That Peter followed our Lord at a distance, and was admitted into the hall of the Jewish high priest, we are assured from all the gospels. It has been supposed by many, that John showed the like testimony of affection and respect for his Lord; for he says, ch. xviii 15. “ And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. That disciple was known to the high priest, and spake to her that kept the door, and brought in Peter."

Nevertheless it may be questioned, whether John hereby intends himself. Chrysostom supposeth him to be meant, and that St. John concealeth his name out of humility and modesty. To the like purpose also Theophylact. Nor had Jerom any doubt here. But Augustine was cautious in saying who it was; though he thought it might be John.

Let us now observe the sentiments of moderns. Whitby upon this place says: He seems not to be John: for he 'being a Galilean as well as Peter, they might equally have 'suspected him upon that account.' However, to this it might be answered, that John being known to the high priest, he was safe. But then another difficulty will arise; for it may be said, how came John to be so well known to the high priest, and his family, as to be able to direct the servant to admit a stranger, as Peter was, and at that time of night?

e

Grotius likewise thought that this other disciple could not be John, or any one of the twelve, but rather some believer an inhabitant of Jerusalem, and, possibly, the

horto proximâ, strepitu militum excitatus, et subito accurrens, ut conspiceret quid agerent. Grot. ad Marc. xiv. 51.

a

b

Τις ετιν ὁ ἄλλος μαθητης; Ο ταυτα γραψας. κ. λ. Chr. in. Joan. hom. 83. [al. 82.] T. VIII. p. 491. Τις ην ο αλλος μαθητης ; Αυτος οὗτος ὁ ταυτα γραψας αποκρυπτει έαυτον δια ταπεινοφροσυνην. κ. λ. Theoph. in Joh. xviii. p. 809.

Unde et Jesus Joannem evangelistam amabat plurimum, qui propter generis nobilitatem erat notus pontifici, et Judæorum insidias non timebat; in tantum ut Petrum introduceret in atrium, et staret solus apostolorum ante crucem, matremque Salvatoris in sua reciperet. Ad Princip. virg. ep. 96. [al. 16.] T. IV. p. 780. Quisnam iste sit discipulus, non temere affirmandum est, quia tacetur. Solet autem se idem Joannes ita significare, et addere, quem diligebat Jesus. Fortassis ergo hic ipse est. Quisquis tamen sit, sequentia videamus. In Joann. Evang. Tr. 113. T. III. P. 2.

* Et sane non est probabile, aut ipsum Joannem hic intelligi (cur enim, Galilæus cum esset, minus interrogaretur ab adstantibus, quam Petrus ?) aut aliquem ex duodecim, sed alium quendam Hierosolymitanum, non æque manifestum fautorem Jesu: quales multi erant in urbe, ut supra didicimus, xii. 42. Valde mihi se probat conjectura existimantium, hunc esse eum, in cujus domo Christus cœnaverat, ob id quod legitur, Matt. xxvi. 18. Grot. ad. Joh. xviii. 15.

person at whose house our Lord had eaten the paschal supper.

:

Lampe hesitates: and at length allegeth the sentiment of a learned writer, who conjectured that this other disciple was Judas the traitor. For Judas, he thinks, was soon touched with remorse for what he had done and he might follow Jesus to the high priest's, hoping, that by some: means he might escape out of the hands of those to whom he had betrayed him. Judas, being there himself, might be very willing to let in Peter. Whether this conjecture be specious or not, I cannot say but it does not seem to me very likely, that St. John should characterize Judas by the title of "another disciple," after he had betrayed his Lord and Master.

After all, I am not able to determine this point. At first reading this place of St. John, we are naturally enough led to think, that by "the other disciple" should be meant himself. But upon farther consideration there arise difficulties that may induce us to hesitate.

