Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-03-01


ers; texts, Hebrews xii, /, Seeing we
also are compassed about with so great
cloud of witnesses" l. Corinthians XIV.
81, Il have fought with beasts at Ephe
sus''
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Gents
pass or through the Mont Gents tunnel,
you are in few hours set down at We
roma, Italy, and in few minutes begin
examining one of the grandest ruins of
the world. the Amphitheater. The whole
building sweeps around you in u circle
You stand in the arena where the combat
was once fought or the race run. and on
ali sides the seats rise, tier above tier,
until YOU count forty elevations. or gal
leries, as l shall see fit to call them. in
which sat the senator's the kings and the
$4,000 excited 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. frcnzied
with hunger and thirst, they are let out
upon some poor victim, who. with his
sword and alone is condemned to meet
them. | think that Paul himself once
stood in such place and that it was not
only tguratively, but literally, that he
had fought with beasts at EphcSus"
The gala day has come. From all the
world the people are pouring into Verona.
Men, women aud children. orators and
senator's, great men and small. thousands
upon thousands come until the first gal
iery is full, and the second, the third,
the fourth, the iifth-all the way up TO
the twentieth, all the way up to the
thirticth, all the way up to the fortieth
Every place is filed. immensely of au-
dience sweeping the great circle 81
lence. The time for the contest has come.
A Roman official leads forth the victim
into the arena. Let him get his sword
with hrm grip into his right hand. The
23,0Oo sit brcathessly watching | hear
the door at the side Of the arena creak
open. Ont pluages the half-starved lion,
his tongue nthirst for blood. and with n
roar that brings all the galleries to their
feet he rusheS against the sword of the
compatant. DO you know how strong a
stroke a man will strike when his life
depends upon the first thrust OF his
bladeE The wild beast, lame and bleed
ing, sinks back toward the side of the
arena, then rallying his wasted strength
he comes up with hercer eve and more
terrible roar than ever. only to Ice driven
back with fatal wound. while the com
Blatant comes in with stroke after stroke
until the monster is dead at his feet
and the $4,000 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. compassion
ate for the fallen, turned their thumbs
up as an appeal that the yanquished he
spared, and sometimes the combat was
with wild beasts
All Have Lions to Fight.
To one of the Roman amphitheatrical
audiences of 100000 people Paul refers
when he says, we are compassed about
with so great cloud Of Witnesses" The
direct reference in the last passage is
made to a race. but elsewhere having dis
cussed thar, | take now Paurs fayori,e
idea of the Christian 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 10
destroy your soul, 1t has lacerated YOU
with many wound. You have been
thrown by il time and again. but in the
strength of God You have arisen ia drive
| it back. verify believe You will conquer.
weaker and weaker You have given il
so many wounds thar the prospect Is that
/ it will die. and you shall be- victor.
through Christ. Courage, brother. DO
not let the sands of the arena drink the
blood of your soul,
Your lion is the passion FOR strong
drink. You may have contcnded against
it for twenty years; but it is strong Of
body and thirsty Of tongue. You have
tried 10 fight it bacl, 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 renI
thee limb from limb. Take this weapon, !
sharp and keen reach up aud get it from
Gods armory-the sword az the Spirit !
With that thou mayes; drive him back
and conquer!
But why specify when every man and
woman has lion to fight; II there be
one here who has no besetting sin. lei hin,
speak out, for him have offended II
you have not fought the lion, il is berauar
you have let the lion eat you M. This
very moment the contest goes on. The
IFaJnn celebration where 10000 rladia-
tors fought and 1000 wild beasts were
slain, was not so terrific a struggle rs
that which at this moment 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 jungle: this is with the
roaring lion OF hell.
Cloud of Witnesses.
Before | get through | will show Won |
that you fight in an arena, around which |
circle. in galleries above each other. all /
the kindiing eyes and al the sympathet-
ic hearts Of the ages. and at every vic
tory gained there comes down the thun-
dering applause Of great multitude that
no man can number. Being compasseJ
about with 90 great a cloud Of witnesses"
On the first elevation Of the ancient
amphitheater, on the day Of celebra
ton, sat Tiberius or Augustus or the
rejgning king. So in the great arena Of
spectators that watch our struggles and
in the first divine gallery. as shall call
it, sits our King. one jesus. On his head
are many crowns. The Roman emperor
got his place by cold-bIooded conquests,