The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-05-23
A Scene in EphesuS.


familiar to most of the readers OF The
MIRROR, as being one of the places hon.
Ored by the erection of an early Christian
church by Paul. the greatest of apostolic
OF the Christian church, EpheSus was
known in remote centuries to be the centre
of a branch of Pagan worship. namely, that
of Diana. An old myth tells us how, away
back in the days of the kingdom of Lydia.
an image of the goddess fell from heaven;
| how this was received as symbol of the
Divine wish to be worshipped there. This
belief caused the inhabitants to build a
temple to the goddess. the splendor of
which caused it to be recognized as one of
the seven wonders of the world. This
temple was doomed to total destruction by
fire; but from its ruins rose structure which
in every detail was more magnificent than
the other. This editice, like its predecessor
had, if may SO term it, hard life, a vO-
lent death; first being plundered by the
Roman tyrant Nero; then partially burned
by the GOths, and finally. in 3S1 A. ID. {,
totally destroyed by cOnOcIastS acting on
the edict of TheodOsus. against Paganism.
After this catastrophe to its temple, Ephes-
us gradually died away until to-day it's site
is covered by few poor miserable hamlets.
The time to which desire to call atten-
ton is when EpheSus is at the zenith of its
fame. viz: a few years after the Christian
era-the time of PauIs first visit there.
Ephesus was then, according to Strabo,
''the greatest trading place in Asia west Of
the Taurus. The scene l would have you
imagine is this: A wide. busy street throngeG
with a great assembly of people; fire burn
ing in their midst: and the great preacher.
Paul himself, watching the scene with eager
interest and at times exhorting the popu-
lace to forsake the wickedness of their lives
and accept the tidingS OF Christ which he
carries.
In the book of the Acts of the Apostles,
chapter xix, we find the explanation to the
scene l have so weakly portrayed. In the
18th verse we learn that God wrought
special miracles by the hand of Paul."
and in the 18th verse This was known to
all the Jews and Gentlles also dwelling at
Ephesus." Now. in Ephesus. at that time.
there fourished to great extent peculiar
profession. of which we in this Nineteenth
century have little knowledge-the profess
sion Of necrOmancer or magician. Whatever
their methods of working. the magicians
gull the public
However, return to the chapter of Holy
Writ which we are considering. The 10Th
verse is the one to which l call your espe
cial notice: MANY of them also which
used curious arts brought their books to-
gether. and burned them before all men;
and they counted the price of them and
found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver"
This then, is the narrative which may be
found to contain something applicable to
the lives of the unfOrtunates within these
walls. PauPs preaching. strongly second
ed by his miracles. have worked wonders in
this center of idolatry. The magicians.
convinced of their misdeeds. at once came
and confessed and showed their Deeds"
No false sense of shame deferred them from
openly declaring--in the very streets where
they practiced. perhaps the very day pre-
ceding their jugglery-their hatred OF those
dark arts which hitherto gave them money
and nOtorjety Nor was this all; they
raised up an insufferable barrier between
them and the past by burning the books.
i, e.. manuscripts. which gave them the
means to pursue their evil and dishonest
course. The record says ''they brought
their books and writings together and burned
them before all men," The sacrifice was
no inconsiderable one. for their accumu-
lated cost was $4,000 pieces of silver-a
large fortune in those days.
do not propose to fully deal with this
subject but there are few leading points
which call for thought:
When the magicians were convinced of
their malpractice they did not simply ex.
press their regret for the past, and their in
tentiOns of amendment for the future
they did not first of all dispose of their
books and records, etc., to the highest bid
der and then declare their determination to
abandon their unholy ways; but they took
decisive and dsinterested step when they
brought their books together and burned
them before all men,"
Burned them before all men," They