The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-11-08
HEAVEN LOOKING ON.
Rev. DIR. Talmage Opens His Wasa-
ington Campaign.
His sepmon Prefsced by Graceful Trib-
ute to Rev. DIR. Sunderland-An
Heaven is Sympatheticai-
ly Looking On.

Following was Rev. 7. Dewitt Ia
mage's opening discourse to his me-
congregation in Washington, delivere
to an audience that packed every POI
ton of the sacred edifice. leaving hur
dreds disappointed outside. The sui
ject was: "All Heaven Looking On.
and the text
Seeing we also are oompassed about wit
90 great cloud Of Witnesses. Hebrews Kill,
In this, my opening sermon in tn
national capital, l give you hearties
Christian salutation. l bethink my
self Of the privilege of standing in thi
historic church SO long presided Owe
by one of the most remarkable men o
the century. There are plenty OF goot
ministers beside DR.. Sunderland, but
j 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 chieftaia shall put down the
silver trumpet with which he has
marshaled 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 | 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
I 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 cloud of wit
nesses."
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Cents
pass, or through the Mont Gents 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
UlCT, uuUA you COuht lol W ClC-
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, I'M
til, frenzied with hunger and thirst,
they are let out upon some poor vic
tim, who, with his sword and alone. is |
to meet them. think that |
Paul himself once stood in such a |
place, and that it was not only figura-
lively, but literally, that he had
fought with beasts at Ephesus."
The gala day has come. From all
The world the people are pouring into
Verona. Men, women and children,
IRA tors and senators, great men and
small, thousands upon thousands come,
until the first gallery is full. and the
second, third, the fourth. the fifth
Ill the way up to the twentieth, all
The way up to the thirtieth, all the
way up to the fortieth. Every place
S filled. Immensely OF audience sweep
ng the great circle. Silence! The
lime 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
essly watching. 1 hear the door at
he side of the arena creals open.
)ut plunges the half-starved lion, his
ongue athirst for blood, and, with
roar that brings all the galleries to
heir feet, he rushes against the sword
# the combatant. Do you know how
trong stroke man will strike when
lis life depends upon the first thrust
f his blade? The wild beast, lame and
deciding. sinks back toward the side
4 the arena; then, rallying his vast
ng strength, he comes up with fiercer
We and more terrible roar than ever,
My to be driven back with a fatal
round, while the combatant comes in
nth stroke after stroke, until the
lonster is dead at his feet, and the
twenty-five thousand people clap their
ands and utter shout that makes
be city tremble.
Sometimes the audience came to see
race; sometimes to see gladiators
ght each other, until the people.
for the fallen, turned
leir thumbs up as an appeal that the ;
anquished be spared; and sometimes ;
he combat was with wild beasts.
To an amphitheatrical audience Paul ,
,fers when he says: 1--WE are COM ,
assed about with 30 great cloud of {
illnesses"
The fact is, that every Christian man {
Is lion to fight. Yours is a bad G
mper> The gates of the arena have
zen opened, and this tiger has come I
1T to destroy your soul. 1t has +
cerated you with many a wound. i
on have been thrown by it time d
Id again, but in the strength of God 8