Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1902-02-28

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-This discourse
of DR.. Talmage is full of inspiring
thoughts for those who find life a
/ struggle and shows that we have many
celestial sympathizers; texts, Hebrews
xii, l, Seeing we also are comprised
about with so great a cloud Of wit
nesses;" l Corinthians XIV, 81, 81 have
fought with beasts at Ephesus."
Crossing the Alps by the Mont Cents
pass or through the Mont Gents tun-
mel, you are in a few hours set down
at Verona. Italy, and in a few minutes
begin examining one of the grandest
ruins Of the world, the Amphitheater.
The whole building sweeps around you
in a 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, until you count
forty elevations, or galleries, as l shall
see fit to call them, in which sat the
| senator's the kings and the $4,000 ex-
cited spectators. At the sides of the
arena and under the galleries are the
cages in which the lions and tigers are
kept without food until, frenzied with
hunger and thirst, they are let out up
on some poor victim, who, with his
sword and alone, is condemned to meet
them. / think that Paul himself once
stood in such a place and that it was
not only figuratively. but literally, that
he had fought with beasts at Ephe-
sus"
The gala day has come. From all the
world the people are pouring into Vero-
ma. Men, women and children, orators
and senators. great men and small,
thousands upon thousands come, until
the first gallery is full, and the second,
the third, the fourth, the tifth-all the
way up to the twentieth, all the way
up to the thirtieth, all the way up to
the fOrtieth. Every place is filled. I'm
mensity 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 $4,000 sit breathlessly watch
ing. hear the door at the side Of the
arena creak open. Out plunges the half
starved lion. his tongue athirst for
blood, and with a roar that brings all
the galleries 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 fiercer eye and more
terrible roar than ever, only to be
driven back with u fatal wound, while
the eombatant comes in with stroke
after stroke until the monster is dead
at his feet, and the $4,000 clap their
hands and utter a shout that makes
the city tremble.
Sometimes the audience came to see
a race; sometimes to see gladiators
fight each other, until the people, COM
passionate for the fallen, turned their
thumbs up as an appeal that the van
quished be spared, and sometimes the
combat was with wild beasts
All Have Lions to Fight.
To one of the Roman amphitheatrical
audiences of 100000 people Paul refers
when he says, I'VE are compassed
about with so great a cloud of Witness
es." The direct reference in the last
| passage is made to a race; but else
where having discussed that, | take
now PauPs favOrite idea of the Chris
| tan life as a combat.
The fact is that every Christian man
has lion to fight. Yours is a bad tenn
| per- The gates of the arena have been
opened, and this tiger has come out to
destroy your soul. 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. l verify believe you
will conquer. | think that the tempta-
ton 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 Cour-
age, brother! Do not let the sands of
the arena drink the blood of your soul!
Your lion is the passion for strong
drink. You may have contended
against it for twenty 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
Nay, that is not the weapon. With one
horrible roar he will seize thee by the
throat and rend thee limb from limb
Take this weapon, sharp and keen
reach up and get it from Gods armory
the sword of the Spirit. With that
thou mayest drive him back and con
quer!
But why specify when every mar
and woman has a lion to fight? II
there be one here who has no besettinl
sin, let him speak out, for him have
offended. If you have not fought the
lion, it is because you have let the lio1
eat you up. This very moment the con
test goes on The Trajan celebration
where 10000 gladiators fought anC
1000 wild beasts were slain, was no
so terrific a struggle as that which a
this moment goes on in many a soul
The combat was for the life Of tn
body; this is for the life of the soul
That was with wild beasts from tn
jungle; this is with the roaring lion o
hell.
Men think, when they contend agains
an evil habit, that they have to fight i
all alone. No. They stand in the Ger
ter of an immense circle of sympathy
Paul had been reciting the names o
$ Abel EnOch, Noah. Abraha Saral
J Isaac, Joseph, Gideon and Barak an
then says, 'rBeing compassed abou
with so great a cloud of witnesses"
3 Cloud of Witnesses.
Before | get through l will show yo
that you fight in an arena, aroun
which circle, in galleries above eac
other, all the kindling eyes and all til
sympathetic hearts of the ages, and &
y every victory gained there comes dow
the laundering applause of a grea
multitude that no man can numbe
Being comprised about with so grea
a cloud of witnesses"
On the first elevation of the ancie1
amphitheater, on the day of a celebri
ton, sat Tiberius or Augustus or I'll