Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-11-14

Rhodes needs something higher than tbs
Colossus, and the day will come When ths
Christ, whom Paul was serving when he
sailed into the harbor of Rhodes, shah take
possession OF that island.
As we move on up through this archi-
pelago, l 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 The two henis-
pheres must have them. As you put down
upon a scale the heavy pound weights, aud
then the small ouuces-and no one thinks OF
despising the small Weights, the con-
tinents are ths pounds AMI the islands ara
the ounces. A continent is only larger
island, and an island only a smaller CONT.
nent Something of what paFs the is audS
have taken in the worlds history you VIII see
when remind you that TIE Island of Salanis
produced Scion, AMI that the Island of Chios
produced Homer, and the Island OF Samos
produced Pythagoras, and the Is and of Coos
produced Hippocrates.
But there Is one island that longed to see
more than any other | can afford to miss
toe princes among the Islands, but | must see
the king of the archipelago. The one longed
to see is not so many miles in circumference
as Cyprus or Crete or Paros or Naxos or
Scio or Mityene, but had rather. in this
sail through the Grecian archipelago sea
that than all the othars; for more Of the
glories of heaven landed there than on all
the islam Is and continents sincs the world
stood. As we come toward it | feel my
pulses quicken. Il John, was in the island
that is called Patmos.n 1t is pile of rocks
twantv-aioht miles in circumference. A few
expresses and inferior olives pump living
out of the ear6h aud one palm tree spreads
its foliage. But the barrenness and gloom
and loneliness of the island made it prison
for the banshed evangelist
Domitian could not stand his ministry,
and one day, under armal guard, that min
lister of the Gospel stepped from a tossing
boat to these dismal ROCKS and walke1 uo to
the oismal cavern which was to be his home
and the pace where should pass before him
all the conf CTS OF coming time and all the
raptures OF a coming eternity. Is it not re-
markable that nearly all the great revela-
tions of music aud postry and religion have
been male to men in punishment Homer
and Milton banishel into blindness; Beeth-
oven banisle1 into deafness; Dante writing
his "Divina Commedia" during the nineteen
years of Punishment from his native land;
Victor Hugo writing his LES Miserab!esn
exi,ed from home aud country on the island
of Guernsey, and the brightest visions of
the future have been given to those who by
sickness or sorrow were exiled from the
outer worl1 into rooms of suffering. Only
those who have been imprisoned by very.
hard surroundings have had great revela-
tons made to them.
SO Patmos, wild, chill and bleak and ter
rible was the best island in all the archi-
pe,ago, the best place in all the earth for
divine revelations. Before panorama can
be successfully seen, the room in which you
sit must be darkened, and in the presence of
John was to pass such panorama as no
man ever before saw or ever will see in this
world, and hence the gloom of his surround
ings was help rather than an hindrance.
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 Doubtful tables covered with
luxuries, so St. John says Of the inhabitants
of heaven They shall hunger no more.n
Scarcity of fresh water on Patmos and the
hot tongue of st. Johns thirst leads him to
admire heaven as he says, "They shall thirst
no more.p
st. John hears the waves of the sea wildly
dashing against the rocks, and each wave
has voice, AMI all the waves together make
a chorus, and they remind him of the multi
tudinous anthems of heaven and he saws
They are like the voice of many waters :"
One day, as he looke1 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 sunlight seemed to
set then on fire and there was mingling of
white light AMI 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 'As sea of
glass mingled with fire. Yes, seated in the
dark cavern of Patmos, though homesick and
hungry and loaded with Domitian's anathe-
mas. st, John was thu most fortunate man
on e1rth because OF the panorama that
passed before the mouth of that cavern
Turn floyun all ha Iirht n h.
ter see it. The panorama passes aud 10 the
conquering Christ. ro5ed, cir flsd, armed, tia
Hash OF golden can3lssticks and seven stars
in His right hand, candesticks and stars
meaning light held M AMI light scattered
And there passes a throne and Christ on it.
I'd the seals broSen and the woes sounded,
and dragon slain AMI seven last plaques
swoop, and seven vials are poured out, and
the vision vanishes Aud we halt a moment
to rest from tho exciting spectacle, Again
the panora moves on before the cavern of
Patmos, and John the exile sees a great city
representing all denominations, Babylon tow
cred, palaced, tempted. fountaine1. folsged.
Sculptured. hanging gardens, suddenly going
crash crash and the pipers cease to pipe,
and the trumpets cease to trum pat, AMI ths
dust, aud the smoke, and the horror fill the
canvas, while from above and beneath are
voices announcing, Babylon is fallen. is
fallen" And we halt gain to rest from tbs
spectacle.
Again the panorama passes before the
cavern of Patmos aud John the exile sees
mounted Christ on a snow white charger
leading forth the cavalry of heaven, the long
line of white chargers galloping through the
scene, tae clattsrirg of hoofs the clinking of
bride bits, and the fash of spears, all the
earth conquered aud all heaven in Doxology.
And we halt again to rest from the spectl
Gle. Again the panorama passes before the
- Ip.A..a 1t.
great thrones lifted, thrones of martyrs
thrones of apostles. thrones of prophets,
thrones of patriarchs, and throne higher
than all on which Jesus sits, and ponderous
books are opened, their leaves turned over,
revealing the names of all that have ever
lived, the good and the bad, the renowned
and tho humble, ths mighty and the weak,
and at the turn Of every leaf the universe is
in rapture of fright, AMI the sea enpties its
sarcopaagus OF all the deal of the sunken
shipping, aui the earth gives way, aud the
heavens vanish Again we rest moment
from the spectacle.
The panorama moves on bsSore tue cavern
of Patmos, and John the exile behollsa city
OF gold and a river more beautiful than thu
Rhine or the Hudson rolls through it, and
fruit trees bend their burdens on either
bank, and all is surrounded by walls ia
which the upholstery of autunral forests,
and the sunrisas AMI sunsats Of all the ages,
and the glory of burning worlds sean Il ba
comminglel. AMI the inhabitants never
breathe a sigh, or utter a groan, or discuss
difference, or frown 4 dislike, or weep
tear. The fashion they wear is pure white,
and their foreheads are eucircled by gar
lands, and they who were SICK are well, and
they who were old are young, aud they who
were bereft are reunited. Aud as the last
figure of that panorama rolled out of sight
/ think flint Holm har fall haoi inf
his cavern nerveess AMI exhausted Too
much was it for the naked eve to look at
Zoo much was it for human strength to e.
perience
My friends | would not wonder if you
should have a very similar vision after
awhile You will be through with this world,
its cares and fatiguss and struggles. and if
you have served the Lord and have done tho
best you could, / should not wonder if yoar
lying bed were Patmos, 1t often has been
So | was reading of a dying boy vino. while
the family stool around sorrowfully, ex-
pecting each breath woul1 be the last cried:
open the gates! Open the gates Happy
Happy Happy John owen in his
'0h, brother Payne! the long wished
for day has come at lastm Ruther-
ford, in the c'osn- moment of his
his lie, cried out Il shall shine, I shall seq
Him as He is and all the fair company with
Him, aud shall have my large share / have
gotten the victory Christ is holding forth
His arms to embrace me. Now | feel Now
| enioyi Now l rejoice! feed on mama
lhave angels food. My eyes will see my
Redeemer. Glory, glory dwelIeth in Imman-
aefs land" Yes, ten thousand times in the
history of the worl1 has the dying be been
made a Patmos
You see the time will come when you will,
oh, child OF God, be exiled to your last sick
ness as much as John was exilai To Patmns