things "which are written in this book" had taken place. It was an experience never to be forgotten. Immediately we had passed the island, the sun, like a great ball of fire, gradually approached its setting. A sunset at sea is always impressive, and that evening we observed it with peculiar interest, daring scarcely to breathe. At last the rim touched the waters, and instantly the whole Aegean blazed forth into great shimmering pathways of golden splendour extending from our ship outward to the furthest edge of the distant horizon. Yes, we saw it!"the sea of glass mingled with fire.'

Patmos is not a large island. It is only some ten miles long from north to south, but so deeply indented are its shores that the coast-line is thirty-seven miles in length. Its shape has been curiously compared to "a horse's head and neck, the nose pointing eastward." It is of volcanic origin. The island gathers into three main mountain masses of brown rock, bare, jagged, desolate, its highest summit attaining a height of about 950 feet. Its pagan insignificance is indicated by the fact that it is referred to only thrice in classical literature, 2 Hastings' "Dictionary."

1 Rev. 15, 2.

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and then receives but the barest incidental mention. As if unknown to the world even at the time of the Apocalypse, John speaks of it as "the isle called Patmos."

But greatness does not depend upon bulk. Once in our world's history the curtains parted from before that "lone rocky isle of the sea," and disclosed the last white-haired survivor of the Apostolic band walking along its heights with his glorified Lord, and then slowly the curtains closed again. It was enough. We would not part with this one vision for half the history of the world. No island on our planet after this can even begin to compare with it for interest. Down to the end of time it will occupy a leading place in immortal story, and the heart of the world will ever beat faster because of the unveiling of the unseen that was there revealed.

According to Jerome, the period of the Apostle's exile at Patmos was about eighteen months, when he was released under the Emperor Nerva. One wonders whether the imagery of Revelation was not coloured by local surroundings. Above John's head was outspread that broad expanse of eastern sky, sometimes darkened with tempest, sometimes veined

with "lightnings," sometimes rent with "thunders," sometimes swept with "hail," sometimes cheered with " a rainbow" resting on the brow of the receding storm; sometimes again piled up in castled greatness against the sky there arose a "great white cloud." Did John dip his pen in colours borrowed from natural objects when such find mention in his book?

Standing on the highest summit now called Mount Elias he looked out on a great sea studded with islands; and islands appear, too, here in this revelation. Is there any suggestion of the sandy beach down yonder when he writes of one that "stood upon the sand of the sea? The throb and beat and sweep of the sea surged around his island prison. Is there any relation between this and the mention of the sea twenty-six times in these pages? Forty miles away was the main coast of Asia Minor; and sixty miles to the north-east, beneath those distant blue mountains, was Ephesus, where his home lay, and where his loved ones dwelt, from whom he was now exiled. Was it with any reference to this estranging and dividing waste of waters that

1 Rev. 13. 1.

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he looked forward wistfully to a blessed heavenly reunion, when there should be "no more sea" to divide him from those he loved? One cannot help recognizing the touch of local feeling and influence.

And so in thought we land to-day in Patmos. "Island of the seven hills! island of the seven letters! island of the seven golden candlesticks! island of the seven stars! island of the seven lamps of fire! island of the seven spirits! island of the seven seals! island of the seven trumpets! island of the seven angels! island of the seven vials! island of the seven kings! What marvels here confront us!

Our subject falls into two broad, general sections. We have (1) The Seer and his Preparation; (2) The Vision and its Instruction. I. The Seer and his Preparation.

John beheld Christ in His glory. But in order to our seeing there is a preparation needed first in ourselves.

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1. We cannot see if we are preoccupied. Much depends on our attitude of mind. On one occasion our Lord was delivering a marvellous discourse east in Perea, and thronging thousands clustered around Him and hung upon

His precious words. He was speaking of the necessity of being true and real, genuine and sincere, in all our religious professions. Sooner or later what is within must be made manifest. He was assuring them that if the inner life is what it should be before God, there is absolutely nothing to be feared. He who cares for sparrows, and counts the hairs of our head, will protect His people, and their names shall be confessed before the very angels of heaven. But there was one in that throng who was blind and deaf to all that was going on. During the whole time that Jesus was speaking, his thoughts were off on a miserable piece of property that his father had left and his brother was claiming. We can imagine him raising his hand and making every sort of demonstration to attract Christ's attention. At last his impatience broke through all restraints, and he pressed forward and rudely interrupted Jesus in the midst of His discourse.

"Teacher," he excitedly exclaimed, “bid my brother divide the inheritance with me!" 1 He was in the audience, but he was as oblivious to that glorious message as if he were dead or

1 Luke 12. 13.