The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1902-03-07

have l. OIeuucu- - 49, $500 --~K-
fought the lion, it is because you
have let the lion eat you up. rms
very moment the contest goes on.
The Traian celebration, where 10000
gladiators fought and 1900 wild
beasts were slain, was not SO terrlnc
struggle as that which at this mo-
ment goes on in many soul. The
combat was for the life OF the pody,
this is for the life of the soul. Ihat
was with wild beasts from the Jun
ole. this is with the roaring lion OF
hell.
Men think, when the contend
against an evil habit, that they have
to fight it all alone. No! They STAND
in the center of an immense circle OF
sympathy. Paul had been reciting
the names of Abel, Enoch, Noan'
Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Joseph, Gid
| con and Barak and then says: being
| compassed about with so great
cloud of witnesses"
BEFORE I get through Twill 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 ana at
every victory gained there comes down
the laundering applause OF greae
multitude that no man can numper.
Being compassed about with SO great
a cloud of witnesses"
On the first elevation of the ancient
amphitheater, on the day OF ccle-
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
Iery. as | shall call it, sits our King
one Jesus. On his head are many
crowns. The Roman emperor got MS
Mace by -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
nav, unheard of condescens1on! 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! Twill help thee!
/ will strengthen thee by the right
hand of My power!"
Thew 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, Tor we
are bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh,
blood Of His blood
Once in the ancient amphitheater
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, ss4oting in the gal
lery, said ''That 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
J 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 at the gate OF
, Eden, the same that Ezekiel saw up
: holding the throne of God, snd from
which look away, for the splendor is
4, insufferable. Here are the guardian
l angels. That one watched a patriarch;
| this one protected child; that one has
/ been pulling soul out of temptation!
All these are messengers of light!
: Those drove the Spanish armada or
| the rocks. This turned Sennacherib':
: living host into a heap of 185,O0l
I corpses. Those yonder chanted thu
a Christmas carol over Bethlehem unit
-; the chant awoke the shepherds. Thes'
!. at creation stood in the balcony O.
e Heaven and serenaded the newborn
world wrapped in swaddling clothes o.
n light. And there, holier and mightiel
a than all, is Michael, the archangel
a To command an earthly host gives dig
s nifty, but this one is leader of the 20,
900 chariots of God and of the 1000
|. times 10000 angels. I think God give
a command to the archangel, and tn
Il archangel to the seraphim, and tn
7 seraphim to the cherubim, until al
I the lower orders of Heaven hear tn
o command and go forth on the hig
n behest.