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The Desire of Ages
character. Humanity is encompassed with infirmity. But in Christ we
shall find perfection. Beholding Him, we shall become transformed.
John lived to be very aged. He witnessed the destruction of
Jerusalem, and the ruin of the stately temple,—a symbol of the fi-
nal ruin of the world. To his latest days John closely followed his Lord.
The burden of his testimony to the churches was, “Beloved, let us love
one another;” “he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in
him.”
1 John 4:7, 16
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Peter had been restored to his apostleship, but the honor and au-
thority he received from Christ had not given him supremacy over
his brethren. This Christ had made plain when in answer to Peter’s
question, “What shall this man do?” He had said, “What is that to thee?
follow thou Me.” Peter was not honored as the head of the church. The
favor which Christ had shown him in forgiving his apostasy, and en-
trusting him with the feeding of the flock, and Peter’s own faithfulness
in following Christ, won for him the confidence of his brethren. He
had much influence in the church. But the lesson which Christ had
taught him by the Sea of Galilee Peter carried with him throughout his
life. Writing by the Holy Spirit to the churches, he said:
“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder,
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the
glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among
you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly;
not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over
God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief
Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth
not away.”
1 Peter 5:1-4
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