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revealed to him. Notwithstanding all this, John was humble and simple, like the Divine Infant of Bethlehem; and one cannot read without emotion what the carly writers tell us of him, how he was often scen fondhing a pet bird in his venerable hands.

He that had, when young, leaned his head upon the Breast of that God, whose delights are to be with the children of meni—that had stood near his Lord during the Crucifixion, when all the other Apostles kept away in fear—that had seen the soldier’s Spear pierce the Sacred Heart, which so loved the world— when old age had come upon him, was for ever urging upon all he met the duty of loving one another. His tender compassion for sinners was such as we might naturally leok for from the favourite Disciple of the Redeemer; and we are not surprised at that example—which would have been wonderful in any other Saint than John—of his going in search of a young man, whom he had loved with a Father's love, and who had abandoned himself, during the Apostle’s absence, to every sort of sin: old age was no hindrance to this fatiguing search, which ended in his finding the young man amidst the mountains, and leading him back to repentance,

And yet, this same gentle and loving Saint was the inficxible enemy of heresy; for heresy, by de- stroying Faith, poisons Charity in its very source. It is from this Apostle, that the Church has reecived the maxim she gives to us—of shunning heresy as we would shun a plague: Lf any man come to you and bring not the doctrine of Christ, receive him not into the house, nor say to him “ God speed thee;” for he that sath unto hum, “ God speed thee,” com- municateth with his wicked works? St. John having, one day, entered one of the public baths, he was no

1 Proy. vill. 31. 211. St. John, i, 10, 11.