and for the manufacture of carpets and woolen goods. It was also the residence of the famous Croesus. The straggling village of Sart now marks the site of this ancient city.
"He who has the seven spirits " is the sovereign Lord of the seven spirits who stand before the throne of God. Some interpreters take these words to mean that Christ possesses the fulness of the gifts of the Holy Ghost. * And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude the spirit of knowledge and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord." [1]
He who has the seven stars is Christ who exercises a special care for the ministers of His Church. He is now manifesting this solicitude for the bishop of Sardis. Christ, the searcher of hearts and reins, knows the true state of this bishop's soul. He appears to be a faithful servant of God and a true shepherd of souls, but in reality he is spiritually dead. These words imply a state of moral sin and a sad neglect of pastoral duty.
2-5. Through the ministry of St. John, Christ now exhorts the bishop of Sardis to arouse himself to a realization of his sad plight. He must do penance for the past
- ↑ Isaias xi, 2. 3.
