The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1891-12-18
SIGHTSEEING.
Or. Talmago Goes to Ephesus by
Special Train,
And Into "Onc OF tho Eyes Of Asia" Looks
sermon by Rev. 4. DE witt
Talmngc, ID. ID.

DIR. Talmage's sermon last Sunday
was: Acts Nix "a, Great is Diana OF
The Ephesians."
We have landed this morning at
Smyrna. city Of Asiatic Turkey One
of the seven churches of Asia once
stood here. You read in Revelation,
"To the church in Smyrna write"
1t is u city that has often been shaken
by earthquake, swept by conhagration,
plaques and butchcrcd 10y war; and
here Bishop Polycarp stood in II crowd
ed amphithcatcr, and when he was
asked to give up the advocacy of the
Christian religion and save himself
from martvrdom, the pro.consul say
ing: Swear and | release thee; re-
proach Christ" replied: Eighty and
six years have | served him, and lie
never did me wrong; how then can
revilc my King and Saviour When
he was brought to the fires into which
he was about TO be thrust, and the Off
Gals were about to fastcn him to n
stake, he said: Let me remain as am,
for He who giveth me strength TO sus.
tain the fire will enable me also with.
out your securing me with nails to re-
main unmovcd in the fire"
History says the fires refused 10 con-
sumo him, and under the winds the
flames bent outward so that they did
not touch his person, and therefore, he
was slain 10y spears and swords. One
cypress bending over his grave is the
only monument 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
Ephcsus; the band Is in that region
have had an ugly practice of cutting off
the ears of travellers, and sending these
specimens of ears down to Smyrna, de-
handing Il ransom. The bandits sug-
gest to the friends of the persons from
whom the ears have been substractcd
that if they would like to have the rest
of the body they will please send an APP.
propriatc sum of money. If the money
is not sent, the mutilated prisoners will
be assasSinated.
One traveller was carried off to the
robbers den, and $500 was paid for
his rescue. The bandits were caught
and beheadcd, and pictures of these
CHASTITY heads are on sale in the shops
of Smyrna for any persons who may de-
sire to have something to look at on
their way to Ephesus. There have
been eases where ten and twenty and
thirty and forty thousand dollars have
been demanded 10y these brigands. We
did not feel like putting our friends to
such expense. and it was suggested
that we had better omit Ephesus. But
that would have been disappointment
from which we would never recover
We must see EpheSus-asSociatcd with
the most wonderful apostolic scenes
We hire a special railway train, and in
about an hour and half we arrive at
the city of Ephesus, which was called
THE Great Metropolis of Asia" and
zone of the Eyes of Asia" and "The !
Empress of Ionia," the capital of all |
learning and magnifcence.
Here, as ! said, was one of the seven |
churches of Asia, and first of all we
visit the ruins of that church where |
once an Kcumenical council of 1000 |
ministers of religion was held Mark !
the fulfllment of the prophecy! or
the seven churches of Asia, four were
commended in the Book of Revelation, |
and three were doomed. The cities
having the four commended churches
still stand; the cities having the three
doomed churches are wiped out. 1t oc-
CURED lust as the Bible said il would
occur Drive on and you come TO the
thcatcr, which was 600 feet from wall
to wall, capable of holding SO, 700 spec
tators. Here and there the walls arise
unbrokcn, but for the most part the
building is down. Just enough of 1t is
left to help the imagination build it up
as it was when those audiences shouted
and clappcd at some great spectacular.
Their huZzas must have been enough to
stun the heavens.
AS took my place at the center OF
this theater and looked around Mt its
broken layers of stone, gallery upon
gallery, gallery upon gallery, and piled
up into the bleak skies of that winter
day, and thought that every hand that
swung trowel on these walls, and
every foot that trod those stairs, and
every eye that gazcd upon that amphi-
theater, and every voice that greeted
the combatants in that arena had gone
out of hearing and sight for ages and
ages, felt a thrill of interest that al
most Frustrated me amid the runs
Standing there, we could not forget that
in that building once assembled a riot
Gus throng for Paurs condemnation
because what he preached collided
with the idolatry OF their national god
dess.
Paul tried to get into that theater and
address the excited multitude, but his
friends held him back, lest he be torn