The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-13
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject "An Heaven Looking On"

Looking On" the text selected being the
famous passage from Hebrews xii. l: See
ing we also are eompassed about with SO
great cloud Of witnesses"
Z; In this nv opening sermon in the National
Capital give you heartieSt Christian saluta-
tion. bethink myself OF the privilege OF
standing in this historic church, so long pre-
sided over by one OF the most remarkable
men Of the century. There are plenty OF
good ministers beside Dr.. Sunderland. but
do not know OF any man except himself with
enough brain to have stood successfully and
triumphantly forty-three years in this con-
spicuous pulpit. Long distant be the year
when that gospel chieftain shall put down
the silver trumpet with which re
sheathe the sword with which he has
struck such mighty blows for God and
Righteousness. I come to you with the same
fgospel that he has preached and to join YOU
I'm all kinds of work for making the world
better. and hope to sea You all II your own
homes and have you ri come AMI see me,
but don't all come at once. And without any
preliminary discourses as to VIVA: propose
to do I begin here and now 10 cheer you wito
the thought that all heaven is sympathetl-
cally looking on. "Seeing we also are COM
passed about with so great cloud OF VII
neSses."
! Crossing the Alps by the Mont Gents pass,
: or through the Mont Gems tunnel. you are
! in few hours set down at Verona, Italy,
and in few minutes begin examining one
| OF the grandest ruins in the word-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
! elevations or galleries-as l shall see lit
to call theul-in which sat the senators,
the kings and the $4,000 excited specta-
! tors. 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 let
; out upon some poor victim, who, with his
sword and alone, is condemned to meet
them. think that Paul himself once stood
In such q place. and that it was not only
f1gurativeiy. bur 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;
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 10 the twentieth, all the
way up to the thirtieeb, all the way up
to the fortieth. Every place is filled.
Immensity of audience sweeping the
great circle. Silence! The time for the
contest has come. Roman official leads
forth the victim into the arena. Let him get
his sword. with firm grip, into his right
hand. The $4,000 sit breathlessly watching.
I 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 to their
feet he rushes against the sword OF the COM
batant. Do you know how strong stroke
q 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, rally
ing his wasting strength, he comes up with
f1ercer 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 $4,000 people clap their hands
and utter shout that makes the city trem-
ble.
: 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 ap-
peal that the vanquished be spared, and
sometimes the combat was with wild beasts.
70 an amphitheatrical audience Paul re-
fers when he says. "We are compassed about
with so great cloud of witnesses"
The fact is, that every Christian man has
lion to fight. Yours is bad temper.
The gates of the arena have been opened,
and this tiger has come out to destroy your
soul. It has lacerated you with many q
wound. You have been thrown by it time
/; and again, but in the strength OF God you
have arisen to drive it back. I verify be-
lieve you will conquer. I think that the
temptatian is getting weaker and weaker.
You have given 1t so many wounds that the
prospect is that it will die, and you shall be
. victor, through Christ. Courage, brother.
Do not let the sands of the arena drink the
blood OF your soul!
I Your lion is the passion for strong drink.
You may have contended against it twenty
years, but 1t is strong of body and thirsty OF
tongue. You have tried 10 fight it back
with broken bottle or empty wine flask.
Nay, that is not the weapon! With one hor-
rible roar he will seize thee by the throat
and rend thee limb from limb. Take this
weapon, sharp and keen-reach up and get
1t from Gods armory. The sword OF the
Spirit. With that thou mayest drive him
back and conquer!
But why specify when every man aud wo-
man has lion to fight? II there be one
here who has no besetting sin, let him speak
out. for him have I 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 Traian celebration,
where 10000 gladiators fought and II 100
wild beasts were slain, was not so terrific
struggle as that which at this moment goes
on in many soul. That combat was for the
life OF the body; this is for the life Of the
soul. That was with wild beasts from the
jungle; this is with the roaring lion Of hell.
Men think, when they contend against
an evil habit. that they have to fight it all
alone. No! 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
Barak and then says. Being compassed
about with go great cloud OF witnesses"
Before get through will show you that
you fight in an arena around which circle. in
galleries above each other all the kindling
eyes and all the sympathetic hearts of the
ages, and at every victory gained there
comes down the laundering applause Of q
great multitude no man cen number. "Be-
ing compassed about with so great cloud OF
witnesses"
On the first elevation of the ancient amphi-
theater. on the day of a celebration, sat
Tiberius, or Augustus, or the reigninS king.
So in the great arena of spectators that
watch our struggles, and in the first divine
gallery, as shall call it, sits our King. one
Jesus. On His head are many crowns! The
Roman emperor got his place by cold bloodel
conquests. but our King hath come to His
place by the broken hearts healed, and the
tears wiped away, and the souls redeemed:
The Roman emperor sat, with folded
arms, indifferent as to whether the swords
man or the lion beat, but our Kings sympa-
thies are all with US. Nay, unheard OF con-
lescensions! see Him come down from the
gallery into the arena to help us in the fight,
shouting. until all up and down His voice is
heard: Fear not! I will help thee! I will
strengthen thee by the right hand of My
power"
They gave to the men In the arena, in the
olden time, food to thicken their blood, 80