_PREFATORY NOTE_

The recorded incidents of the Life of St. John are few. Almost all those
of which we certainly know are related in the Gospels, the Acts of the
Apostles, The Epistles of St. John, and The Revelation. Some of the
traditions concerning him are in such harmony with what we do know that
we are almost ready to accept them as historic.

The known events though few, are very distinct. They are the beautiful
fragments of a great picture. The plan of this volume does not include
those which pertain to him in common with the twelve disciples. Such a
record would practically involve the story of the life of our Lord. This
is limited to those events in which his name is mentioned, or his person
otherwise indicated; to those in which he was a certain or implied
actor; to those in which we may suppose from his character and relations
he had a special interest; to those narratives whose fulness of detail
makes the impression that they are given by an eye-witness; to those in
which a deeper impression was made on him than on his fellow-disciples,
or where he showed a deeper insight than they into the teachings of the
Lord, and is a clearer interpreter; to those records which add to, or
throw light upon, those of the other three Evangelists; and especially
to those things which reveal his peculiar relation to Jesus Christ.

Another limitation of this volume is its adaptation, in language,
selection of subjects and general treatment, to young people, for whom
it is believed no life of John, at any rate of recent date, has been
prepared. It is designed especially for those between the ages of ten
and twenty, though the facts recorded may be of value to all.

The attempt is made to trace the way by which John was led to, and then