The Red Cloud chief., 1892-09-16
CHRISTIAN WARFARE.
DR.. Talmage Discourses on a Fruit
ful Theme.
The Lions That Confront the just In
Their Pathway Through Life The
sword of the Spirit the Weapon
with which TO Conquer.

Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage continues to
preach to large congregations in En-
gland. The sermon selected for pub
LEGATION this week Is entitled: "Celes-
stial Sympathizers," the text being
taken from I. Corinthians, XIV. 80: ~
have fought Nth beasts at Ephesus."
Hebrews xii. /: Seeing we also are
compassed about with so great n cloud
Of witnesses"
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Gents
pass, OF through the Mont Gents tunnel,
you are in a few hours set down at Ver-
ona, Italy. and In n few minutes begin
examining n of the g%randcst ruins in
the world--thc Ampitheater. The
whole building sweeps around you in a
circle. You stand in the arena where
the combat vas once fought or the race
rum, and on all sides the seats rise, tier
above tier, until you count forty cle-
v~ations, or galleries, as / shall see lit to
call them, in which sat the senators,
the kings, and the -, 600 excited spec
tators. At the sides of the arena and
under the galleries are the cages in
which the lions and tigers are kept
without food until, frenzied with hun
ger and thirst, they are let out upon
sornc poor victim, who, with his sword
and alone, Is condemned to meet them.
! think that Paul himself once stood in
such a place, and that it was not only
fguratively, but literally, that he had
fought with beasts at Ephcsus."
The gala day has come. From all the
world the people are pouring into
Verona. Men, women and children.
orators and senator's, great men and
small, thousands upon thousands come,
until the first gallery is full, and the
second, the third, the fourth, the fifth
oil the way up to the twentieth, all the
way up to the thirticth, all the way up
to the fortieth. Every place is filled.
immensely of audience sweeping the
great circle. Silence. 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 $4,000 sit
breathlcssly watching. I hear the door
ut the side of the arena creak open.
Out Plunges the half. starved lion, his
tongue athir,t for blood, and, with n
roar that bringsall the galleries to their
feet, he PUSHES against the sword of the
combatant. Do you know how
strong u stroke a man will
strike when his life depends upon tee
FIRST thrust of his blade? The wild
beast, lame and bleeding, sinks back
toward the side Of the arena; then, raj
lying his wasting strength, he comes
mp with ficrcer eye and more terrible
rear than ever, only to be driven back
with n fatal wound. while the combat
ant comes in with stroke after stroke,
until the monster Is dead at his feet,
and the 25. 900 people clap their hands
md utter q shout that makes the city
tremble.
Sometimes the audience came to see
a race; sometimes to see g~ladiators fight
each other, until the people, compass
sionate 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 100, 900 people Paul refers
when he says: "We are compassed
about with so great a crowd of wit.
nesses." The direct reference in the
last passage is made to n race; but else
where, having discussed that. l take
now Paul's favorite idea of the Christian
life as n combat.
The fact Is that every Christian mar
has a lion to fight Yours Is n bad TEN
per. The gates Of the arena have beer
opened, and this tiger has come out t.
destroy your soul. 1t has lacerated yor
with many a wound. You have beer
/ Hhrvu,p hx, ~ TINA mud aratn hat In ths
strength OF God you have arisen to driv,
it back. I verify believe you will con
quer. think that the temptation IL
getting weaker and weaker. you have
given it so many wounds that the pros
pect is that it will die, and you shall
be the victor, through Christ. Courage
brother! Do not let the sands OF tn,
arena drink the blood Of your soul!
Your lion Is the passion for strong
drink. You may have contcndedagainst
it twenty years; but it is strong of bod,
and thirsty of tongue. You have tried
to fight it back with broken bottle O.
empty wine flask. Nay! that is not thu
weapon. With one horrible roar Il,
will seize thee by the threat and rene
, thee limb from limb. Take this weap
1 Ou, SiifD ~ uuu hCtu-Fcdch UP anu kc
II from Gods armory: the sword Of TIN
Spirit. With that thou mayest driv'
: him back and conquer!
|, But why specify, when every MAJ
and woman has n lion to fight. If Their
be one here who has no besetting si
let him speak out, for him have
, offended. If you have not fought tn
lion it is because You have let the hoI
/ eat you up. This very moment the con
test goes on. The Trajan celebration
where TO- 900 gladiators fought, and IL
, 900 wild beasts were slain. was not y
terrific n struggle as that which at thi
moment goes on In many a soul Tn
combat was for life Of the body, this
for the life Of the soul That was wit
wild blasts from the Jungle, this Is wit
the roaring lion Of hell.
e Men think, when they contend agains
an evil habit, that they have to fight
4 all alone. No! They stand in the Gel
ter Of nm immense sympathy. Paul In
: been reciting the names Of Abel, Enocl