The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-02-07

Rev J. l.. Meads opened the revival
services at the Free Baptist church
last evening. The meetings will con-
tinue throughout the week. A series
of afternoon prayer meetings have
been arranged, one to be held in each
ward of the city.
The congregation OF the Epicopal
church listened to "a very pleasing
sermon delivered by Rev II. VI.
Brown who described the life and
influence of 81. John. The Divine,
Sunday morning. He said in part
"At the top Of that profession to-
ward which we are all striving, stands
st. John, the Divine. II may be well
for MS to consider how 1t happened
that John Ben-Zebedee, common fish
vender from the shore of a remote
Syrian pond. called the Lake of Cali
lee. now takes precedence in the hall
of fame over Caesar or Alexander or
Napoleon. The intellectual and moral
achievements of all the Aristotles and
Platos the world has known. sink 10
nothingness when compared to the
contribution this man John has
| made the world. For John IS the
| Apostle of the incarnation. His ac-
count of our Lord begins with His
| baptism: ne does not mention the
Christmas storY but from his we
learn the supreme truth and that
| the Lord was God and was made
| flesh lie. with st. Paul precelved
God in Christ, and taught men this
| fact. How did he do Il? How
| did John of Bethsaida become st.
| John the Divine?
| John was not a leader or a speak
| er, but in his heart there was strong
| longing to know the best and to be
| the best he could. He therefore
| sought good companions Five of the
| men who became Apostles of the Lord
Jesus Christ were intimate compan-
ions of John. He heard of n man
| who had a message, ne went to hear
him tell it. and later. when the Bap-
tist pointed out "The Lamb of Cod
John followed the new master, and
became acquainted with Jesus OF
Nazareth. Became acquainted with
him! He was already his neighbor ano
his cousin. But now he recognized
him for what he is. The true light
dawned within his soul.
$50 IL was Jesus who lifted thi'
man John above the other men of hi
generation. 1t was the entrance o.
the light Of Christ into his life which
made a saint of John. For John wal
not born saint. He was swift o
temper he had a strain of jealous!
In his affection he had a tendency L
be so absorbed in a present purpos'
as to seem careless of the rights o
others; he was somewhat narroV
minded me appeared inconSiderat
of the feelings of others; he seemed
selfish and ambitious. These are no
J | things which constitute a good des
cription of a saint Yet this wa
true of the beloved diciple. But al
, this, little by little, nc put down an
= under him. Day by day ne locke
: ! into the face of Jesus. and witnesse
I | the blessed life lie lived, and hear
= | His gracious words
r Jesus loved him. He who came
' live our life so that he might kno'
n by personal experience how hard
s life tits 10 live right. loved John In IN
2 midst of his faults. Jesus did no
\ walt until John became saint
sinner like the rest of us. weak !
temptation as we are, daily missin
his ideal as we do, a man with heal
and a will like ours, was the discipl
, whom Jesus loved.
wThe same strong hand Is still hel
out to lift us above the lower levels
: today he is ready, as ever TO max
t, saints out of sinners. As many as rf
!, ceive Him, to them he gives the po"
4 er become the sons of God.
every striving soul, weighe
down under a burden of transgre'
sion but struggling to get free, ia
from God yet trying to draw nca
SHINING, but with bitterness repent
ing, is the beloved disciple, as was h
who began as John the Syrian fish
= erman. and ended his earthly caref
; as the great Apostle of the Lord Je'
nc Christ. ST John the Divine. Amen,