The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-03-27

very moment the contest goes on.
The Traia celebration, where 10000 |
g1adiators fought and 1900 wild |
beasts were slain, was not so terrific
q struggle as that which at this mo-
ment goes on in many 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 jun |
gle; this is with the roaring lion of
hell.
Men think, when TIE contend
against an evil habit, that hey have
to fight it all alone. No! They stand
in the center of an immense circle of
sympathy Paul had been reciting
the names of Abel, Enoch, Noah,
Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Joseph, Gid
con and Barak and then says: Being
compassed about with so great
cloud of Witnesses
Before l get through will show you
that you fight in an arena, around
which circle, in galleries above each
other, all the kindling eyes and all the
svmpathetic hearts of the ages, and at
every victory gained there comes down
the laundering applause of great
multitude that no man can number.
Being compassed about with so great
| a cloud of witnesses"
On the first elevation of the ancient
amphitheater, on the day of a cele-
bration, sat Tiberius or Augustus or
the reigning king. So in the great
arena of spectators that watch our
struggles and ip the first divine gal
lerv, as | shall call it, sits our King,
one Jesus. On his head are many
crowns. The Roman emperor got his
place by cold -blooded conquests, but
our King hath come to His place by the
broken hearts healed and the tears
wiped away and the souls redeemed.
The Roman emperor sat, with folded
arms, indifferent as to whether the
swordsman or the lion beat, but our
Kings sympathies are all with us
nav, Enheard of condescension! see
Him come down from the gallery into
the arena to help us in the fight, shout
ing until all up and down His voice
is heard: "Fear not! will help thee! !!
I will strengthen thee by the right
hand of My power!"
They gave to the men in the arena
in the olden time food to thicken their
blood, so that it would flow slowly and
that for longer time the people might
; gloat over the scene. But our King
has no pleasure in our wounds, for we
are bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh
blood of His blood.
. Once in the ancient amphitheater g
lion with one paw caught the combat
ants sword and with his other paw
caught his shield. The man took hi:
knife from his girdle and slew the
beast. The king, sitting in the gal
lery, said: "That was not fair. Th'
lion must be slain by sword" Othel
t lions were turned out, and the poo
1 victim fell. You cry: Shame
l shame!" at such meanness. But tn
e King in this case is our brother, ant
1 He will see that we have fair play
K He will forbid the rushing out of NOR
n lions than we can meet. He will no
e suffer us to be tempted above tha
e we are able. Thank God! The Kin!
e is in the gallery! His eyes are on us
|, His heart is with us. His hand vii
h deliver us. BLESSED are they who pu
l. their trust in Him.
) l look again, and I see the angel
a gallery. There they are-the ange
that swung the sword at the gate Q
O Eden, the same that Ezekiel saw VI
j. holding the throne of God, snd fro1
j. which I look away, for the splendor
n, insufferable. Here are the guardia
ii angels. That one watched a patriarch
d this one protected child; that one ha
d been pulling a soul out of temptation
All these are messengers OF light
t. Those drove the Spanish armada o
Ill the rocks This turned Sennacherib
n living host into a heap of 1886
IF corpses. Those yonder chanted tt
e; the chant awoke the shepherds. The
t, at creation stood in the balcony
le Heaven and serenaded the new-bol
world wrapped in swaddling clothes
IN light. And there, holier and mighti
a than all, is Michael, the archang'
"a To command an earthly host gives di
as nity. but this one is leader of the 2
as 900 chariots of God and of the 100
ID. times 10000 angels. ] think God Civ
nd command to the archangel, and t
od archangel to the seraphim, and t
7 seraphim to the cherubim, until ;
T the lower orders of Heaven hear t
no command and go forth on the hi
en- behest.
.ct Now, bring on your lions! Who C
be fear? All the spectators in the ange
re. gallery are our friends. 'He shall gi
of His angels charge over thee, to Ike
ur thee in all thy ways. They shall be
thee up in their hands lest thou da
NO thy foot against stone. Thou sh
led tread upon the lion and adder;
is young lion and the dragon shalt th
lie. trample under foot"
it'll Though the arena be crowded w
SIX temptations, we shall, with the ange
ith help, strike them down in the name
Zee our God and leap on their fallen c
NIB casses. 0 bending throng of bri!
ARD angelic faces and swift wings {
70 lox, fr