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the arches; yet the soil was so deep that even large forest trees grew in it, besides those other trees, plants, and flowers, which are more common in gardens.

E. Oh! mamma, what a curious sight it must have been; I think I quite understand now how they were made to hang in the air. But I suppose they were not very large ?

M. Although they were thus raised aloft in the air, hey were by no means small in extent, for the measure round the sides is said not to have been much less than a mile.

Such, my love, was Babylon in the days of its prosperity, and although my account of it can give you but a very imperfect idea of its real glory and beauty, yet you will now be better able to understand the expressions used about it in Scripture. For in the books of the prophets you will find this wonderful city spoken of as the “ Great Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency," “the golden city,” “the lady of kingdoms,” “abundant in treasures,” “ the praise of the whole earth.” It is also spoken of as a mountain, because of the amazing height of its walls and towers, its palaces and temples, and hanging gardens, which, at a distance, had almost the appearance of mountains. And now, if you can draw away your thoughts for a time from this extraordinary place, we will go back to the history of Nebuchadnezzar, who was gazing, you know, upon the vast and beautiful works of which we have been speaking, when those proud words fell from his lips of which I was telling you. “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by the might

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M. Seven long years, Edward, passed over him in that wretched condition; and at the end of that time it pleased God, who saw that his heart was completely humbled, to restore his understanding to him; and the first use he made of his returning reason, was to show that his punishment had not been in vain. For he immediately lifted up his eyes to heaven and praised the Most High God, and praised and honoured him that liveth for ever and ever, whose dominion is not one that can be taken away from him, but is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom, unlike that of earthly princes, is from generation to generation. Of this Nebuchadnezzar was now deeply convinced, and he acknowledged it with a humbled heart, and felt ashamed of his former pride and vain glory; for he had learnt at length, that in the sight of the great and holy Lord God, all the inhabitants of the earth, even the most exalted kings, are reputed as nothing: and that “ he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among all the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay his hand, or say unto him, “ What doest thou ?”

E. Did God give him back his kingdom, then?

M. Yes, my love; the glory of his kingdom, his honour, and brightness, were returned to him again; and his counsellors and lords gathered round him again, acknowledging him once more as their sovereign, and he was firmly established in his kingdom with more excellent majesty than he had before. But we have reason to believe that he had learnt a lesson which he could never forget, and that none of these things turned away his heart any more from God; for we read, that after he was restored to liis VOL. II,

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throne, he published an account which he sent into all the different parts of his empire, of the strange things that had happened to him, and that he ended with saying, “ And now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment, and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.”

E. Did he reign long after this?

M. No; he lived only one year longer, and then died, having been king of Babylon more than forty years. He was one of the greatest kings that had reigned over that country for many ages, and you will easily believe, after all you have heard about him, that his name was famous for many generations, even as long as that Babylon which he had built continued to be talked of as the wonder of the world.

THIRTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY EVENING.

THE FALL OF BABYLON.

M. Last Sunday evening, Edward, we talked a great deal of the magnificence of Babylon, which Nebuchadnezzar had so much improved, and made so great, and strong, and beautiful. It was the capital, you know, of his kingdom; the head of the Assyrian empire ; but this same Assyrian empire, as we have heard in the dream which Daniel explained to Nebuchadnezzar, was to be broken up, and give place to another, called in history the Persian empire. The

time for the fulfilment of this prophecy was now approaching. Had the people repented, and had their kings been wise and religious, perhaps it might have pleased God to put off the evil day; but such was not the case. Wealth and power made them thoughtless of every thing but their own pleasure and selfish indulgence; this was particularly the case with Belshazzar, or Nabonadius, as he is also called, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, and the fourth king after him.

For this conduct in Belshazzar there was no excuse; for the prophet Daniel was still alive, and still about the king's court, being, indeed, employed as one of the chief ministers or officers in the kingdom ; and it is most likely that he took every opportunity of warning him of his danger. From Daniel, too, he had most likely learnt that his kingdom was to be taken from him, and fall into the hands of the Medes and Persians.

Now just at this very time there was rising up in the heart of Asia, a distinguished warrior, known in history by the name of Cyrus the Great. He was son of Cambyses, king of Persia, and general also of the armies of the Medes, who were then a powerful people, over whom Cyaxares, the uncle of Cyrus, was king

E. Where did the Medes live, mamma?

M. Their country was called Media; and it lay to the north of Babylonia, near the Caspian Sea. It had once been a part of the Assyrian empire, but was now a separate kingdom of great power. The kings of Babylon, immediately before Belshazzar had made war upon Media, which caused Cyaxares their king,

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