Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-03-04

TO ma in06e1 fUS L1DSt 1IIpI II tullEs
on earth are ruins. The four greatest struc.
lures ever built ara in ruins. The Parthe-
non in ruins, the temple OF Diana in ruins.
the temple Of Jerusalem in ruins, the Coli
scum in ruins. Indeed the earth itself will
vet he q pile OF ruins. the mountains in
ruins, the seas in ruins, the cities In ruins.
the h~emisph-res in ruins. Yea. further
than that all up and down the heavens are
worlds burned up. worlds wrecked. worlds
extinct worlds abandoned. Worlds on
worlds n ruins,
But | am glad to say it is the same old
heaven. and in all that world there is not
ons run and never will bs a ruin. Not one
% the paarlv gates will ever become IN
hinged. Not one OF the amethystine towers
viii ever fall. kL one of the mansions will
ever decay. Not one o. the cosriots will
ever he unwheele1. Not one Of the thrones
will ever rock down. On, make sure OF
heaven. for it is an everlasting heaven.
Through Christ the Lord get ready for
residence III the eternal palaces.
the last evening before leaving Rome for
Brindisj and Athens AMI Egypt AMI Pa!es-
tine | went alone to the Coliseum. There
vas not n living soul in al! the Immense
area. Even those accustomed TO sell curios
u the four entrances OF the building had
gone away. The place was So overwhelm-
lngly silent | could hear my own heart beat
with The emotions aroused by the place and
hour. | paced the arena. l walked down
into the lens where the hyenas were once
kept. | assembled to the place where the
emperor used to sit. | climbed up on the
galleries from which the mighty throngs OF
people had gazsd In enchantnent.
10 break tho silence | shouted, IN that
seemed 10 awaken the echoes, echo upon
echo. And those awakened echoes seemed
t. address me, saving: Men die, but their
work lives on. Gaudentius, the architect
h Planned this structure; the $1,000 en-
shaved Jews brought by Titus from Jerus-
aiem, and who toiled on these walls, the
CAD ators who fought in this arena, the I'm
perors and expresses who had place on yon-
der platform, the millions who during cen
turtles sat and rose in these galleries, have
passet away, but enough Of the Coliseum
stands to tell the story Of cruelty and pomp
and power-5W years of bloodshsd."
Then, as | stood there, there came to me
another burst OF echoes, which seemed
%throbbing with the prayers and songs and
groans of Christians who had expired in
that arena, and they seemed to say, HOW
much it cost to serve God in ages past, and
how thankful modern centuries ought to be
that the persecution which Redeemed the
sands OF this amphitheater have been abol-
i>hei."
And then l questioned the echoes, saying,
"Where is Emperor Titus, who sat here?'
The answer came, "Gone to judgment. :"
Where is Emperor Trajan, VINO sat here"
-"Gone to Judgment" NV here is Maxlml-
nus, who sat here" "Gone to Judgment"
Where are all the multitudes who elappad
and shouted and waved flags to let the van
pushed up, or to have them slain put
thumbs down" The echoes answered, 'Gone
to judgment | inquired, "Ally' And they
answered IAN"
And l looked up to the sky above the
ruins, and it was full Of clouds Scurrying
swiftly past, and those clouds seemed as
<bo,,rb thov boI fooov md c0fDa nf tha fQcaS
smiled and some Of them f~rowned, and they
seemed to have wings, and some OF the
wings were moongilt and others thunder
charged, and the voice o~verpowered the
echoes beneath. ''Behold He cometh with
clouds, and every eye shall see Him."
And as | stood looking up along the walls
of the Coliseum they rose higher and higher,
higher and higher, until the amphitheatre
seemed to be filled with all the Nations of
the past, and all the Nations Of the present,
and all the Nations OF the future, those who
went down under the paws OF wild beasts,
and those who sat waving flags to let up the
conquered, and those who held thumbs down
to command their assassination, and small
and great, and emperor and slave, and pas
tor and people, and righteous and wicked,
the amphitheatre seeming to rise to in
definite heights on all sides of me, and
in the center of that amphitheatre. instead
Of the arena of combatants, a great throne
$1,000, TlSlng uiSueT anu ulSneT, ulSneI
and higher. and on it sat the Christ
for whom the martyrs died aud
against whom the Diocletians plot.
ted their prosecutions, and waving
one hand toward the piled up splendors to
the right OF Him He cried, Come, We bless
ed, and waving the other hand toward the
piled I'D giooms on the left of Him He cried,
depart, We cursed
And SO the Coliseum Of Rome that even
ing OF 1889 seemed enlarged into the amphi-
theater OF the last judgment, and l passed
from under the arch of that mighty struc
ture, mighty even in its ruins, praying to
Almighty tod, through Jesus Christ, for
mercy i'll that day for which all other days
were made, and that as | expected mercy
from God | might exercise mercy TOWARD
others and have more and more of the
spirit Let him up and less of the spirit of
Thumbs down.
We may not all be able to do q sum in
higher mathematics, but there is a sum In
the first role of gospel arithmetic whicn we
all may do. 1t IS a sum i'll simple addition;
Add to your faith yirtue. aul 10 virtue
knowledge. and 10 knowledge temperance.
and TO temperance patience, AMI 10 patience
godhne>s, and to GOODNESS brotherlg kind
ness. anu to orotherlv tuni,as cha-itv.n
To Cook Corn.