The Dickinson press., 1891-11-21

NNSAy " L ASto SSS 4klloNOS III vi
the islands associated with the name
OF the greatest missionary the world
yer saw or ever will see. Paul landed
there and that vas enough to make it
famous while the world stands and
famous i'll heaven when the world has
become a charred wreck.
As we nov on up through this
archipelago, am reminded of what
an important part the islands have
taken in the history OF the world.
They are necessary to the balancing
of the planet.
But there is one island that l longed
to see more than any other. af-
ford to miss the princes among theis-
lands! but l must see the king OF the
Archipelago. The one l long to see is
not so many miles in circumference as
Cyprus or Crete or Paros OR Naxos
or Scio or Mitylene, but had rather,
in this sail through the Gre
clan Archipelago, see that than all
others; for more of the glories of
heavenlanded there than on all the
islands and continents since theworld
stood. AS we came toward it 1 felt
my pulses quicken. 81, John, was in
the island thatisc called Patmos." tits
apple OF rock 2S miles in circumference.
A few expresses and inferior olives
pump q living out OF the earth, and
one palm tree spreads its foliage.
All the surroundings of the place
affected St. Johns imagery when he
speaks OF heaven. st. John, hungry
from enforced abstinence, or having
no food except that at which his
appetite revolted, thinks OF heaven;
and as the famished man is apt to
dream OF bountiful
TABLES COVERED WITH LUXURIEs,
so St. John says OF the inhabitants OF
heaven, "1hey shall hungerno more"
Scarcity OF fresh water on Patmos
and the hot tongue OF st. Johns
thirst leads him to admire heaven az
he says, "They shall thirst no more"
st. John hears the waves OF the sea
wildly dashing against the rocks and
each wave has a voice and all the
waves together make a chorus and
they remind him OF the multitudinous
anthems OF heaven, and he says,
"They are like the voice OF many
waters" One day, as he looked off
upon the sea. the waters were very
smooth, as it is today, while we sail
them in the Minerva, and they were
like glass and the sunset seemed to
set them on fire, and there was q
mingling OF white light and intense
flame, and as st. John looked out
from his cavern home, upon that
brilliant sea, he thought of the
splendors of heaven and describes
them Gas sea OF glass mingled with
fire" Yes, seated in the dark cavern
of Patmos. though homesick and
hungry and loaded with Domitian's
anathemas, St. John was the most
fortunate man on earth because OF the
panorama that passed before the
mouth OF that cavern.
Again the panorama passes before
the cavern OF Patmos, and John the
exile sees a mounted Christ on a
snow-white charger leading forth the
cavalry of heaven, the long line of
white chargers galloping through the
scene, the gathering OF hoofs, the
clinking Of bride. bits and the flash
OF spears, all the earth conquered and
all heaven in Doxology. And we halt
again to rest from the spectacle.
Again the panorama passes before
the cavern OF Patmos, and John the
exile sees great thrones lifted, thrones
OF martyrs, thrones OF apostles,
thrones OF prophets, thrones OF patri-
archs, and q throne higher than all
on which Jesus sits, and ponderous
hool,o u,.o o,opo1 +bai,, 1aoyos +,,,,o1
over, revealing the names OF all that
have ever lived, the good and the
bad, the renowned and the humble,
the mighty and the weak, and at the
turn OF every leaf the universe is in
rapture or fright and the saa. emntiaa
its sarcophagus OF all OF the dead OF
the sunken shipping and the earth
gives way, and the heavens vanish.
Again we rest @ moment from the
spectacle. The panorama moves on
before the cavern OF Patmos, and
John the exile beholds a city of gold,
and a river more beautiful than the
Rhine or the Hudson rolls through it,
and fruit trees bend their
burdens on either bank, and
all is surrounded by walls in
which the upholstery OF autumnal
forests, and the sunrises and sunsets
of all the ages, and the glory of burn
ing worlds seem to be commingled.
And the inhabitants never breathe a
sigh, or utter a groan, o. discuss a
difference, or frown q dislike, or weep
a tear. The fashion they wear i spure
white, and their foreheads are encir.
cled by garlands, and they who were
sick are we'll, and they who were old
are young, and they who were bereft
are reunited. And as the last figure
Of the panorama rolled out OF sight ]
think John must have fallen backinto
his cavern, nerveless and exhausted
Too much was it for the naked v to
look at. Too much was it for human
strength to experience.
My friends, | would not wonder if
you should have
VERY SIMILAR VISION
after awhile. You will be through this
world, its cares, and fatigues, and
struggles, and if you have served the
Lord and done the best you could, I
should not wonder if your dying bed
were IL Patmos. 1t often has been so.
was reading of a dying boy who,
while the family stood around sorrow
fully expecting each moment would be
the last cried: "Open the gates!
Open the gates! Happy! Happyl
Happy" You see the time will
come when you will, oh child OF
God, be exiled to your last sickness as
much as John was exiled to Patmos.
You will go into your room not to
come out again, for God is going to do
something better and grander and
happier for you than he has ever vet
done! There will be such visions let
down to your pillow us God gives 40
man if he is ever to return to this
same world. The apparent feeling OF
uneaslness and restlessness at the
time OF the CHRISTIANS departure, the
physicians say, is caused by no real
distress. 1t is ar unconscious and in
voluntry movement, and l think in
many cases it is the vision OF heaven.
ly gladness too great for mortal en-
rduance. 1t is only heaven breaking
in on the departing spirit. You see