Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-19

IOOteQ. lnere was 4 cave WIFI statue 81
intensely brilliant that extinguished the
eyes of those who looked upon it, unless. at
the command of the priests, the hand OF the
Spectator some hat shaded the Eyes No
wonder that even Anthony ana eEander
AMI Darius cried out IN The WORDS of my
text: Great is Diana OF the EpheSlanS.
One whole month of each year. the month
of May, was devoted to her worship. Pro
cessions in garbs of purple and violet and
scarlet moved through it, and there We're
torches and anthems, and choirS in white
and timbrels and triangles in music, sacri-
fees and dances. Here young men and
maidens were betrothed with imposing GER
emony. Nations voted large amounts TO
meet the expense of the worship. Fish
cries of vast resource were devoted to the
support of this resplendence. Horace and
Virgil and Homer went into rhapsOdies
while describing this worship. All artists,
all psychologists, all centuries, agreed in
saying: Great is Diana of the EpheSlans. \"
Paul, in the presence of this temple of Dl-
ana, incorporates il in his figures of speech
while speaking of the spiritual temple,
Now, if any man build upon this founda-
ton, gold, silver, precious stones. etc. - and
no doubt with reference to one of the pre-
vious temples which had been set on fire by
Herostratus. Just for the fame of destroy
ing il. Paul SAYS: If any mans work shall
be burned. he shall suffer loss, etc. " aud all
up and down Paul's 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 Aquilla
and Priscilla of Bible mention, who were
professors in an eXtempcriZed theological
seminary and they taught the eloquent
ApOllos how to be eloquent for Christ
Here John preached, and from here because
of his fidelity he was exiled 10 Patmos
Here Paul warred against the magical arts
for which Ephesus was famous
THE SoRCERERS
of this city pretended that they could cure
diseases, and perform almost any miracle,
by pronouucing these SenseleSS words:
"Aski Cataski Liz Tetrax Damnameneus
Aision." Paul having performed j miracle
in the name of Jesus, there was a lying
family of seven brothers who initiated the
Apostle, and instead of their usual words
of incarnation, used the word Jesus
over man who was possessed of a devil,
and the man possessed few at them in great
tierceneSS and nearly tore these frauds to
pieces, and in consequence all Up and down
the streets of Ephesus there was indigna-
ton excited against the magical arts, aud
great bonfire of magical books was kindled
in the streets, and the people stirred the
blaze until $4,000 worth of black art litera-
ture had burned to ashes.
But all the glory of Ephesus l have de-
scribed has gone now. At some seasons OF
the year awful malariaS sweep over the
place and put upon mattress or in graves
large portion of the population. In the ap-
proXimate marshes scorpions, centlpedes
and all forms Of reptillian life crawl and
hiss and sting, while hyenas and jackalS at
night stink in and out of the ruins of build
ings which once startled the nations with
their almost 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 pro
vide food. Diana was huntress. In pict-
ureS on many of the coles she held Stag by
the horn with one hand and bundle of ar
rows in the other. Oh, this is
HUNGRY WORLD.
Diana could not give one pound of meat, or
one mouthful of food to the millions of her
worshipers. She was ldead divinity, an
imaginary God, and so in idolatrouS lands
the vast majority OF people never have
enough TO eat 1t is only in the countries
where the God of heaven and earth is wor-
SHIPPED 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 proper
ton as he is worshiped does plenty reign.
So also in the temple of Diana the world
expressed its need Of 4 refuge. To 1t from
all parts of the land came debtors who
could not pay their debts and the offenders
of the law that they might escape incarcer-
alton. But she sheltered them only little
while, and while she kept them from ar
rest she could not change their hearts and
the guilty remained guilty. But our God
in Jesus Christ is a refuge into which we
may fly from all our sins and all our pur-
suers, and not only be safe for time but
s., no. ts. I'D
and the nature is transformed. What
Diana could not do for her worshipers our
Christ accomplishes for us.
Rock of ages cleft for me.
Let me hiue myself in thee.
Then, in that temple were deposited
treasure from all the earth for safe keep
ing ChrySostom says il was the treasure
house of nations; they brought gold and sill
yer and precious stones and corouetS from
across the sea and put them under the care
of Diana OF the Ephesians. But again and
again were those treasures ransacked, cap
tured or destroyed. Nero robbed them, the
Scythians scattered them, the Goths burned
them. Diana failed those who had trusted
her with treasures. but our God, TO him we
may entrust all our treasures for this world
and the next, and fail any one who puts
confidence in him he never will. After the
last jasper column has fallen and the last
world itself has suffered demolition, the
Lord will keep for Us our best treasures.
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 invigor-
alton 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
i've times day. When the keeper of the
baths was reprimanded for not having them
warm enough. one of the rulers said you
blame him for not making the bath warm
enough; | blame you because you have it
warm at all" But that warm bath which
euervated EoheSus, and which is always
except when followed by cold
paths tnO reference, of course. 10 delicate
was only type of what
went on in all departments of Ephesian
life, and in luxurious indulgence EpheSuS
Tell. and the last triangle of music was
inlied in Diana's temple, and the last
disappeared from her Gymnasiums.
md the last racer took his garland in the
Stadium, and the last plea was heard in her
forum, ard, even the sea, as if to withdraw
he last commercial opportunity from that
REITERATED DOWN THE BEACH,
eaviDg her without the harbor in which
lad fioated thousand ships. Brooklyn,
New York. London and all modern cities.
,iS-Atlantic and transatlantic, take warn
ng. What luxury unguarded did for Ephe-
'us, luxury unguarded may do for all Op-
Hence and splendor God grant to all the
people, to all the cities, to all the lands, but
1t the same time may he grant the right
,ous use of them.