The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "Armageddon."

SUBJECT: cArmaXeddon.
TEXT: "And he gathered them together In
place called in the Hebrew tongue, Arma-
geddon. "-Rev. xvi, 16.
Megiddo is the name Of a mountain that
looks down upon Esdrelon, the greatest
battlefield that the world has ever seen.
There Barak fought the Canaanites; there
Gideon fought the Midianites; there Josiah
fought the invading Egyptians. The whole
region stands for battle, and the Amaged-
don Of my text borrows is name from II,
and Is here used, not geographically, but
agurahvely, while setting forth the idea
that there is to be worlds closing battle,
the greatest Of all battles. compared with
which the conflicts Of this century and all
other centuries were insignificant, because
OF the greater number OF combatants en-
gagged, the greater victory and the greater
defeat The exact date OF that battle we do
not know, and the exact locality is uncer.
tain. 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 degree In
regard to that coming conflict, do not forget
that there: have been wars all along on
stupendous scale. As when at Marathon MIL
tiades brought on his men, not In, ordinary
march, but In full run, upon the horse.
men OF Persia and the black archers OF
Ethiopia. and scattered them, and crying,
"Bring fire! Bring fre!'' set into flame the
ships Of the invaders. As when Plzarro over
came Peru. As when, Philip the Second
trlumphed over Portugal. As when the Huns
met the Cloths. As when three hundred
Spartans sacrificed themselves at Thermo-
pylae. As when the Carthagenians took Ag-
rigentum. AS when Alexander headed the
Macedonian phalanx. As when Hannibal in
vaded Italy. Battle Of Hastings! Battle OF
Valmy! Battle OF Arbela! Battle Of Tours!
Battle OF Borodino! Battle OF Lucknow! Bat
tie Of solferino! Battle OF Fontenoy where
100000 were slain! Battle OF Chalons where
300, 900 were massacred Battle of Herat
where Genghis Khan destroyed 1,600, 900
lives! Battle Of Neishar where 1.747 900
went down to death! 1876, 900 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 the South! But
all the battles 1 have named put together
will not equal in numbers enlisted, or fierce
ness, or grandeur. or triumph. or rout, the
coming Armageddon contest. Whether 1t
shall be fought with printers type or keen
Steel whether by brain or muscle, whether
by pen or carbine, whether by booming can.
non or thunders Of Christian eloquence, do
not know. and you may take what I say as
flgurativs or literal, but take as certain what
st. Johr, in his vision on the rocks OF the
Grecian archipelago, is pleased to call "Ar-
mageddon."
Ny sermon will first mention the regiments
that will be engaged in the conflict; then
will say something of the commanders on
both sides: and then speak Of the battle
itself and the tremendous issues. Begin
tbo,a ,ho ,r,Jl AOh ho
side, I first mention the Regiments Dla-
boic. In this very chapter from which my
text is taken we are told that the spirits Of
devils will be there. How many millions
Of them no one can tell for the statistics Of
the satanic dominions have never been re-
ported and the roll of that host has never
On earth been called; but from the direful,
and continental, and planetary work they
have already done, and the fact that every
man and woman md child on earth has
tempter. there must be at least sixteen hun
dred millions OF evil spirits familiar with
our world. Perhaps as many more are en-
gagged on especial enterprises Of abomina-
!ion among the Nations and empires OF the
sarth. Besid.t.hat there must be an tncon-
ceivable number OF Inhabitants In realms
pandemoniac, staying there to keep the
great capitals Of sin going from age 10 age.
Many of them once lived In heaven. but
engaging In conspiracy 10 put Satan on the
throne, they were hurled out and down, ana
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 Ar
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 battiements ofasbestos into the last cam
paign OF hell! Paul, the bravest Of all men,
was impressed with their might for evil when
he said, ave wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, and against
powers, and against the rulers OF the dark
ness in this world, against spiritual wicked
ness in high places" Oh, what an sgltating
moment, whom the ranks diabolic move up
and take their places for conflicts In the Ar
mageddon!
Other regiments who will march into the
fight on the wrong side will be the Regi-
ments Infldel. God gave but one revelation
to the human race, and these men have been
trying to destroy it. Many Of the books,
magazines and newspapers. through per-
petual scoff Mt Christianity, and some Of the
universities have become recruiting agencies
for those regiments. The greatest brRadier
OF all those regiments, Voltaire, who closed
his iif4 of assault upon Christianity by writ
Ing: l'Happlness is a dream, and only pain Is
real. / have thought 80 for eighty-four
years, and know no better plan than to re-
sign myself TO the inevitable and to reflect
that flies are born to be devoured by spiders
I had never been born" Oh. the aod-for-
saken regiments OF inadels, who, after hay
ing spent their life antagonizing the only In
fluence that could make the earth better,
gather with their low wit and their vile sneer
and their learned idiocy and their horrible
blasphemy to take part against God and
Righteousness In the great Armageddon!
Other regiments who will march intosthe
fight will be the Regiment Alcoholic. They
will be made of the brewers companies, dis
,il,ery owners and liquor dealers assc:1a-
tions, and the hundreds OF millions oftheir
patrons. These millions OF victims OF s.'co-
hol Joined by the millions OF the victims OF
arrack, the splrituous liquor OF China and
India, and Arabia, and Egypt, and Ceylon,
and Siam.
Other regiments who will march in OF. The
the wrong side in the battle will be the Regi-
ments Mohammedan. At the present time
there are about one hundred and seventy
five million Moslems. Their plain mission
Is TO kill Christians, demean womanhood,
and take possession Of the earth in the inter.
est OF ignorance, superstition, and moral
filth. The massacre OF fifty thousand Ar
menians in the last two or three years Is only
one chapter in their effort to devastate the
earth OF everything but themselves. SO
determined are they In their bad work
that all the Nations OF the earth put together
dare not say to them, "Stop or We will make
you stop" My hope is that long before that
last battle OF which speak, the Turkish
Government, and with 1t Mohanmedanism,
may be wiped out Of existence. The TURKS