The Palatka news and advertiser., 1903-03-13
COPYRIGHT, DAVIS W, CLARK.
PLEASANT FIELDS OF HOLY WRIT
Save for my daily range
Among the pleasant fields of Holy Writ,
l might despair. -Tennyson'
The International Sunday School
Lesson.

|
Lesson.
First Quarter. Lesson Xi. Acts
xix, 29-4l. March 10, 1903.
THE RIOT AT EPHEsUs.
The Temple of Diana was a citadel
Of paganism. Embellished by the
pencil of Apelles and the chisel Of
Phidias, it was in itself incOmparably !
beautiful. 1t was favorite asylum
for political and civil fugitives' 1t
was colossal safety-deposit vault,
holding the wealth of Western Asia.
All this, as well as shrine OF w0r-
ship. 1t is affirmed that there was
no religious building in the world in
which was concentrated greater
amount of admiration, enthusiasm
and superstition. The strategy
skill of st. Paul is here eXemplified'
Next to Rome, Ephesus was the mos
influential metropolis in the world
The apostle awaited himself of eI
multitudes coming and going at thl'
Asiatic Vanity Fair to send his mes
sage to the ends of the earth. HIS
dauntless courage is shown in the
assault upon this Acropolis of pagan.
ism. Success proves the divinity OF
his gospel.
This stirring scene in Paul's event
full Ephesian pastorate il vividly pre-
sented. He was evidently pressing
heathenism to the wall in its very
stronghold. Some sort of counter
movement must needs be made De
metrius proved a clever leader, a past
master as Il labor agitator. His ap--
peal was to seli-interest. "lf Paul
succeeded their craft was at an end,
This bald monetary consideration
was gIlded with religious veneration'
The propaganda of tumult succeeded
The mob resorted to the theater, TAX
ing with them two of Pauls com
panions. Paul himself was restrained
from filing an appearance i'll person.
The Jews failed in an effort to put
forward an orator who should exon
crate them from any completely with
the new sect of Christians, with
: whom they were commonly identl-
fed in current opinion.
The riotous assembly was finally
dissolved by city official who made
a most skilful plea for order, affirm
: ing, in his address, the inVincible de-
e vOtion of the city to the goddess, the
=. innocence of the men detained, the
: constant and easy accessibility of the
courts of law, the unlawfulness of the
, present assembly, the general liabll--
i ity. of the city, and the personal
e amenabillty of those present to the
= Roman emperor for the disorders,
i then occurring. Scarcely had the
d official ceased speaking, before the
multitude, moment before so Yocl-
ferrous, quietly dissolved. -,
Paul had struck paganism a with
ering blow. Yet he was no icono-
l. clast. The city recorder officially
n exonerated him, affirming that he
r was no church robber or blasphemer'
- He overthrow idolism by the intro
~ duction of new love, depending
it upon its expulsive power to accom-
II pfish the rest. Logic opened the way
for love. Two hours of continuous
shrieking of the pagan shlbboleth
were insufficient to drown out the
lie apostles appeal to reason. Ihe
Il success of Paul was splendid. The
y humble schoolroom Of Tyrannus WED
e in attraction with the Temple OF
e Diana. The visitors to the May Fes-
it tival of Ephesus, instead of carrying
q home the pretty silver shrines, took
the story CT the cross with them. III
the briefest time, and in the COM
pletest manner, the city was meta
mOrphOsed. Far above the jasper
'e porch of the huntress goddess
k cleaned the sign of Christianity
It Soon Ephesus took it's place among
&c the Apocalyptic churches of Asia
" To it Paul addressed the letter de,
l. clared to be profoundest of all. Wei
Ie NAV one eXclaim: "What has become
T. A. af JNinnuO (Nu1 =
! wonder of the earth be vanished like
= phantom, without leaving. trace
N behind?" Temple, idol, priest anC
rs shrinemaker are gone, but the gospe
s. remains, and is the power of God.
rs THE TEACHERS LANTERN.
Ephesus is a fascinating city to the
Bible reader. Here Mary, the Lords
mother, died. John wrote here his
l. Gospel and Epistles, and died {
l. natural death, forming the only eX'
e ception to martyrdom among the
l., Apostles. Timothy was the bishop
e of the church, and to him two pas.
g toral epistles were addressed, besidt s
is one to the church itself. Here the
l. third Ecumenical Council, A. d. 43l
t, was held.
= Interest eliminates in Paul's eX.
II periences. He fought like gladia.
z tor with the beast of prejudiceo
IS Judaism and an inflamed heathen.
+. ism.
j. Paul's methods are capable of uni,
IS versal application. He paid first at.
n tention to the semi-Christians (Dis.
n ciples of John Baptistl, then sought
II to bring defec tive Christians (those
II still using magic artsl up to the true
e standard, and finally proceeded
against heathenism.
The shrInemakers' strike was q
sort of ancient labor trouble-a trades
d union affair. But it was in defense
% of craft that had no rational
- grounds for existence. Methods were
II used which our enlightened labor
= leaders of today would scOrn.
n The vanity of opposition to the
: truth is admirably illustrated in the
: Ephesian episode.
e Demetrius unwittingly paid higl
: compliment to Paul and his gospel
e (Versus 26, 27.)
# 1t admits of question whether the
modern labor strike does not beal
y some resemblance to the tumult
e among the silversmiths Of Ephesus;
@ whether the arguments used are not
- somewhat similar; whether there is
:. not still the appeal to prejudice.
II Corrupt persons with selfish ends
e are still able to foment trouble and
gain adherents in church and state
Great is Diana! Every cause has
its watchword; every sect its shib-
boleth. In too many instances the
name of the goddess is displaced only