constant residence in this city exposed him to great danger and difficulty, but he held the post of Bishop for about thirty years.

When some discussion arose about Jewish rites and ceremonies, though those eminent Apostles SS. Peter and Paul were both engaged in this matter, they with all the others yielded to the opinion of S. James.'

But neither the wisdom nor the goodness of this holy man was to save him from the bitter cross borne by the early disciples of our LORD. He was summoned to appear before Ananias, the High Priest, the son of that Annas, the deposed High Priest who refused to judge our LORD, but sent Him bound to Caiaphas. Ananias was a Sadducee, and unmerciful in temper, and S. James was forced up to a high outer gallery of the temple, in order that he might speak to the crowd gathered below for the people had heard that their great Bishop was seized, and they assembled round the temple to hear all the news.

The Scribes and Pharisees hoped by threats to force him to deny his faith in CHRIST. And they said, "Tell us, O just man, what we are to believe concerning JESUS CHRIST, Who was crucified."

He answered with a loud voice, "Why do you inquire of JESUS the Son of Man? HE

1 Acts xv. 13.

sits in heaven, on the right hand of the Majesty on high, and will come again in the clouds of heaven."

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Then the people shouted, “ Hosanna to the Son of David."

At this the enemies of the Bishop, the unbelieving Jews around him on the gallery, were so provoked, that they threw him down headlong from the high place where he stood. He was fearfully hurt, but not quite killed, for indeed he partly raised himself to his knees, and prayed for his murderers. While he was thus praying they threw stones at him, and a man, a fuller by trade, having in his hand the staff with which he used to beat the dust out of the cloth he had to clean, struck S. James with it heavily on the head: mercifully, though the wicked fuller did not mean it so, for this blow killed the sufferer outright.

It is said in a very old Hebrew writing, that after S. James had partaken of the Sacrament at the " LAST SUPPER," he made a solemn vow that he would eat bread no more until he saw the LORD risen from the dead. This same writing says that our LORD afterwards appeared to him and said, “Bring hither bread and a table," and He took the bread and blessed and brake it, and gave it to James, and said to him, " My brother, eat thy bread, for the Son of Man is risen from among them that sleep."

S. James the Just was ninety-six years old when he died. He wrote a letter which we have in the New Testament, a general epistle to the Jewish converts scattered abroad over the world. This letter was written not long before his own death, and the destruction of Jerusalem.

THE ASCENSION.

Chorus of Disciples.

MASTER! and must we part?
Hast Thou arisen,
Cheering each wounded heart,
Bursting death's prison,

Far from our side to go,
Whilst, in our nameless woe,
Sad tears in torrents flow?
Yet, yet delay!

Chorus of Angels (invisible.)

LORD! yonder golden skies
Beam for Thy glory;
Heaven's matchless melodies
Swell to adore Thee;

Rise to Thy destined throne,
Make all Thy splendours known,
Claim all the worlds Thine own,
Mount, mount away!

As on this day our LORD, after His birth, life, teaching, passion, crucifixion, and resur

rection—of all which you have read in their order in this book-having now finished all His work on earth, took away from us His visible bodily presence, and rose up to heaven in the sight of all His disciples. And this great event we celebrate on what is called Holy Thursday, Ascension Day. This was forty days after His Resurrection.

Before His betrayal our SAVIOUR had explained to His disciples the necessity for His leaving them: He pointed it out as a requisite prelude to other promised blessings. Let not your heart be troubled: Ĭ

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prepare a place for you."

go to

"It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you.'

This wonderful event is recorded by two of the Evangelists, S. Mark and S. Luke; not by S. Matthew or S. John.

In S. Mark we read, "So then after the LORD had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of GoD."

And in S. Luke, " And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it came to pass while He blessed them He was parted from them and carried up into Heaven."

In the book called "The Acts of the Apostles," that is, the history of what these holy men did after their LORD was taken away