A Box of Treasure

There is a war going on in the universe, beside which the military conflicts of the nations of this earth sink into utter insignificance.
As to duration, we observe that our Civil War lasted four years, the Revolutionary struggle eight, the campaigns of Napoleon twelve or fifteen, the Carthaginian and Roman wars several decades of years; but the great contest we speak of as taking place in the universe has been going on without the intermission of a day or hour for thousands of years.
As for numbers engaged on either side, one to three million of soldiers would easily cover in a numerical way the combatants in the campaigns of the nations, while in this moral conflict which is raging as described in the Bible and recognized in life, every angel in Heaven, every devil in Hell, and every human being on earth has taken part or is at present doing so.
Then when in addition we notice that its battle fields are worlds; that the fight is not between a man and his fellow simply, but between the creature and his Creator; that the result is everlasting life and blessedness, or eternal death, woe and misery; we see at once how unspeakably this war of the universe transcends in every particular, battles of the kingdoms and nations of this world.
How far into the vast creation of God this conflict has gone we cannot tell. It has touched other orbs according to the Bible, and there seem hints that would point to its presence in still more distant globes.