Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-01-12
oTTUMWA IOWA. THURSDAY, JANUARY H. 49, SIS

t''P.s "'u 'his c'cse III 1ux'aposlUon
with tina, dearcr day when lhe seraphic
choir first chimed in wa,chful shepherds 3
ears The glad tdings of a sayior's ad
vent.
Ffom the eagre details tha, our erea,
Ligh, affords US Of A Apostolic biography,
aud from the less reliable sources Of ira :
di'on and early history. we can CLEAN
but lmperfec, accounts of The life Of ST.
John. Tie son Of Gallean fisherman,
the first nouce that we have sf him is
than Of his call, in company with his
brother James, TO leave his nets, aud l,,e
occupation of his father, for The migh,ier
object OF building up The christian church.
We have no data as TO the precise period
oi h,s birth. but he is supposed, and
probably with reason. TO have been the
youngest Of the Apostles. He appears
TO have been one whom Ills Mas'er most
delighted in, present with him in all The
important scenes Of his ministry. leaning
on his breast al the last celebratinn of
The paschal feast, and SO considers by
the others as in closest friendship with
him, that a sign was made TO him to ask
more specific designation Of that one
who was TO prove a traitor, a request
which the Lord at once complied with.
We find him a close attendant upon the
Savior throughout all the watchful events
that followed, and that he was a man in
no mean estimation among his country
men appears abundanl:y from the fac,
Of his intimacy with the family of the
High Priest, since word from him, 10
The servan, In attendance, admitted Pc
ter also into the hall of Judgment
Watching the sublime evenIs on Calva-
ry, he received a commission 10 be son
TO the mother Of Jesus, which he obeyed
by taking her at once to his own house.
As il gifted. by the strength Of his affec-
ton. with superior physical powers, he
could ou'run his com mpanions, and be The
first TO arrive at the sepulchre, there 10
satisfy his astonished senses that He,
who had lain there, was indeed that only
bsing over whom death hath no power
his LORD and his God. He is suppos-
ed to have remained in the neighborho ood
OF Jerusalem, until the breaking out Of
the Roman war, when he retired into
ASA Minor. During the bloody perse.
cnt'ons OF The Emperor Domitian, he
was oanished TO Paimos, lonely, bar
reE isle, on the Asian coas, of the tsgean
sea, not far from Ephesus, a, this day a
mos! de sola,e place, whore few miser.
able inhabitants obtain a scantv subsist.
ence. Domitian died A. ID. 90, and
this banishment was abDu: the latter
part OF his reign. In Patmos s. John
wrote the Revelations. Alter ,he death
OF Domiilan, and in the reigHof Trojan.
he left thus dreary isIiu1. and went to
Ephesus, wher ne remained until his
own si@-iD. which occurred no, many
years after. twas during this residence
In Ephesus, n,sonic history informs Us.
that he was requested by the brethren TO
take charge Of a Lodge, which request
he complied with. and continued to dis.
charge the d.ties of its Mastership un.
il increasing oge and infrmiiies compcl-
ed him to rel,nquish The station. A,
length, not far from 100 years old, the
last survivor of The Apostolic band, every
one Of whom died by violen, means;
having tarried long enough to see the
coming Of his Master, in wrath, upon
Jerusalem; having seen the ba,ilemen,s
Of the holy city levelled. its towers pros.
trated. and not one stone of its temple
left upon another; having seen visions of
heavenly splendor such as other mortal
eye had never gazed upon: and having
listened 10 heavens sentence upon the
churches aud the nations. he gathered up
his feet in peaceful death.
"Like him who wraps the dra perry OF
his couch
About him. and lies down to pleasant
Dreams"
The spade and the coffin did their Of
flee to his mortal remains, the evergreen
sprig told the hope Of his brethren and
friends. while his spirit, through the
password of his Redsemer. had game
admit,ance into The holy Of holies Of the
golden city, there to refresh i.sel amidst
the fruits Of the tree. and the waters ol
the river of life. Would to God Bre,h-
rem, that, in like manner. each and every
o"c W w SouAu Sdys Atucn! Even bO,
come Lord Jesus"
The writings of ST. John would show
him TO have been man Of great strength
Of intellect, and Of no ordinary educa.
ton, Notwithstanding his humble origin.
His name John. or in the Hebrew, Jo-
han ian, signifies the favor Of God. and
was given perhaps in accordance with
the Eastern custom Of naming child in
reference 10 some promise in the child,
or hope of the paren. concerning him.
While MS other name, Boanerges, OF
Son of Thunder, would imply spirit ol
impeiuosi,y. quite at variance with thai
mild and amiable temper so often ascrib-
ed to him; such spirit, as in the first
outbreak Of an homes. indignation. would
ins.igate the remark, "Lonl wilt thou
that we call down fire from heaven to
consume them?" while The reply, "Ye
know not wha. msnnel Of spirl, ye are. >
would. doubtless. SO commend itself to
the softer elements Of his nature as. q,
once. 10 restore them to their ascendan.
cy. His industry; his prominen. char.
aclcrist,c Of Bro,herly Love; his zeal Tor
the service Of his fellow creatures; his