The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-11-27

J vious temples which had been set on
} fire by Herostratus just for the fame OF
} destroying it, Paul says: 'Tf any mans
work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss, etc." and all up and down Paul's
writings you realize that he had not
only seen, but had been nightly im.
pressed with what he had seen of the
temple of Diana
In this city the mother of Jesus was
said to have been buried. Here dwelt
Aquila and Priscilla of Bible mention,
who were professors in an extempor-
lied theological seminary, and they
tcught the eloquent Apollos how to be
eloquent for Christ Here John
preached, and from here because of
his fidelity he was exiled to Patmos
Here Paul warred against the magical
arts for which Ephesus was famous.
But, all the glory of Ephesus 1 have
described has gone now. At some sea-
sons of the year awful malarias sweep
over the place and put upon mattrass
or in graves large portion of the pop
ulation. In the approximate marshes
scorpions, centipedes and all forms of
reptilian life crawl and hiss and sting,
while hyenas and jackals at night stink
in and out of ruins of buildings which
once startled the nations with their
supernatural grandeur.
But here is lesson which has never
yet been drawn out Do you not see in
that temple of Diana an expression of
what the world needs? 1t wants a
God who can provide food. Diana was
a huntress. In pictures on many of the
coins she held stag by the horn with
one hand and bundle of arrows in the
other. o, this is a ahungry worldl Diana
could not give one pound of meat, or
one mouthful of food to the millions of
her worshippers. She was a dead di-
vinity, an imaginary God, and so in
| idolatrous lands the vast majority of
people meyer have enough to eat 1t is
only in the countries where the God of
Heaven and earth is worshipped that
the vast majority have enough to eat
Let Diana have her arrows and her
hounds; our God has the sunshine and
the showers and the harvests, and in
proportion as he is worshipped does
plenty reign.
So also in the Temple of Diana the
world expressed its need of a refuge.
To it from all parts of the land came
debtors who could not pay their debts
and the offenders of the law that they
might escape incarceration. But she
sheltered them only little while, and
while she kept them from arrest she
could not change their hearts and the
guilty remained guilty. But, our God
in Jesus Christ is refuge into which
we may fly from all our sins and all
our pursuers, and not only be safe for
time but safe for eternity, and the guilt
is pardoned and the nature is trans
formed. What Diana could not do for
her worshippers, our Christ accom-
plished for us.
Rock of ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself In thee.
Then, in that temple were deposited
treasures from all the earth for safe
keeping. Chrysostom SAYS it the treas
ure house of nations; they brought
gold and silver and precious stones and
coronets from across the sea, and put
them under the care of Diana of the
Ephesians. But again and again were
those treasures ransacked, captured
and destroyed. Nero robbed them, the
Scythians scattered them, the Goths
burned them. Diana failed those who
trusted her with treasures, but our
God, to Him we may entrust all our
treasures for this world and the next
and fail anyone who puts confidence in
Him he never will.
But, notice what killed Ephesus, and
what has killed most of the cities that
lie buried in the cemetery of nations
Luxury! The costly baths, which had
been the means of health to the city,
became its ruin. Instead of the cold
baths that had been the invigoration of
the people, the hot baths which are
only intended for the infirm or the in
valid, were substituted. In these hot
baths many lay most of the time.
Authors wrote books while in these
baths
Business was neglected and a hot
bath taken four or five times day.
But that warm bath which enervated
Ephesus was only type of what went
on in all departments of Ephesian life,
and in luxurious indulgence Ephesus
fell, and the last triangle of music was
tinkled in Diana's temple. and the last
wrestler disappeared from her gymna.
Sums, and the last racer took his gar
land in the Stadium, and the last |
plea was heard in her forum,
and even the sea, as IL to withdraw |
the last commercial opportunity from
that metropolis retreated down the |
beach, leaving her without the harbor
in which had foated 1000 ships. |
Brooklyn, New York, London and all |
modern cities, cisatlantic and transat-
lantici take warning. What luxury un-
guarded did for Ephesus. luxury un.
guarded may do for all Opulence and |
splendor God grant to all the people, to |
all the cities, to all the lands, but at |
the same time may he grant the
righteous use of them.
Gymnasiums? Yes, but see that the
vigor gained in them be consecrated to
God. Magnificent temples of worshipf
Yes, but see that in them instead of
service, there be warmth of devotion
and the pure gospel preached Impos-
ing court houses? Yes, but in them
let justice and mercy rule. Palaces of
journalism? Yes but let all of the
printing presses be marshaled for hap.
piness and truth.
Great post Office buildings? Yes, but
through them day by day, may corre-
spondence helpful, elevating and moral
pass Ornate dwelling houses? Yes,
but in them let there be altars of devo-
ton and conjugal, paternal and Chris
tian fidelity rule.
Would that holiness to the Lord"
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