The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1902-03-07
STRUGGLE OF LIFE.
Words Of Inspiration in the Sermon
Of DR.. Talmage.
~ shows US That We Have Many
Celestial Sympathizers In our
Fight with the Lions
of To-day.
fcopyrIeht, 1902, by Louis Klopsch. N. x.l
Washington,


full of inspiring thoughts for those
who find life struggle and shows
that we have many celestial sympa-
thizers; texts, Hebrews 1871: seeing
we also are comprised about Win
SO great cloud of witnesses" cor
inrhians 1892: II have fought with
beasts at Ephesus."
Il Crossing the Alps by the Mont Cen
is pass or through the Mont eehls
tunnel, you are in few hours se'
down at Verona, Italy, and in rev
minutes begin examining one OF the
grandest ruins of the wofiu' ono
AmpIitheater. The whole building
sweets around you in circle. You
stand in the arena where the comoat
was once fought or the race rum anu
on all sides the seats rise, tier ABOVE
tier, until you count 40 elevations,
or galleries, as l shall see ut TO can
them, in which sat the senator's tne
kings and the $4,000 excited specta-
tors. At the sides of the arena ana
under the galleries are the cages
in which the lions and tigers are Kep'
without food until, frenzied Win
hunger and thirst, they are let OUT
upon some poor victim, who, with ms
sword and alone, is condemned TO
meet them. I think that Paul HIM
self once stood in such place ana
that it was not only fguratively' put
literally, that he had fought Win
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 thlro' tne
fourth, the fifth-all the way up to
the twentieth, all the way up to the
thirtieth, all the way up to the forth
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. | hear the
ssaor at the side of the arena creak
8 n. Out rlnnses- the -half=starxed
lion, his tongue athirst for blood ana
with roar that brings all the gal
aeries 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,-
600 clap their hands and utter a
shout that makes the city tremble
Sometimes the audience came to
see race; sometimes to see gladi'
ators fight each other, until the peo'
ME. 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 Pau
refers when he says: "We are com
passed about with so great cloud OF
Witnesses The direct reference il
the last passage is made to a race
hut elsewhere having discussed that
/ take now Paul's favorite idea of thu
Christian life as combat.
The fact is that every Christian
man has lion to fight. Yours is ;
bad temper. The gates of the aren'
have been opened, and this tiger ha
come out to destroy your soul. 1t ha
lacerated you with many wound
You have been thrown by it time an
again, but in the strength of CO.
YOU have arisen to drive it back.
: verify believe you will conquer.
think that the temptation is gettin
weaker and weaker. You have give
IT so many wounds that the prospec
is that it will die, and you shall b
victor, through Christ. Courage
brother! Do not let the sands O
the arena drink the blood of you
soul!
Your lion is the passion for stron
drink. You may have contende
ags:Ist it for 20 years; but it
strong of body and thirsty of tongue
You have tried to fight it back wit
broken bottle or empty wine fasl
NAY, that is not the weapon. Wit
one horrible roar he will seize the
by the. throat and rend thee linn
from limb. Take this weapon, shar