The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1898-11-19
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF TIFF DIVINE'S SUN.
DAY DISCOURSE.
Subject: "The wrrsilsrs"-Th~ Tim, 4.
Coming when the Last Mighty Evi, of
I'll. world VIII n. Grapp,.d by Right.
eOuaneas and THROWN

'hhi W. Wfestle not against Hcrh nm
blood, but against principalitlea, ngains
powers, against the rulers Of the darkness
on IL word, against spiritual wirkedpes
In nigh places. "-Ephesinns VI, r.
appropriateness and Righteousness wer
never charged against Pauls rhetoric. Il
the war against evil ho took tho fire.
weapon he could lay his hand on. For II
lustrhtlon, he employed the theatre. tn
arena. the foot race. and there was notn
ing IN the lsthmian game, with its wrentl
OF Pine leaves. or Pythian came. with II,
wreath OF laurel and palm. or Nomea,
game, with its wreath Of parsley: or nm,
homnn circus, but he felt he had n right t,
put u IN sermon or epistIe, and are Won no
surprised that In my text he cnIls upon I
wreetling bout for suggestiveness7 Pin
'hrcn snys 'hht wrestling is the most ariis
TIC ana cunning OF athletic games. W,
must make wide differences between
pug'1sm, the lowest OF spectacles md
wrestling, which Is an effort in sport to put
"u"n announcer on moor or ground, and we
ni Oh VIZ, 'hduleed IN 1t in our boyhood
GAYS, II we were henthful md plucky. IN,
hhc'en' wrestlers were first bathed in oil
ana then sprinkled with sand. The third
throw oecided.the victory, md manga man
VINO went down IN the first throw or sec
ohd throw. In the third throw was on top.
ana MS opponent under. Tho Romans did
not ike this game very much. for II VIVA
not savage enough. no blows or kicks be,
ing allowed In tho game. They preferrnd
the foot Of hungry panther on tho brenst of
fallen martvr.
In wrestling, the opponents would bow
In apparent suavlty. ndvnncs face to face
put down both feet aolldly, take encb o,heD
by the arms, and push each other backward
and forward until the work began in rem
earnest, and there were contortiops and
strnDgulations and violent strokes Of the
loot OF one contestant against the foot of
the other, tripping him up, or with strur.
gle that threatened apopiexy or death the
defeated fell, and the shouts OF the speota.
tors greeted the victor. guess Paul bpd
seen some such contest. and II reminded
him OF the struggle Of the soul with tenn.
tation, and the struggle OF truth with error
and the struggle of heavenly forces against
apollyonic powers, aud he dictates nv text
to an amanuensls, for all his letters, save
the one to Philemon, seem to have been
dictated, and ns the amanuensis goes on
with his work hear the groan and laugh
and shout Of earthly and celestial belllger.
ents: I'VE wrestle not against flesh md
blood, but against princpalities. against
powers, against the rulers OF tho darkness
OF this world, against spiritual wlckedncss
In high places"
/ notice that as these wrestlers advanced
to throw each other they bowed one to thu
other 1t was civiIity. not only in Ora
clan and Roman games, but inAlater dnya.
In all the wrestling bouts Mt tlerkenwel,'
England and in the famous wres ,llnp match
during the reign OF Henry ILL.,, In st. Giles,
Field, between men OF Westminster and
people OF London. However rough n twist
aud hard apull each wrestler contsm plated
giving his opponent, they approached each
other with politensss and suayltv. THO
the afrabllity, the courtesy in
no wise hindered the dscisiveness OF tho
contest. Well, Paul, / see what you mean.
In this awful struggle between right and
wrong, we must not forget to be gentlemen
and ladies. AfTability never binders. but
always helps. You ure powerless AZ soon
as you get mad. Do not call rum SELLERS
murderers. Do not call inf'dels fools. Do
not call higher critics reprobates. Do not
call all card-players and thsatre-goer chill
iren OF the devil. Donot say that the dance
breaks through into hell. Do not deal in
and billingsgates and con-
tempt and adjectives dynamite. The other
,lde can beat us at that. Their dictionaries
nave more oblurgation and birthstone.
we are In the strength OF God to throw
lat on Its back every abomination that
'urses the earth, but let MS approach our
mighty antagonist with suavlty, Her
,nles, a son OF Jupiter and Alemene. will
by a precursor OF smiles be helped rather
ian damaged for the performance Of his |
Twelve labors." Let us be as wisely
trategic In religious circles as attorneys
n court-rooms, who are complimentary
o each other In the opening remarks, be. |
ore they come into legal struggle such az
hat which left Rufus Choate or David
'aul Brown triumphant or defeated,
'eople who get into rage In reformatory
york accomplish nothing but the deple.
Ion OF their own nervous system. There,
such thing as having a gun so hot Mt
he touch-nole that 1t explodes, killing
he one that sets It of. There ars
ONE reformatory meetings to which I
ways decline to 20 and take part. be.
ause they are apt to become dem oDstra.
Ions OF bad temper. never like to hear
man swear, even though no swear on
he right side. Tho very Paul who in nv
sxt employed In Illustration the wrestliug
latch, behaved on memorable occasion
9 We ought to behave. The translators
the Bible made an unitentlonal mis-.
IKE when they represented Paul "A in.
nltinR the people Of Athens by speaking
"the unknown god whom W ignorantly
'orship." Instead OF charging them with
ynorance. the original indicates he com.
item by suggesting that they
ere very religious; but as they con iessed
rat there were some things they did not
nderstand about God. he proposed to sav
,me things concerning Him, beginning
here they had left of. The same Paul
no said in one place, "I,e courteous" and ,
no bad noticed the bow preceding tina
resting match, here exercises suayIties
'fore he proceeds practically to throw \
,wn the rocky side OF the Acropolis the
hole rarthenon of idoIatries, Minerva and
Ipiter smashed up with the rest Of them,
this holy war polished rifles will do
ore execution than blundcrbusses. Let
lr wrestlers bow as they 10 into the
rusg'o which will leave all perdtion I'm.
r and all heaven on top. /,
Remember also that tbese wrestlers went
rough severe and continuous course OF
spafation for their works They were ]"
n. u ia