St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-04-07
Notes from Turkey.
The Seven Churches of Asia. 1.
EPHESUS

l nave often found II of great value
to myself i'll reading the epistles of the
New Testament, to put myself us far as
possible, i'll the place of those t" whom
the cpiStle was originally written. If |
can come 10 understand the peculiar cir
in which they were placed,
the peculiar trials and temptations to
which they were exposed, and the
special needs which called forth the in-
spircd message, | often find therein
meaning that WAS hidden before. A
jewel shines brightest in its appropriate
settings.
In my recent tour into Asia Minor, it
was my rare privilege to visit some of
the places where once stood the seven
churches to which the apostle John sent
the divine message as found in the
ApocalN psc A little account of what
saw may assist some of your readers
to ''hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churchcs.'
The most interesting place We visited
was at Ephcsus. There are few places
in the world which have so much of in
teIeSt for the student of history, the
antiquarian, and the Christian, as this
ancient city. Built before history began,
one of the cradles of Grecian mythol-
ngy, the metropolis Of Asia Minor, i
city in whose records appear the names
of Alexander the Great, CrTSus, Men
ophon, Pt"lcmy, Antioehus, Hannibal,
Ciccro-the site of the worship and ia
nous temple of Diana, it is revered
10y the Christian as the place where St.
Paul lived foI two years and wrought
Us IL tent maker, where Apollos. Aquila
and Priscilla lahored. and where Il little
church WAS planted to which II message
was sent direct from heaven.
This church was planted 10y the hand
of Paul himself, and, ''watered 10y
strength and influence. The little band
of twelve men was very soon strength
ened 10y large additions, $50 nightly
grew the word of the Lord and pre-
vailed" until it was necessary to have
Il special bishop appointed over them.
and Timothy was chosen. 1t was in
preparation for this work that Paul
wrote the First Epistlc to Timothy,
giving him directions for his office of
Bishop.
We can easily imagiI t. the peculiar
temptations of this little band OF Chris
tians in the midst of this rich and idola-
trous city. There We're Saints and
faithful ones at Ephesus.' to whom St.
Paul addressed his epistle, and their
faith and love was such as to cause HIM
ITO give thanks for them continGally.'
But he recognizes their danger. and.
warning them of what they had most
whole armour of Cod" How we'll they
oheNed his injunction We do not know.
I'm the message ITO the angel et the
church at Ephcsu>. sent ~ Neais Later,
they are commended for their good
works their Labor and their patience :
but "they have left their first love.
aud the Holy Spirit warns them to re
pent. or their candesrick shall he re-
moved from its place. We have II"
had upon them, but the traveller to-day
sees mournful evidence of the fact that
their candlestick was indeed removed
from its place. Not only MAS the church
itself blottrd ont of existence, but rn-
ined walls. broken pillars, and scattered
fragments of marble are all that mark
where the famous city of EpheSuS once
stood.
Tradition. with what degree of evi
druce do not know, SAYS that st. JOIN
after his return from Patmos. WAS the
successor of ST. Timothy as Bishop "
the church of EpheSns, and that here
he us well as Timothy was buried
There is the Iuin of what WAS once
beautiful mosque which Is said to bc ol
the spot where st. Johns church stoo'
and where the aged apostle preached
The church WAS enlarged and beautl
fled 10y the Emperor .Justinian in tn
sixth century. ami 1000 years later wa
changed into mosque by Sultan Selin'
the ruins of which are still standing.
There is an old tower standing jus
on the outer limits of the city, calle
st. Paul's prison, the tradition bein
that he was there imprisoned durin
some part of his two years stay i
Erhesms.
suppose the passage in |. Cor. ID: &
is not to he understood literally, but
is certain that there were gladiatorli
shows, public games and the like
where men fought with wild beasts
in Ephesus, for the stadium where sue
contests took place is still III goo
state of preservation.
The school of Tyrannus' was prob;
bly, in one of the gymnasia of the elt!
the ruins ol many oi "h'H "i' e''
to be seen We find that many of I'll
believers in EphesuS on st. Paul's a
rival had been baptized only ''unt
Johns baptism" Tradition states tn;
John the Baptist came to Ephesus an
locates the place where his baptism
= font stood. Among the many sacre
personages that are said to have bee
- | .;.I I,.,. ve find the names of :