Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-12-04

was coroneted. Around this figure stood
statues which By wonderful In vention shed
tears. The air by strange ma chinery was
damp with descending perfumes Tbs walls
multiplied the scene by conceived mirrors.
Fountains tossed in sheaves OF light and fell
in showers of diamonds.
Praxiteles the sculptor, and Apelles the
painter, filled the place with their Jriumphs
Croesus. the wealthiest of the ancieutS put
hare and there in the temple golden heifers.
The paintings were 50 vivid and hfelike that
Alexander, who was moved at nothing OF
terror shuddered at one battle scene on these
walls, and so true to life was painting Of a
horse that when Alexander's horse was led
up to it he began to neigh, as one horse Is &C.
c1stomed to greet another. One painting in
THAT temple cost 1913, $50. The treasures OF
all nations and the spoils Of kingdoms were
kept here for safe deposit. Criminals from
ali lands fed to the shelter OF this temple,
and the law could not touch them. 1t seemed
almost strange that this mountain of archt
tectural snow outside did not melt with the
fires of color within.
The temple was surrounded with groves,
in which roamed for the temptation of
hunters, stays and hares and wild bears, and
all styles of game, whether winged or four
footed. There was a cave with statue SO
intensely brilliant that it extinguished the
eye Of those who looked upon it, unless, at
the command Of the priest. the hand Of the
spectator somewhat shaded the eye.
No wonder that even Anthony and Alex.
ander and Darius cried out in the words of
my text, Great is Diana Of the Ephe-
slams"
One whole month Of each year, the month
of May, was devoted to her worship. Pro-
cessions i'll garbs of purple and violet and
scarlet moved through it, and there were
torches and anthems. and cnoirs in white
and timbrels and triangles in music, sacri-
fees and dances. Nations voted large
amounts to meet the expense Of the worship
Fisheries of vast resources were devoted TO
the support of this resplendence. Horace
and Virgil and Homer went into rhapsodies
while describing this worship.
All artists, all archaolog SITS, all centuries
agreed in saving, "Great is Diana of the
Ephesians." Paul, in the presence of this
Temple of Diana, Incorporates it in his fig
ures of speech while speaking OF the spiritual
temple, Now, if any man 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
ire by Herostratus just for the fame of de-
shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, etc."
and all up and down Paurs writings you
realize that he had not only seen, but had
been nightly impressed 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 all extemporized theological
seminary, and they taught the eloquent
Apollos how to be eloquent for Christ.
Here John preached, and from here because
0t his fidelity he was exiled to Patmos. Here
Paul warred against the magical arts for
which Ephesus was famous. The sorcerers
IF this city pretended that they could cure
diseases, and perform almost any miracle
ly pfonounclng these senseless words, ASK
cataskl Llx Tetrax Damnameneus AL
ion."
But, all the glory of Ephesus I have de-
cribed has gone now. At some seasons of |
he year awful malarias sweep over the |
'lace and put upon mattress or in graves |
large portion of the population In the |
approximate marshes scorpions, centipedes
nd all forms of reptilian life crawl and
llss and sting, while hyenas and jackals at
light sink in and out of the ruins OF build
ngs which once startled the nations with
heir almost supernatural grandeur.
But here is lesson which has never vet
een drawn out. Do you not see in t0at
emple of Diana an expression of what the
Torld needs. 1t wants God who can pro-
ide food. Diana was a huntress. In
lectures on many of the coins she held a STAG
" the horn with one hand and bundle of
rrows in the other. Oh, this is hungry
World! Diana could not give one pound of
heat or one mouthtul of food to the
Millions of her worshipers She was dead
lvlnity, an imaginary god, and so in
1olatrous lands the vast majority of people
ever have enough to eat 1t is only in the
ountries where the God of heaven and earth
worshiDed that the vast majority have
nough to eat. Let Diana have her arrows
nd her hounds. Our God has the sunshine
nd the showers and the harveStS, and in
as He is worshiped does plenty
eign.
So also in the Temple of Diana the world
1pressed its need of a refuge. To it from
1 parts Of The land came debtors who could
ot pay their debts and the offenders of the
q T07irr
ration. But she sheltered taen only a
tile while, and while she kept them from
rest she could not change their hearts and
e guilty remained guilty. But our God
Jesus Christ is refuge into which we
ay fly from all our sins and all our pur-
ers, and not only be safe for time, but safe
r eternity, and the guilt is pardoned and
g nature is transformed. What Diana
uld not do for her worship ers, our Christ
complishes for us.
Rock of ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee.
Then, in that temple were deposited
easures from all the earth for safe keeping.
lrysostom says it was the treasure house
nations; they brought gold and silver and
eclous stones and coronets from across the ,
4, and put them under the care Of Diana of
Epheslans. But again and again were I
ose treasures ransacked. captured or de- {
Dyed. Nero robbed them. the Scythians | {
altered them, the Goths burned them.
ana failed those, vino trusted her with T
assures. but our God, to whom we may in
ISL all our treasures tor this world and the I
xt. and fail any one who puts confidence I
him be never will After the last jasper
umn has fallen, and the last temple on
tn has gone into ruins, and the world
eH mas suffered demolition, the Lord will {
ep for us our best treasures
BUT notice what killed Ephasus and what
5 killed most of the cities that lie buried in 2
Tbo