THE FORTY WRESTLERS
Long
ago in the days when the ruling passion of the Roman Emperor Nero was the
extermination of the Christians, there lived and served him a band of soldiers known as the "Emperor's Wrestlers." Fine, stalwart men they were, picked from the
best and the bravest of the land, recruited from the great athletes of the
Roman amphitheatre. In the great amphitheatre
they upheld the arms of the Emperor against all challengers. Before each contest they would stand before
the Emperor's throne. Then through the
courts of
When
the great Roman army was sent to fight in far away
To
be a Christian meant death, even to
those who served Nero best; so that this decree was straightway dispatched
to the centurion Vespasian: "If there be any
among the soldiers who cling to the faith of the Christian, they must die!"
The
decree was received in the dead of winter. The soldiers were camped on the shore of a
frozen inland lake. The winter had been
hard, but the many hardships they had endured together had only served to unite
them more closely. So it was with
sinking heart that Vespasian, the centurion, read the
Emperor's message. Yet to a soldier
there is one word supreme - and that is "duty". Vespasian called the
soldiers together and asked the question:- "Are there any
among you who cling to the faith of the Christian? If so, let him step forward!"
Forty wrestlers instantly stepped
forward two paces, respectfully saluted, and stood at attention. Vespasian paused. He had not expected so many. "The decree has
come from your Emperor," he said, "that any who cling to
the faith of the Christian must die! For
the sake of your country, your comrades, your loved ones, renounce this false
faith!” Not one of the forty
moved. "Until sundown I shall await your answer,"
said Vespasian. Sundown came. Again the question was asked, "Are there any among you who cling to the faith of the
Christian? If so, let him step forward!"
Again
the forty wrestlers stepped forward, and stood to attention. Vespasian pleaded
with them long and earnestly without prevailing upon a single man to deny his
Lord. Finally he said:-
"The decree of the Emperor must be obeyed, but I
am not willing that your blood be on your comrades. I am
going to order that you march out upon the lake of ice and I shall leave you
there to the mercy of the elements. Fires, however, will be burning on the shore,
and at the largest, I, your commander, will be waiting to welcome any willing
to renounce this false faith."
The forty wrestlers were stripped
and then without a word they wheeled, and falling into columns of four, marched
out towards the lake of ice. As they marched they broke
into chorus with the old chant of the Arena:"Forty wrestlers
wrestling for Thee, 0 Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the
Victor's crown!"
All
through the long hours of the night Vespasian, the
centurion, stood by his camp fire and waited, and all through the long night
came back to him fainter and fainter the wrestlers' song.
As it neared morning one figure,
overcome by exposure, crept quietly towards the fire; in the extremity of his
suffering he had renounced his Lord. Faintly, but
clearly, from out the darkness came the song, "Thirty-nine
wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, 0 Christ, to win for Thee the victory and
from Thee, the Victor's crown!"
Vespasian looked at the figure drawing
close to the fire - and then out into the darkness whence came
the song of faith. Once again he
looked - ah! who can say? Perhaps he saw the greater light shining there
in the darkness! Off came his helmet down went his shield and he sprang upon the ice, crying,-
"Forty wrestlers wrestling for Thee, 0 Christ, to
win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the Victor's crown!"
And
the number of God's own [overcomers] was complete.
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Good News Digest.
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