A Life of St. John for the Young

essia

not, those youth

ndering, watchin

iring, yearnin

ed on; and lo!

weet, as comes

knew Him not,-

ly by His tr

. St

"have found the Messi

ve found Him, of Whom Moses in the law, and the proph

on," but "when the Son should reveal Himself to the world." So Jesus ca

e, and comest Thou to me?" But he obeyed Jesus' bidding, "Suffer it to be so now." "So He was baptized of John in Jordan." Then followed the prayer of the Son of God; and then "the Spirit of God

tely from the face of man, alone on the Mount of Temptation, wit

ltitude thronging about him, and is fastened upon Jesus only. His thought is of Him of whom Isaiah wrote long before-"He is bro

ious training in their homes, and in the wilderness with the prophet, it must have kindled in them deeper emotion than it

s of Judea-Fr

ge

before. In the distance John saw the Figure again. In awe and reverence, and with a fixed gaze, "John was standing, and two of his disciples; and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God!" The exclamation was in part that which they had heard in the presence of the multitude; but that was not enough. It was as if John had

at he never uses his own name. This incident is our first definite knowledge of him. All we have said hitherto is what we

s, and Elizabeth was their cousin-as we use the term-John of Galilee and Jesus were related to John the Baptist in the same way. But there was a closer relationship than that of family. In this Jesus was the connecting li

the newly revealed Master. The quickened ear before them detected their footsteps or conversation. "Jesus turned and saw them following," as if to welcome their approach, and give them courage. He then asked them a question, "What seek ye?" It was not asked because He was ignorant, but to encourage them in familiar conversation, as He did at other times. Thei

of Christ's Bapt

ge

He spake to us in the way?" So afterward did other two, of Emmaus, when "Jesus Himself drew near and went with them." But the eyes of Andrew and John were not "holden that they should not

ted other private interviews with Jesus, but concerning this one his lips are sealed. Did he tell of his surprise and joy to learn that He, Jesus, the son of his aunt, Mary, was the Messiah of whom his mother, Salome, had taught him from his early days? Were there any memories of childhood-of the sandy beac

the number who, in three years, would hail these disciples from Emmaus. Like them, Andrew and John hastened away from the sheltering booth on the Jordan bank on a like errand. But they went not together, nor to an assembled company

of Jesus-O

ge

o have been that of bringing others to Christ-his own brother, the lad with five loaves and two fishes, and certain Greeks who desired to see Jesus. John only has made note of these three incidents. In so doing he has given to us the key to the character of his friend, and caused him to be held in everlasting remembrance. A

memory is distinct of the exact location of each; of the attitudes and movements of the actors,-as when "John stood," and "Jesus walked," and "Jesus turned"; of the fixed and earnest look of Jesus-as on Andrew and John in the way, and Peter in the

oked through all his early years, and to which he looked back in his latest. Then was the beginning of a most blessed relationshi

a day had come. We know not that Philip had a brother whom he could bring to Jesus, as did Andrew and John, but he was as full of wonder and joy as they. Like them he must go in search of some one to whom he could repeat their exclamation. The search was not long. John tells the result. "Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him, We have found Him." But this simple declaration is not enough for Philip. He recalls those Scripture

but one of them were of the Bethsaidan band. John has drawn lifelike pictures of them, more complete than those of the other apostles,-except that of Judas, whom he