John the Evangelist, Christ's darling, was on this day, through God's
visitation, taken to the joy of the kingdom of heaven. He was the son of
Christ's maternal aunt, and he loved him particularly, not so much for the
consanguinity, as for the purity of his uncorrupted chastity. He was in
chastity chosen to God, and he ever continued in undefiled chastity. It is
read in historic narratives that he would marry, and Christ was invited to
his nuptials. Then it befell that at the nuptials wine was wanting. Jesus
then bade the serving men fill six stone vessels with pure water, and he
with his blessing turned the water to noble wine. This is the first miracle
that he openly wrought in his state of man. Now John was so stimulated by
that miracle, that he forthwith left his bride in maidenhood, and ever
afterwards followed the Lord, and was by him inwardly beloved, because he
had withdrawn himself from fleshly lusts. Verily to this beloved disciple
Jesus intrusted his mother, when, suspended on the cross, he redeemed
mankind, that his pure life might take care of the pure virgin Mary, and
that she might continue ministering to her sister's son.
Some time after, after Christ's ascension to heaven, a cruel emperor
reigned in the Roman empire, after Nero, who was called Domitian, a
persecutor of the christians. He commanded a vat to be filled with boiling
oil, and the great evangelist to be thrust therein; but he, through God's
protection, went uninjured from that hot bath. Afterwards, when the cruel
one might not suppress the preaching of the blessed apostle, he sent him
into exile to an island that is called Patmos, that he there, through
sharpness of hunger, might perish. But the Almighty Saviour did not leave
his beloved apostle to {61} neglect, but revealed to him, in that exile,
the revelation of things to come, concerning which he wrote the book which
is called APOCALYPSE: and the cruel Domitian was slain in the same year by
the hand of his senators; and they all unanimously resolved that all his
decrees should be annulled. Then was Nerva, a very honourable man, chosen
for emperor. With his consent the apostle returned with great worship, he
who with contumely had been sent into banishment. Men and women ran to meet
him, rejoicing and saying, "Blessed is he who cometh in the name of God."
As the apostle John was entering the city of Ephesus, there was borne
towards him the corpse of a widow to be buried; her name was Drusiana. She
was of great faith, and gave much in alms, and the poor, whom she had
bountifully fed, sad, with weeping, followed the corpse. Then the apostle
bade them set down the bier, and said, "My Lord, Jesus Christ! Raise thee,
Drusiana; arise, and return home, and prepare refection for us in thy
house." Drusiana then arose as if from sleep awakened, and, mindful of the
apostle's command, returned home.
On the second day the apostle going in the street, observed where a
philosopher was accompanying two brothers, who had turned all their
parents' treasure into precious gems, and would crush them in the sight of
all the people as a spectacle, in contempt as it were of worldly riches. It
was common at that time for those who would sedulously learn philosophy, to
change their property for gems, and break them in pieces; or for a wedge of
gold, and throw it into the sea; lest the contemplation of those riches
should hinder them at their study. Then the apostle called the philosopher
Graton to him, and said, "It is foolish that any one should despise worldly
riches for praise of men, and be condemned at God's doom. Vain is the
medicine that cannot heal the sick; as also is vain the doctrine that
healeth not the sins and vices of the soul. {63} Verily my teacher, Christ,
enjoined a youth who desired eternal life, in these words, That he should
sell all his wealth, and distribute the value to the poor, if he would be
perfect; and he should afterwards have his treasure in heaven, and, in
addition thereto, eternal life." The philosopher Graton him answered,
"These jewels are crushed for idle vaunt; but if thy teacher is the true
God, join the fragments to soundness, that their value may benefit the
poor." John then gathered the fragments of the jewels, and looked to
heaven, thus saying, "Lord Jesus, to thee no thing is difficult; thou didst
restore this crushed world for thy faithful, through sign of the holy rood;
restore now these precious gems, by thy angels' hands, that these ignorant
men may acknowledge thy powers, and in thee believe." Lo, then suddenly the
gems became sound, so that even no sign of their former broken condition
was seen. Then the philosopher Graton, together with the youths, fell
forthwith at the feet of John, believing in God. The apostle baptized him
with all his family, and he began openly to preach God's faith. The two
brothers, Atticus and Eugenius, gave their gems, and distributed all their
wealth to the poor, and followed the apostle, and a great multitude of
believers also joined themselves to him.
