Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-10-17
THE CLOSING BATTLE
IT WILL BE THE GREATEST OF ALL
THE CONFLICTS.

ON Armageddon The Regiments and
Their Commanders-On tho Wrong Side.
Swords of Truth.
WASHINGTON, Oct. lin his SER
mon today Rev. DR.. Talmage discussed
the great conflict which prophecy fore
shadows as the climax Of the worlds
.,truggles-Armageddon. His text was
Revelation xvi, is, "And he gathered
hem together in place called III the
Hebrew tongue Armageddon. "
Megiddo is the name of mountain
that looks down upon Esdrelon, tho
greatest battlefield that the world has
ever seen. There Barak fought the o.
naanites; thore Gideon fought the Mid
ianltes; there Josiah fought the invad-
ing Egyptians. The whole region stands
for battle, and tho Armageddon of my
text borrows its name from it and ID
hore used not geographically, but fig
uratively, while setting forth the idea
that there is to be worlds closing
battle, the greatest of all battles, COM
pared with which the conflicts of this
century and all other centuries were In
significant, because Of the greater num-
Der of oombatants engaged, the greater
victory and the greater defeat. The ex-
act date of that battle we do not know,
and the exact locality is uncertain. 1t
may DO in Asia, Europe. Africa or
America, but the fact that such q battle
will take place is as certain as God 8
eternal truth When I use the superla-
tive degree in regard to that coming
conflict, do not forget that there have
been wars all along on stupendous scale.
They VIII Not Equal.
AS when at Marathon, Miltiades
brought on his men, not in ordinary
march, but in full run, upon the horse
mon of Persia and the black archers of
Ethiopia aud scattered them and, cry
ing, "Bring fret Bring fire!" set into
flame tho ships of tho invaders. AS
when Pizarro overcame Peru. AS whom
Philip II triumphed over Portugal. As
when tho Huns met the Cloths. AS when
800 Spartans sacrificed themselves OF
Thermopyl9. AS when the Carthagin-
ians took Agrigentum. AS when Alex
ander headed tho Macedonian phalanx.
As when Hannibal invaded Italy. Bat
tie of Hastingsl Battle of Yalmyl Bat
tie of Pultowal Battle of Arbela! Bat
tie of Tours Battle Of Borodinol Bat
tie of Lucknow Battle Of Solferinol
Battle of Fontenoy, where 100, 900 were
slainl Battle of Chalons, where 800, 600
were massacredl Baltic Of Herat, where
Genghis Khan destroyed 1, 600, 600 livesl
Battle of Neishar, where LAY, 900
went down to DEATH One million eight
hundred and sixteen thousand slain at
Troy And American battles, too near
us now to allow US to appreciate their
awful grandeur and significance, except
you who were there facing the north
or facing tho south. But all the battles
have named put together will not equal
in numbers enlisted, or ferceness, or
grandeur, Or triumph, or rout, the COM
ing Armageddon contest. Whether it
shall be fought with printers ink or
keen steel, whether by brain Or muscle,
whether by pen or carbine, whether by
booming cannon or thunders of Chris
tian eloquence, I do not know, and you
may take what I say as figurative or
literal, but take as certain what St
John, in bis vision on the rocks Of the
Grecion ,,rchinelaCo. is pleased to call
Armageddon.
Tho Rival Commanders.
MY sermon will first mention the
regiments that will be engaged in tho
conflict, then will say something OF the
commanders on both sides, and then
speak of tho battle itself and the tre-
mendous issues. Beginning with those
who will fight on the wrong side, first
mention the regiments diabolic. In
this very chapter from which my text
is taken we are told that the spirits Of
devils will be there. How many mil
lions 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 AMI continental and
planetary work they have already done
and the fact that every man and wom-
an and child on earth has tempter
there must be at least 1,600, 600, 600 Of
evil spirits familiar with our world
Perhaps as many moro arc engaged on
especial enterprises of abomination
among the nations and empires of the
earth. Besides that there must be an In
conceivable 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 heaven; but, engaging in con-
spiracy to put satan on the throne, they
were hurled out and down, and they
are now among the worst thugs Of the
universe. Having been in three worlds
heaven, earth and hell-they have all
the advantages of great experience.
Their power, their speed. their cunning,
their hostility, wonderful beyond all
statement In the Armageddon they
will, doubt not, be present in full array.
They will have no reserve corps, but all
will be at the front. There will not on
ly be soldiers in that battle who can be
seen and aimed at, but troops intangi-
BILE and without corporeity, and weap-
ons may strike clear through them
without giving them hurt. With what
shout Of defiance will they climb up the
ladders of fire end leap from the battle
ments Of asbestus into the last campaign
of hell. Paul, the bravest Of men, was
impressed with their might for evil
when he said, eve wrestle not against
aesh and blood, but against principali-
ties and against powers and against the
rulers Of the darkness in this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high
places" Oh, what an agitating mo-
ment, when the ranks diabolic move up
and take their places for conflict in the