Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-10-28
HEAVEN LOOKING ON.
TEXT OF DR.. TALMAGE'S FIRST SER
MON AT THE CAPITAL.


Fights His Lion In the Arena.
WASHINGTON, Oct 27.-Those who
know that no church in this or foreign
countries has been able to hold the au-
diences 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 his opening sermon at
the national capital was, "AIl Heaven
Looking On, !" the text selected being the
famous passage from Hebrews xii, 1,
Seeing we also are comprised about
with so great cloud Of witnesses. -
In this my opening sermon in the ma
tional capital give you heartiest Chris
tian salutation. [ bethink myself Of the
privilege Of standing in this historic
church, so long presided over BY one of
the most remarkable men Of the CEN
fury. There are plenty Of good ministers
beside DR.. Sunderland, but 7 do not
know of any man except himself with
y
and triumphantly 43 years in this con-
spicuous 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 or
sheathe the sword with which he has
struck such mighty blows for God and
righteousness. I come to you with the
same gospel that he has preached and to
join you in all kinds Of work for MAX
ing 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 l propose to do
begin here and now to cheer you with
the thought that all heaven is sympa-
thetically looking On. ''Seeing we also
are compassed about with so great
cloud of witnesses. -
At the Amphitheater.
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Gents
pass, or through the Mont Gents tunnel,
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 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 40
elevations or galleries-as shall see fit
to call them-in which sat the senators,
the kings and the %, 200 excited specta-
tors. At the sides of the arena and I'M
der 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. I think
that Paul himself once stood in such
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,
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 twentieth, all the
way up to the thirtieth, all the way up
to the fortieth. Every place is filed.
immensely of audience sweeping the
great circle. Silence! The time 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 1000 sit
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 roar that
brings all the galleries to their feet he
rushes against the sword of the combat
ant Do you know how strong stroke
a 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, rallying his wasting strength, he
comes up with fiercer eye and more ter
rible roar than ever, only to be driven
back with a fatal wound, while the
combatant comes in with stroke after
until the monster is dead at his
feet, and the 25, 600 people clap their
hands and utter shout that makes the
city tremble.
A Lion to Fight.
Sometimes the audience came to see
a race, sometimes to see gladiators fight
each other, until the peoples compass
sionate for the fallen, turned their
thumbs up as an appeal that the van
quished be spared, and sometimes the
combat was with wild beasts.
To an amphitheatrical audience Paul
refers when he says, "We are compassed
about with so great a cloud of wit
nesses. -
The fact is, that every Christian man
has lion to fight. Yours is a bad tenn
per. The gates of the arena have been
opened, and this tiger has come out to
destroy your soul. 1t has lacerated you
with many a wound. You have been
thrown by it time and again, but in the
strength of God YOU have arisen to drive