Then on a certain time the apostle came to the city of Pergamus, where the
before-mentioned youths formerly dwelt, and saw their servants decorated
with fine linen, and shining in worldly splendour. Then were they pierced
through with the devil's darts, and sad in mind, that they in poverty
should go with one miserable cloak, and their servants be shining in
worldly splendour. Then perceived the apostle the diabolical wiles, and
said, "I see that your mind and your countenance are changed, because ye
have distributed your riches to the poor, and followed my Lord's doctrine:
go now therefore to the wood, and hew a burthen of rods, and bring them to
me." They did as he had commanded, and he {65} in God's name blessed the
green rods, and they were turned to red gold. Again the apostle said, "Go
now to the sea-strand, and fetch me pebble-stones." They did so, and John
by God's majesty blessed them, and they were turned to precious gems. Then
said the apostle, "Go to the smithy, and try this gold and these gems."
They went, and came again, thus saying, "All the goldsmiths say that they
have never before seen such pure and such red gold: also the jewellers say
that they have never before met with such precious gems." Then said the
apostle to them, "Take this gold and these gems, and go and buy landed
property, seeing that ye have lost heavenly riches. Buy yourselves purple
kirtles, that ye for a little while may shine as the rose, that ye may
speedily fade. Be flourishing and rich for a season, that ye may be poor
for ever. What, may not the Almighty Ruler so act that he make his servants
powerful before the world, abounding in wealth, and incomparably to shine?
But he has placed warfare for the believing souls, that they may believe in
order to possess the eternal riches, they who for his name despise
temporary possessions. Ye healed the sick in the name of Jesus, ye drove
out devils, ye gave sight to the blind, and cured every disease. Behold,
now this gift is withdrawn from you, and ye are become poor wretches, ye
who were great and strong. The devils stood in so great awe of you, that at
your behest they forsook the possessed demoniacs; now ye yourselves dread
devils. The heavenly possessions are common to us all. Naked we were born,
and naked we depart. The brightness of the sun, and the light of the moon,
and of all the stars are common to the high and the low. Rain-showers and
the church-door, baptism and forgiveness of sins, partaking of the housel
and God's visitation, are common to all, poor and rich: but the unhappy
covetous wishes to have more than suffices him, though he enjoys not
freedom from care in his abundance. The covetous hath one body and divers
garments; he hath one belly and a {67} thousand men's sustenance; but that
which he, through the vice of avarice, cannot give to any other, he
hoardeth, and knoweth not for whom, as the prophet said, 'Vainly is every
man troubled who hoardeth, and knoweth not for whom he gathereth.' Verily
he is not lord of those possessions, when he cannot distribute them, but he
is the slave of those possessions, when he wholly serveth them; and in
addition thereto, diseases of his body increase, so that he may not enjoy
food or drink. He cares night and day that his money be preserved; he
attends greedily to his gain, his rent, his buildings; he bereaves the
indigent, he follows his lusts and his pleasure; then suddenly departs he
from this world, naked and charged with crimes, bearing with him his sins
alone; therefore shall he suffer punishment everlasting."
Behold, while the apostle was speaking this lecture, a certain widow bare
her son to be buried, who had been married thirty days before. The
afflicted mother, together with the mourners, wailing prostrated herself at
the holy apostle's feet, praying that he would, in God's name, rear up her
son, as he did the widow Drusiana. John then, pitying the grief of the
mother and the mourners, prostrated his body on the earth, in long prayer,
and at length rising up, again with up-raised hands prayed a long time.
