The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-05-10

their Lord, Boancrges (sons of Thun
der) as tho they were to be voice
proclalming Him, like the laundering!
and voices around the throne il
heavcn-Voices of grave majesty. anC
deep awe, strong and weighty. AM
IeaNing sense of Solemity on tn,
SOU, even as does a Handicapped.
\ OF James we know little personally
but Johns great mark was tn.
sweetness and constancy of his love
| Joined, however, to zeal and fir,
! that were ready TO become terrible t
! whatever insulted or injured tina
which he SO deeply and revorentls
adored.
/ There were wonders reserved fol
the special contemplation of the three
whose love and faith were strongest
! Peter. James and John were alone
admitted to see the actual raising o,
Jarius' daughter and were ever
| closest to their Lord. These favored
| three were the more certified Of His
| glory when one night they had gone
! with Him TO the heights of lone
/ mountain and, there, awakening from
! their sleep, they beheld His glory un-
/ yelled, His countenance glistening
! Ills raiment white as the light. and
! the two holy ones of old, Moses and
/ Elijah. talking with Him.
! Passing over the Passion week to
/ Thursday evening after they had sung
/ the Hallelujah Psalm--from the one
/ hundred and eleventh to one hundred
and eighteenth Psalm--in the dark .
ness lighted by the Paschal moon.
the Lord took His three favored
apostles with Him while He prayed
among the olives of the garden on
the banks Of the brook kedron, which
flowed between Jerusalem and the
ascent Of Mount Olyet
After His betrayal, John alone VEN
tured to keep near the Victim, who
was dragged away to undergo an ex-
animation In the high priests house.
There John beheld the mockery of
justice that was brought to bear on
HIM whose innocence was His sole
ofense. No heart could bear that
trial save that which was strongest
in it's love. And though John does not
mention himself in the next scene Of
that guilty morning" there can be
. little question bat that when the Vic
tim was dragged to the Praetorium
and given up by the weak PLATE &c
content the raging populace, there
was when the purple-robed, thorn
crowned bleeding form was present
ed TO excite compassion that the
crowd were too enrafed to feel, one
face amid the maddened throng that
. looked up in an anguish or loving in
dignation troubled faith and despair
ing affection. Those faithful steps fol-
lowed along the path of pain that led
from the Praetorium To Calvary; and
when. IN the darkness that ovorspread
the earth the eyes thai he had learned
20 look TO with unSpeakable awe and
love gazed down on him again from
the tree OF agony. they beheId Him
standing by the holy Mother at the
foot Of the cross.
Woman, behold thy Som And to
the beloved disciple. Behold. thy
Mother" were the words that en-
trusted to John the most precious
charge ever left on this earth and
from that hour the home o. John vas
the home Of the Blessed Virgin.
The beloved disciple watched the
hours of awe and agony, gathering
each mournful and solemn event deep
into his heart and not parting from
that sacred Form even when the soul
had quilted It He saw the soldiers
come TO complete the work of death.
and break the legs of the two thieves
on the other crosses; but. finding the
Lord TO he already dead. merely.
pierced His side SO that the uys,eri-
Gus gush of blood and water took
place
We will pass over that rnournful
silent Sabbath. John sought out the
broken hearted Peter in his bitter
self reproach and checred him with
his tenderness John and Peter were
together early on the first day of the
week and Fastening to obey Mary
Magdalene's breathless summons
found an empty tomb. Then John
remembered and believed He was
then risen! He had left His tomb
empty
Several times John with the other
disciples saw Jesus before the fortieth
day after His resurrection: they met
Him on the Mount Of Olives. where,
near Bethany. they beheld Him as
cend by His own power into the sky.
aSSuredIy the most marvellous triumph
ever witnessed by mortal eye
Eleven years passed before James
was beheaded and stephen stoned.
After fifteen years the apostles sep
arated never to meet together again.
John went to Ephesus about the wear
O. A. d About this time James the
Just was led To the top of a part OF
the temple overhanging a precipice,
and thence, when he refused to deny
his Master, hurled down and slain
with fulIer's clubs.
John had his own disciples. Igna-
thus, Inadratus, Polycarp, Papias and
others
\ resident head was needed by the
settled Christians of each city, and
the universal belief OF the ancient
church assigned to st. John the first
settled arrangement OF this descrip-
ton. Now began the days OF real
persecution. Paul and Peter were put
to death on the same day. June %.
66, Paul by the executioner's sword
and Peter by the cross. Timothy was
torn TO pieces by the mob. John alone
remained 1t has been said OF the
scriptures that their waters are such
that IN them lamb may wade or an
elephant may swim Nowhere do we
feel this so strongly as in st Johns
gospel. The language is so simple
that the little children, whom he loved
so well, have almost always begun
with ii as their first book of Greek.
And no gospel furnishes more plain
sweet loving sayings that are ever on
our hearts for cheering and for hope.
and yet there is none OF such exceed
ing depth and difficulty.
His pupils fancied that he was 10
live TIL the second advent and this
must have. served TO console the
Ephesian Christians when their apos-