Connecticut western news., 1892-09-08
TALMAGE IN EUROPE.
EXTRAORDINARY CROWDS GATHER
 TO HEAR THE AMERICAN DIVINE.


 q The Witnesses to St. PauPs Combat at
 Ephesus and the Witnesses to Every
 Mans Combat with Sin-The Welcome
 Waiting in Heaven for the Victor.
 LONDON, Sept. 4.-The great outpour- ings to hear Dr. Talmage preach con- tinue. Probably the greatest demon stration during the past month was that at the town hall, Birmingham, where he delivered three addresses the same evening to audiences aggregating 30, ,0OO persons. At Sheffield, Derby, Leicester, Exeter and Bristol also phenomenal au- diences assembled, the most cordial wei come being everywhere accorded him. The sermon selected for publication this week is entitled Celestial Sympathiz- ers," the text being taken from Corin- thians xv, 32, "I have fought with beasts at Ephesus," and Hebrews xii, 1, "See- ing we also are compassed about with so great cloud of witnesses"
 Crossing the Alps by the Mount Cenis pass or through the Mount Cenis tun- nel, you are in few hours set down at Verona, Italy, and in 8 few minutes be- gin examining one of the grandest ruins of the world-the amphitheater. The whole building sweeps around you in a circle. You stand in the arena where the combat was once fought or the race run, and on all sides the seats rise, tier above tier, until you count forty eleva- tions or galleries, as I shall see fit to iy, nh the kings and the twenty-five thousand excited spectators.
 At the sides of the arena and under the galleries are the cages in which the Hons and tigers are kept without food until, frenzied with hunger and thirst, they are let out upon some victim who, with his sword and alone, is condemned to meet them. I think that Paul him. self once stood in such place, and that 1t was not only fguratively but literal ly that he had fought with beasts at Ephesus."
 The gala day has come. From all the world the people are pouring into Ve- roma. Men, women and children, ora tors and senators, great men and small, thousands upon thousands, come, until the first gallery is full, and the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth-all the way up to the twentieth, all the way up to the thirtieth, all the way up to the fortieth. Every place is filled. Immensity of audience sweeping the great circle. Silencel The time for the contest has come. A Roman official leads forth the victim into the arena. Let him get his sword with firm grip into his right hand. The twenty-five thousand sit breathlessly watching. l hear the door at the side of the arena creak open. Out plunges the half starved lion, his tongue athirst for blood, and with roar that brings all the galleries to their feet he rushes against the sword of the combatant.
 Do you know how strong stroke a man will strike when his life depends upon the first thrust of his blade? The wild beast, lame and bleeding, sinks back toward the side of the arena; then, rallying his wasted strength, he comes up with 6ercer eye and more terrible roar than ever, only to be driven back with fatal wound, while the combat ant comes in with stroke after stroke, until the monster is dead at his feet, and the twenty-five thousand people clap their hands and utter shout that makes the city tremble.
 THERE ARE LIONS IN THE WAY
 Sometimes the audience came to see a race; sometimes to see gladiators fight each other, until the people, compassion ate for the fallen, turned their thumbs down as an appeal that the vanquished be spared, and sometimes the combat was with wild beasts.
 To one of the Roman amphitheatrical audiences of one hundred thousand peo- pie Paul refers when he says, 'We are compassed about with so great crowd of witnesses" The direct reference in the last passage is made to race, but elsewhere having discussed that, take now Paul's favorite idea of the Christian life as combat.
 The fact is that every Christian man has lion to fight. Yours is bad tenn. per. The gates of the arena have been opened and this tiger has come out to destroy your soul. It has lacerated you with many wound. You have bee.. thrown by it time and again, but in the strength of God you have arisen to drive it back. Iverily believe you will con- quer. I think that the temptation is get ting weaker and weaker. You have given it so many wounds that the pros spect Is that it will die and you shall be victor, through Christ. Courage, broth erl Do not let the sands of the arena drink the blood of your soul!
 Your lion is the passion for strong l~SD b ,lol it twenty years, but it is strong of body and thirsty of tongue. You have tried to fight it back with broken bottle or empty wine fesk. Nayl that is not the weapon. With one horrible roar he will 5 seize thee by the throat and rend thee limb from limb. Take this weapon. sharp and keen-reach up and get it from Gods armory-the sword of the Spirit. With that thou mayest drive him back and conquerl
 But why specify, when every man and woman has lion to fight. If there be one here who has no besetting sin, let him speak out; for him have offended. If you have not fought the lion, it is be- cause you have let the lion eat you up This very moment the contest goes on. The Trojan celebration, where ten thou sand gladiators fought and eleven thou sand wild beasts were slain, was not so terrific struggle as that which at this moment goes on in many soul. The combat was for the life of the body; this is for the life of the soul. That was with wild beasts from the jungle; this Is with the roaring lion of hell.
 THE INFINITE HELPER.
 Men think when they contend against an evil habit that they have to fight it all alone. No! They stand in the cen ter of an immense circle of sympathy.