Saint John The Evangelist.

brother Avhom he hath seen , how can he love God whom he hath not seen . " "This commandment have we from Him , that he who loveth God loveth his brother also . " There are many similar embodiments of the love idea in John ' s Ep istles—¦

rindeed , as Ave have already said , John ' s leading characteristic was love . He felt it towards God and towards men ; it was a ruling and reigning princi ple of his life and conduct ; and it eminentl y distinguished his disciples and followers .

There is reason to believe that John spent the greater part of his long life in preaching to the Gentiles . He lived in the province . of Judea till war broke out with the Romans ; he proceeded to Asia Minor between the years 66 and 70 of the

Christian era , residing in the then famous city of Ephesus . From thence , owing to the terrible persecutions to which the earl y Church Avas exposed in the time of Domitian , he Avas banished to Patmos , a small and desolate island in the JSgean

Sea . There he remained isolated from the world , holding converse almost alone Avith . the Great Architect till the death of Domitian , and the accession of Trajan to the throne , aud there he ¦ wrote that Avonderful book—the Revelations , — ¦ which , by symbols ancl figures , reveals , it is

' •• 'believed , the state of the Church and world from the days of the Apostles till the end of time . He returned again to E p hesus , proclaiming the simple truths of God , in opposition to all the cumbrous superstitions and idolatries of the age ; and he

continued in that cit y till his death , which did not occur till he had reached the ripe old age of a hundred years . It is related of him , and the relation Avould seem to be founded on fact , that , towards the close of his life , he was not able to

¦ discourse as full y as had been his wont ; that he had to be carried to the Church , and that when there , his sermon consisted of no more than this—** Little children , love one another . " His disci ples having asked him Avh y he always dwelt upon love ,

his answer was , " Because it is the Lord ' s coin - mand , and if this be done it is sufficient . " It is also related , b y ancient and eminent Masonic authority , that when John ivas iu his ninetieth year , Freemasonry , Avliich had been a vigorous

institution , had fallen very much into decay , many lodges having been entirel y broken up , and onl y a few meeting in sufficient numbers to constitute their legality ; and that , at a general meeting of the Craft , held in Jerusalem , it was observed that the principal reason for the decline of Freemasonry

Saint John The Evangelist.

was the Avant of a Grand Master to patronise it . The lodges therefore deputed seven of their most eminent members to wait upon St . John , requesting him to take the office of Grand Master . He returned for answer , that though Avell stricken in

years , yet having been early in life initiated into Masonry , he would take upon himself the office ; he thereby completed by his learning Avhat the other St . John had instituted by his zeal , and thus drew Avhat Freemasons term a line parallel ; ever since

which Freemasons' lodges in all Christian countries have been dedicated both to St . John the Baptist and St . John the Evangelist . It is Avorth mentioning , as a fact , that while there is evidence to show that all the early Apostles met violent deaths

at the hand or their persecutors , he alone passed naturally and peacefull y into a quiet grave . God permitted him—He , the source of love , permitted his Apostle of love—to fall , like a little child , gently to his last earthl y sleep .

The Knights Templars.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS .

By ANTHONY ONEAL HAYE . ( Continued , from page 308 ) . BOOK III . —CHAPTER I .

EOBEET DE SABDAUS , GEAND MASTEE . Benewal of the war . —Battles " before Acre . —" Election of de Sable . —Arrived of the English and French . —Death of Sybilla , and disputes regarding the succession to the throne of Jerusalem . —Fall of Acre . —The King of France abandons the Crusade . —March against the

Saracens . —Assassination of Conrad de Monlferrat . — Peace concluded . —Richard returns to Europe— . D . 1189 —119-1 .

With the commencement of a new year , Saladin was joined by his son , Malek-el-Afdal , who brought with him large reinforcements of troops , and a great quantity of military stores and provisions . His arrival determined the Sultan to renew the war with the utmost vigour . Meanwhile the winter had not

passed idly with the Templars , who , assisted by the other Christians , under the skilful direction of the Marshal Walter , dug deep trenches round the camp , threw up ramparts , and formed so complete a chain of defence , that , according to au Arabian historian , not even a bird could get in . They also filled up the

ditch which protected Acre on the land side , and constructed three enormous towers to command the walls . These towers held from five to six hundred men fully equipped with their military engines . To render them incombustible , they were covered with a coating of oxhides soaked in vinegar and mud , but in spite of this