burned them before all men; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver." This was a glorious triumph over Satan in his own territories, for Ephesus was a very wicked and idolatrous city, where magic was taught, and it was a deadly blow to the wicked art when the books were destroyed by which the people had learned how to perform it. The price of the books now burned has been reckoned, at the lowest rate, at about eight thousand eight hundred dollars; but some think it was not less than thirty-one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. Books were extremely dear before the art of printing was invented, and books on curious arts were dearer than others.

The apostle Paul now began to think about visiting some other parts, and having decided to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and thence to Jerusalem, and then to Rome, he sent forward Timotheus, or Timothy, to whom he wrote two epistles, and Erastus, who was chamberlain of the city of Corinth, as we learn in the sixteenth chapter of the Romans; and so these gave notice of his visit, and collected the Christians to receive him. While the apostle was about to leave Ephesus, there was, however, small stir" about the religion of Jesus; for the makers of images, which the idolatrous people called gods, having lost much of their custom, endeavored to excite a tumult, and to drive him out of the city.

no

Before we notice this affair, it may be necessary just to give you a short account of this famous city of Ephesus, and of its celebrated temple.

We have before said that Ephesus was the metropolis of Asia, and, indeed, it was the most famous place of trade in all Asia Minor. The ancient city stood about fifty miles south of Smyrna. It has long gone to decay, like many other once splendid cities of the East. The chief ornament of this city was the Temple of Diana, to erect which all the states in Asia were made to contribute a portion of their wealth. This temple was reckoned one of the wonders of the world. It was nearly as long as St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and nearly as wide as St. Paul's at its greatest breadth. It was supported by one hundred and twenty-seven marble pillars, seventy feet high, or twelve times the height of our tallest men, and these were either most curiously carved or highly polished. From accounts given by ancient writers this temple was two hundred and twenty years in building, and was continually improved for four hundred years. The imaginary goddess, Diana, was represented by a small statue made of ebony -a hard, black, and valuable wood-and the people were weak enough to believe that this piece of carved wood was sent down to them from heaven

by Jupiter, a name by which they distinguished one of the heathen gods, and whom they supposed to be the father of Diana. To this statue, therefore, they paid a great deal of reverence. It had been formerly placed in the trunk of an old elm, but, from the honors paid to it, it was at length provided with this magnificent building. All the inhabitants of Ionia went every year to Ephesus to solemnize a festival to "the great goddess Diana," and wives and children carried their offerings to her temple, many of which were exceedingly rich and valuable. Priests who officiated on this occasion were liberally maintained by the people; and the citizens, no doubt, made much money by the gathering together of so large a number of people, many during the continuance of the

of whom were wealthy, and who remained sports which accompanied their offerings.

The throngs that yearly visited Ephesus furnished the silversmiths with plenty of employment to make silver models of this famed building, which they so much venerated, and they brought no small gain to the craftsmen. One of these silversmiths in particular, whose name was Demetrius, called together his fellow-workmen, and told them of the injury they suffered by the reduced sale of their silver temples, in consequence of the apostle Paul having "almost throughout all Asia persuaded and turned away much people, saying, that they be no gods which are made with hands." And he showed that the temple itself was in danger of falling into contempt and neglect, owing to the success of the apostle's preaching. His interested auditors felt the force of what he said, and "they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

Their noise and shouting roused the whole city, and having put many others in a rage against the apostle's preaching, the mob caught Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul's companions, and they rushed with them into the

theatre, where public plays were acted in honor of the goddess, and where, among other things, men were set to fight with wild beasts; and very probably it was intended to hurry the servants of Christ thither to throw them to the wild beasts.

Paul, not in the least afraid, would have followed them into the theatre to preach the gospel even to this enraged multitude; but the Christians at Ephesus advised him not to expose himself to danger, and probably thought the people were not in a mind to attend to anything he might say.

When the people were got together in the theatre, a great many of them did not know why they were there, and as one asked another what was the matter, all were in confusion.

In the meantime Alexander, who was a professed Christian, was dragged into the theatre, the Jews helping to push him in, and so uniting in their wicked deeds with the Ephesian idolaters. Here Alexander would have defended his faith, but when he attempted to speak, the mob drowned his voice, and cried out, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" They knew that they could say nothing in their own defence in reply to Alexander, and so for two hours he tried in vain to speak, and they roared out against him.

At length "the town clerk" interfered. (This was a person of some influence and authority; and he hit upon a very good method to restore quietness.) "Why," said he, "you know that everybody worships the goddess Diana; there is no need to dispute about that; and you know that her image came down from Jupiter, and as nobody can contradict it, what need is there of all this noise?" (This is just what he would have said in English, for his words are to the same purport.) "Besides," he added, "these men have done no harm to our goddess; they have neither robbed the temple of her wealth, nor said anything that I know of against her dignity. However, if they have done any harm, the law is ready to appeal to; but if they have not, the injury will fall upon your own heads for disturbing the peace and making this terrible uproar; and if you do not immediately depart quietly home, you will all be in danger of being taken up as rioters." Having spoken to this effect, the people grew a little cool, and, seeing that they could do nothing to stop the doctrines of the apostle, and might injure themselves, they quietly departed to their homes. The foolishness of their proceeding was thus quickly made very apparent to the idolatrous multitude. In fact, there is nothing that can be made to appear so ridiculous to the least reflective mind, as the enmity that would overcome truth by the merest outcry and passion.

Paul's Travels and Preaching. His Arrest and Trial at Jerusalem.— Taken to Cesarea and Pleads in his Defence.

ACTS XX.-XXVI.

E have now to follow the apostle Paul rapidly through some more

of his travels; and, except a few occasional remarks, shall merely notice the places where he went, so as to explain their situation and importance, if they have not been noticed before.

Paul, having taken leave of the disciples at Ephesus, now went into Macedonia, and having visited the disciples there-at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, of which we have lately read-" he came into Greece," or, as some think, Achaia. Here he remained three months, and was preparing to sail for Syria, when he heard that the Jews were watching for him to kill him if he went in that direction; and so he resolved not needlessly to put himself into danger, but returned by land through Macedonia to visit the churches there. He was now accompanied into Asia by Sopater, of Beræa, and Luke, the writer of the Acts, who includes himself as one of the party when he speaks of "us;" and Aristarchus, and Secundus, of Thessalonica; and Gaius, of Derbe; and Timothy, and Tychicus, and Trophimus, of Asia, went on to prepare matters for the apostle's reception at Troas. They sailed from Philippi, as the apostle had intended to do, and it being a short way they reached Troas in five days. The apostle, however, was not many hours behind them, since he joined them there and spent a Sabbath with them, and they remained there altogether but seven days.

The companions of Paul now took a passage in a ship to go from Troas to Assos, a city of Asia by the sea-side; and here the apostle, having travelled on foot, shortly joined them; when, having been taken into the ship, they sailed for Mitylene, a city in Lesbos, an island situated in the Egean Sea, now known by the name of the Archipelago, being that part of the Mediterranean Sea which divides Greece from Asia Minor. Thence they continued their course "over against Chios," another island in the Egean Sea, and the next day they reached Samos, another island in the same sea, and anchored or stopped at Trogyllium, a small island near Samos, for there was a bay here convenient for vessels to anchor in; and the next day they came to Miletus, the chief city of Ionia. In his way to this place he passed by Ephesus, for he had determined to sail past it, "because he would not spend the time in Asia," wishing to be at Jerusalem