Connecticut western news., 1892-09-08

HUG the arena to nelp us Ill the ugnC, shouting until all up and down his voice is heard: "Fear not! Twill help thee! I will strengthen thee by the right hand of my powerv'
 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 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, 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! shamer 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 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.
 I look again and I 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 l look away, for the splendor is insuffer- able. Here are the guardian angels. That one watched patriarch;- this one protected child. That one has been pulling soul out of temptationl All these are messengers of light! Those drove the Spanish Armada on the rocks. This turned Sennacherib's living hosts into a heap of one hundred and eighty five thousand corpses. Those wonder 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 tho newborn world wrapped in swaddling clothes of light. And there, holier and mightier than all, is Michael, the arch angel. To command an earthly host gives dignity, but this one is leader oc the twenty thousand chariots of God, and of the ten thousand times ten thou sand angels. I think God gives con- mand to the archangel, and the arch angel to the seraphim, and the seraphim to the cherubim, until all the lower oc Al4 and go forth on the high behest.
 Now, bring on your lions! Who can fear2 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 un- 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 o bending throng of bright an gelic faces and swift wings and lightning footl I hail you today from the dust and struggle of the arenal
 I look again and see the gallery of the prophets and apostles. Who are those mighty ones up wonder? Hosea and 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. ye were stoned; ye 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.
 e.f THE INTERESTED WITNESSES.
 In the ancient amphi.heater the peo- pie got so excited that they would shout from the galleries to the men in the arena: "Atit againr' "Forwardv' "One more stroker' Look outr' 'Fall backf' sHuzza! 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 ionsr' David ex- claims, "He will not suffer thy foot to be movedr' Isaiah calls out: "Fear not. I am with thee! Be not dismayedr Paul exclaims, "Victory through ouI Lord Jesus Christr' That throng of prophets and apostles cannot keep still. They make the welkin ring with shout ing and halleluiahs.
 look again and see the gallery of the martyrs. Who is that? Hugh Lati- ner, sure enough! He would not apollo ,ize 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 larger host in magnificent array-eight hundred and eighty-four thousand-who perished for Christ in the prosecutions of Diocletian.
 Wonder is a family group, Felicitas, of Rome, and her children. While they were dying for the faith she stood en- couraging them. One son was whipped to death by thorns, another was flung from a rock, another was beheaded. At last the mother became a martyr. There they are together-a family group in heaven. Wonder is John Bradford, who said in the fire, "We shall have merry supper with the Lord tonightr' Wonder is Henry Woes, who exclaimed as he died, eff had ten heads they should all fall off for Christp'
 The great throng of the martyrs! L A1- throats; horses were fastened to their hands, and other horses to their feet, and thus they were pulled apart; they