June 4

The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth. 2 John 1:1.

MUCH of the New Testament is epistolary. The Epistles are of three kinds: some of them are addressed to Christians at large, some to single churches, and some to particular individuals. These individuals were signally honoured. It is generally considered, if not flattering, most agreeable to receive communications from persons in high rank or station; and still more from one distinguished by genius, or learning, or piety; but to receive a letter from an inspired author, an epistle from John the Divine, how would the autograph be valued, and how sedulously would it be preserved! Yet two of John’s Epistles are addressed to individuals. One of them is inscribed to a male friend,-the beloved Gaius. He was distinguished by bodily indisposition and soul-prosperity, and great liberality and zeal.

The other is inscribed to a female friend, whose name is not recorded. She is called the Elect Lady. But who was this distinguished personage? Perhaps she was a deaconess; perhaps she had a church in her house; perhaps her mansion was the asylum of the persecuted, and the dwelling where the ministers of the word and the brethren always found a welcome and a home. She seems to have been a person of high reputation, and of some rank, and able disposition. But, whatever her worldly condition, it of itself would never have attracted the notice of John without her character. He regarded her according to her real worth. Birth, and wealth, and honour, are nothing in themselves. But they are powers; they may afford proofs of the power of divine grace in the preservation of the owners, and furnish opportunities for influence and for usefulness. She was preeminently pious: the foundation of all her excellencies was her personal and evangelical godliness. She was “walking in the truth.” Here by the truth we understand the truth as it is in Jesus. She exemplified the influence of the truth by her walking in the knowledge, practice, and profession of the truth, and in being “a fellowhelper to the truth.” Nothing is said of her husband: perhaps he was irreligious; perhaps he was dead. Her children, however, are here noticed, and seem to have been like-minded with herself, for they were “found walking in the truth.” How they were brought into the ways of truth is not stated. But John addresses them along with their honoured mother. Whether he had seen them at their mother’s house, or whether he had only heard of them by report, we are unable to determine. “But,” says he, “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.”

The dear aged disciple then falls into his old strain of affection, and endeavours to excite an increase of what had already commenced:-“And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another;” and then he passes from brotherly love to divine love; indeed, they are always enjoined and inseparable. He says, “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.”