The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-11-06
NEW FIELD OF LABOR.
DR.. TALMAGE'S FIRST SERMON AS
WASHINGTON PASTOR.

An Eloquent and Picturesque Discourse
On ..All Heaven Looked On"--Paul
Standing in the Amphitheatcr.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27.-Those who
know that no church in this or foreign
countries has been able to hold the
audiences that have assembled when
it was announced that DR.. Talmage
would preach will not be surprised
that vast multitudes attempted in
vain to hear his first sermon as pastor
in Washington. The subject of the
opening sermon at the national capi:
tai was, ''All heaven looking on, .
the text selected being the famous
passage from Hebrews xii, l, Seeing
we also are compassed about with SO
great a cloud of witnesses.
In this my opening sermon in the
national capital l give you
heartiest Christian salutation. I be-
think myself of the privilege of stand
ing in this historic church so long pre-.
sided over by one of the most remark
able men Of the century. There are
plenty of good ministers besides DR..
Sunderland, but I do not know of any
man except himself with enough
brain to have stood successfully and
triumphantly 43 years in this conspic.
uous pulpit Long distant be the year
when that gospel chieftan 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. l 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 | hope to see you all in your
homes and have you all come and see
me, but don't all come at once, and
without preliminary discourses as to
what I propose to do l begin here and
now to cheer you with the thought
that all heaven is sympathetically
looking on. Seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud
of witnesses.
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Gents
pass, or through the Mont Gents tun-
mel, you are in few hours sci 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 iu 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, un.
til you count 40 elevations, or galleries,
as shall see fit to call them, in which
sat the senator's, the ,-;ngs and the 25,.
600 excited spectators. At the sides OF
the arena and under the galleries are
the cages in which the lions and tigers
are kept without food, until, frenzied
with hunger and thirst, they are lei
out upon some victim, who, with
his sword and alone, is condemned tc
meet them. I think that Paul once
stood in such a place, and that it was
not only fguratively, but literally,
that he had fought with beasts al
Ephesus.
The gala day has come. From ali
the world the people are pouring into
Verona. Men, women and children,
orators and senators, great men and
small, thousands upon thousands
come, until the first gallery is full
and the second, the third, the fourth,
the fifth-all the way up to the TWEEN
tieth, all the way up to the thirtieth,
all the way up to the fortieth. Every
place is filed. Immensity of audience
sweeping the great circle. Silence
The time for the contest has come. A
roman official leads forth the victim
into the arena. Lethim get his sword
with firm grip i9to his right hand.
The $4,000 sit breathlessly watching.
I hear the door ct the side OF, the are.
ma creak open. Oat plungethe hall
starved lion, his tongue atnirst for
blood, and, with a roar that
brings all the galleries to their feet he
rushes against the sword of the com.
batant. Do you know now strong a
stroke a man will strike when his life
depends upon the first thrust of his
blade2 The wild beast, lame and
bleeding, sinks back toward the side
of the arena; then, rallying his vast
ing strength, he comes up with hercer
eve 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
25, 900 people clap their hands and ut
ter shout that makes the city tremble.
The fact is that every Christian man
has lion to fight. Yours is a bad
temper. The gates of the arena have
been opened, and this tiger has come
out to destroy yoursoul. 1t has lacer,
ated you with many wound. You
have been thrown by it time and
again, but in the strength of God you
have arisen to drive it back. l verify
believe you will conquer. I think
that the temptation is getting weaker
and weaker. You have given 1t SC
many wounds that the prospect is that
1t Will die, and you snail De FlCtoi
through Christ. Courage, brother
Do not let the sands ofthe arena drink
the blood of your soul.
Your lion is the passion for strong
drink. You may have contended
against it twenty years, but it is strong
of body and thirsty of tongue: You
have tried to fight it back with broken
bottle or empty wine flask. Nay, that
is not the weapon. With one horrible
roar he will seize thee by the throat
and rend thee limb from limb: Take
this weapon, sharp and keen, reach up
and get it from Gods armory-the
sword of the spirit With that thou
mayest drive him back and conquer.
But why specify when every man
and woman has hon to ight? II
there be one here who has no beset-
ting sin, let him speak out, for him l
have offended. If you have not fought
the lion, it is because you have let the
lion eat you up. This very moment
the contest goes on. The Trajan ce!e-
I f.. !