Having done thus thrice, he bade them unwrap the corpse of the youth, and
said, "O thou youth, who through thy flesh's lust hast early lost thy soul;
O thou youth, thou knewest not thy Creator; thou knewest not the Saviour of
men; thou knewest not the true friend, and hast therefore fallen on the
worst enemy. Now I have shed my tears, and earnestly prayed for thy
sensuality, that thou mayest from death arise, and to these two brothers,
Atticus and Eugenius, declare how great glory they have lost, and what
punishment they have earned." On this the youth Stacteus arose, and fell at
the feet of John, and began to chide the brothers who had been perverted,
thus saying, "I saw the angels who had charge of you sadly {69} weeping,
and the accursed fiend rejoicing in your destruction. For you was the
kingdom of heaven ready, and shining structures filled with repasts, and
with eternal light: these ye have lost through heedlessness, and have got
for yourselves dark dwellings filled with serpents, and with crackling
flames, full of unspeakable torments and horrible stenches; in which
groaning and howling cease not day nor night: pray, therefore, with inward
heart, this apostle of God, your teacher, that he raise you from eternal
perdition, as he hath raised me from death, and that he your souls, which
are now blotted from the living book, lead back to God's grace and mercy."
The youth then, Stacteus, who had risen from death, together with the
brothers, prostrated himself in the footsteps of John, and the people with
them, all unanimously praying that he would intercede with God for them.
The apostle then commanded the two brothers that they for thirty days in
penitence should sacrifice to God by penance, and in that space should
earnestly pray that the golden rods might be turned again to their former
nature, and the gems to their worthlessness. After thirty days' space, when
they could not by their prayers restore the gold and the gems to their
nature, they came with weeping to the apostle, thus saying, "Ever hast thou
taught mercy, and that one should have mercy on another; and if one have
mercy on another, how much more will God show mercy to and pity men, his
handiwork! The sin which we have committed with covetous eyes, we now with
weeping eyes repent." Then answered the apostle, "Bear the rods to the
wood, and the stones to the sea-strand: they shall be restored to their
nature." When they had done this they again received God's grace, so that
they drove out devils, and healed the blind and the sick, and performed
many miracles, in the Lord's name, as they before had done.
The apostle then converted to God all the country of Asia, which is
accounted the half part of the world; and wrote the {71} fourth book of
Christ, which treats most of Christ's divinity. The other three
evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, wrote rather of Christ's human state.
Then there sprung up heretics in God's church, who said that Christ was not
before he was born of Mary. Thereupon all the diocesan bishops besought the
holy apostle to compose the fourth book, and extinguish the audacity of the
heretics. John then ordered a general fast of three days; and after the
fast he was so greatly filled with the spirit of God, that he excelled all
God's angels and all creatures with his exalted mind, and began the
evangelical memorial with these words, "In principio erat verbum," etc.,
that is in English, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with
God, and the word was God; this was in the beginning with God; all things
are made through him, and without him nothing is created." And so forth, in
all the evangelical memorial, he made known many things concerning Christ's
divinity, how he eternally without beginning was begotten of his Father,
and reigneth with him in unity of the Holy Ghost, ever without end. He
wrote few things of his human nature, because the three other evangelists
had composed their books abundantly concerning that.
It happened at a certain time, that the idolaters, who were yet
unbelieving, said that they would force the apostle to their heathenship:
whereupon the apostle said to the idolaters, "Go all together to God's
church, and call all of you to your gods that, through their might, the
church may fall down; then will I turn to your heathenship. But if the
power of your god may not cast down the holy church, I will cast down your
temple, through the might of the Almighty God, and I will crush your idol;
and it shall then seem right that ye cease from your error, and believe in
the true God, who alone is Almighty." The idolaters assented to this
proposal, and John with kind words exhorted the people to go out from the
devil's temple; and with clear voice cried {73} before them all, "In the
name of God let this temple fall down with all the idols that dwell within
it, that this multitude may know that this idolatry is the worship of the
devil." Behold then, the temple fell suddenly to the ground, with all its
idols turned to dust. On that same day twelve thousand heathens were turned
to belief in Christ, and hallowed with baptism.
