The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-11-02
THE LION IN THE A
Opening Sermon Of DR.. Talmage at
Washington.
Tho Temptations that Confront tho Chris
tain Through Life-The sword OF tho
spirit the Weapon to Achieve
Ultimate Victory.

ing sermon at Washington, to which
greeted by an immense congregation.
The subject of his sermon was: "All
Heaven Locking On" the text being
from Hebrews Kill "Seeing we are
also comprised about with so great q
cloud of witnesses." Following Is the
sermon:
In this, my opening sermon in the
national capital, l give you hearties,
Christian salutation. l bethink myself
of the privilege of standing in this his.
toric 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
I do not know Of any man except
himself 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
marshaled the hosts of Israel, OF
the sword with which he has
such mighty blows for God and
Righteousness. / come 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 W homes and
have you oil come and see me, but
don't all come al once; and without
any preliminary discourses as to what
I propose to do I 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 witnesses"
Crossing the Alps by the Mount Gents
pass, or through the Mount Cents tun.
mel, you are In . few hours set down at
Verona, Italy, and In a few minutes
begin examining one of The grandest
ruins of the world the amphitheater.
The whole building sweeps around you
In . circle. You stand Ia 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 elevations or galleries, as I shall
see At to call them, in which sat the
senator's, the kings and the IS, 900 ex.
cited spectators At the sides of this
arena and under the galleries are the
cages In which the lions and tigers are
kept without food until, frenzied with
and thirst, they are let out
upon some poor victim, who, with his
sword alone, Il condemned to meet
them. think that Paul himself once
stood In such . place. and that II was
not only fguratively. but literally,
that he had fought wild beasts at
EphesuA
The gala day has come. From al the
world the people r pouring into We
roma. Men, women and children, IRA
tors and senators, great men and small,
upon thousands come, until
the frat gallery IL full, and the second,
the third. the fourth, the ffth-sll the
way up TO the twentieth, all the way
TO the thirtieth. all the way up 70
the fortisth. Every place Is filled. I'm.
mensity Of audience sweeping the
great circle. Silencei The time for
the great contest has come. A Roman
leads forth the victim into the
arens. Let him get his sword, with
arm grip. into HIS right hand. The
o., 900 sit breathlessly watching. ]
hesr the door at the side Of
the arena cresk open. Out plunges
the h~alf-starved lion, his tongue athirst
for blood, and, with q roar that brings
the galleries 70 their feet. he rushsa
against the sword of the combstsnt
To An amphitheatrical audience
Paul refers whom he says: I'VE are
comprised shout with SO great q cloud
Of Witnesses"
The fact IL that every Christian man
has . lion to 6ght Yours isa bad
The gates Of the arena have
bssn opened. and this tiger has come
out TO destroy your soul thas lsoer-
stsd you with many . wound. You
have been thrown by Il time and
again, but in the strength Of God you
have arisen to drive II back. I verify
believe you will conquer. Think that
The temptation Is getting weaker and
weaker. You have given II 10 many
wounds that the prospect is that 1t
will die. and you shall be victor,
through Christ. Courage. brother! Do
not let the'sands Of the arena drink
the blood Of your souli
Your lion y the passion for strong
drink. You may have contended
against Il for twenty years; but 1t ia
stroug Of body and Thirsty of tongue.
You have trisd 70 Aght Il back with
broken bottle or empty wine flask.
Nayi that II not the weapon. With
pns horrible roe he will ssise thee by
the throat and rend the limb from
Limb. Take this wsspon, sharp and
kssn-reach up and get It from Gods
armory: the Sword of the Spirit
With that thou mayest drive him back
and oonqusri
Dut why specify, when every man
and woman has . lion to fight II
there be one here who has NO bcsetting
sin, let him speak out, for him have !
offended. II you have not fought the
lion, It Il because you have let the lion
set you up. This very moment the
sontsst goes IN. The Trsjsu celebra.
ton, where 10000 glsdiators fought.
and II, 900 wild beasts were slain, wal
not 20 terrific . struggle - that which
Ut this moment goes or In many q soul.
That combat was for the life Of the
body; this II for the life of the soul.
That was with wild beasts from the
Jungle; this = with the roaring lion OF
hell
Men think, when they contend
against an evil habit. that they have
6Rht Il all alone. MOI They stand
In the center Of an immense circle OF
sympathy. Paul had been reciting the
names of Abel. Enoch. Noah. Abraham.
Sarah. Isaac. Joseph, Gideon and Ba.
rsk, and then says: being compassed
about with 10 great . cloud Of wit
asssea"
Before I get through I will chow
You that you fight in an ARENA, arount
which circle. In galleries above escl
other, all the kindling eyes and al
the sympathetic hearts of tho ages
and At every victory gained Their
comes down the laundering spplsus'
of q great multitude that no man cal
number. being comprised about will
10 great . cloud of Witnesses"
On the 6rst elevation of tho ancien
amphitheater, on the day Of Q celebra
ton, sat Tiberius, or Augustus, or tn,
reigning king. So, In the great areui
Of spectators that watch our struggles
and In the first divine gallery. as
shall call II, sits our King. one Jesus
On His head are many crownsi Tn,
Roman emperor got his place by cold
bloOded conquests; but our King hail
come to His place by the broken heart
healed, and the tears wiped away, AM
the souls redeemed. The Roman EN-
peror sat. with folded arms, indiffer
emit II to whether the swordsmsn o