^ opening verses of the book (ch. 1:1-18). "It séts forth the inner meaning of all Christ did and said instead of merely relating the outward events. Clement , of Alexandria, • toward the end of the second century, wrote that John, "feel- ing that the things pertaining to the body had been sufficiently declared in the previous gospels, at the request of *• his friends and under the inspiration of the Spirit, wrote a spiritual gospel." McClymont characterizes it as "the spiritual gospel." Because of its pur- pose, the doctrinal element in the gospel predominates over the narrative ele- ment. It is a doctrinal and theological ; gospel rather than a merely historical gospel. History there is, history of '*' transcendent importance, and rigidly accurate history, but always history with a purpose. It is like modern his- tory, history written with the philoso- ^ phy of history always in view. "It represents Christ's person and work not , with special reference to the Past or t he Present or the Future, but generally with reference to Eternity, in which Past, Present, and Future are alike in- cluded." (McClymont.) As it is the latest of the gospels, it is also the ripest and most perfect. It is "the gospel of gospels. It is the conclusion, the com- pletion, -and the crown of the gospels. It j^i is the most remarkable as well as the most important book ever written." Lesson 8. HERE is. such a thing as Passion for Souls. We know Paul the apostle had it, we know that some of the missionaries like Brainard and Judson had it, but we do not have it. Why not? We know that there is but little of it in the church. Why is 1r this? It would be well for us in our lesson for today to stop and ask our- y selves the question, Why do I have no passion for souls? Listen to these words by Dr. John Balcom Shaw: "Oh, my friend, when I see George Whitefield standing on the stairway of the house at Newburyport with the can- dle in his hand, preaching to the multi- tude that had gathered on the lawn until long after midnight, almost until the breaking of the new day made the light of the candle no longer necessary; when I find Charles G. Finney asking ill Personal 'V
(Van Doren.) While the Bible is the book of books, the gospel of John is the book of all books in the Bible. "It is a voice of thunder, and yet more love bewitching and elevating in its influence • than all the harmonies of music." (Chrysostum.) "The most important part of the New Testament." (Lessing.) "Eternal, child-like, Christmas joys possess John's soul." (Schleiermacher.) "It possesses a peculiar charm to which there is no parallel." (Tholuck.) "The diamond among the gospels, which re- flects the glory of the godhead, even in the crown of thorns." (Lange.) "A river deep enough for an elephant to swim, with shallows where a lamb may wade." (Owen.) "There is both in the vocabulary and in the form of the sen- tences a surprising simplicity, which becomes majestic by the solemn direct- ness." (Westcott.) "It is the gospel of the world, resolving reason into intui- tion, and faith into sight." (Westcott.) "It reveals the soul of Christ; the others seek rather to describe his body." (Cal- vin.) "It is the unique, tender, gen- uine, leading gospel." (Luther.) "It pours forth the water of life John him- self had drunk from the bosom of Jesus in secret." (Augustine.) "It can be comprehended only by those who lean upon the bosom of Jesus, and there im- bibe the spirit of John." (Origen.) (To be continued) his hostess to let him sleep that night in the barn, rather than in a comfort- able bed in the house, and spending the whole night until daybreak on his knees in the hay-mow, praying for power with sinners; when I see D. L. Moody back in the great Hippodrome meetings, 1 anxious to get through with the larger service, though addressing five thousand souls, that he might go yonder into a little ante-room to deal personally in- dividually, with men; and when I take up the biography of George Macgregor, who was such a benediction to many of us at Northfield, and to many others over in Keswick, and, turning to the chapter entitled "Passion for Souls," read the remarkable statement made by his cousin, that there was probably not a moment of the day when a passion for Evangelism Horton
By T. C.
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