The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-11-24

H eaa'h 'sotSt oho ottttlGb DiONGu u,
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 be-
trothed with imposing ceremony! Ma
tiens voted lafge amounts TO meet the
expense OF the worship. Fisheries of
vast resource were devoted to the sup
port OF this resplendence. Horace and
virgil and Homer went into rhapsodies
while deegibing this worship.
All Artists, all archaologist, all cen
turtles, agreed In saying. "Great is Diana
4 OF the Ephesiaps." Paul, in the presence
OF this Temple of Diana, incorporates
Ing of ttG spiritual temple, Now If
any man build upSp 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, "If any
mans work shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss, etc." and all up and down
Paul 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
Aquilla and Priscilla of Bible mention,
who were professors in an extenporiz-
ed theological seminary, and they
taught the eloquent Apolios how to be
| eloquent for Christ. Here John preach
ed, and from here because OF his fideli-
ty 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 almost
any miracle, by pronouncing these sense
less words, "Aski Cataski Lix Tetrax
Damnameneus Aision."
Paul having performed 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 incantation used tho word
Jesus over a man who was possessed Of
u devil, and the man possessed flew at
them in great fierceneSs 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 u great
bonfire Of magical books was kindled in
the streets, and the people stirred the
blaze until thirty live thousand dollars
burned to ashes.
But, all the glory of Ephesus l have
described has gone now. At some sea.
| sons of the year awful malaries sweep
| over the place and put upon mattress or
in gfaves large portion of the popu-
| lation. In the approximate marshes
| scorpions, centipedeS and all forms of
reptilian 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 granduer.
But here is a lesson which has never
| yet been drawn out. Do you not sue in
that temple of Diana an expression OF
| what the world needs. 1t wants God
who can provide food. Diana was
huntress. In pictures on many of the
coins she held stag with one hand
and bundle of arrows in the ether.
Oh, this is hungry world! Diana
| could not give one pound of meat or
enc mouthful of food to the millions Of
her worshipers. She was dead diyin-
ity, an imaginary god, and so in idola-
| trous lands-t the vast majority of people
never have enough to eat. 1t is only
in the countries where the God of heav-
en- 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 harYests, and in proportion as
he is worshiped does plenty reign.
SO also in the Temple of Diana the
world expressed its need Of a refuge
TO it from all parts of the land came
debtors who could not pay their debts
and the offenders of the law that they
| might escape incarceration. But she
| sheltered them only 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 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 wor.
shippers, our Christ accomplishes for us.
Rock of ages cleft for mo,
Let me hide myself in thee.
Then, in that temple were deposited
treasures from all the earth for safe
keeping. ChrysostOm says it was the
treasure house of nations; they brought
gold and silver and precious stones and
coronets from across the sea, and PIT
them under the care of Diana OF the
Ephesians. But again and again where
treasures ransacked, captured or des.
troyed. Nero robbed them, the Scythians
| OuC UuIuGll lltlll.
Diana failed those who trusted her with
treasures, but our God, TO him we may
intrust all Our treasures Tor this world
and the next, and fail any one who
puts confidencd 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 suf-
fered 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
Luxuryl The costly baths, which had
been the means of health to the city be.
came its ruin. Instead of the cold
baths that had been the invigoration 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. Au-
thors wrote books while in these baths.
Business was neglected and hot bath
taken four or Ave times day. When
the keeper of the baths was reprimand-
ed for not having them warm enough
one Of the rulers said, "You blame him
for not making the baJh warm enough !;
blame you because you have 1t warm
at ALL"
Gymnasiumsp Yes, but see that the
yigor gained in them be consecrated to
God. Magnificent temples of worship :?
Yes. but see that In them instead Of
conventionalities and cold pomp Of SER
vice there be warmth of devotion and