small
portion of his time in travelling between Rome and Macedonia. Hence Paul
observes--"I supposed it necessary _to send to you_ Epaphroditus, my
brother and companion in labour and fellow-soldier, but _your messenger_
and _he that ministered_ _to my wants_." [269:1] In like manner, the
individuals selected to convey, to the poor saints in Jerusalem, the
contributions of the Gentile converts in Greece and Asia Minor, are
called "the _messengers_ of the Churches." [269:2] The practice of
sending messengers to visit and comfort the saints in poverty, in
confinement, or in exile, may be traced for centuries in the history of
the Church. It also deserves notice that, in other parts of the New
Testament as well as in the Apocalypse, an individual sent on a special
errand is repeatedly called an angel. Thus, John the Baptist, who was
commissioned to announce the approach of the Messiah, is styled God's
angel, [269:3] or messenger, and the spies, sent to view the land of
Canaan, are distinguished by the same designation. [269:4]

Towards the close of the first century the Apostle John must have been
regarded with extraordinary veneration by his Christian brethren. He was
the last survivor of a band of men who had laid the foundations of the
New Testament Church; and he was himself one of the most honoured
members of the little fraternity, for he had enjoyed peculiarly intimate
fellowship with his Divine Master. Our Lord, "in the days of His flesh,"
had permitted him to lean upon His bosom; and he has been described by
the pen of inspiration as "_the_ disciple whom Jesus loved." [269:5] All
accounts concur in representing him as most amiable and warm-hearted;
and as he had now far outlived the ordinary term of human existence, the
snows of age must have imparted additional interest to a personage
otherwise exceedingly attractive. It is not to be supposed that such a
man was permitted in apostolic times to pine away unheeded in solitary
exile. The small island which was the place of his banishment was not
far from the Asiatic metropolis, and the other six cities named in the
Apocalypse were all in the same district as Ephesus. It was, therefore,
by no means extraordinary that seven messengers from seven neighbouring
Churches, to all of which he was well known, are found together in
Patmos on a visit to the venerable confessor.

This explanation satisfies all the conditions required by the laws of
interpretation. Whilst it rev