The free press., 1895-11-14

must be slain by sword" Other lions
were turned out, and the poor victim
fell. You cry, "Shame, shameF al
such meanness. But the King, In tnis
case, is our brother, and He WIN see tnat we
have fair plav. He will forbid the rushing
ont OF more lions than we can meet. He
| will not suffer us to be tempted above that
we are able Thank God! The King Is in
the gallery! His eyes are on u.s. HIS near
ia with us. His hand will deliver us.
"Blessed are all they who put their trust IN
Him."
I look again, and see the angelic gallery.
There they are-the angel that swung the
sword at the gate OF Eden, the same ,ha'
Ezekiel saw upholding the throne Oh COZ.
and from which look away, for the spien-
dor is insufferable. Here are the guardian
angels. That one watched a patriarch; this
one protected q child ;'that one has been pull
ing a soul out Of tenn ptation! All those are
messengers Of light. Those drove the Span
ish armada on the rocks. This turned sen,
nacherib's living hosts into a heap Q,
1s5. 900 corpses. Those yonder chanted
tbe Christmas carol over Bethle.
hem until the chant awoke the
shepherds These at creation. stood IN the
balcony Of heaven and serenaded the new
born world wrapped in swaddling clothes OF
light. And there. holier and mighter than
all is Michael. the archanSel. To command
an earthly host gives dignity. but this one Is
leader OF the 10000 chariots OF God ana o.
the ten thousand times ten thousand angels.
I think God gives command to the arch
angel and the archangel to the seraphim,
and the seraphim to the cherubim, until all
the lower orders of heaven hear the COM
mand and 90 forth on the high behest.
Now bring on your lions! Who can fear?
All the spectators in the angelic gallery are
our friends. "He shall give His angels
charge over thee to keep thee in all thy
ways. They shall bear thee up in their
hands. lest thou dash thy, foot against s; a
stone. Though shalt treai upon the lion
aud adder; the young lion and the dragon
shalt thou trample undertook
Though the arena be crowded with tempta-
tions, we shall. with the angelic help, strike
them down in the name of our God and lean
on their fallen carcasses! On. bending
throng OF bright, angelic faces and swift
wings aud lightning foot. hail you to-day
from the dust and struggle OF the arena
look again, and see the gallery OF the
prophets and apostles. Who are those mighty
ones up yonder? Hosea and Jeremiah and
Daniel and Isaiah and Paul and Peter and
John and James. There sits Moab. waiting
for all the world to come into the ark. and
Moses, waiting till tie last Red Sea shall di-
vide. and jeremiah. waiting for the Jews to
return. and John OF the Apocalypse. waiting
for the swearing of the angel that time shall
be no longer. Glorious spirits! Ye were
how!ed ut; We were stoned: We were spit
upon! They have been in the fight the n
selves. and they are all with us. Daniel
knows all about lions. Paul fought with
beasts at Ephesus.
In the ancient anphiiheatre the people
got so excited tnat they would shout from
the galleries to the men in The arena: "At
1t again" "Forwari!' Zone more stroken
"I.ook out!' "Fall back!" "Huzza! Huzza"
So in that gallery. prophetic and apostolic.
they cannot keep their peace. Daniel cries
out: "Thy God will deliver thee from the
mouth of the ions!'' David exclaims. "He
will not suffer thy foot TO oa moved" Isaiah
calls out: "Fear not! / am with thee! Be
not dismayedr' Paul exclaims: Victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ" That
throng of prophets and apostles cannot keep
still. They make the welkin ring with
shouting and haleluahs.
look again and 1 see the gallery OF the
martyrs Who is that? Hugh Latimer, sure
enough. He would not apologies for the
truth preached, and so he died, the night
before swinging from the bedpost in perfect
glee at the thought os emancipation. Who
are that army of 6666? They are the
Theban legion VINO died for the faith. Here
is a larger host in magnificent array-SS4.-
000-who persisted for Christ in the perse-
cution of Diocletian. yonder is family
group-Felicitas. of Rome. and her chill
dren. While they were dying for the faith
she stood encouraging them. One son was
whipped to death by thorns, another was
flung from u rock. another was beheaded
At last the mother became martyr. There
they are, together-a family group in heav-
EN- Yonder is John Bradford, who said in
the fire, ''We shall have merry supper with
the Lord tonight" Yonder is Henry Woes.
who exclaimed as he died, 'If l had
ten heads they should all fall off
for Christ" The great throng OF the
martyrs! They had hot lead poured down
their throats. horses were fastened to their
hands aud other horses to their feet. and
thus they were pulled apars. They had their
tongues pulled out by redhot pinchers; they
were sewed up in the skins OF animals and
then thrown to the dogs; they were daubed
with combustibles ands on fire! II all the
martyrs stakes that have been kindled
could pe set at proper distances, they
would make the midnight all the world
over bright as MONDAY! And now they
sit yonder in the martyrs gallery For them
the fires of persecution have gone out. The
swords are sheathed and the mob hushed.
Now they watch us with an all observing
sympathy. They know all the pain, all the
hardship, all the anguish, all the injustice,
all the privaton. They cannot keep still.
They cry: Courage! The fire will not con-
sumo. The floods cannot drown. The lions
cannot devour! Courage, down there in ths
| ARENA
But here pause, overwhelmed with the
majesty and the Joy Of the scene! Gallery Of
the King! Gallery of angels! Gallery O.
prophets and apostles! Gallery of martyrs
Gallery of saints! Gallery of friends ano
| Kindred Oh, majestic circles Of light and
love! Throngs Throngs! Throngs! How
shall we stand the gaze Of the universe
Myriads of eyes beaming on us! Myrlads O.
hearts beating in sympathy for US! How
shall we ever dare to sin again? How
shall we ever become discouraged again
How shall we ever feel lonely again
With God for us, and angels for us, and
prophets and apostles for US, and the grea
souls Of the ages for us, and our glorifeC
kin( RED for us, shall we give up the figh
ano Gle? No, Son of God, who didst die t.
save us! No, ye angels. whose wings ar,
| spcead forth to shelter us. No. ye prophet.
and apostles, whose warnings startlo us
| No, ye loved ones, whose arms are out
stretched TO receive us. No, we will neve
F, surrender!
Sure must fight If would reign
Be faithful to my Lord.
And bear the cross, endure the pain,
! supported by Thy word.
| Thv saints in all thic oIor;oue ,uor