The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-11-18
THE TEMPLE OF DIANA.
Rev. DIR. Talmage Describes This
Wonderful Structure. B
over Two Centuries Were Occupied In Its
{, Construotion--The sixth Wonder OF
the worid--A Visit to the
stadium, Where Paul
Y Fought With Wild
Beasts.

y
cred in the Brooklyn tabernacle last
Bunday His text was Acts xix, "a,
"Great Is Diana Of the Ephesians."
We have landed this morning at
Smyrna, a city of Asiatic Turkey.
One of the seven churches Of Asia
once stood here. You read in Rev
stations, ITO the church in Smyrna
write" It is city that has often been
shaken by earthquake, swept by con-
Migration, blasted by plaques and
Rbutchered by war, and here Bishop
Polycarp stood in crowded ampithea-
ter, and when he was asked TO give up
the advocacy OF the Christian religion
and save himself from martyrdom, the
pro-consul saying: Swear and re-
lease thee; reproach Christ" replied:
"Eighty and six years have served
Him, 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 the stake he said: "Det me remain
as am, for He who giveth me strength
TO sustain the fire will enable me also
without your securing me with nails to
remain unmoved in the fire." History
saws the fire refused to consume him,
and under the winds the flames bent
outward so that they did not touch his
person, and, therefore, he was slain
with swords and spears. One cypress
bending over his grave is the only mon
ument to Bishop Polycarp.
But we are on the way to the city OF
Ephesus, about fifty miles from Smyrna
We are advised not to go TO Ephesus;
the bandits In that region have had an
ugly practice of cutting off the ears OF
travellers and sending these specimens
of ears down TO Smyrna, demanding a
ransom. The bandits suggest to the
friends OF the persons from whom the
ears have been subtracted that II they
would like TO have the rest OF the body
they will please send an appropriate
sum OF money. II the money is not
sent the mutilated prisoners will be as
sassinated. One traveller was carried
of 70 the robbers den, and $1,000 was
paid for his rescue. The bandits were
caught and beheaded, and pictures of
these ghastly heads are on sale in the
shops Of Smyrna for any persons who
may desire TO have something TO look at
on their way TO Ephesus There have
been cases where ten and twenty and
thirty and forty thousand dollars have
been demanded by these brigands We
did not feel like putting our friends Ia
such expense, and II was suggested that
We had better omit Ephcsus. But that
would have been disappointment from
which we could never recover. We mus'
see Ephesus-associated with the mos
wonderful apostolic scenes We hire Q
special railway train, and In about M
hour and half we arrive at the city o.
Ephesus, which was called THE Grea'
Metropolis Of Asia" and "0ne of tn,
Ewes OF Asia" and "rhe Empress o.
Ionia," the capital Of all learning ant
magni6cence. Here, as ! said, was one
of the seven churches Of Asia. and frs
of all we visit the ruins OF that church
where once an ecumenical council o
two thou sand ministers Of religion wa
held
Mark the fulhllment Of the prophecy
OF the seven churches Of Asia, fou
were commended In the book of Reve
lation, and three were doomed Th'
cities having the four commende'
churches still stand; the cities havinl
the three doomed churches are wipe'
out. II occurred Just as the Bible sal
Il would occur. Drive on and you com
70 the theater, which was 500 feet frou
wall 70 wall, capable Of holding 56,70
spectators. Here and there the wall
rise almost unbroken, but for the mos
part the building is down. Just enoug
Of Il Is left 10 help the imagination
build II up as IL was when those aud
ences shouted and clapped at som
great spectacular. Their huzzas mus
have been enough TO stun the heavens
As took my place at'the center Of thi
theater and looked around at its broke
layers Of stone, gallery upon gallery
gallery upon gallery, and piled up int
the bleak skies Of that winter day, an
thought that every hand that swung
trowel on those walls, and every foS
that trod those stairs, and every ey
that Razed ON that amphitheater, an
every voice that greeted the combatanI
In that arena had gone out OF hearin
and sight for ages on ages. felt
thrill OF interest that almost PROSTATE
me amid the ruins Standing there, "
could not forget that In that buildin
once assem- bled . riotous throng Il
Paul's condemnation, because what
preached collided with the idolatr
OF their natural goddess Paul tried
get into that theater and address the e.
cited multitude, but his friends held hi
back, lest he be torn In pieces by u
mob, and the recorder Of the city ha
10 read the riot act among the peop
who had shrieked for two mortal houi
till their throats were sore and the
were black in the face: Great is Diar
OF the Ephesians
Now, we step into the Stadium
Enough Of its walls and appointment
are left 10 show what stupendc'
place II must have been when used 4
foot races and fights with wild beast
II was n building $50 feet long by p
feet wide. Paul refers 10 what tran
pired there In the way Of spectac
wiien he says >"We have been made
spectacle" Yes, Paul says, II ha'
fought with beasts at Ephesus," an e
preston usually taken as fgurative, b
/ suppose Il was literally true. for OF
OF the amusements In that Stadium wi
10 nut n dlslilsed man In the arena wi
Z. f,....<...~ li,t, or tfOer or Douthor nj