The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-06-18
REV. TALMAGES SUNDAY SERMON.
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE.
Subject; "Thc Bitter Attils.v

| fountains OF water, and the name OF the
/ TO- IL.
Many commentators, like Patrick and
L0wth, Ihonlas Scott. Matthew Henry and
| Albert Barnes agree I'm saving that tho sta p
Wormwood, mentioned in Revelation. wns
httiia, King OF the Huns. He was so called
because he was brilliant as a star and. Hto
NORWOOD, he embttered everything he
! toucned We have studied the star Of
Delh,enem. and the Morning Star OF the
revelation, and the Star OF Peace. but nv
present subject calls us to gaze at the star
NORWOOD, and my theme might be called
| Brilliant Bitterness
A more extraordinary character history
does not furnish than this man thus referred
! W, h'iI,, 'oe KING OF the Huns. One day a
! wounded heifer came limping along tbronrh
tne nelds, and a herdsman followed its
| pioouy track on the grass to see where the
neiter was wounded. and went on hack fur.
ther and further. until he came To n sword
Iast IN the earth, the point downward. as
auouen v nad dropped from the heavens aud
against ;he edges OF this sword the heifar
mad been cut The herdsman pulled nm that
| sword and presented IL to Attiia. AtiiIa soiJ
the sword must have dropped from Nm.
heavens from the grasp Of the god Mars ana
~ ue,hg given 10 him meant that Atila
sn0u.u 0u.ueoh conquer and govern the whole earth.
! otner mighty men have been delighted nj
pelng called liberators, or the merciful or tho
/ good, but Attila called himself. and demnnJ-
ed that others call him the Scourge of C,oJ
AZ the head CT 700. 900 troops, mounted ON
cappadocian horses. he swept everything
his iron heel on Macedonia and Creecc anJ
I Ihrace. He made Milan and PAWN nnI
i"dua anu Verona beg for mercy, which he
bestowed not. The Byzantine castles. t.
meet his ruinous levy. put up al auction
,h"ss,ve ,' sllver tables and vases OF solid gold
GUY captured by him, the inhabitants
were brought out and divided into three
I classes-the nrst Glass. those who could bear
/ arms, VINO must Immediately enlist under
Attlla or be butchcrrd; the second class tho
beautiful women, who were made ca ptiyss I,
/ the HUNS: the third class, the nged men ana
women VINO were robbed OF everything AMI
Iet go oack TO the city TO pay heavy tax
IL was common SAYING TINT the yroeg
/ never grew again where the hoof OF Attila'.
/ morse had trod. His armies Redeemed thc
waters OF the SEINE, and the Mosellc. and tho
hhlhe with carnage and fought on the Cata-
roman plains the licrccst battlo since thn
! world stoOd-30O. 900 dead left on the nalI
| On and on until those who could moi onno.r
MIN with arms lay PROSTATE on their faces In
prayer. and, n cloud OF dust seen I'm the dis
tance, bishop cried. at Is the aid OF Cod
ana all the people took up the cry. at is tho
alu Oh uod As the cloud Of dust was blown
aside the banners OF re-puforcinv ernip.
marched in to hep against Attiln. IN,
Scourge OF God. The most upiinportnnt mo.
currences he used as n supernatural re-
source, and after three months of failure t.
capture the city OF Aqullpia and his army
hai given up the siege the flight Of a stork
aud her young from the tower of the ritv
was taken by him a. n sign that no wac ~
capture the city, and his army. Inspired by
the same occurrence, resumed the sicr,, aud
TOOK the walls ut point from which tho
stork had emerged. so brilliant was tho
conquerer in attire that his enemies could
no. look at him, but shaded their ewes or
turned their heads.
slain on the evening OF his marriage by his
bride, Ildico. who was hired for tho assas-
sination, his followers bewailed him. not =,
ietFS s'it nfth h53i; ;-5utiiiir.. nd ~
selves with knives and lances. He was nut
INTO three collins. the first ofiron. the second
OF silver and the third of gold. He was buried
by night and into his grave were poured tho
most valuable coin and precious stones
amounting 10 the wealth Jf II kingdom. Thn
gravediggcrs and all those who assisted a,
lhe burial were massacted, so that IL would
never be known where SO much wealth was
eh'omDed The Roman empire conquered
the world but Attila conquere,nIhc Roman
empire. He was right in syN,ng himself "A
scourgo. but instead Of being TIE Scourgc Of
God he was the scourge of hell. Because of
MS brisIlance and bitterness the commcntn-
tors We're right in believing him 10 he tho
star Normwood. As the regions ne Jeyus !
tnted were parts most opulent with foun. |
tains ana streams and rivers, YOU see how
graphic Is this reference In Reyclntiop
There FELL a great star from heaven. burn f!
ing as II We're lamp, and IL fell upon the |
third part OF the rivers and upon the foun- |
talns OF waters, and the name OF tho star is /
called Wormwood.
Have you ever thought how many imbit. /
tered lives there are all about us misanthro. |
pic. morbid. acrid. saturnin,? The Eur.
Iean plant from when wormwood l. ak.
tracted, Artemisia absinthium, is "A perenninl |
pl nt and oil the year round II l. ready 10 !
exude its OIL And in many human lives |
'nere Is u perennial distillation OF Hcrid eX-
periences. Yea, there are some whose whole [
work Is TO shed baleiul influence on others
Ihere are Attilas Of the home. or Atilas OF |
the social circle. or Attilas OF the church. or
Attilas oil the state. and one-third of the
waters OF all the world, II not two-thirds tho
waters are poisoned by the falling 81 the
star Wormwood. IL IS not complimentary 10
human nature that most men, as soon rs
aney ger greater power, become overbearng
Inc more power men have the better IL their
power be used for good. The less power
men have the better II they use II for evil.
Birds circle round and round and round
before they swoop upon that which they are
aiming for. And II my discourse so far has
neen swinging round and round this mo-
ment II drops straight on your heart aud
asks the question, Is your life a henediction
10 Others or an imbitterment blessing or a
curse. balsam or wormwoo'9
Some OF you know are morning stars,
anu you are making the dawning life OF
your children bright with gracious in
huences, and YOU are beaming upon all the
opening enterprises OF philanlhropic and
christian endeavor, and you are heralds Of
that day OF gospelization which will vet food
all the mountains and valleys Of our sin
cursed earth. Hail. morning star Keep on
SHINING with encouragement and Christian
hope!
Some OF you are evening stars, and you
are cheering the last days Of old people, and
though cloud sometimes comes over YOU
through the querulousnpss or unreasonable
ness OF your old father aud mother IL Is only
Tor moment, and the star soon comes out
clear aIain aud IL seen from all the balco-
nies OF the neighborhood. The old peoplc
Will forgive your occasional shortcomings,
for they themselves several times lost their
patlence when you were young and slapped
you when you did not deserve IL. Hail,
ngfa aFf eH.. IL. - 1