oft-repeated admonitions of Jesus against this bloody spirit, even in his or any cause? and of all his inculcations of a universal rule of forbearance and forgiveness?
John is not mentioned again in the gospel history, until near the
close of the Savior's labors, when he was about to prepare his
twelve chosen ones, for the great change which awaited their
condition, by long and earnest instruction, and by prayer. In
making the preliminary arrangements for this final meeting, John
was sent along with Peter, to see that a place was provided for
the entertainment. After this commission had been satisfactorily
executed, they joined with Jesus and the rest of the twelve disciples
in the Paschal feast, each taking a high place at the board,
and John in particular reclining next to Jesus. As a testimony
of the intimate affection between them, it is recorded by this
apostle himself in his gospel, that during the feast he lay on Jesus's
breast,—a position which, though very awkward, and even
impossible, in the modern style of conducting feasts in the sitting
posture, was yet rendered both easy and natural, in the ancient
mode, both Oriental and Roman, of reclining on couches around
the table. Under these circumstances, those sharing the same
part of the couch, whose feelings of affection led them most readily
together,—such a position as that described by John, would occur
very naturally and gracefully. It here, in connection with
John's own artless, but expressive sentence, mentioning himself
as the disciple whom Jesus loved, presents to the least imaginative
mind, a most beautifully striking picture of the state of feeling
between the young disciple and his Lord,—showing how closely
their spirits were drawn together, in an affection of the most sacred
and interesting character, far surpassing the paternal and
filial relation in the high and pure nature of the feeling, because
wholly removed from the mere animalities and instincts that form
and modify so much of all natural love. The regard between
these two beings was by no means essentially dependent on any
striking similarity of mind or feeling. John had very little of
that mild and gentle temperament which so decidedly characterized
the Redeemer;—he had none of that spirit of meekness and
forgiveness which Jesus so often and earnestly inculcated; but a
fierce, fiery, thundering zeal, arising from a temperament, ardent
alike in anger and in love. Nor was such a character at all discordant
with the generality of those for whom Jesus seemed to
feel a decided preference. There is no one among the apostolic
band, whether Galilean or Hellenistic, of whose characters any
