The Iola register., 1902-02-28
STRUGGLE OFa LIFE.
Words of Inspiration in the Sermon
of DR.. Talmage.
NE shows Us That We Have Many
Celestial sympathizers In Our
Fight with the Lions
of Today.
rcopyrlght, 1902. by Louis Klopsch. N. VI

AnlS ulScOurSe OF Dr. lulmHbe is
full of inspiring thoughts for those
who find life struggle and shows
that we have many celestial sympa-
thizers; texts, Hebrews 12:1; Seeing
we also are compassed about with
80 great cloud of Witnesses" Cor
inthians 15:32: 81 have fought with
beasts at Ephesus."
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Cen
is pass or through the Mont Gents
tunnel, you are in a few hours set
down at Verona, Italy, and in IA 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 40 elevations,
or galleries, as l shall see fit to call
them, in which sat the senator's, the
kings and the $4,000 excited specta-
tors. 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
upon some poor victim, who, with his
sword and alone, is condemned to
meet them. / think that Paul him
self once stood in such place and
that it was not only figuratively, but
literally, that he had fought with
beasts at Ephesus."
The gala day has come. From all
the world the people are pouring
into Verona. Men, women and chill
dren, orators and senator's, great
men and small, thousands upon thou
sands come, until the first gallery is
full, and the second, 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 forti-
eth. Every place is filled. immensely
of audience sweeping the great cir
Gle. Silence. The time for the con-
test 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 $4,000 sit
breathlessly watching. l hear the
door at the side of the arena creak
open. Out plunges the half-starved
lion, his tongue athirst for blood, and
with a roar that brings all the gal
teries to their feet he rushes against
the sword of the combatant. Do you
know how strong 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 of 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 mon
ster is dead at his feet, and the 25,-
900 clap their hands and utter a
shout that makes the city tremble.
Sometimes the audience came TO
see a race; sometimes to see gladi-
Rtors fight each other, until the peo-
pie, compassionate for the fallen,
turned their thumbs up as an appeal
that the vanquished be spared, and
sometimes the combat was with wild
beasts.
To one of the Roman amphitheat-
rical audiences of 100000 people Paul
passed about with so great n cloud of
witnesses" The direct reference in
the last passage is made to a race;
but elsewhere having discussed that.
take now Paurs favorite idea of the
Christian life as combat.
The fact is that every Christian
man has n lion to fight. Yours is Il
bad temper. The gates of the arena
have been opened, and this tiger has
come out TO destroy your soul. 1t has
lacerated you with many a wound.
You have been thrown by it time and
again, but in the strength of God
you have arisen to drive it back. |
verify believe you will conquer. |
think that the temptation 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. 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 contended
against it for 20 years; but it is
strong of body and thirsty of tongue.
You have tried to fight it 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 it from
Gods armory-the sword of the
Spirit. With that thou mayest 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 beset.
ting sin, let him speak out, for him
have / offended. If you have not
fought the lion, it is because you
have let the lion eat you up. This
very moment the contest goes on