The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-09-06

Lhen says, BelnS cOnp2SSeQ ABOUT VIII
SO great a cloud OF witnesses"
Before get through l will show you
that you fight in an arena around which
circle, in galleries above each other, al
the kindling eyes and all the sympa-
thetic hearts of the ages; and at every
victory gained there comes down the
laundering applause of q great multi
tude that no man can number. Being
compassed about with 50 great q cloud
of witnesses.
On the first elevation of the ancient
amphitheater. on the day of a celebra-
ton, sat Tberius or Augustus, or the
reigning king. So, in the great arena
of spectators that watch our struggles,
and in the first divine gallery, as shall
call it, sits our King, one Jesus. On his
head are many crowns! The Roman
emperor got his place by cold blooded
conquests; but our King hath come to
his place by the broken hearts healed,
and the tears wiped away, and the souls
redeemed. The Roman emperor sat
with folded arms Indifferent as to
whether the swordsman or the lion beat;
but our Kings sympathies are all with
Us. Nay, unheard of condescension!
see him come down from the gallery
into the arena to help US in the fight,
shouting until all up and down his voice
is heard: Pear not! will help thee,
l will strengthen thee by the right hand
of my power!7
They gave to the men IN the arena In
the olden time food to thicker their
blood, SO that it would flow slowly, and
that for a longer time the people might
gloat over the scene. But our King has
no pleasure IN our wounds, for we are
bone 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, u
hon 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 a sword Other lions were
turned out and the poor victim fell.
You cry. Shame! shame!' 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 gallery 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
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 patriarch: this one
protected q child. That one has been
pulling o soul out of temptation. All
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
chaDted 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
clothes of light. And there, holier ami
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. l think God gives com
Inand to the archangel, and the arch
angel TO the seraphin, and the seraphim
to the cherubi1n, until all the lower
orders of heaven hear the command
and go 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 tt q
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 IN
der foot"
Though the arena be crowded with
we shall, with the angelic
help, strike them down in the name of
our God and leap on their fallen car
cases! o bending throng of bright an
geic faces and swift wings and lightning
foot! hail you today from the dust
and struggle of the arena!
l look again and see the gallery of !
the prophets and apostles. Who are /!
hose mighty ones up yonder? Hosea |
and Jeremiah and Daniel and Isaiah |
and Paul and Peter and John and |
James. There sits Noah, waiting for |
III the world to come into the ark; and |
Moses, waiting till the last Red sea shall |
1ivide; and jeremiah, waiting for the |
Jews to return; and John. of the Apoc-
llypse, waiting for-the swearing of the
nigel that Time shall be no longer.
Glorious spirits! Ye were hOwled at.
re We're stoned; ye were spit upon! |
They have been in this fight themselves,
md they are all with us. Daniel knows
III about lions. Paul fought with beasts
It Ephesus. -
THE INTERESTED WITNESSES.
In the ancient amphfsheater the peo-
lie got SO excited that they would shout
rom the; galleries to the men in the