The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-12-21
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
First Discourse to His New Con.
gregation in Washington.

Lessons Drawn from the Roman Amphi-
thcaters-The Fight Against SIN
Likened to Contests in
The Arena.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage delivered
his opening sermon to his new congre-
cation in Washington to an audience
that filed every portion of the church
and left hundreds outside the portals
His subject was: "All Heaven Looking
On" being based on the text.
Seeing we also are compassed about with
DO great cloud Of witnesses. xii, !.
In this. my opening sermon in the
national capital, ] give you heartiest
Christian salutation. / bethink my.
self of the privilege of standing In this
historic church so long presided over
by one of the most remarkable men OF
the century. There are plenty of good
ministers beside DIR. Sunderland, but
do not know OF any man except him
self with enough brain to have stood
successfully and triumphantly forty.
three years In this conspicuous pulpit.
Long distant be the year when that
Gospel chieftain shall put down the
silver trumpet with which he has
marshalcd the hosts of Israel, or
sheathe the sword with which he has
struck such mighty blows for God and
righteousness. leone to You with the
same Gospel that he has preached, and
to Join you in all kinds of work for
making the world better, and l hope
to see you all in your own homes and
have you all come and see me, but
don't all come at once; and without
any preliminary discourses as to what
propose to do, begin here and now
to cheer you with the thought that
all Heaven is sympathetically looking
on. .'Seeing we also are comprised
about with SO great a cloud of wit
nesses."
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Cents
pass, or through the Mont Cents tun-
mel, you are in few hours set down at
Verona. Italy, and in few minutes
begin examining one of the grandest
ruins of the world-the Amphitheater.
The whole building sweeps around
you in a circle. You stand in the
arena where the combat was once
fought or the race run, and on all
sides the seats rise, tier above
tier. until you count forty ele-
vations, or galleries, as l shall see
fit to call them. in which sat the sena-
tors, the kings, and the twenty-five
thousand excited spectators. At the
sides of the arena, and under the gal
leries, are the cages in which the lions
and tigers are kept without food, UNI
til, frenzied with hunger and thirst.
they are let out upon some poor vic
tim, 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 figura-
tlvely, but literally, that he had
fought with beasts at Ephesus-"
The gala dav 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, 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 fcrtieth. Every place
is filed. immensely Of audience sweep
ing 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 twenty-five thousand sit breath.
lessly watching. / 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 galleries Ia
their feet, he rushes against the sword
of the combatant Do you know how
strong stroke a 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 vast
ing strength. he comes up with fiercer
eye and more terrible roar than ever,
| only to be driven back with fatal
wound, while the combatant comes in
with stroke after stroke, until the
monster is dead at his feet, and the
twenty-five thousand people clap theii
hands and utter shout that makes
the city tremble-
Sometimes the audience came to see
a race; sometimes to see gladiators
fight each other. until the people
compassionate for the fallen, turned
their thumbs up as an appeal that the
vanquished be spared; and sometimes
the combat was with wild beasts.
To an amphitheatrical audience Pau
refers when he says: 'sWe are com
passed about with so great cloud O
/ witnesses.
The fact is. that every Christian mar
has lion to fight. Yours is bat
temper. The gates of the arena have
been opened, and this tiger has come
out to destroy your soul. 1t ha.
lacerated you with many wound
You have been thrown by it tims
and again, but in the strength of Coo
you have arisen to drive it back.
verify believe you will conquer.
think that the temptation is getting
weaker and weaker. You have giveI
it so many wounds that the prospec
is that it will die. and you shall b
victor, through Christ. Courage. broth
erl Do not let the sands of the aren;
drink the blood of your soul!
| Your lion is the passion for strong
drink. You may have contendet
against it twenty years; but it i
strong Of body and thirsty of tongue
| <~s~I g., G~l,x - l<o al x--;<