Whether he followed Jesus to the hall of Caiaphas, or not, we are assured that he attended the crucifixion, and seems to have been the only one of the twelve that did so. John xix. 25-27, "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." There might be several reasons for that determination: as John's being a relation, the sweetness of his temper, and his having somewhat of his own. He had been the beloved disciple or friend of Jesus ; and therefore was the most proper to be thus trusted: and doubtless this designation was perfectly agreeable to our Lord's mother.

f Scripseram hæc, cum J. Casp. Merhenii Observat. Crit. in Pass. J. C. consulens, novam ab eo hypothesin proponi deprehenderem,-quæ notatu non indigna est. Ipsum siquidem Judam proditorem pro hoc discipulo habet quem Joannes nominatu post turpissimum proditionis crimen indignum censuit. Id autem quod potissimum in rem spectare videtur, neque a nostrâ sententiâ, quam de consilio Judæ in prodendo Servatore fovemus, abludit, ita habet: Judam, post commissum scelus, pudore suffusum, pedetentim cohortem fuisse secutum, atque in Petrum ita incidisse, cui scelus suum excusare, quin negare potuit, se eâ mente Christo osculum dedisse, ut Christum proderet, sed ut periculum imminens ei subindicaret. Nos sane de eo vix dubitamus, Judam pœnitentiâ sceleris jam tum fuisse tactum, atque conscientiæ stimulis ea propter agitatum, facile potuisse eo consilio Jesum captum sequi, ut resciret, annon aliquâ ratione, pro solito, Jesus manus captorum evasurus esset. Liberam jam lectori optionem relinquimus.' Lampe, in Evang. Joann. cap. xviii. tom. III. p. 523. note (f.)

John saw his Lord expire on the cross; and still farther, "One of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came thereout blood and water. And he that saw it bare witness, and his record is true," ch. xix. 34, 35. And undoubtedly he also stayed afterwards, and saw the body of Jesus laid in the sepulchre, and the stone placed at the mouth of it; as related by himself, ch. xix. 38-42. Comp. Matt. xxvii. 53-60; Mark xv. 45-47; Luke xxiii. 50-56.

Early in the morning on which our Lord rose from the dead, Mary Magdalene and other women came to the sepulchre, and saw it was open, the stone having been taken away. Mary Magdalene knowing where she could find the two apostles Peter and John, went back to the city, and told them that "they had taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre: and," says she, "we know not where they have laid him. So they ran both together, to the sepulchre." And by what they saw there, they were led to the persuasion that Jesus was risen from the dead; as related, John xx. 1-10.

John was present with the other disciples when Jesus showed himself to them in the evening of the day on which he arose, and likewise eight days after, ch. xx. 19-29.

He has also particularly related the history of our Lord's showing himself to several disciples at the sea of Tiberias ; when they had an extraordinary draught of fishes, in number one hundred and fifty-three. There were present at that time "Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples," ch. xxi. 1-23. Beside other things which I omit, our Lord having had discourse with Peter, and having foretold his martyrdom, Peter put to him a question concerning John, saying, "Lord, what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him: If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. Yet Jesus said not unto him: He shall not die: but if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" Thus checking, as I apprehend, Peter's curiosity. However, it has been supposed by judicious commentators, that here is an intimation that John should not die before the destruction of Jerusalem. Nor is there any doubt but he survived that event, which few or none of the other apostles did. Though our Lord's words may be

Ita obscure significat, Johannem non, ut Petrum, morte violentâ moriturum, sed tali, quâ, sine hominum vi solveretur, ubi Christus tempus idoneum judicâsset. Quod et contigit, ut veterum plures consentiunt. Grot. ad Joan, xxi, 22.

understood to contain only an obscure intimation, that whereas Peter's days would be shortened by martyrdom, this disciple should be preserved till he died in the ordinary course of nature.

From all which we perceive, that St. John was present at most of the things related by him in his gospel and that he was an eye and ear-witness of our Lord's labours, journeyings, discourses, miracles, his low abasement even to an ignominious death, and his being alive again, and then ascending to heaven.

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Having been present with the rest of the apostles at the Lord's ascension, he returned with them from mount Olivet to Jerusalem, and continued with them, joining with them in their devotions, and in the choice of another, to supply the place of Judas: and partook in the plentiful effusion of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles and their company on the day of Pentecost next ensuing.

