Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-12-27
st. John, the Evangelist

The following brief sketch of the liz, OF
John, the E'augelist, will be read with iu-
terest:
John was a native Of Be hsaida, in Call, G,
son OF Il bcdee and Saoune, by profession y
fshermau Some have thought that he was a
disciple OF ohu the Baptist before he attended
Jesus Christ. He was brother to James the
Greater. 1t is believed that 81, Juhu was the
youngest Of the apostles. Tillemoat is OF opiu
100 that he was tweoty five or lweuty-six years
of age wheu he began TO follow Jesus. Our
Saviour had particular friendship for him,
and he describes himSel by the name OF THAT
disciple whom Jesus loved" ST. john was
one of the four apostles To whom our Lord de-
ivered his predictions relative to the destruc-
ton of Jerusalem, and the approaching calam
tiles of the Jewish nation. st. Peter, ST.
James aud St. Johu Were chosen TO accom-.
pauy our Saviour Oh several occasions, when
the other apostles were not permitted to De
present. When Christ restored the daughter
OF Jairus to lite, when he was transhgurcd 0n
the mouut, aud wien he endured hts agony III
the garden, St. Peter, 81. james aud St. john
were his only atteudants.
That ST. Johu was treated by Christ with
greater familiarity than the other apostles, Is
evident from ST. Peters desiring him to ask
self did not dare to propose the question. HE
seems to have been the pny apostle present at
the cruci6xion, aud to him Jesus, just as he
was expiring upon the cross, gave the strongest
proof of his confidence and regard, by oouslgu-
ing to him the care OF his mother AS St.John
had been witness TO the death OF our Saviour,
by seeing the blood aud water Issue from his
side. which a solder had pierced, So he was
one of the first made acquainted with his resur-
rectiun. Without any hesltatioD, he believed
this great event, though "as yet be knew not
the Scripture, thai Christ was TO rise II ON the
dead" He was also one OF those 10 whom our
Saviour appeared at the sea OF GallIee; aud ne
was afterwards with the other ten apostles,
witness OF his ascension into heaven. st. John
contiu ed 10 preach the gospel Tor some time
at Jerusalem; he was imprisoned by the sau.
hedrim, first with Peter only, and afterwards
with the other apostles.
Some time after this second release, he ADD
St. Peter were seut by the other Samarltans,
whom Philip the deacon had converted to the
gospel. that throug b them they might receive
the HOLY Ghost. St. John informs us, IN bis
Revelation, that he was bauished to Patmos,
an is land 10 the E sean sea. This banlshment
/. meutiooed by Lany Of the early ecclesiastical
writers, ali of whom, except Eplphanius IN the
fourth century, agree 10 attrbuting It to DJml
tian. Sir Isaac Newton was OF opinion that
John was bauished to Patmos in the time OF
Nero, but even the authority OF this great man
is not of sufi cent weight against tue uoaDl-
NOUS voice OF antiquity. DIR. Lardner has ex:
amiued and answered his arguments with equal
candor al learning.
1t is not known at what time John went in
to Asia Minor. Larduer thought that 1t was
about the year &c. 1t is certain that be lived
in Asia Minor the latter part Of his life, aud
principally at Ephesus. lie planted churches
at Smyrna, Pergamos, and many other places;
and, by bis activity and SUCCESS 10 propagatlng
the Gospel, he is supposed to have incurred
the dispeasure otDomitian. lren9us, speaking
of the vision which he had 10 Palmos says,
ut is not very long ago that 1t was scen being
but little before our tune, at the latter end OF
Domitiau's reign" An opinion has prevailed
that he was by order of Domitiao, thrown toto
cha!drou of boiling oil at Rome, land came out
uuhur; but this account rests almost entirely
on the authority of TertuIliou, and seems to
deserve little credit On the succession OF
Nerva to the empire, in the year 90. John re-
turned to Ephesus, where he died at an ad-
vanced age, 10 the third year OF Iralan's relgu
A ID luu