Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-10-20

ssY fought the Canaan
10 ties; there Gideon
w fought the INDIAN
ties; there Josiah
fought the invading Egyptians. The
whole region stands for battle, and the
Armageddon of my text borrows its
name from it, and is here used, not
geographically, but figuratively, while
setting forth the idea that there is to
be a worlds closing battle, the greatest
OF all battles, compared with which the
conflicts of this century and all other
centuries were Insignificant, because
or the greater number of combatants
engaged, the greater victory and the
greater defeat. The exact date of that
battle we do not know, and the exact
locality Is uncertain. 1t may be in
Asia, Europe, Africa or America, but
the fact that such battle will take
place is as certain as Gods eternal
truth. When use the superlative de-
gree in regard to that coming conflict l
do not forget that there have been wars
all along on stupendous scale. AS when
at Marathon Miltiades brought on his
men, not in ordinary march, but in full
run, upon the horsemen of Persia, and
the black archers of Ethiopia, and scat
tered them, and crying, Bring fire!
Bring fire." set into flame the ships
OF the invaders. AS when Pizarro
oVercame Peru. AS when Philip the
Second triumphed over Portugal. AS
when the Huns met the Goths. AS
when three hundred Spartans sacrificed
themselves at Thermopylae. AS when
the Carthaginians took Agrigentum.
AS when Alexander headed the Mace
DOMAIN phalanx. AS when Hannibal
invaded Italy. Battle of Hastings!
Battle of Valmy! Battle of Pultowa!
Battle of Arbela! Battle of Tours! Bat
tie of Borodino! Battle of Lucknow!
Battle of Solferino! Battle of Fontenoy,
where 100000 were slain! Battle of
Chalons, where 300, 900 were massacred!
Battle of Herat, where Genghis Khan
destroyed 100000 lives! Battle of
Neishar, where 1,747,000 went down to
death! 1,S16,000 slain at Troy! And
American battles, too near us now to
allow us to appreciate their awful gran
deur and significance, except you who
were there, facing the North or facing
the South! But all the battles l have
named put together will not equal in
numbers enlisted, or fierceness, or
grandeur, or triumph, or rout. the COM
ing Armageddon contest. Whether it
shall be fought with printers type or
keen steel, whether by brain or muscle,
whether by pen or carbine, whether
by booming cannon or thunders of
Christian eloquence. do not know,
and you may take what | say as figur-
alive or literal, but take as certain
what ST. John, in his vision on the
rocks of the Grecian archipelago, is
pleased to call "Armageddon."
MY sermon will first mention the reg
iments that will be engaged in the con-
fiict; then will say something of the
commanders on both sides; and then
speak of the battle itself and the tre-
mendous issues. Beginning with those
who will fight on the wrong side, 1
first mention the regiments Diabolic.
In this very chapter from which my
text is taken we are told that the spir-
its of devils will be there. How many
millions of them no one can tell, for
the statistics of the satanic dominions
have never been reported and the roll
of that host has never on earth been
called but from the direful, and con-
tinental, and planetary work they have
already done, and the fact that every
man and woman and child on earth
has a tempter, there must be at least
sixteen hundred millions Of evil spirits
familiar with our world. Perhaps as
many more are engaged on especial
enterprises Of abomination among the
nations and empires OF the earth. Be-
side that there must be an inconceiv-
able number of inhabitants in realms
pandemoniac, staying there to keep the
great capitals of sin going from age to
age. Many OF them once lived in heav-
en-, but engaging In conspiracy to put
Satan on the throne, they were hurled
Iut and down, and they are now among
the worst thugs OF the universe. Hav-
ing been in three worlds-heayen,
earth and hell-they have all the ad-
vantages Of great experience. Their
power, their speed, their cunning, their
hostility wonderful beyond all state
ment! In the Armageddon they will,
I doubt not, be present in full array.
They will have no reserve corps, but
all will be at the front. There will
not only be soldiers in that battle who
can be seen and aimed at, but troops
Intangible and without corporeity, and
weapons may strike clear through them
without giving them hurt. With what
shout Of defiance will they climb up
the ladders of fire and leap from the
battlements of asbestos into the last
campaign OF hell! Paul, the bravest of
men, was impressed with their might
for evil when he said, 1--WE wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities and against powers, and
against the rulers of the darkness in
this world. against spiritual wicked
ness in high places" Oh, what an agi-
tating moment, when the ranks diabol-
&c move up and take their places for
conflict in the Armageddon!
Other regiments who will march in
10 the fight will be the regiments Alco-