The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-09-09

Will strengthen thee by the fight hand
of my powerp
They gave to the men in the arena in
the olden time food to thicken their
blood, so that it would flow slowly, and
that for longer time the people might
gloat over the scene. But our King has
no pleasure in our wounds, for we are
bono Of his bone, flesh of his flesh; blood
of his blood.
In all the anguish of our heart
The man Of sorrows bore part.
Once, in the ancient amphitheater, q
lion with one paw caught the combat
ants sword and with his other paw
caught his shield. The man took his
knife from his girdle and slew the beast
The king, sitting in the gallery, said,
"That was not fair; the lion must be
slain by sword" Other lions were
turned out and the poor victim fell.
You cry, "Shame! shamew at such
meanness. But the king in this case is
our brother, and he will see that we
have fair play. He will forbid the rush
ing out of more lions than we can meet,
He will not suffer us to be tempted above
that we are able. Thank God! The
King is in the galleryl His eyes are on
us. His heart is with us. His hand
will deliver us. BLESSED are all they
who put their trust in him."
THE CELESTIAL GUARDIANS.
look again and see the angelic
gallery. There they are; the angel that
swung the sword at the gate of Eden;
the same that Ezekiel saw upholding
the throne of God, and from which
look away, for the splendor is insuffer-
able. Here are the guardian angels.
That one watched a patriarch; this one
protected q child. That one has been
pulling q soul out Of temptation Ali
these are messengers of light Those
drove the Spanish Armada on the rocks.
This turned Sennacherib's living hosts
into heap of one hundred and eighty
FIVE thousand corpses. Those yonder
chanted the Christmas carol over Beth.
lehem until the chant awoke the shep.
herds. These, at creation, stood in the
balcony of heaven and serenaded the
newborn world wrapped in swaddling
clothes of light. And there, holier ard
mightier than all, is Michael, the arch
angel. To command an earthly host
gives dignity, but this one is leader Of
the twenty thousand chariots of God
and Of the ten thousand times ten thou
sand angels. 1 think God gives com.
mand to the archangel, and the arch:
angel to the seraphim, and the seraphim
to the cherubim, until all the lower
orders of heaven hear the command
and 60 Forth On the high behest.
Now, bring on your lions! Who can
fear? All the spectators in the angelic
gallery are our friends. "He shall give
his angels charge over thee. to keep the
in all thy ways. They shall bear thee
up In their hands lest thou dash thy
foot against stone. Thou shalt tread
upon the lion and adder; the young lion
and the dragon shalt thou trample I'M
der foot"
Though the arena be crowded with
temptations we shall, with the angelic
help, strike them down in the name of
our God and leap on their fallen car
cassesl Offending throng Of bright an
gelic faces and swift wings and lightning
foot! l hail you today from the dust
and struggle of the arenal
look again and see the gallery of
the prophets and apostles. Who are
those mighty ones up yonder2 Hosea
ard Jeremiah and Daniel and Isaiah
and Paul and Peter and John and
James. There sits Noah, waiting for
all the world to come into the ark; and
Moses, waiting till the last Red sea shall
divide; and jeremiah, waiting for the
Jews to return; and John, of the Apoc-
alypse, waiting for the swearing of the
angel that Time shall be no longer.
Glorious spirits! Ye were howled at.
We were stoned; We were spit upon!
They have been in this fight themselves;
and they are all with US. Daniel knows
all about lions. Paul fought with beasts
at Ephesus.
THE INTERESTED WITNESSES.
In the ancient amphttheater the PEG.
pie got SO excited that they would shout
from the galleries to the men in the
arena: "Atit again." Forward Zone
more stroker "Look outr "F;.ll
backr "Huzza! Huzzar' So in that
gallery, prophetic and apostolic, they
cannot keep their peace. Daniel cries
out, '.Thy God will deliver thee from
the mouth of the ions!" David ex.
claims, "He will not suffer thy foot to
be movedw Isaiah calls out: "Fear notl
l am with thee! Be not dismayedr'
Paul exclaims, Victory through our
Lord Jesus Christi That throng of
prophets an apostles cannot keep still.
| They make lie welkin ring with shout
| ing and hal luiahs.
look ag in end / see the gallery of
the martyrs. Who is that? Hugh Lati-
mer, sure enough! He would not apollo
gize for the truth preached, and SO he
died the night before swinging from the
bedpost in perfect glee at the thought Of
! emancipation. Who are that army of
six thousand six hundred and sixty-six?
They are, the Theban legion who died
for the faith. Here is a larger host in
magnificent array--eight hundred and
eightyfour thousand-who persisted for
Christ in the prosecutions Of Diocletian.
Yonaer is n family grorp, Felicitas, of
Rome, and her children. While they
were dying for the faith she stood en-
couraging them. One sen was whipped
to death by thorns, another was flung
from rock, another was beheaded. At
last the mother became a martyr. There
they tire tc;sethcr-a family group in
| heaven. YenGcr is John Bradford, who
said in the TIRE, 1--WE shall have a merry
supper with the Lord tonight" Yorder
| is Lelry Woes. who exclaimed as he
died, IF had ten heads they should all
| fall of for Christi"
Tie great i.goDg of the martyrs!
They had hot lead poured down then
throats; horses were fastened to their
hands, and other horses to their feet,
and thus tney were pulled apart; they
had their tongues pulled out By red hot
pinccrs; tilcy were sewed up in the skins
of animals and then thrown to the dogs
they were Gaubej with combustibleS
ami then set on fire! If all the martyrs
stakes tina. Lave been lindled could be
/ COT ma ly1