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grew bolder, and preached the word without fear, as you may find by reading Phil. i. 12—14.

We have now gone through the historical part of the scriptures. The epistles are written either to particular churches or persons; but do not therefore conclude that you have no concern in them. As God appointed the earth to produce corn for bread, from one generation to another; and, as our bodies are nourished with the same kind of provision as our forefathers were; so God hath appointed the whole of his blessed word to be the bread of life to our souls; it being as exactly suited to our wants as it was to their's to whom it was originally addressed. The Revelation of St. John chiefly consists of predictions, some of which have been accomplished and the time is hastening on, in which all the prophecies in the Bible shall have their complete fulfilment.

I hope, my dear children, the conversations we have had on the Sacred History, will be profitable to you. I have been pleased with the attention you have given, and the delight you have expressed in them. We have taken but a scanty survey of the divine records; there are ten thousand beauties which we have passed over: then search the scriptures; and be not discouraged, if you do not understand all you read: remember, the disciples could not comprehend our Lord's instructions, till he opened their understanding. When you take the sacred volume into your hand, put up this short prayer, 'Lord, enlighten thou mine understanding.'

George. Pray, aunt, did not most of the apostles

die martyrs? could you not give us some account of them?

Aunt. As I love to encourage a spirit of inquiry, I will endeavour to collect the best account I can from Ecclesiastical History; and, if you will come again in a week's time, I hope to be prepared for you.

Lucy, Maria, and George. Thanks to you, dear aunt, we will not fail in our attendance.

DIALOGUE XXIV.

Aunt. AGREEABLY to promise, I am now to give you some farther account of the apostles, from Ecclesiastical History. In describing the last scenes of their lives, I shall not aim, my dear children, to rouse your feelings; all I want is, to affect your hearts; to make you sensible of the power of divine grace, which can support under the most cruel sufferings, and make feeble men more than

over death itself.

conquerors

Lucy. I know we shall feel shocked at their sufferings, but we must recollect that all is over now, and they are rejoicing in heaven.

Aunt. That is bringing your feelings into subjection to your understanding. I shall follow the order of time as nearly as I can. You have had an account of the martyrdom of James by king Herod; we will proceed to Philip, whose death some authors place in the twelfth year of the emperor Claudius. After a happy progress, in spreading the gospel

in Upper Asia, part of Scythia, and Colchis, he is said to have suffered martyrdom in Hierapolis, a noted city of Phrygia, in the lesser Asia. His preaching being powerful, and many of the people of the city being converted, the magistrates cast him into prison, and caused him to be severely scourged, and then hanged by the neck against a pillar. Others say he was crucified, The apostle Bartholomew buried him.

Maria. It is a wonder he was not seized.

Aunt. It was with great difficulty he escaped. St. Matthew, after innumerable labours in Ethiopia, Persia, and Parthia, is said to have suffered martyrdom in the city Nadabber, in the Asiatic Ethiopia, being slain with a halbert; but the time, manner, and place of his death, are very uncertain; some place it in the year 60, and the sixth of Nero's reign.

About two years after, the apostle James, the son of Alpheus, sealed his doctrine with his blood. His labours being chiefly confined to Jerusalem. He was of such a lovely temper and pious life, that he was universally styled James the Just. The Jews turned their fury against him, in consequence of having been disappointed in their designs against Paul, who had appealed to Cæsar. They effected their purpose by means of Ananias the high priest, who called a council of the chief men of the Jews. James and several others were brought before them; but the people had such a veneration for the justice and sanctity of James, that they durst not attempt a formal accusation of him.

George. Did they slay him privately?

Aunt. No; they thought by subtle insinuations

to ensnare him; therefore, complaining to him, that the people were miserably deceived, and led away with some errors, concerning Jesus being the Messiah, they earnestly desired him to recover them from their errors by his word. It was now the time of the passover, and the multitude were collected together to the feast. They took him to the battlements of the temp.e, and, placing him so that all the people might hear him, said unto him, Tell us, O just man, in whom we all put our confidence, what we are to believe concerning Jesus, who was crucified?

Lucy. Did they think to intimidate him, so that he should deny his master?

Aunt. I suppose that was what they aimed at; but, instead of denying his dear Lord, he proclaimed with a loud voice, that Jesus, the Son of man, after whom they inquired, was now sitting at the right hand of the Divine Majesty, as the Son of God, and should come again in the clouds of heaven. The people below, hearing this, glorified the blessed Jesus, and openly proclaimed, Hosanna to the Son of David; at which his enemies were so mortified, that, in their rage, they threw him down from the place where he stood. Though much bruised by the fall, he was not killed, but recovered strength enough to get on his knees, and pray to heaven for their pardon.

Lucy. Did not this soften them? one should think it would have melted a heart of stone !

Aunt. Their inveterate malice urged them on, to load his already bruised body with a shower of

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stones, till one, more, mercifully cruel than the rest, with a fuller's club, beat out his brains. His death was much lamented by the christians, who loved and reverenced him: even just persons among the Jews themselves regretted his loss: and Josephus confesses, that his death hastened the ruin of his nation.

We are told by some, that Ananias the high priest, apprehended the apostle Matthias in Galilee, and had him brought before him, making a long speech to him; but finding his exhortations had no effect, and that Matthias still asserted Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiali, he condemned him to be stoned; and the sentence was immediately executed. But, for this or any other account of Matthias's death, we have very slender authorities.

Lucy. We have not yet heard that the Roman power persecuted the christians.

Aunt. They did not, till the year 64: when the emperor Nero, who was a monster in human shape, being offended at the narrowness of the streets of Rome, caused the city to be set on fire in several places, whilst he, standing on a tower, beheld the desolation with pleasure, and, in a player's habit, sang the destruction of Troy. The fire continued six days, consuming stately buildings and temples, goods and merchandize, and riches of inestimable value; numbers of people also perished, and threefourths of this vast city were laid in ashes.

George. It was enough to make the people hate him!

Aunt. To divert their resentment from himself, he threw all the blame upon the innocent christians,

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