The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1892-09-16
Heavenly Helpers.

fIOO3Oly the greatest QemOnSlEallOn
during the past month was that at the
town hall, Birmingham, when he de-
livered three addresses the same eve
ming to audiences aggregating 30, 200
persons AT Sheffield, Derby, Leicester,
Exeter and Bristol also phenomenal au-
dienceS assembled the most cordial well
come being everywhere accorded him.
The sermon selected for publication this
week is entitled Celestial Sympathiz-
ers," the text being taken from Cor.
XIV, 81, Il have fought with beasts at
Ephesus." and Hebrews xii, l, Seeing
we also are compassed about with SO
great 4 cloud of witnesses"
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Gents
pass. or through the Mont Gents tunnel,
you are in a few hours set down at Yer
ona, Italy, and in 4 few minutes begin
examining one of the grandest ruins OF
the world-the amphitheater. The whole
building sweeps around YOU in circle.
You stand in the arena where the COM
bat was once fought or the race run, and
On all sides the seats rise, tier above tier,
until you count forty elevations or gal
leries. as l shall see fit to call them, in
which sat the senators, the kings and the
25. 600 excited spectators.
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 hunger and thirst they are
let out upon some poor victim, who with
his sword and alone is condemned to
meet them. l think that Paul himself
once stood in such place. and that it
was not only fignratively but literally that
he had fought with beasts at Ephesus.'
The gala day has come. From all the
world the people are pouring into Yer
ona. Men, women and children. orators
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. Immen-
sity of audience sweeping the great cir
Gle. 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 -. 900 sit breathlessly watch
ing 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 q roar that brings all the gal
leries to their feet he rushes against the
sword of the combatant
Do YOU know how strong a stroke
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 wasting strength, be comes
up with fcrcer eye and more terrible
roar than ever, only to be driven back
with a 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 a shout that makes
the city tremble.
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, I'VE are
compassed about with SO great crowd
of witnesses" The direct reference in
the last passage is made to a race: but
elsewhere. having discussed that. take
now Paurs favorite idea Of the Christian
life as a 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 1t has lacerated you
with many q wound. You have been
thrown by it time and again, but in the
strength Of God you have arisen TO drive
1t back. Iverily believe you will con-
quer. / think that the temptation is get
ting weaker and weaker. You have
given it so many wounds that the pros
l., l. - all .Lo,I
victor. through Christ. Courage, brother!
Do not let the sands of the arena drink
the blood Of your soul.
Your lion is the passion for strong
drink. You may have contended against
it twenty wears, but it is strong of body
and thirsty of tongue. You have tried
to fight il back with broken bottle or
empty wine flask. Nay, that is not the
weapon. With one horrible roar he will
seize thee by the threat ami rend thee
limb from limb Take this weapon,
sharp and keen-reach up and get it
from Gods armory-tte Sword of the
Spirit With that thou mayest drive
him back and conquer,
But why specify when every man and
woman has a lion u fight? II there be
one here who has no beSetting sin, let
him speak out for him have offended.
III YOU nave not fought the Hon. II Is be-
cause you have let the hon 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 4 soul. The
combat was for the lie 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.
Men think when they contend against
IN evil habit that they have to fight it
all alone. No. They stand in the center
of an immense circle of sympathy. Paul
bad been reciting the names of Abel,
Enoch, Noah, Abraham. Sarah. Isaac,
Joseph, Gideon, and Barak. and then
saws, being comprised about with so
great cloud of witnesses"
Before l get through 1 will show you
NJ A<vL . =