Connecticut western news., 1902-02-27
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thoughts for those who find life a struggle and shows that we have many celestial sympathizers; texts, Hebrews xii, 1, Seeing we also are compassed about with so great cloud of wit nesses;" 1 Corinthians KY, 32, II have fought with beasts at Ephesus."
 Crossing the Alps by the Mont Cenis pass or through the Mont Cenis tun- nel 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 forty elevations, or galleries, as I shall see fit to call them, in which sat the senators, the kings and the 25,0O0 ex- cited spectators. 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 up on 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 tiguratively, but literally, that he had fought with beasts at Ephe- sus."
 The gala day has come. From all the world the people are pouring into Vero-
 aIi fnF- and senators, great men and small, thousands upon thousands come, until the first gallery is full, and the secord, 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. lm- mensity 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 breathlessly watch ing. 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 combatant. Do you know how strong a stroke 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-ef the arena; then rallying his wasted strength he comes up with fiercer 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 25,0O0 clap their hands and utter a shout that makes the city tremble.
 Sometimes the audience came to see race; sometimes to see gladiators fight each other, until the people, con- thumbs up as an appeal that the van uuished be spared, and sometimes the combat was with wild beasts.
 All Have Lions to Fight.
 To one of the Roman amphitheatrical audiences of 1OO,OO people Paul refers when he says, "We are compassed about with so great cloud of witness es." The direct reference in the last passage Is made to a race; but else where having discussed that. take now Paups favorite idea of the Chris tian life as a combat.
 The fact Is that every Christian man has lion to fight. Yours is bad tenn per. The gates of the arena have been opened, and this tiger has come out to destroy your soul. It has lacerated you with many a wound. You have been thrown by 1t time and again, but In the strength of God you have arisen to drive it back. verify believe you will conquer. think that the tempta- ion is getting weaker and weaker. You have given it so many wounds that the prospect is that it will die, and you shall be victor, through Christ. Cour- age, brother! Do not let the sands of the arena drink the blood of your soul!
 Your Hon Is the passion for strong drink. You may have contended against 1t for twenty years; but it is strong of body and thirsty of tongue. You have tried to fight 1t back with broken bottle or empty wine flask. Nay, that is not the weapon. With one horrible 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 con- quer!
 But why specify when every man and woman has a lion to fight? If there be one here who has no besettiDg sin, let him speak out, for him have 1 offended. If you have not fought the lion, 1t is because you have let the lion eat you up. This very moment the con- test goes on. The Trajan celebration where 10000 gladiators fought and 11,000 wild beasts were slain, was not so terrific a struggle as that which al this moment goes on in many a soul The 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 o1 hell.
 Men think, when they contend agains an evil habit, that they have to fight i all alone. No! They stand in the cen ter of an immense circle of sympathy Paul had been reciting the names O. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham. Sarah Isaac, Joseph, Gideon and Barak ant then says, Being compassed abou1 with so great cloud of witnesses"
 A Cloud of Witnesses.
 Before get through I will show yol that you fight in an arena, around which circle, in galleries above eacl other, all the kindling eyes and all th' sympathetic hearts of the ages, and a every victory gained there comes dowl the laundering applause of a grea multitude that no man can number Being compassed about with so grea . cloud of witnesses"
 On the first elevation of the ancien amPhitheater, on the day of a celebra tion, sat Tiberius or Augustus or tn reigning king. So in the great aren of spectators that watch our struggle and in the first divine gallery, as