s doubtless made to the former
catastrophe that overthrew the city under Tiberius, thus giving them
warning of the destruction that might come upon them in the future. The
result has been in accordance with the prediction. God spued that church
out of his mouth centuries ago, and nothing remains of that proud,
wealthy city. Not even a Turk has any fixed residence on the spot. Its
ruins alone remain in their desolation, "rejected of God, deserted of
man, its glory a ruin, its name a reproach." The Encyclopaedia Britannica
says, "Its ruins are of wide extent.... There is no doubt, however, that
much has been buried beneath the surface by the _frequent earthquakes_
to which the district is exposed."

The prophecies concerning these individual churches have been fulfilled;
so that even infidelity itself bears witness to the "strange
verification of Apocalyptic promise and threatening." Two of the
churches, Ephesus and Laodicea, where no spiritual souls remained, were
threatened with utter extinction. They are now in utter ruins--forsaken,
desolate. Sardis, too, where only a few names were left, is reduced to a
small Turkish village, without a church or a Christian. Pergamus and
Thyatira, where much spirituality remained, but where wickedness also
was tolerated, still survive, though but mere remnants of their former
greatness. While Smyrna and Philadelphia, where Christ found nothing to
condemn and to whose churches he uttered only words of comfort and
promise, remain until the present day and are the brightest spots on the
whole scene, standing like erect columns in the midst of the surrounding
ruins.

I do not wish, however, to give too much prominence to the cities
themselves in the fulfilment of these prophecies. The churches located
in these seven cities of Asia were doubtless the main thing under
consideration in the utterance of these promises and threatenings. Yet
it is a singular fact that the subsequent history of the cities
themselves has accorded in a remarkable degree with the nature of the
prophecies uttered. It may be that God has preserved Smyrna and
Philadelphia because of the piety of their ancient inhabitants.

He who held the seven stars in his right hand and walked in the midst of
the seven golden candle-sticks, still possesses the control of his
ministers and is present in the congregations of the righteous; but let
us all take warning from the example of the churches of Asia, and live
such a life o