The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-11-12

nav 0G It's wreath OF par
sley; or any Roman circus but he felt
be had q right 10 put it in sermon or
epistle. and are you not surprised that
In my text he calls upon q wrestling
bout for suggestiveness? Plutarch
says that wrestling is the most ar.
tistic and cunning OF athletic games
We must make a wide difference be-
tween pugilism, the lowest Of specta-
cleS and wrestling, which is an effort
TO put down another on floor or
ground. and we, all OF US, INDUCED in
it in our boyhood days, IL we were
heslthful and plncky. The ancient
wrestlers were first bathed in oil, and
then sprinkled with sand. The third
throw decided the victory. and many a
man who went down in the first throw
or second throw, in the third throw
was on top, and his opponent under.
The Romans did not like this game
very much. for II was not savage
enough. nc blows or kicks being al.
lowed in the game. They preferred the
foot OF hungry panther on the breast
OF fallen martyr. In wrestling. the
opponents would bow in apparent
suayity, advance face TO face. put down
both feet solidly, take each other by the
arms push each other backward and
forward until the work began In real
earnest and there were contortions
and str~angulations, and violent strokes
Of the foot of one contestant against
the foot of the other, tripping him up,
or with struggle that thrsatened apo
plexy or death, the defeated fell, and
the shouts Of the spectators greeted
the victor. ] guess Paul had e
some such contest, and II reminded
him of the struggle Of the soul with
temptation, and the struggle Of truth
with error, and the struggle Of heaven.
ly forces against a~pollyonic powers
and be dictates my text to an amanu-
snsis, for all his letters rave the one
20 Philemon, seem 70 have been die,
taied. and a. the amanuensis goes on
with his work, ] hear the groan and
lLugh and shout of earthly and celes-
tial belligerentE: 1--WE wreStie not
against flesh and blood, but against
principalitieG against powers, against
the rulers OF the darkness OF this
world, against spiritual wlckedness in
high places"
l notice thst as these wrestleFs ad,
vanced 70 throw each other they bowed
one 70 the other. 1t was @ civility,
not only in Grecian and Roman games.
but, In later day, in all the wrestling
bouts at Clsrkenwell, England. and in
the famous wrestling match during
the reign Of Henry Ill, 10 St Giles
field, between men Of Westminster
and people Of London. However
rough a twist and hard a pull each
wrestler contemplated giving his op.
ponent they approached each other
with ~politeness and suayity. The
genuhexioDs, the affability, the courte-
sy in nc wise hindered the decisive
ness OF the contest Well, Paul, | see
what you mean. In this awful strnR-
gle between right and wrong, we mast
not forget TO be gentlemen and ladies'
Afability never hinders, but always
helps. You are powerless as soon as
you get mad. Do not call run sellers
%murderers. DO not call infdels fools.
DO not call higher critics reprobateS.
DO not call all card players and thea,
ter-goers children OF tho devil. Do
not say that tie dance breaks through
into hell DO not deal in vituperatiou
and billingsgate and contempt aud ad.
jective Dynamite. The other side can
beat us at that Their dictionaries
have more oh jurgatlon and birthstone.
Remember also that these wTestlers
went through sever and continuous
course OF preparation for their work.
They were pat upon such diet as
would best develop their muscle. As
Paul says: Every man that striyeth
for the mastery is temperate 10 all
things" The wrestlers were put un-
der complete discipline bathing, gym
nasucs, struggle In sport with each
other to develop strength apd give