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ing fuch a guest, "took her to his own DISC. "home," where the continued till her death, treated by him with the duty and affection of a fon. Let the difciple, then, who would fhew himself worthy the love of Chrift, often contemplate and fympathize with his fuffering Lord, placing himself, in imagination, at the foot of the crofs, and looking, with the eye of faith, on him who was crucified thereon; let him abide by the perfecuted truth and the afflicted fervants of Jefus, in the hour of darkness and forrow; and let him, for Christ's fake, and in obedience to his repeated injunctions, honour and fhew kindnefs to the church, fo long as he lives, and be a dutiful fon to her.

Upon the first tidings of the refurrection, St. John, running with St. Peter, outran him, and came first to the fepulchre, as the foul, that has the love of Chrift abiding, in her, will always be foremost in queft of him. It was St. John who difcovered Jefus to St. Peter, when he appeared

S 4

IX.

DISC. appeared in the habit of a stranger, at the fea of Tiberias. "That disciple whom Jefus "loved, faith to Peter, It is the Lord." He who loves Chrift, 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 afks relief of him in their persons; and he will inform others of the fame 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 Chrift too well, to think an exemption from death, for the fake of living in fuch a world as this, a thing to be defired. And whoever loves his Mafter as he did, will be of the fame opinion.

After the effufion of the Spirit at the day of Pentecoft, we read of St. John, in the character of an Apostle, ufing his gifts for the good of mankind, healing the fick, preaching

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preaching the Gospel, thrown into prifon, DISC. and brought forth before the Jewish council, but ftill undaunted in bearing his testimony; herein leaving an example to his fucceffors, the minifters of Chrift, through all generations.

From the ecclefiaftical hiftories we learn, that, after preaching the Gospel, and founding many churches in Afia, he was fent bound from thence to Rome, at the command of the tyrant Domitian, who had him caft into a caldron of boiling oil. But the God, who preferved the three children in the midft of the fiery furnace, brought the apoftle out of the caldron unhurt, to convince us, that nothing can harm "the disciple whom Jefus 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 thofe glorious vifions recorded in the book of Revelation: as God often vouchsafes a larger portion of spiritual joys

and

DISC. and comforts to his fervants, when they are fecluded from thofe of the world.

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Upon the death of the emperor Domitian, many of his cruel edicts were revoked by his fucceffor; when St. John, taking advantage of the indulgence, returned to Ephefus: 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 an hundred years, he most willingly refigned his meek and gentle fpirit into the hands of his Lord and Saviour, to experience the fulness of his love, and poffefs the glories he had fo 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 fometimes behold the lofty flights of the eagle, and at others hear the

plaintive

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plaintive voice of the turtle; we behold DISC. him viewing and defcribing the glories of Chrift in his Godhead and kingdom; we hear him relating the fweetly-forrowful and loving discourses of his dear Master, in his state of humiliation. Let these holy books, therefore, be in our hands, until they shall have wrought their proper work in our hearts; that is to fay, until, by believing the doctrines and practising the duties taught therein, we fhall have learned to live the life of faith and charity. So fhall we be CHRISTIANS, in word, and in deed; fo fhall we be true followers of the faint of this day; fo fhall we be "the "DISCIPLES whom Jefus will LOVE."