The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-03-12
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE sY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: Every Man Has Lion to Fight
when Consending Against nm Evil
Habit You Stand In an Immense Circle
OF SYM npathy-Clouds OF Witnesses.

WASHINGTON. d. C.-This discourse OF
Or. Talmacc is full OF inspiring thoughts
for those who find lie struggle, and
| shows that we have MANI ce.estlal SYM
pathizers; texts. Hebrews xii. ], seeing
! we also are compassed about with SO
! great a cloud of Witnesses" Corinthians
! xv. 80. II have fought with beasts at
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Gents
J pass or through ne Mont Gems tunnel,
! you are in q few hours set down at 'ero-
! ma, Italy, and in a few minutes bse!n ex'
amining one of the grandest ruins OF tbs
world. the Amphitheatre. The whole
building sweeps around you in 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, un-
iii Won count forty elevations or galleries.
! as shall see fit to call them, in which sat
, the Senator's, the kings and the 25,0o0 eS-
/ cited 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. frcnzied with hunger and
, thirst, they are let out upon some poor
victim. who, with his sword and alone; is
condemned to meet them. l think that
| Paul himself once stood in such a place,
| and that it was not only hgurative'y. but
! literally that he had fought with beasts
at Ephesus." -
! world the people are pouring into Verona:
| Men. women and children. orators and
Senators. great men and small, thousands
| upon thousands come, until the hrst gal
lerv is full. and the second. the third, the
fourth, the ff.h-all the way mp. to the
twentieth. all the way up to the thirtieth.
MI the way up to the fortieth. Every place
Is filed. Immensity OF audience sweeping
the great circle. Silence. The time for the
contest 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 25.GO0 sit brea th!ess,y watch.
ing. I hear the door at the side. OF the
arena creak open. Out piunges the half
starved lion, his tongue athirst for blood.
and with roar that brings all the CALLER.
les to their feet he rushes against the
sword Of the combatant. Do YOU know
how strong n stroke man Will strike
when his life depends uDon the first thrust
Of his blade? The wild beast. lame and
bleeding. sinks back toward the side OF
the arena; then rallving his wasted
strength he comes up with fercer eye ard
more terrible roar than ever, only to be
driven back with fatal wound. while tie
combatant comes in with stroke after
stroke until the monster is dead at his
feet, and the $4,000 cap their hands and
utter a shout that makes the city tremh'e.
Sometimes the audience came to see n
race: sometimes to see gladiators fight each
other, until the people. compassionate Ior
the fallen. turned their thumbs up rs an
appeal that the van1uished be spared, and
sometimes the combat was with wl!d
beasts.
To one of the Roman amphi.heatrical
audiences Of 100000 people Paul refers
when he says. I'VE are compassed about
with 50 great q cloud of witnesses: The
direct reference in the last passage Is made
to a race; but elsewhere having discussed
that. ! take now Paurs farorite idea OF
the Christian life as n comaat.
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 core Gu: 10 destroy your
eoul. 1t has lacerated YOU with many
wound. You have been thrown by it time
and again. but in the strength OF God you
have arisen to drive it back. ! verify he
leve YOU will conquer. ] think that the
temptation is getting weaker and weaker.
You have given it so mary wounds that
the prosDcct is that it will die, and you
shall be victor. through Christ. Courasc,
brother, Do not let the sands OF tnc
arena drink the blood OF your soul!
Your lion Is the passion For strong drinH
You NAV have conten6cd against It fo-
twenty wears. but it is strong OF hody and
thirstv of tongue You have tried to fight
il hack with broken bottle or empty wine
flask. Nav, that is not the weapon. with
one horrible roar he will seize thee BY the
throat and rend thee limb from linn.
Take this weapon. sharp and keen-reach
up and &C. it from Gods armory-the
sword OF the Spirit. With that thou may
est drive him back and conquer!
But why speciiy when every man AID
woman has a licn to fight? Ii there be one
here who has no bescttins sin, let him
epeak out. for him have / offended. II
YOU have not fought the lion. it IS because
you have let the lion cat yoI up. lh"
very moment the contest goes on.
The Trsian celebration. where lo.OG
cladiators fought and ll.000 wild beasts
were slain. was not so terrific struggle as
that which AT this moment goes on IN I1any
a soul The combat was for the life OF the
body: this is for the life OF the soul. Iha;
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 it al.
alone. No! They stand in the centre OF
an immense circle OF sympathy. Paul had
been reciting the names OF Atel, Enoch.
Noah. Abraham. Sarah. Isaac. Joseph,
Gideon and Barak and then says, Being
compassed about with SO grea' c.oud OF
witnesses"
Before se. through I will show you
that you fight in an arena. around when
circle. in galleries ] ''ove ea:h other, all
the kindiing eyes and all the sympathetic
hearts Of the ages. art al ever" victory
rained there comes down the thuEderinS
npp!ausc OF q great multitude that no man
can number ''Being compassed about
with so great q cloud OF witnesses
On the first elevation OF the ancient am
phitheatre. on the day Of 4 celebration.
sat Tibc-ius or Augustus or the reisninG
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 n:a"y
crowns. The Roman emperor got his
place by cold b.ooded conquests. hut oar
King hath come to His T. ace BY the bro.
len hearts healed and the tears wipcd
away and the souls redeemed. The Ro-
man emperor sat. with .o.de1 arms. indf
ferent as to whether the swordsman or
the lion beat but our Kings sympathcs
are all with "s-nav, unheard OF conde.
scension! see Him come down from
the gallery into the arena to help US in the
fight, shouting until all up and down His
voice is heard: Fear not! will hep
thee! I will strengthen thee by the right
hand oi Ny power"
They gave to the men in the arena III
the oiden time food TO thicken their blood,
so that it would flow slowly and that for q
longer time the people might sioat over the
scene But our King has no pleasure in
our wounds. for we are bone Of His bone,
Aesh OF His flesh, blood Of His blood.
In all the anguish OF our heart
The Man OF Sorrows bore part.
- tta h,s hon tre lion