The Iola register., 1902-02-28

Before l get through l will show you
that you fight in an arena, around
which circle, in galleries above each
other, all the kindling eyes and all the
sympathetic hearts of the ages, and at
every victory gained there comes down
the laundering applause of n great
multitude that no man can number.
Being compassed about with so great
cloud of witnesses"
On the first elevation of the ancient
amphitheater, on tie day of n cele-
bration, sat Tiberius or Augustus or
the reigning king. So in the great
arena of spectators that watch our
struggles and in the first divine gal
lery, as l shall call it, sits our King,
one Jesus. On his head are many
crowns. The Roman emperor got his
place by cold-blooded conquests, but
our King hath come to His place by the
broken hearts healed and the tears
wiped away and the souls redeemed.
The Roman emperor sat, with folded
arms, Indifferent as to whether the
swordsman or the lion beat, but our
Kings sympathies are all with us
nay, unheard of condescension! | see
Him come down from the gallery into
the arena to help us in the fight, shout
ing until all up and down His voice
is heard: "Fear not! will help thee!
I will strengthen thee by the right
hand of My power!"
They gave to the men in the arena
in the olden time food to thicken their
blood, so that it would flow slowly and
that for longer time the people might
gloat over the scene. But our King
has no pleasure in our wounds. for we
are bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh,
blood of His blood.
Once in the ancient amphitheater n
lion with one paw caught the combat
ants sword and with his other paw
caught his shield. The man took his
knife from his girdle and slew the
beast. The king, sitting in the gal
lery, said: "rhat was not fair The
lion must be slain by sword" Other
lions were turned out, and the poor
victim fell. You cry: "Shame!
shame!" at such meanness. But the
King in this case is our brother, and
He will see that we have fair play.
He will forbid the rushing out of more
lions than we can meet. He will not
suffer us to be tempted above that
we are able. Thank God! The King
is in the gallery! His eyes are on us.
His heart is with us. His hand will
deliver us. BLESSED are they who put
their trust in Him."
/ look again, and see the angelic
gallery. There they are-the angel
that swung the sword Mt the gate of
Eden, the same that Ezekiel saw up
holding the throne of God, and from
which l look away, for the splendor is
insufYerable. Here are the guardian
angels. That one watched n patriarch
this one protected n child; that one has
been pulling soul out of temptation!
All these are messengers of light!
Those drove the Spanish armada on
the rocks. This turned Sennacheribs
living host into heap of $4,000
corpses. Those yonder chanted the
Christmas carol over Bethlehem until
the chant awoke the shepherds. These
at creation stood in the balcony of
Heaven and serenaded the newborn
|
light. And there, holier and mightier
than all, is Michael, the archangel
To command an earthly host gives dig
nifty, but this one is leader of the 90.
900 chariots of God and of the 10 ,00C
times 10000 angels. | think God gives
command to the archangel, and the
archangel to the seraphim, and the
seraphim to the cherubim, until all
the lower orders of Heaven hear the
command and go forth on the high
behest.
Now, bring on your lionsl Who can
fear? All the spectators in the angelic
gallery are our friends. "IIe shall give
His angels charge over thee, to keer
thee in all thy ways. They shall bear
thee up in their hands lest thou dash
thy foot against stone. Thou shalt
tread upon the lion and adder; the
young lion and the dragon shalt thou
trnmple under foot"
Though the arena be crowded will
temptations, we shall with the angelic
help, strike them down i'm the name ot
our God and leap on their fallen car
casses! o bending throng of bright
angelic faces and swift wings ant
lightning foot, ! hail you to-day from
the dust and struggle of the arena
| look again, and | see the gallery
of the martyrs. Who is that? Hugl
Latimer, sure enough! He would MOI
apologize for the truth he preached
and so he died, the night befor,
swinging from the bedpost in perfecr
glee at the thought of emancipation
Who is that army of 6,666? They ar,
the Theban legion who died for tn,
faith. Here is larger host in mag
nificent array, $4,000, who perisheC
for Christ in the prosecutions o
Diocletian. Yonder is n family group
Felicitas of Rome and her children
While they were dying for the faitl
she stood encouraging them. On,
son was whipped to death by thorns
another was flung from n rock. an