But the chief idolater still refused with great perverseness, and said that
he would not believe unless John drank poison, and through God's might
overcame the deadly drink. Then said the apostle, "Though thou give me
poison, through God's name it shall not hurt me." Then said the idolater
Aristodemus, "Thou shalt first see another drink it, and instantly die,
that so at least thy heart may fear the death-bearing drink." John answered
him, "If thou wilt believe in God, I will fearless receive this drink."
Then Aristodemus went to the prefect, and took from his prison two thieves,
and gave them the poison before all the people, in the presence of John;
and they immediately after the drink died. Then the idolater gave the
venomous drink also to the apostle, and he having armed his mouth and all
his body with the sign of the rood, and exorcised the poison in God's name,
with bold heart drank it all. Aristodemus then and the people beheld the
apostle three hours of the day, and saw him having a glad countenance,
without paleness and fear: and they all cried, "There is one true God, whom
John worshippeth." Then said the idolater to the apostle, "Yet I doubt; but
if thou, in the name of thy God, wilt raise up these dead thieves, then
will my heart be cleansed from every doubt." Then said John, "Aristodemus,
take my tunic, and lay it on the corpses of the dead men, and say, 'The
apostle of Jesus Christ hath sent me to you, that ye in his name may arise
from death, and that every man may know that death and life minister to my
Saviour.'" He {75} then, at the apostle's command, bare his tunic, and laid
it on the two dead ones, and they forthwith rose up whole. When the
idolater saw that, he prostrated himself at the feet of John, and then went
to the prefect, and announced to him those miracles with a loud voice. Then
they both sought the apostle, praying for his compassion: whereupon the
apostle enjoined them a fast of seven days, and afterwards baptized them;
and after their baptism they cast down all their idols, and with the aid of
their kinsmen, and with all art, raised a great church to God in honour of
the apostle.
When the apostle was ninety-nine years old the Lord Christ appeared to him
with the other apostles, whom he had taken from this life, and said, "John,
come to me; it is time that thou with thy brethren shouldst feast at my
banquet." John then arose, and went towards Jesus. But he said to him, "Lo,
on Sunday, the day of my resurrection, thou shalt come to me:" and after
those words the Lord returned to heaven. The apostle greatly rejoiced in
that promise, and at sunrise early rising came to the church, and from
cock-crowing until the third hour, taught God's law, and sang mass to them,
and said, that the Saviour had called him to heaven on that day. He then
ordered his grave to be dug opposite the altar, and the dust to be removed;
and he went quick and whole into his grave, and with outstretched hands
cried to God, "Lord Christ, I thank thee that thou hast invited me to thy
banquet: thou knowest that with all my heart I have desired thee. Oft have
I prayed thee that I might go to thee, but thou saidst that I should abide,
that I might gain more people to thee. Thou hast preserved my body against
every pollution, and thou hast ever illumined my soul, and hast nowhere
forsaken me. Thou hast set in my mouth the word of thy truth, and I have
written down the lore which I heard from thy mouth, and the wonders which I
saw thee work. Now I commit to thee, Lord! thy {77} children, those which
thy church, maiden and mother, through water and the Holy Ghost have gained
to thee. Receive me to my brothers with whom thou camest and invitedst me.
Open towards me the gate of life, that the princes of darkness may not find
me. Thou art Christ, Son of the living God, who, at thy Father's behest,
hast saved the world, and hast sent us the Holy Ghost. Thee we praise and
thank for thy manifold benefits throughout the world eternal. Amen."
After this prayer a heavenly light appeared above the apostle, within the
grave, shining for an hour so bright, that no man's sight might look on the
rays of light; and with that light he gave up his spirit to the Lord, who
had invited him to his kingdom. He departed as joyfully from the pain of
death, from this present life, as he was exempt from bodily defilement.
Verily his grave was afterwards found filled with manna. Manna the heavenly
meat was called which for forty years fed the people of Israel in the
wilderness. Now this food was found in the grave of John, and nothing else,
and the meat is growing in it to this present day. Many miracles have there
been manifested, and sick healed, and released from all calamities through
the apostle's intercession. This hath the Lord Christ granted unto him, to
whom is glory and honour with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever without
end. Amen.
* * * * *