Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-06-19
THE BITTER ATTILA.
A BRIEF VIEW OF THE STAR CALLED
WORMWOOO.


WORMWOOO.
Rev. DR.. Talmage on Brilliant Bitterness
and It's Results-scolding and Growing.
The sweetening Power of the Gospel.
Safety In Righteousness.
WASHINGTON, June 14.-It was ap-
propriase that this sermon on the des-
tiny of nations should be preached in
what has long been called the president 5
church because Presidents Jackson and
Pierce and Polk and Cleveland have at
tended it,. DR.. Talmage chose for his
text Revelation viii, 10, II, There
fell great star from heaven, burning
as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the
third part Of the rivers, and upon the
fountains Of waters, and the name Of the
star is called Wormwood. "
Many commentators like Patrick and
Lowth, Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry
and Albert Barnes agree in saying that
the star Wormwood, mentioned IN Rev
elation, was Attila, king of the Huns.
He was so called because he was bril-
liant as a star and, like wormwood, he
embittercd 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 sub
ject calls US to gaze at the star Worm
wood. and my theme might be called
Brilliant Bitterness.
A more extraordinary character his
tory does not furnish than this man thus
referred to, Attila. the king of the Huns.
One day wounded heifer came limping
along through the fields, and a herds
man followed its bloody track on the
grass to see where the heifer was
wounded, and went on back further and
further, until he came to a sword fast
in the earth, the point downward, as
though it had dropped from the heavens
and against the edges Of this sword the
heifer had been cut. The herdsman pull
ed up that sword and presented it to
Attila. Atilla said that sword must
have dropped from the heavens from the
grasp Of the god Mars and its being
given to him meant that Attila should
conquer and govern the whole earth.
Other mighty men have been delight
ed at being called liberators or the
merciful, or the good, but Attila called
himself, and demanded that others call
him. the Scourge Of God. At the head
of zoo. 900 troops, mounted on Cappado-
clan horses, he swept everything from
the Adriatic to the Black sea. He put
his iron heel on Macedonia and Greece
and Thrace. He made Milan and Pavia
and Padua and Verona beg 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 put into three classes-the first
class. those who could bear arms, who
must Immediately enlist under Attila
or be butchered; the second class, the
beautiful women, who were made cap
tives to the Huns; the third class, the
aged men and women, who were robbed
of everything and let go back to the
city to pay heavy tax.
Rise of Star.
It was a common saying that the
grass never grew again where the hoof
of Attila's horse had trod. His armies
redeemed the waters Of the Seine, and
the Moselle, and the Rhine with car
mage and fought on the Catalonian plains
the fiercest battle since the world stood
300, 900 dead left on the feldl On
and on until all those who could not
oppose him with arms lay prostrate on
their faces in prayer, and, cloud OF
dust seen in the distance, a bishop
cried. "It is the aid of Godl" and all
the people took up the cry, 1T Is the
aid of God" As the cloud Of dust was
blown aside the banners Of re-enforcing
armies marched in to help against At
tila. the Scourge of God. The most un-
important occurrences he used as a su-
pernatural resource, and after three
months Of failure TO capture the city OF
Acuileia, and his army had given up
the siege the flight Of stork and her
young from the tower OF the city was
taken by him as 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 conqueror 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 assassination, his followers bewailed
him. not with tears, but with blood,
cutting themselves with knives and
lances. He was put into three cofiins,
the first Of iron, the second of silver
and the third of gold. He was buried
by night, and into his grave were poured
the most valuable coin and precious
stones. amounting TO the wealth OF a
kingdom. The gravediggers and all
those who assisted at the burial were
massacred, so that it would never be
known where so much wealth was en-
tombed. The Roman empire conquered
the world, but Attila conquered the Ro.
man empire He was right in calling
himself a scourge, but instead Of being
the Scourge Of God he was the scourge
Of hell Because Of his brilliance and
bitterness the commentators were right
in believing him TO be the star Worm