Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-12-04
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: The City of Ephesus. -

TEXT; 'Greatts Diana ofthe E1ohesious n
Acts xix "a
We have landed this morning ar Sur-na
CITY or As1atlc Turkey. One of the seven
churches OF Asia once stood here You read
IN keTeIatlon, TO the church in SMYRNA
Wrte. IL Is a city that has often been
shaken by earthquake swept by conaopra.
tlon, blasted by plaques and butcbered nv
war, ana here Bishop Polycarp stood in a
crowded amphitheater and when he was
asked 70 give up the advocacy of the Chris
Clan rellglon and save himself from MARTYR
dom, the proconsuI saying, Swear and I
Telease tnee; reproach Christ" replied
HignIy ana SIX years have 1 served Him
ana lie never did me wrong: how then can
revlie my King and Saviour"
w hen he was brought to the firaS into
whlch he was about to be thrust and the of.
nclais were about to fasten him to the stake
ne said: Let me remain as I am, for He
VINO glVeth me strength to sustain tha fire
VII e1aoIe me also without your securing
me with nails to remain unmoved in the
hre. history says the fires refused to con-
sumo MIN, and under the wind the flames
bent outward so that they did not touch his
person, and therefore he was slain by swords
ana spears. One cypress bending over his
grave IS the only monument to Bishop Poly-
carp. -'-'
but we are on the way to the city of Ephe-
sus' about fifty miles from Smyrna. We
are ADVISED not to go to Ephesus. The
practice of cutting off the ears of travellers
ana sending these specimens OF ears down to
Smyrna, demanding a ransom The BAN
aus suggest to the friends Of the persons
from Wnom the ears have been subtracted
that II they would like to have the rest Of
the body they will please send an aDpronriate
sum OF money. If the money is not sent the
mutllated prisoners will be assassinated
One traveller was carried off to the robbers
den, and 5000 was paid for his rescue The
oRNH h1l~4 IL
pictures OF these CHASTITY heads are on sale in
Che shops OF Smyrna for any person who
may desire to have something to look at on
their way to Ephesus
mere nave been cases where ten and
twenty and thirty and forty thousand dollars
nave been demanded by these brieands. We
ola not 1eel like putting our friends to such
expense, and 1T was suggested that we had
De1ter omit Ephesus. But that would have
Deen a disappointment from which we would
never recover. We must see Ephesus-
associated with the most wonderful apostolic
scenes. We hire special railway train and
IN ABOUT an hour and half we arrive at the
Guy OF Ephesus, which was called ''The Great
metropolis OF Asia" and Zone of the Ewes of
Asia, and THE Empress of Ionia,n the cant
TAI Oh all learning and magnificence. Here.
as SAID, was one Of the seven churches OF
ASIA, and first of all visit the ruins of that
churcn where once an ecumenlcal council of |
Two thousand ministers of religion was held |
Mark the fulfllment of the prophecy. OF |
the seven churches of Asia four were COM |
mended in the Book of Revelation and three
were doomed. The cities having the four J
commented churches still stand: the cities I
having the three doomed churches are wiDed |
out. 1t occurred Just as the Bible said II
would occur. Drive on and you come to the
theatre, which was $50 feet from wall to wall
capable of holding So 200 spectators Here
ana there the walls arise almost unbroken,
Dut tOT the most part the building is down,
AS took my place at the centre OF this
theatre and looked around at its broken Law
ers or 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 a trowel On those
walls, and every foot that trod those stairs
ana every eye that gaZed on that amphi-
theatre, and every voice that greeted the
combatants IN that arena had gone out of
nearing ana slGht Tor ages on ages, felt
thrl!l OF interest that almost penetrated me
amid the ruins
Standing there we could not forget that
IN that building once assembled a riotous
throng for PaUPs condemnation, because
what he preached collided with the idoIatrv
of their national goddess. Paul tried to get
into that theatre and address the excited
but his friends held him back lest
he be torn to pieces by the mob, and the re-
corder OF the city had to read the riot act
among the people who had shrieked for two
mortal hours till their threats were sore and
THY We're black in the face, Great is Diana
Of the Ephesians."
Now we step into the Stadium. Enough
OF It's walls and appointments are left to
show what a stupendous place it must have |
oeen when used for foot-races and for fights !
With WI q beasts. 1t was building $50 feet
ong by 200 feet wide. Paul refers to what
.ransplred there in the way of spectacle
when he says, We have been made spec
ace" Yes" Paul says, II have fought
With beasts at Ephesus," an expression
Usually taken as figurative, but L SUPPOSE it
vas literally true, for one of the amuse-
Nents IN that Sta mum was to put disliked
nan IN the arena with a hungry lion or tiger
II panther, and let the fight go until either
he man or the beast or both were slain,
1t must have been great fun for these
l2terS OF Christianity to hear that on the
morrow IN the Stadium in Epnesus the mis-
lon&ry Paul would, in the presence of the {
rowded galleries, fight hungry lion. Tho /
'eop.e were early there to get the best seats {
lever assembled. They took their dinner c
'lththen. And was there ever a more I'M | g
quai combat proposed? Paul, according to j
small, crooked backed and weak d
yed. but the grandest man in sixty CEN a
uiles Is led to the center as the people shout: y
mere he comes, the preacher who has t
early ruined our religion. The lion will o
lake but brief mouthful of him. v
1t IS plain that all the sympathies of that b
rOwd are with the hon. In one of the a
Underground rooms hear the growl OF the e.
lid beasts. They have been kept or several |
avs without food or water in order that they
lay be especially ravenous and bloodthirsty. | II
hat Chance Is there for Paul? But YOU | tt
annot yell by mans 2:ze or looks how stout | d
blow he can strike OF -~v keen blade he | Il
III thrust. Witness, heaven and earth and | ii
ell, this struggle OF Paul with a wild beast | c.
he coolest man in the Stadium is Paul. a
hat has he to fear? He has deied all the | ii
overs, earthly and internal and If his boiy | t