Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-09-07


unheard Of condesccnsionl / see him come
down from the gallery into the arena to
heip us IN the fight, shouting until all up
and down his voice is heard Fear not.
! Will help theel | will strengthen thee
by the right hand of my powerl'
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 bone Of his bone.
nesh 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 combatant's
sword and with his other paw caught his
shield. The man took his knife from his
girdle and slew the beast. The king, sit,
ting in the gallery, said. "That was no.
fair; the lion must be slain by sword 2
Other lions were turned out and the poor
victim fell. You cry, 'Shamel shameF' 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 rushing
out OF more lions than we can meet; he
will not suffer us to be tempted above that
we are able. Thank Godl 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 hial."
ALL THE GOOD ANGELS sYMPATHIZE.
look again, and / see the angelic gal
lery. 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 insufTerable
Here are the guardian angels. That one
watched patriarch; this one protected a
child. That one has been pulling soul
our oftemptationl All these are messengers
u .ightl Those drove the Spanish armada
on the rocks. This turned Sennacherb's
living hosts into heap Of one hundred and
eighty-ive thousand corpses. Those, yon-
der, chanted the Christmas carol over
Bethlehem until the chant awoke the shep-
herds. These. at creation, stood in the
balcony OF heaven and seTenaded the new
born world wrapped in swaddling clothes
of light. And there, holier and mightier
than all, is Michael, the archangel. To
command an earthly host gives dignity;
bGt this one is leader of the ten thousand
chariots Of God. and Of the ten thousand
times ten thousand angels | think God
gives command to the archangel, and the
archangel to the seraphim, and the SER
aphim to the cherubim. until all the lower
orders Of heaven hear the command and
80 forth on the high behest.
Now, bring on your lionsi Who can
fear? All the spectators in the angelic
gallery are our friends. He shall give
his angels charge over thee, to keep thee
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 shal6 thou trample under 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 carcasses!
Oh, bending throng of bright angelic faces
and swift wings and lightning foot
hail you today from the dust and struggle
of the arenai
THE PROPHETS AND APOSTLES.
look again and see the gallery Of the
prophets ard apostles. Who are those
mighty ones up Wonder? Hosea and Jere
miah and Daniel and Isaiah and Paul and
Peter and John and James. There sits
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 Apocalypse, waiting for the swear.
Ing Of the angel that Time shall be no
longer. Glorious spiritsl Yewere howled
at, We were stoned, We We're 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.
In the ancient amphitheater the people
got so excited that they would shout from
the galleries to the men in the arena: AT
It againr' Forward "One more
strokerp Look outr' Fall backr'
'Huzzal Huzza!'' 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
lionsr' David exclaims, He will not
suffer thy foot to be movedv' Isaiah calls
out: Fear mott | am with theel Be not
dismayedl" Paul exclaims, Victory
through our Lord Jesus Christr That
throng of prophets and apostles cannot
keep still. They make the welkin ring
with Shouting and halleluiahs.
THE NOBLE ARMY OF MARTYRS.
| look again and see the gallery Oh the
martyrs. Who is thatS Hugh Latimer,
sure enoughl He would not apologize for
the truth preached, and so he died the
night before swinging from the bedpost in
perfect glee at the thought of emancipa-
ton 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 eighty-four thou
sand-who persisted for Christ in the perse-
cutions of Dioeletian.
Yonder is family group, Felicitas of
Rome. and her children. While they were
diving for the faith she stood encouraging
them. One son was whipped to death by
thorns; another was flung from rock;
another was beheaded. At last the mother
became martyr. There they are together
"a family group in heavenl Yonder is
John Bradford, who said in the fire, I'VE
- 4 81 h. 7 Il