The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-03-23

duct of his pen is the most valuable
portion of the Bible. 1t has been
called the gospel of eternity and the
heart of Christ. His style is unique.
He does not attempt a minute or
chronological narrative. His whiting
is an argument. He states a PROPOSE
ton and addresses himself to the
maintaining of it. His purpose is to
is to cause the reader to believe that
Jesus is the Christ. His method is to
take some scenic incidents and typical
persons and report that Jesus words
in connection with them so that
there may beIreciprocal illumination.
He calls the readers to a halt that
he may reflect, he epitOmizes the ar
gument, makes application, and be-
fore he closes swings the golden cen
ser of praise to God.
Peculiar interest ttaches to Johns
person as well as to his writing An
incident illustrates his character. 1t
may, of course, be apOcryphal, but
Eusebius and Clement both affirm it
to be true. The apostle left young
man in care of certain bishop to be
instructed On his next visit he sur
prised the bishop by asking for his
deposit The bishop denied that
he had any deposit suppOsing st.
John meant money Then the apos-
tie said, Il demand the young man.
The bishop reluctantly admitted that
he had allowed the catechumen to
apostatize, and that he had become
robber chief. The apostle mounted a
horse and put himself in the way of
being captured by the robber in order
that he might reclaim him. And in
this he is said to have succeeded. If
this tradition and others like it are
true, sacred art has done an injustice
to st. John when it has pictured him
as efTeminate. He was, in fact, Il
bundle of paradoXes: a fisherman, yet
having social access to the high
priests palace; a Galilean, yet init
mately familiar with Judea; of none
of the schools, vet penning the no.
blest thing in literature; gentle, yet a
son of thunder.
Johns Gospel is the oral teashing
of his whole ministry reduced to writ
ing. 1t is restatement of apostolic
doctrine by the last Lying apostle. 1t
is not mere supplement to the other
Gospels. He did not merely bring up
the rear for the purpose of cleaning
what others had passed bv. He takes
great scenic events, six miracles (Or
signs, as he significantly calls them)
and three parallels. He gives the set
ting and background of each and then
interprets, or, better, makes the Lord
His own interpreter by recording His
saying III the connection. Thus, by a
series of clusters of sayings, deeds,
and events, he makes what Origen
did not hesitate to call the main
Gospel
There is not in literature finer tx
ample of adaptation of style of sub
iect. The noblest and profoundest
thought is here clothed in language
ample and royal. What she Sistine
frescoes are in art, the eXordium of
the fourth Gospel is to written speech.
Yet with all its stateliness there is an
inherent simplicity. The similarity
between the opening of the Book of
Genesis and the opening of this Gospel
will be readily recognized. The pro-
logue is in the form of Hebrew poetry,
which consists largely of the recur-
renee of previously expressed
thoughts with altered phrase and
added meaning.
John the Evangelist paints noble
and fadeless portrait of John the
Baptist. He was intensely human.
He had like passions to those of other
men. The glory of it is that with
these he yet acted divinely in a great
national crisis. And that not because
irresistibly impelled by power ex-
ternal to himself. His ascetic life
was a rational protest to the volup-
tuousness of his age. His solitariness
rebuked the self-interested> combina-
tions in Church and State. He sought
the desert that he might think to a
finish patriotic course of conduct
and might fortify his soul with those
matured convictions of truth which
would inure him even to martyrdom.
When at length he felt he was ready
to speak and some at least ready to
hear he went to the place where the
most people would naturally congre-
gate.
Now follow two Illuminating Incl
dents-the calling of the first disciples
and the working of the first miracle.
To them attaches the natural inter
est in first things Origins always
fascinating. Every book of Genesis
is attractive. This is the beginning
of the Christian Church The inter
est ordinarily attaching to the start
of things is in this instance greatly
enhanced by the sacred character OF
the institution, its phenomenal his
fnru onA NuorlJ yriIn