The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-08-20

III q ls5f%t'aS1SS*hsr.E MCdlth ana Wlch-
edness Of the old
nations met under the shadow of the
grandest monuments OF ancient art
and idolatry, the temple of Diana.
1t seems that the chief business of
the ancient city was the manufacture
OF silver shYiucs containing mina-
ture image Of the goddess, which was
sold as a memcnto of the temple, and
also as a popular idol, A man by the
name of Demctrius had monopoly
of the business, which the Bible says
brought no small gain to the crafts
man."
Hard Times in Idol Trade.
But after Paul had been preaching
in Ephesus for some time, business
began to get dull in the idol trade
The manufacturers found that the de-
mand did not equal the supply, idols
became a drug on the market, the
people had all gone off after the popu-
lar preacher and Diana's shrine was
neglected. So Demetrius called his
people together and put the blame on
the preacher. He showed them that
the new religion was interfering with
their bread and butter. He worked
the financial end Of the arguments for
all it was worth, fired the hearts OF
the mob like an American demagogue,
until they rushed forth into the street
to lynch the preacher. They howled
about the house where he was sup.
icGed to be and not finding Paul,
hauled out two OF his companions and
assaulted them for consorting with
such rascal. Through the streets
they swarmed shouting, Great is Di-
ana of the Ephesians!"
They finally adjourned to the the
atre, where for two mortal hours they
yelled and gesticulated and shrieked
out their maledictionS against anybody
and everybody who was opposed to
Diana. 1t was scene as delirious as
Black Friday on the stock exchange,
with people in a wild stampede Of
fear, and the great mass of them
bowling without any idea what they
were yelling about Or, as the Bible
puts it, Some cried one thing and
some another; for the assembly was
confused, and the more part knew not
wherefore they were come together" "
Christianity Revolutionary.
The lesson taught by this story is
that christianity is revolutionary.
There is nothing so ruinous to every
form of sin, nothing that so interferes
with established iniquity nothing that
has such tendency to upset things
as our glorious christianity. Re.
| ligion has been often misrepresented
as a principle of tears and fastidious.
ness; afraid OF crossing peoples pre-.
| judices, afraid of making somebody
mad: handling men as though they
were the very thinnest Bohemian
glass, so very delicate that with one
rough touch 1t may be demolished for
| ever. No! religion is not a refined
and delicate aroma, spiritual chloro
form for people to take until the SHARP
cutting of life is over Men who ought
to know better sometimes write books
entitled Apologies for Christianity,
the title more expressive OF the author
than Of the book. Religion is not g
puny little dwarf to be carried arounG
on exhibition and admired for its deH
cate features. 1t is brawny, robust
revolutionary giant, ransacking ant
upsetting ten thousand things thai
now seem to be as fixed and settled as
was the worship of Diana.
Bullets Versus Raisns.
It would not be considered very
complimentary to a preacher these
days to have such a mob after him a!
Paul had. But in his day it was un
complimentary if he didn't. Paul al
ways had an opinion on every subjec
that he handled. and when he was il
a city, instead of preaching what thu
people liked he preached what HI
thought they needed. There are 81
many these days who are floaters-
lowering over popular sin but neve
lighting upon it. They use elegan
rhetoric and soft speech and flattel
ing apostrophe. They preach meta
physics, dry as last years bird nes
and as empty; or they thresh out tn
old straw OF dead and buried evil
that nobody can object to. And whel
man does rise up who strike
straight from the shoulder there is a
ways a rattling among the dry bones
and he is fortunate if he holds on I
his job.
When the Scotch Covenanter
were at one time in battle their an
munition gave out and they had t
wait for bullets. They expected a bal
rel of bullets A barrel came dow
but it was the wrong one, sent by mis-
take. 1t was barrel of raisins. The
knocked in the head of the barrel an
sat down in defeat. That is largel
the fault now. Churches are dying c
great sermons and splendid services
What we need Is less confestionar