Connecticut western news., 1891-11-19

Fisheries 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 archeologists, all centuries agreed 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 speaking of the spiritual temple, "Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold. silver, precious stones, etc., and no doubt with refer ence to one of the previous temples which had been set on fire by Heros- tratus just for the fame of destroying 1t, Paul says, "If any mans work shall be burned he shall suffer loss, etc. ," and all up and down Paups writings you realize that he had not only seen, but had been nightly impressed with what he had seen of the Temple of Diana.
 NOTED CHRISTIANS OF EPHKsUs.
 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 extelnporized theological seminary, and they taught the eloquent Apollos how to be elo- quent 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. The sor- cerers of this city pretended that they could cure diseases, and perform al- most any miracle, by pronouncing these senseless words, "Aski Cataski Lix Tetrax Damnameneus Aision."
 Paul having performed miracle in the name of Jesus, there was lying family of seven brothers who initiated the apostle, and instead of their usual words of incantation, used the word Jesus over a man who was possessed of 8 devil, and the man possessed flew at them in great f1erceness and nearly tore these frauds to pieces, and in conse- quence all up and down the streets of Ephesus there was indignation excited against the magical arts, and a great bonfire of magical books was kindled in the streets, and the people stirred the blaze until thirty five thousand dol lars, worth of black art literature had burned to ashes.
 But all the glory of Ephesus have described has gone now. At some sea sons of the year awful nalarias sweep over the place and put upon mattress or in graves large portion of the pop ulation. In the approximate marshes scorpions, centipedes and all forms of reptile life crawl and hiss and sting, while hyenas and jackals at night slink in and out of the ruins of buildings which once startled the nations with their almost supernatural grandeur.
 But here is a lesson which has never yet been drawn out. Do you not see in that temple of Diana an expression of what the world needs2 It 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. 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 a dead divinity, an imaginary god, and so in idolatrous lands the vast majority of people never have enough to eat. It is only in the countries where the God of heaven and earth is worshiped 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 worshiped does plenty reign.
 So also in the temple of Diana the world expressed it's need of refuge. To it from all parts of the land came debtors who could not pay their debts and offenders of the law that they might escape incarceration, but she sheltered them only 8 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 transformed. What Diana could not do for her worshipers our Christ ac- complishes for us.
 Rock of ages cleft for me,
 Let me hide myself in thea.
 WHAT DESTROYED EPHEsUsf
 Then, in that temple were deposited treasures from all the earth for safe keeping. Chrysoston says it was the treasure 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 or destroyed. Nero robbed them, the Scythians scattered them, the Cloths burned them. Diana failed those who trusted her with treasures, but our God, to him we may intrust 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 temple on earth has gone into ruins and the world itself has suffered dem- clifton, 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 tbe invigoration of the people, the hot baths, which are only intended for the infirm or tho in valid, were substituted. In these hot baths many lay most of the time ..4l.e>,,, l>Gl<<, Al>>..