S. BARTHOLOMEW.

AUGUST 24.

"Come forth, Nathanael, from the fig-tree's shade, And see, where, down yon mountain's solemn glade,

The lowly Nazareth, in the summer even,

Shines in the sun-beams like a gate of heaven! 'Mid those poor walls, Heaven opens to thy

prayer,

And angels pass upon the crystal stair.

And who within that tabernacle's light

Shall dwell, but thou, the guileless Israelite ?"

THERE are some of our LORD's Apostles of whom we read frequently in the New Testament; of S. Peter and S. Paul a very great deal; on the other hand there are others of: whom we scarcely hear anything except that they followed CHRIST, loved Him, served Him, and died for His sake, like S. James the Great. Perhaps there is no one of whom so very little is said as of S. Bartholomew, or

Nathanael, for he had both these names. But this little gives him the highest praise for a gentle, pure, and upright heart. Our SAVIOUR said as He saw him coming, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."

It was S. Philip who told Nathanael that they had "found Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, JESUS of Nazareth." They came together to JESUS; and Nathanael, astonished that our SAVIOUR knew him, said, "Whence knowest Thou me ?"

And JESUS replied, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the figtree, I saw thee."

And then indeed Nathanael felt that He Who had seen him, when he was to human vision far away from sight,

"In his own pleasant fig-tree's shade,

Which by his household fountain grew,
Where at noon-day his prayer he made,
To know GOD better than he knew ;"

then did he feel that this must be GOD, and he said, instantly, "Master, Thou art the SON of GOD, Thou art the King of Israel."

And he then followed CHRIST, and we hear no more of him, except that his name is mentioned once amongst those of the Apostles; and again, when the risen SAVIOUR showed Himself to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, S. Bartholomew is named; he is there

called Nathanael, of Cana in Galilee. And this is all that we are told of him in the New Testament; but in other histories there is some little account of his after life.

After his SAVIOUR'S death he travelled to preach the Gospel to the heathens in Asia, and went as far as India, then a region practically little known, though many Indian luxuries arrived in Judæa, through the Arabians. It was, however, a country most difficult for him to reach, and the knowledge that he really was there is preserved to us in a very interesting way.

A very learned man and excellent Christian, named Pantænus, was master of the Christian University of Alexandria about the year of our LORD 180. He became afterwards a missionary, and preached the Gospel in India. There, to his surprise and delight, he found a small band of Christians, and they had amongst them a copy of S. Matthew's Gospel, written in Hebrew, copied out by S. Bartholomew, and left by him there. On his safe return to Alexandria, Pantænus, with great joy, related this circumstance.

I have told you that many, if not all the Apostles made copies of this Gospel to carry with them when they parted, severally to teach and preach throughout the world.

S. Bartholomew left India and went to other countries in the more northern and western parts of Asia. At last he came into

Armenia, and was put to death by the governor of that place. Some say he was crucified with his head downwards, others that he was flayed alive; but all writers agree in the belief that he taught and preached and comforted those around him even whilst he was dying, and that he is now with the other holy martyrs of CHRIST.

S. MATTHEW.

SEPTEMBER 21.

"Good Levi!

Beneath thy lowly roof I see Him come,
An honour'd guest; the Pharisee's stern gloom
Sitting aloof,-in calm and humble gaze
The Galilean twelve,-th' half pleas'd amaze
Of Publicans, and mourning Eremite
Shrinking apart.”

S. MATTHEW, or Levi, was the latest called of the Apostles; that is to say, he was the last of those twelve whom our LORD favoured by saying, "Follow Me." S. Matthew was not a poor man, and there were some circumstances regarding him so different from the rest, that it will interest you to read about him.

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S. Matthew was a publican, a set of people hated and despised by the Jews, and classed by them with sinners," and persons of the worst possible character and conduct. the time of our SAVIOUR'S birth the Romans

At