The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-03-12
cornses. Those wonder ebanted the Christ.

awOke the shepherds. lhcse at creation
stood in the balcony Of heaven and sere'
made the newborn world wrapped IN
swaddling clothes OF light. And there,
hoiier and right;er than all, IS Michael,
the archante'.
In the ancient amphitheatre the people
got so excited that they would shout from
the galleries TO men in the arena: AT it
again." Forward" "One more stroke!"
Look OUT" Fall back "Huzza, HUI.
"a" So in that gallery, prophetic and
apostolic, they cannot keep their peace.
D1n,el cries out, Thy God will deliver
thee from the mouth Of the lions" David
cxclaims, He will not suffer thy foot to
he moved" Isaiah calls out Fear not;
exc;aims, Victory through our Lord
Jesus Christi" That throng of prophets
and apostles cannot keep still. They make
the welkin ring with shouting and halle
luiahs. ..,
/ look again and I see the gallery. Of tho
,.artyrs. Who is that? Hugh Latimer,
sure enough. He would not apologize for
the truth he preached. and so he died, the
night before swinging from the bedpost in
perfect glee at the thought OF emancipa.
tie Theban legion who died ior the faith.
II, re is a larger host in magnificent array,
ss4 900, who perished for Christ in the
prosecutions Of Diocletian. Yonder IS .
family group. Felicitas, OF Rome, and hef
children. While they were dying for the
faith she stood encouraging them. one
son was whipped TO death by thorns; an
other was flung from rock: another was
behcadcd. At last the mother became q
martyr. There they are together, family
group in heaven! Yonder is John Brad-
ford, who said in the fire, I'VE shall have
10 orl tn.py6hf Y"
Yonder is Henry Woes, who exclaimed as
he died. If had ten heads, they should
all fal! of for Christ" The grea: throng
OF the martyrs! They had hot lead poured
down their throats: horses were fastened
to their hands and other horses to their
feel. and thus they were pulled apart;
they had their tongues pulled out by red
hot pincers: they were sewed up IN the
skins OF animals and then thrown to the
dogs; they were daubed with combusslb.es
and set on fire! II all the martyrs stakes
that have been kind!ed could be set at
proper distances the! would make the mid.
night all the world over bright as noon
day! And now they sit yonder in the mar.
tyrs' gallery.
For them the fires OF persecution have
gone out: the swords are shea athed and the
MOB hushed Now they watch US with an
al observing sympathy. They know all
Ike pain. all the hardship, all the anguish,
ali the injustice, al the privation. They
canno. keep still. They cry: Courage!
The fire will not consume; the floods can.
not drown; the lions cannot devour. Cour.
ase down there in the arena!
What, Are they all looking? This hour
we answer back the sa!utation they give
fire,"
look again and see another gallery
chat OF eminent Christians. What strikes
me strangely is the mixing in companion
ship OF those who on earth could not agree.
There is Albert Barnes and around him
the presbytery who tried him for hetero.
doxy! Yonder are Lyman Beecher and
the church court that denounced him!
Stranger than all, there arc John Calvin
and James Armin!us. Wao would have
Thought tina. they would sit 30 lovingly to.
gether. There are George Whiteteld and
the ministers who would not let him come
into their pulpits because they thought
him fanatic. There are the sweet sing.
lev. Isaac Watts and M-s. Sigourney. II
heaven had had no music before they went
up they would hare started the singing.
And there the ba:d OF missionaries..
David .Abcel. talking OF China redeemed;
and John ScuddeT. of India saved; and
David Brainerd. Of the a6orig!nes evan.
ge,ized; ard Mrs. Adoniram Judson,
whose prayers for Burma took heaven by
violence. All these Christians are looking
into the arena. Our s.ragg!e Is nothing to
;heirs. Do we in Christ's cause suffer
FROM the cold? They walked Green!and's
icy mountains. Do We suffer from the
ges iatigued? They tainted. with none to
care ioi. them but cannbals. Are we per.
secuted? They were mathematical. And
~ they look from their gallery and see US
fa.ter in the presence Of the lions l seem
to hear Isaac Watts addressing US in his
old hymn, only a little changed:
Must YOU be carried to the skies
On fowery beds o; case
While others fought 10 win the prize
Or sailed through bloody seas:
Top.ady shouts in his old hymn:
Your harps. yc trembling saints,
Down from the willows take:
Loud to the praise OF love divine
Bid every string awake.
While Charles Wesley. the Me:hc..s:.
breaks forth in words little vaTiei
A charge to keep you have,
4 God to slorify,
4 never dying so:i to save
Aad fit II Tor the sky.
look again and see the gallery OF our
departed. Many OF those in the other
galleries we have heard OF. but these we
knew On how familiar their faces! They
sat at our tables, and we walked to the
house OF God in company. Have they for.
gotten US? those fathers and mothers
started us on ne road Of life. Are they
careless as to what becomes OF us: And
those chi!drca-do they look with stOid
Indifference as to whether we win or lose
day they left us They remember the
agony OF the last farewell. Though years
in heaven. they know our faces. They re-
member our sorrows They speak our
names They watch this fight for heaven.
Nay. sec them rise up and lean over and
wave before us their recognition and en-
coura cement. That gallery is not full.
They are keeping places for US. After we
have slain the lion they expect the Hing
20 cal! us. saving. Come W higher.
Between the hot struggles in the arena
I wire the sweat from my brow and stand
on :iptoe. reaching up my right faDd TO
clasp theirs in rapturous handsEaking,
while their voices come ringing down from
the gallery, crying. BE thou faithful unto
death. :ad you shall have n crown
Buc here raase. overwhelmed with the
majesty and the JOY OF the scene! Gallery
OF the King! Gallery of angels! Gallery
of prophets and apostles! Gallery Of mar
tyrs: Gallery CT saints! Gallery OF friends
and kindred. o majestic circles of. light
and love! Throngs. throngs. throngs!
How shall we stand the gaze OF the uni.
verse: Mvriads OF eyes beaming on us!
Mvriads oi hearts heating in sympathy for
us. How shall we ever dare to sin again?
How shall we ever become discouraged