dress which was
made entirely Of the most precious
kind of pearls, which We're strung to-
gether. costing over 100000 sestertii,
or about S1,720,O00 in American coin.
Among the famous collections Of per
sonal apparel exhumed from the buried
cities Of the east by Or. Heinrich
Schliemann, the noted German archae-
ologist, we find that the ancient PEG
pies of Troy aud Mycenae once wore
wais tbands Of gold, necklaces OF gold
and tiaras OF precious stones. which
Ciit1cred lik > tbs stars of midnight.
EXtrG agant were the ancient peo-
pie of the east in their menu. as well
as in the adornments of their banquet
halls Caius Suetonius TranQullus,
the Roman historian ard biographer,
makes mention of one supper given in
honor of Nitellius 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 tnat
fabulous sums were sQuandered @; ca
year in the Roman capital ana the
mobiles might banquet of the tongues
Of nightingales. Like the Count Of
Monte Christie. they had all the moFt
10 their tables in midwinter as wei! as
during the summer months.
Opuient bnt Wicked Jericho.
The traveller in the far east as he
roalns through the ruins OF ancient cit
les realizes how costly those anciert
Il broken column OF the AlhaInhra yol:
can infer how beautiful must havs
once been the palaces OF thu SpaDish
Moors. SO in imagination You may
picture the costly vases Of myrri!ne,
the priceless robes Of silk, the heaps
OF Damascus TUGS centuries old: the
sword hits jcweled with diamonds and
ttn- x,tA hn Nny,tc
woven out OF tho OF gold and the
er1ptied treasure vaults, with their
countless prizes scattered abOu. the
palace halls in untold profusion on tbs
day that Jericho fell Jericho was al
ways noted among the ancicnts as a
city OF fabulous wealth. But. though
Iierod the Great aftcrwdrd erected hi
palaces in this city of the Palm
Trees" anc though it WAS for n time
the home Of Mark antony and Cleo
patra. yet perhaps in all its history
Jericho was never more Cpulent thar
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 prodisious
vet not ore atom of rold not one YARD
os silk. not one rug. not one dS.mond
was to be taken hy the Ecorcw sol
,iiers for their own usA God too
Joshua he would give this city into hi.
soldiers hands. but all the spoils o.
war If this city were to he God's Ans
Gods alone But the a!Sut afsn tn
battle 500 Hebrew 3Oi1}"r, 'GStca0 o
staying in biz own rt'ir pany and os,nl
what he oNght 70 AGy3 hclie. alleged
lis sinSrl curiosity to get ,nc oas'Sr o
him. he Tve.ic on. sL.ong the rut's o'
Lie own 0coo1pt and os%an TO exD'oy>
Then, a. lie saw TIE oiled 60 neBp @
wealth his heart began 20 covet wha
was rot his, bCt Gods. When n
thought 40 one was looking hs Aoi
II beautiful Babv;on;sh gsrnnn:, 20
sheheis OF silver AID Il wedge Of yoA'
md want ana hid hem 10 IN :eDt
.Afte- many days .h,3 1hct ,AaD ed
posed Swift condemns; aC3 .oilowAi
ana al. Israel stoned him with Jtones.
What interest ran that ancient crt1
he to us OF tsa :w.adetA century?
concerns ua as type NJ tho sins q
every age. Trsce the progression :,
evil in Achnn's time, aud you Will En-
tho four stages by ~hk'h hin VI
comes to elimination in the lives q
the criminals Of our day. From II
inception 10 It's tragic close 1t is ev'
the Same and tnOugh In thi9 world