John in Exile
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that clothed him as naturally as a garment. He ever sought to conceal
his own righteous acts and to avoid everything that would seem to
attract attention to himself. In his Gospel, John mentions the disciple
whom Jesus loved, but conceals the fact that the one thus honored
was himself. His course was devoid of selfishness. In his daily life he
taught and practiced charity in the fullest sense. He had a high sense
of the love that should exist among natural brothers and Christian
brethren. He presents and urges this love as an essential characteristic
of the followers of Jesus. Destitute of this, all pretensions to the
Christian name are vain.
John was a teacher of practical holiness. He presents unerring
rules for the conduct of Christians. They must be pure in heart and
correct in manners. In no case should they be satisfied with an empty
profession. He declares in unmistakable terms that to be a Christian is
to be Christlike.
The life of John was one of earnest effort to conform to the will of
God. The apostle followed his Saviour so closely, and had such a sense
of the purity and exalted holiness of Christ, that his own character
appeared, in contrast, exceedingly defective. And when Jesus in His
glorified body appeared to John, one glimpse was enough to cause him
to fall down as one dead. Such will ever be the feelings of those who
know best their Lord and Master. The more closely they contemplate
the life and character of Jesus, the more deeply will they feel their own
sinfulness, and the less will they be disposed to claim holiness of heart
or to boast of their sanctification.
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