The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-01
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE,
Subject: "The Bitter Attila."

TEXT: "There fell great star from heaven
burning as It were lamb, and 1t fell upor
the third part of the rivers, and upon the
fountains Of water, and the name of the
star is called Wormwood. "-Revelation viii.
10, II.
Many commentators, like Patrick and
Lowth. Thomas Scott Matthew Henry anC
Albert Barnes agree in saying that the stal
iWormwood, mentioned in Revelation, wa:
Attila, king of the Huns. He was so called
because he was brilliant as star, and. like
Wormwood, he embitiered everything he
touched. We have studied the star OF
Bethlehem. and the Morning Star OF the
Revelation, and the Star Of Peace, but my
present subject calls US to gaze at the star
Wormwood, and my themc might be called
Brilliant Bitterness.
A more extraordinary character history
does not furnish than this man thus referred
to, Attila, the king of the Huns. One day q
wounded heifer came limping along through
the fields, and herdsman followed its
bloody track on the grass to see where the
heifer was wounded, and went on back tur'
ther and further, until he came to sword
fast in the earth, the point downward. as
though is had dropped from the heavens aud
against the edges of this sword the heifer
had been cut. The herdsman pulled up that
sword and presented it to Atti!a- Attila said
the sw. rd must have dropped from the
heavens from the grasp OF the god Mars and
its being given to him meant that Atilla
should conquer and govern the whole earth.
Other mighty men have been delighted Mt
being called liberators, or the mercifGl or the
good, but Attila called himself. and demand
ed that others call him the Scourge Of God.
At the head CT 100000 troops, mounted on
Cappadocian horses. he swept everything
: from the Adriatic to the Black Sea. He put
his iron heel Oh Macedonia and Greece and
Thrace. He made Milan and Pavia and
Padua and Verona Deg for mercy, which he
bestowed not. The Byzantine castles, to
meet his ruinous levy. put up at auction
massive silver tables and vases Of solid gold.
A city captured by him, the Inhabitants
were brought out and divided into three
classes-the first class, those who could bear
arms, VINO must Immediately enlist under
Attila or be butchered; the second class, the
beautiful women, who were made cap.ives to
the Huns: the third class, the aged men IN 1
women. who were robbed of everything and
let 60 back to the city to pay heavy tax.
1t was a common saying that the grass
never grew again where the hoof Of Attila' s
horse had trod. His armies reddened the
waters of the Seine, and the Mosele, and the
Rhine with carnage and fought on the Cata-
lonian plains the fercest battle since the
world stood-SO0.0 900 dead left on the field !
On and on until those who could not oppose
him with arms lay PROSTATE on their facesin
prayer. and a cloud Of dust seen in the dis
tanee, bishop cried, at is the aid Of God"
and all the people took up the cry. 1T is the
aid of God II As the cloud of dust was blown
aside the banners of reinforcing armies
marched in to help against Attila, the
Scource Of God. The most unimportant oc-
currences he used as q supernatural re-
source. and after three months OF failure 10
capture the city Of Aquileia. and his army
had given up the siege the fight of stork
and her young from the tower Of the city
was taken by him rs sign that he was to
capture the city, and his army, inspired by
the same occurrence, resumed the siege and
took the walls at point from which the
stork had emerged. So brilliant was the
conquerer in attire that his enemies could
not look at him, but shaded their eyes or
turned their heads.
Slain on the evening OF his marriage by his
bride, Ildico, who was hired for the assas-
sination, his followers bewailed him, not
with tears, but with blood, cutting them
selves with knives and lances. He was put
into three collins, the first ofiron, the second
OF silver and the third Of fgold. He was buried
by night, and into his grave were poured the
most valuable coin and precious stones,
amounting to the wealth Of q kingdom. The
grayediggers and all those who assisted at
the burial were massacred, so that 1t would
never be known where so much wealth was
entombed. The Roman empire conquered
the world. but Attila conquered the Roman
empire. he was right In calling himself
scourge, but instead Of being the Scourge OF
God he was the scourge Of hell. Because OF
his brilliance and bitterness the commenta-
tors were right in believing him to be the
star Wormwood. As the regions he devas-
tated were parts most opulent with foun-
tainS and streams and rivers, you see how
graphic Is this reference In Revelation:
"There fell great star from heaven, burn
Ing as it were lamp, and 1t fell upon the
third Part of the rivers and upon the toun-
tains o. waters, and the name OF the star is
called Wormwood."
Have you ever thought how many imbit
tered lives there are all about US, misanthro-
pic. morbid, acrid, saturnine2 The Euro
pean plant from which wormwood is eX.
tructed. Artemisia absinthium, is perennial
plant, and all the year round 1t is ready TO
exude its oil. And in many human lives
there is perennial distillation OF acrid ex-
periences. Yea, there are some whose whole
work Is to shed baleful influence on others.
There are Attilas of the home, or Attilas o.
the social circle, or Attilas OF the church, or
Attilas of the state. and one-third OF the
waters OF all the world, II not two-thir'is tho
waters, are poisoned by the falling OF the
star Norwood. 1t Is not complimentary TO
human nature that most men, as soon as
they get greater power, become overbeartnS.
The more power men have the better IL their
power be used for good. The less power
men have the better II they use it 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
been swinging round and round this mo-
ment it drops straight on your heart and
asks the question, Is your life benediction
to others or an imbitterment, blessing or
curse. balsam or wormwoo1?
Some of you I know are morning stars.
and you are making the dawning life OF
your children bright with gracious in
fuences, and YOU are beaming upon all the
opening enterprises of philanthropic and
Christian endeavor, and you are heralds OF
that day Of gospellzation which will yet flood
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 querulousness or unreasonable
ness OF your old father and mother it is only
for a moment, and the star soon comes ou,
clear 6ain and is seen from all the balco.
MES of the neighborhood. The old people
will forgive your occasional shortcomings
for they themselves several times lost theil
patience when you were young and slapped
you when you did not deserve it. Hail
evening star Hang on the darkening SIX!
your diamond coronet
But are any of you the star Wormwood? D.
you scold and growl from the thrones pa
ternal or maternal? Are your children ever
lastingy pecked at2 Are you always crying
Hush" to the merry voices and swift: feet
and their laughter. which occasionally
trickles through at the wrong times and /
suppressed by them until they can old II