Peter and John, who often accompanied each other, healed the lame man at the temple, and upon that occasion preached to the people who assembled about them. For which they were brought before the Jewish council, and after some debates, were dismissed, with orders not to preach any more in the name of Jesus, Acts iii. and iv. 1—22.

Some while after this, the number of believers still increasing in Jerusalem, John and the rest of the apostles were apprehended and put into the common prison. But they were the same night delivered by an angel, who commanded them to "go and speak in the temple to the people;" which they did early in the morning" whereupon they were again taken up and brought before the council, who consulted how they might put them to death. But by the

h Ex ipsâ historiâ evangelicà Joannis probabile fit, omnibus eventibus, itineribus, miraculis, concionibus Servatoris nostri ipsum interfuisse-cum probabile sit, illum fuisse inter discipulos duos Joannis Baptistæ, a quibus collectionis discipulorum initium Jesus fecit, uti L. i. cap. 2. sect. ii. ostendimus, inde colligimus, evangelistam nostrum statim ab initio rebus, quas scribit, interfuisse, et hanc esse veram rationem, cur non altius filum historiæ suæ inciperet. Ex omnibus quoque sequentibus narrationibus nulla est, in quâ absentem evangelistam nostrum statuamus fuisse, nisi forte excipere velis illa, quæ in palatio Annæ et Caïaphæ acciderunt. Cap. xvii. 13-17. De quibus tamen res est dubia, quia definiri accurate nequit, annon discipulus, qui Petrum in palatium Caïaphæ introduxerit, ipse evangelista noster fuerit. Sed licet ille præsens non perceperit, a Petro tamen, socio intimo, statim proculdubio audivit. Et forte per ejus relationem excitatus est, ut ad prætorium Pilati summo mane advolaret, atque ita cum reliquis mulieribus Jesum ad crucem sequeretur.- Ex quo patet, quantâ cum emphasi præ cæteris apostolis et evangelistis dicere potuit: Quæ audivimus, quæ vidimus, 1 Jo. i. 1, 2. Lamp. Proleg. 1. 2. cap. Mark xvi. 19; Luke xxiv. 50-53; Acts i. 1–12. Acts ii. 1-13.

4. num. vi.

k Acts i. 12-26.

advice of Gamaliel that design was laid aside. "And when they had beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Whereupon the apostles departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing. And daily in the temple, and from house to house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ."

Afterward, there being a violent persecution at Jerusalem, many were scattered abroad. Philip, one of the seven, went down to Samaria, and preached to them, and wrought many miracles, insomuch that great numbers believed. When the apostles, who were at Jerusalem, heard of this, they sent unto them Peter and John, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. Having performed that service, they returned to Jerusalem: and in their way preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans, Acts viii, 5-25. From what St. Paul says in the second chapter of the epistle to the Galatians we perceive, that John was present at the council of Jerusalem of which an account is given, Acts xv. Which council was held in the year 49, or 50, or thereabout. And it may be reckoned probable, that till that time John had stayed in the land of Israel, and had not been abroad in any Gentile countries.

I would add, that though no miracles are related to be done by St. John beside those which have been here taken notice of, I reckon it very probable, that many miracles, beside those particularly mentioned by the historian, were wrought by him and other apostles during their stay in Judea. This may be inferred from general expressions of St. Luke in several places." And many signs and wonders were done by the apostles," Acts ii. 43. "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus," ch. iv. 33. "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people,' ch. v. 12. Comp. iv. 29, 30.

From the book of the Revelation, ch. i. 9, we learn, that St. John was for a while in the island called Patmos; where he was favoured with visions and revelations.

Thus far we have endeavoured to collect the history of this apostle from the New Testament.

II. From ecclesiastical history we learn, that St. John lived to a great age, and that in the latter part of his life he resided in Asia, particularly at Ephesus, the chief city of that country.

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Concerning his abode in Asia we have divers testimonies of good credit. Irenæus in two places of his work in Iren. adv. Hær. 1. 2. cap. 22. n. v. p. 148. ed Mass. et 1. 3. cap. 3. p. 178.