The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-03-28

haoit You Stand IA an Immense Circle
Of sympathy-OIouda 81 Witneuaes.
- WASHINGTON, D. O.-This discourse Of
IT Ialmage is full Of inspiring thoughts
10 those who find life a struggle, and
SHOWS that we have many celestial gvm.
pathlzers; texts Hebrews xii. /. Seeing
we also are compasaed about with se
great a cloud Of witneasca." i Corinthians
6Ny y, II have fought with beasts at
Crossing the Alps by Che Mont Gents
pass or through the Mont Gents tunnel
you are in a few hours set down at Vero'
ma, italy, and in a few minutes begin ex.
aiming one Of the grandest ruins of the
world, the Amphitheatre. The whole
building sweeps around you in q circle
on stand IN the arena where the combat
was once fought or the race run, and on
al sides the seats rise. tier above tier, I'M
til you count forty elevations or galleries,
a ! shall see nc to call them, in which sat
the Senators, the kings and the 25.00O ex-
@ted spectators AT the sides Of the arena
and under the galleries are the cages In
which the lions and tigers are kept with
out 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 j think that
Paul himself once stood in such a place
and that it was not only 6guratively, 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 children, orators and
Senator's great men and small thousands
upon thousands come, until the first gal
lery 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 fortictss Every place
! rs filled. immensely of audience sweeping
the great circle. Silence. The time for the
/ contest has come. A Roman official leads
forth the victim into Che arena Let him
get his sword with firm grip into his right
hand. The $4,000 cit breathlessly watch
ing. | hear the door at the side Of the
arena ereak open. Dat plunges the half
| starved lion, his tongue atairst for blood,
I and with a roar that brings all the CALLER
3 les TO their feet he rushes against the
sword of the combatant DO you know
how strong a stroke a 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 fercer 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 1000 clap their hands and
utter shout that makes The city tremble.
Sometimes the audience came to see a
race; sometimes to see gladietors fight each
other, until the people, compassionate for
the fallen, turned their thumbs up as an
lappeal that the vanquished be spared, and
sometimes the combat was VITA wild
beasts.
4 nto 80 sc AL Dero.- a,,rb;fb 4v;oo1
audiences of 100000 people Paul refers
when he says, owe are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses" The
direc5 reference in the last passage is made
TO race; but elsewhere having discussed
that, / take now Paul's favorite idea Of
the Christian life as a combat.
The fact is that every Christian man has
lion to fight Yours is 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 be-
ieve 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 soull
Your lion is the passion for strong drink
You may have contended against it for
lJwenty 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. Nav, that is not the weapon. With
lone horrible roar he will seize thee by the
Throat and rend thee limb from limb
Flake this weapon, sharp and keen-reach
up and get it from Gods armory-the
Sword of The Spirit. With that thou may
lest drive him back and conquer!
But why specify when every man ana
woman has a lion to fghtl Ii there be one
Sbere who has no besetting sin, let him
sneak out, for him have / offended. If
Won have not fought the lion, it is because
Won have let the lion eat you up. This
verv moment the contest goes on.
The Traian celebration, where 10000
cladiators fought and lf000 wild beasts
were slain, was not so terrific struggle az
that which at this momentgoes on IN many
IA soul! The combat was for the lie OF the
bodv: this is for the life of Che soul. That
WAS with wild beasts from the jungle; this
is with the roaring lion OF hell.
Men think, when they contend against
An evil habit, that they have to fight 1T all
alone. No! They stand in the centre OF
4an immense circle Of sympathy. Paul h9d
8heen reeitinp the names of Abel, Enoch,
NOAH Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, joseph,
sCsideon and Barak and then says, Being
leompassed about with so great a cloud OF
witnesses. -, L. 49,,
that YOU fight in an arena. around winch
circle in galleries above each other al
tbe kindling eyes and all the sympathetic
hearts Of the ages, and at every victory
Gained there comes down the LAUNDERING
applause Of a great multitude that no nan man
IN number "Being comprised about
;4h ~ rreat cloud of witnesses"
On the FIRST elevation Of Che ancient am
phitbeatre, on the day Of celebration
~ Tiberius or Augustus or the relgnnl