and John, had suddenly inflamed them with a vehement desire of pre-eminence above their colleagues in the ministry: they wanted to "sit, one on his

right hand, and the other on his left, in his king"dom." Our Lord gave them to understand, that they who were called to be his disciples and apostles, were called to do his work, to labour and to suffer for the service of the church and the salvation of souls, and should esteem it sufficient to be exalted, like their blessed Master, in heaven, after the work was done. Thus the two young candidates for promotion stood reproved. Made wiser by the instructions of their Lord, and the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them at the day of Pentecost, they thought no more of preceding their brethren, except in diligence and patience: they renounced self, preached the Gospel, suffered persecution, were crowned indeed, but it was with thorns; and thus, at length, in a far better sense, they obtained their wish, of sitting upon thrones with Christ in his kingdom.

At another time the two disciples James and John, not bearing to see their Lord rejected by the schismatical Samaritans, were for calling fire from heaven to consume them, after the example of the prophet Elijah. But Christ rebuked them, telling them, they knew not what manner of spirit they were of; "for the Son of man was come to save the lives of

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men, not to destroy them." The present is the day of grace and mercy, long-suffering and forbearance, with Christ; and it ought to be so with his disciples. The

hour is coming, when, like Elijah, who represented him in his judicial capacity, he shall execute the vengeance written, and burn up his enemies on every side. But the time is not yet.

The third reproof St. John met with from his Master was likewise for an instance of indiscreet zeal, in forbidding a person to cast out devils in Christ's name, because he followed not them. "Forbid him

not," says Christ; "for there is no man which shall "do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil "of me. For he that is not against us, is on our part. For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, "he shall not lose his reward." No emulation or jealousy should prevent our encouraging every man to do good, though not in all points as we are, or could wish him to be. Whatever real good he does, it is God who does it in him, and in time that God may reveal all other things to him; towards which, we ourselves, by treating him with tenderness and kindness, may be made instrumental.

But these offences, upon Christ's admonitions, having been repented of and forsaken, they deprive not our apostle of the place he had obtained in his Lord's favour. For at the last supper we find him sitting next to Jesus, and, as the manner then was, reclining on his breast: as it is the privilege of the beloved disciple, when admitted to the supper of the Lamb, to pour out all his prayers and his complaints

into the bosom of his Redeemer, who is always ready to hear, always mighty to save.

At the apprehension of Jesus, John fled with the rest, but quickly returning again, entered into the high priest's palace, and attended his blessed Master through every stage of his passion, till we behold him taking his station at the foot of the cross, where he is usually drawn in pictures of the crucifixion, with a countenance full of grief and love unutterable. From the cross Jesus commended his holy mother to the care of St. John, who from thenceforth, happy in an opportunity of showing his love to his Lord, as well as of entertaining such a guest, "took her to his own home," where she continued till her death, treated by him with the duty and affection of a son. Let the disciple, then, who would show himself worthy the love of Christ, often contemplate and sympathize with his suffering Lord, placing himself, in imagination, at the foot of the cross, and looking with the eye of faith on him who was crucified thereon let him abide by the persecuted truth and the afflicted servants of Jesus, in the hour of darkness and sorrow; and let him, for Christ's sake, and in obedience to his repeated injunctions, honour and show kindness to the church so long as he lives, and be a dutiful son to her.

Upon the first tidings of the resurrection, St. John, running with St. Peter, outran him, and came first to the sepulchre; as the soul, that has the love of Christ abiding in her, will always be foremost in quest of him. It was St. John who discovered Jesus to St. Peter, when he appeared in the habit of a

"That disciple

stranger, at the sea of Tiberias. "whom Jesus loved saith to Peter, It is the Lord.” He who loves Christ, will always know him when he comes in the disguise of a stranger, or a poor man: he will know, that it is the Lord who asks relief of him in their persons; and he will inform others of the same great truth.-It was concerning St. John that a report went among the disciples as if he was never to die, grounded by mistake on our Lord's answer to St. Peter's question--" Lord, what "shall this man do? If I will that he tarry till I

come, what is that to thee?" But, alas! St. John loved Christ too well, to think an exemption from death, for the sake of living in such a world as this, a thing to be desired. And whoever loves his Master as he did, will be of the same opinion:

After the effusion of the Spirit at the day of Pentecost, we read of John, in the character of an apostle, using his gifts for the good of mankind, healing the sick, preaching the Gospel, thrown into prison, and brought forth before the Jewish council, but still undaunted in bearing his testimony; herein leaving an example to his successors, the ministers of Christ, through all generations.

From the ecclesiastical histories we learn, that after preaching the Gospel, and founding many churches in Asia, he was sent bound from thence to Rome, at the command of the tyrant Domitian, who had him cast into a caldron of boiling oil. But the God, who preserved the three children in the midst of the fiery furnace, brought the apostle out of the

caldron unhurt, to convince us, that nothing can harm "the disciple whom Jesus loveth." The emperor, however, not at all moved by this miraculous deliverance, banished the holy man to a wretched and comfortless island, called Patmos, where he saw heaven opened, and beheld those glorious visions recorded in the book of Revelation: as God often vouchsafes a larger portion of spiritual joys and comforts to his servants, when they are secluded from those of the world.

Upon the death of the emperor Domitian, many of his cruel edicts were revoked by his successor; when St. John, taking advantage of the indulgence, returned to Ephesus: and finding Timothy the bishop of that church martyred, he took upon himself the government of it, till, in a good old age of about a hundred years, he most willingly resigned his meek and gentle spirit into the hands of his Lord and Saviour, to experience the fulness of his love, and possess the glories he had so often contemplated.

These are the great outlines of St. John's life and character. But, after all, whoever would be thoroughly acquainted with him, in order to become like him, must survey and copy that fair picture which he hath drawn of himself in his divine writings, where we sometimes behold the lofty flights of the eagle, and at others hear the plaintive voice of the turtle; we behold him viewing and describing the glories of Christ in his Godhead and kingdom; we hear him relating the sweetly sorrowful and loving discourses of his dear Master, in his state of humi