aving long passed the limit of human age.
They had listened to the story of the early call of the disciples, and
of the first miracle at Cana, and of the night visit of Nicodemus to
Jesus, and of the talk by the well of Samaria with the Samaritaness, and
of the washing of the disciples' feet, and of many other things which
Jesus said and did of which no one had written. In John's talks with
Christians, and his preaching in their churches, he explained fully and
simply the teachings of Jesus, as no one else had done, or could do.
They longed for a record of them, that they might read it themselves,
and leave it to their children, and those who never could hear the words
from his lips.

So St. John wrote his Gospel, giving to his first readers his great
reason,--"These are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in His
name."

For the writing of his first Epistle he also gives a reason,
saying,--"That which we have heard, that which we have seen with our
eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled concerning the word of
life, ... that ... declare we unto you also, that ye also may have
fellowship with us."

Through these words John draws us very near to his Lord and ours, Whom
we behold through his eyes, and hear through his ears. We almost feel
the grasp of a divine yet human hand.

The great theme is the love of God, or as Luther expresses it, "The main
substance of this Epistle relates to love." John's Gospel abounds in
declarations and illustration of this greatest of truths, but it does
not contain the phrase in this Epistle in which he sums up the whole
Gospel, "GOD IS LOVE." Because of John's deep sense of God's
love, and because of the depth of his own love, the Beloved Apostle is
called, The Apostle of Love.

John's second Epistle should be of special interest to the young. From
it we infer that there were two Christian homes, in each of which John
took delight. The mothers were sisters. His letter is addressed to "The
elect lady"--or as she is sometimes called the Lady Electa--and her
children. John tells of his love and that of others for them,--Mother
and children--because of their Christian character. He tells of his
great joy because of the children "walking in the truth"--living as
children should live who have learned of the teachings of Christ.

From the group of children around him in the home where he wrote, he
sends message