Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-11-01
HEAVEN LOOKING ON.
TEXT OF DR.. TALMAGE's FIRST SER
MON AT THE CAPITAL.

| TEXT OF DR.. IAlMAGE'S FIRST SER
MON AT THE CAPITAL.
His Tribute to the Venerable DIR. sunder-
land-A Great Cloud of Witnesses In the
Angelic Gallery While Every Christian
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, "All Heaven
Looking On, the text selected being the
famous passage from Hebrews xii, 1,
Seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud Of witnesses" "
In this my opening sermon in the na-
tional capital give you heartiest Chris
tian salutation. 1 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
tury. There are plenty Of good ministers
beside 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 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. l 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 1 hope to see
you all in your own homes and have you
all come and sec 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 a
cloud Of witnesses
At the Amphitheater.
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Cents
pass, or through the Mont Cents tunnel,
you are in a 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 1 shall see fit
to call them-in which sat the senators,
the kings and the %, 600 excited specta-
tors. At the sides Of the arena and un-
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. l think
that Paul himself once stood in such a
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 filled.
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.
Let him get his sword, with firm grip,
into his right hand. The %, 900 sit
breathlessly watching l 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 combat
ant. Do you know how strong a 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, 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
stroke, until the monster is dead at his
feet, and the 25, 900 people clap their
hands and utter q shout that makes the
city tremble.
A Lion to Fight.