The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-11-26
THE TABERNACLE PULPIT
DR.. TALMAGE breaches ABOUT THE
TEMPLE OF DIANA.
Series OF Discourres OH His Travels in
the East--His Visit to the City of Ephe-
sus Described In Detail

the East--His Visit to the City of Ephe-
sus Described in Detail.
BROOKLYN Nov. 15.-Dr. Talmagc
continued this morning his series Of SER
mons entitled, "From the Pyramids TO
the Acropolis." His text was Acts
xix, 81, Great IS Diana Of the Ephe-
sians."
We have landed this morning at
Smyrna, city Of Asiatic Turkey. One
of the seven churches of Asia once stood
here. You read in Revelation, ITO the
church in Smyrna write." 1t Is city
that has often bcen shaken by earth
quake, swept by confagration, blasted
by plaques and butchered by war, and
here Bishop Polycarp stood in crowded
amphitheater and when he was asked to
give up the advocacy Of the Christian re-
lixlon and save himself from martyrdom,
the proconsul saying. "Swcar and re-
lease thee; rsproach Christ" replied,
-'Eighty and six years have l served
hina, and he never did me wrong; how
then can revile my King and Saviour"
When he was brought to the fires into
which he was about to be thrust, and
the officials were about to fasten him to
all, for he who giveth me strength 10
sustain the fro will enable me also with
out your securing me with nails TO re-
main unmoved in the fire." History
says the tiaes refused to consume him,
and under the winds the flames bent
outward so that t. o did not touch his
ne .ol, and there ,rc he was slain by
swords and spears. One cypress bend
ing yer his grave Is the only monument
to Bishop Polycarp.
But we are on the way to the city OF
Ephesus, about fifty miles from Smyrna.
We arc advised not to 20 to Ephcsus.
The bandits in that region have had an
ugly practice Of cutting off the ears OF
travellers AID sending these specimens
Of ears down to Smyrna, demanding a
ransom. The baldiLs suggest to the
friends of the pei o 8 from whom the
ears have been sebtracted that if they
would like to have the rest Of the body
they will please send an appropriate
sum of money. II the money is moi
cent the mutlated prisoners will be as
sassinated.
There have been cases where ten ant
twenty and forty thousand dollars have
been demanded by these brigands. We
did not feel like putting our friends tt
sach expense, and it wac suggested tina
we had better omit Ephesus. But tina
would have been disappointment from
which we would never recover. W.
must see Ephesus--associated with thu
most wonderful apostolic scenes. W.
hire a specialrailway train. and III abou
an hour and half we arrive at the CIT.
Of Ephesus, which was called 'Th
Great Metropolis Of ASIA" and Zone O
the Ewes Of Asa" and 1.-THE Empires
of Ionia," the capital Of all learning an
magnlfceuce. Here, as l said, was on
Of the seven churches Of Asia, aud frs
of all We visit the ruins of that churc
where once an cCumenlcal council {
two thousand ministers Of religion wa
held.
Mark the fulfillment of the prophcsJ
OF the seven churches OF ASS lour wer
commended in the Book Of Revelatlo
and three were doomed. The cite
having the four commended churcho
still stand; the cities having the thre
doomed churches are wiped out. 1t OF
CURED lust as the Bible said it wou'
occur. Drive on and you come to til
threater, which was 660 feet from wa
towall, capable of holding sc, 700 spectf
tors. Here and there there walls arls
almost unbroken, but for the most pa
the building is down. Just enough ef
Es left to help the imagination build 1t L
as it was when those audiences shoute
and clapped at some great spectacula
Their huzzas must have been enough
stun th6 heavens.
Standing there we could not torS
that in that building once assembled
riotous throng for Paul's condemnatlo
because what he preached colllded WI
the idolatry of their national GOODIES
Paul tried to get into that theatef a
address the excited multitude, but |
friends held him back, lest he be torn
pieces by tho mob. and the recorder
the city had to read the riot act amo
the people who had shrieked for "
mortal hours till their throats were 81
and they were black in the face, "Gre
is Diana of the Ephesians.
Now we step into the Stadu
Enough of it's walls and appointmel
are loft to show what a astupendous plt
-.... At must have been when used for Il
fsaes aud for fights with wild beasts.
was d building $50 feet long by 200 I
wide. Paul refers to what transpll
there in the way OF spectacle when
says, "We have been made spectacle
Yes" Paul says, II have fought "
beasts at Ephesus," an expression u
ally taken as hgurative, but | suppos
was literally true, for one of TIC anu
ments in that Stadium was to put
liked man in the arena with hun
lion or tiger or panther, and let the j
20 on until either the man or the b(
or both were slain.
1t must have been great fun fCr Il
haters of Christianity to hear thai
the morrow in the Stadium IN Epht
the missionary Paul woul !, in the p
ence of the crowded galleries, fig
hungry lion. The people were e
there to get the best seats, and n
alert and enthusiastic crowd NJ
assembled. They took their din
with them. And was there ever Il
unequal combat preposedp Paul,
cording to tradition, small. crot
hacked and weak eyed, but the gran