The Dickinson press., 1891-11-28

Now you see the meaning Of that
passage in Revelation, just as q king
presenting n OF these pillars to the
temple Of Diana had his w name
chiseled on it and thename of his own
country, so says Christ, "Him that
overcometh will | make a pillar in the
temple of my God, and l will write up
on him the name OF my God and the
name of the city of my God, which
is New Jerus allen, and | will write up
i've and beautiful!
In addition to those pillars that l
climbed " while amid the
RU1Ns OF DIANA's TEMPLE,
Isaw afterwards eight Of those pillars
at Constantinople, to which city they
had been removed, and are apart
of the Mosque of St. Sophia. Those
eight columns are all green jasper, but
some of those which stood in Diana'a
Temple at Ephesus were fairly
drenched with brilliant colors. Costly
metals stood up in various parts OF
the temple, where they could catch the
fullest flush of the sun. A flight of
stairs was carved out OF one grape
vine Doors of cypress wood, which
had been kept in glue for years and
bordered with bronze in bas-relief,
swung against pill ars of brass, and re-
sounded with echo upon echo, caught
up, and sent on, and hurled back
through the corridors. In the build
ing stood an image OF Diara, the god
dess. The impression W. 8 abroad, as
the Bible records, that that imagehad
dropped plumb out of heaven into
that temple, and the sculptors who
really made the statue or image were
put to death, so that they could not
testify of itshuman manufacture and
80 deny it's celestial origin 1t was
thought by intelligent people that the
material from which thisido was form
e dmight have dropped out ofheaven as
aerolite. We have seen in the British
Museum, and in universities of our
own West, blocks of stone hurled of
from other worlds. These aerolites
were seen to fall, and witnesses have
gone to the landing-places, and scien-
fists have pronounced them to be the
product of other worlds. But the
materials out Of which the image Of
Diana was fashioned contradicts that
motion. This image vas carved out
of ebony and p%unctured here and
there with openings kept full of Spike
nard SO as to hinder the statue from
decaying and make it aromatic, but
this ebony was covered with bronze
and alabaster. A necklace of acorns
coiled gracefully around her. There
were four lions on each arm, typical
o strength.
HER HEAD WAS CoRoNETTED.
Around this figure stood statues which
by wonderful invention shed tears.
The air by strange machinery was
damp with descending perfumes. The
walls multiplied the scene by concave
mirrors. Fountains tossed in shad-
1--WE OF light and fell in showers of dia-
monds. Praxitleies the sculptor, and
Apelles, the painter, filled the place
with their triumphs. Cresus, the
wealthiest OF the a%ncients, put here
and there in the temple golden heifers.
The paintings were SO vivid and life
like that Alexander, who was moved
at nothing OF terror, shuddered at
one battle scene on these walls, and
80 true to life was q painting of a
horse that when AleXander's horse
was led up to it, he began to neigh, as
one horse is accustomed to greet
another. One painting in that
temple cost $193, $50. The treasures
of all nations and the spoils OF king
doms were kept here for safe deposit.
Criminals from all lands fled to the
shelter of t lis temple and the law
could not touch them. 1t seemed
almost strange that this mountain
of architectural snow outside did not
melt with the fires of color within.
The temple was surrounded with
groves, i'll which roamed the tempta-
ton OF hunters, stays and hares and
wild bears and all styles OF game,
whether winged or fourfooted. There
was a cave with statue SO intensely
brilliant that it extingulshed the eyes
of those who looked upon it, unless
at the command of priests the hand
of the spectator somewhat shaded
the eyes. No wonder that even An
thony and Alexander and Darius
cried out in the words of my text:
GREAT is DIANA OF THE EpllEsIANs."
One whole month of each year, the
month of May, was devoted to her
worship. Professions in CARDS of
purple and violet and scarlet moved
through it, and there were torches,
and anthems, and choirs in white.
and timbrels and triangles in music,
sacrifices and dances. Here young
men and maidens were betrothed with
imposing ceremony.
Nations voted large amounts to meet
the expense OF the worship. Fisheries
OF vast resource were devoted to the
support of this resplendence. Horace
and Virgil and Homer went into rhap-
sodles while describing this worship.
All artists all psychologists, all cen
turtles in saying: "Great is Diana of
the Ephesians." Paul in the presence
OF this temple OF Diana Incorporates
it in his figures of speech while speak
ing OF the spiritual temple. "Now, if
any mar build upon this foundation,
gold, silver, precious stones, etc."
and no doubt with reference to one of
the previous temples which had been
set on fire by Herostratus just for the
fame of destroying it, Paul says: elf
any mans work shall be burned he
shall suffer loss, etc." and all up and
NONA Writing . yOu 4cttllLc UlldU
he had not only seen, but had been
nightly impressed with what he had
seen of the Temple of Diana.
So also in the temple OF Diana the
world expressed it's need of a refuge.
To it from all parts OF the land came
debtors who could not pay theirdebts
and the offenders of the law that they
might escape incarceration. But she
sheltered them only a little while, and
while she sheltered them from arrest
she could not change their hearts and
the guilty remained guilty. But u
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 transformed. What Diana
could not dofor worshipers, our Christ
accomplishes for us.