prisonments for his Master's sake; until for that same dear sake he gave up his life, stoned to death as some think while nailed upon a cross; and thus losing his life saved it.

It is not ascertained on what grounds St. James "the Lord's brother" was designated as "the Less:" possibly St. James, by us styled the Great, was either his senior as an Apostle, or his elder in age, or his superior in stature; while assuredly he belonged to those three whom even amongst His own Twelve it pleased our Lord to set first such causes have been suggested. In the list of Apostles supplied by three Evangelists, St. James the Less invariably appears as "the son of Alphæus ;" and as his mother is elsewhere described as "wife of Cleophas," various conjectures have been hazarded to reconcile the two statements. Perhaps the most satisfactory is that which supposes the Apostle's father to have borne both names: a second, surmises Mary to have become the wife of two husbands successively: while an independent assertion defines Cleophas as brother to Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin. Forbearing further attempts at elucidation, we find that St. James' most noble title of our Lord's brother, or as we should now say His cousin, accrues to him as son of the Blessed Virgin's sister, "Mary the wife of Cleophas:" who, akin to the Mother of Sorrows not in blood merely but also in heart, stood with her by the Cross of Jesus, and brought sweet spices to the place where the Lord had lain.

St. James is reported to have been called, with his brother St. Jude, in the second year of our Lord's public

ministry. The four Gospels record no single word or deed of his as separate from those of his brother Apostles: and except for the few mentions of him already quoted from the Book of Acts and the Epistles, it is from uninspired history or legend exclusively that we gain particulars of his life. Thus we are told that in common with St. Peter and St. John he was illuminated after the Resurrection by a special gift of knowledge; and that to him personally our Lord before His Ascension commended the Church of Jerusalem: whence it followed that the Apostles, prior to their dispersion, constituted him Bishop of that once holy city.

Whosoever shall do the Will of God, the same is My brother.-St. Mark iii. 35.

If by birth akin to Christ, much more was St. James His brother by the tie of a holiness which the very Jews his opponents venerated, and which even from them earned for him the title of The Just. A Nazarite from his youth he fulfilled all strictest observances of self-restraint and self-denial, barely served the body in its need of clothing, and maintained, save for the one prescribed Feast of the Paschal Lamb, an unbroken abstinence. So highly was he esteemed by his own nation that it is even said he was privileged to enter at pleasure into the Holy Place, a prerogative of the priests alone; and that his countrymen aspired to touch the hem of his garment.

To consort with Christ, to love and serve Him, to follow Him afar off, is to dwell in the amiable tabernacles and in the Holy of Holies: thereby did St. James mount from sanctity to sanctity, from grace to grace, from strength to

strength. Strenuous in devotional exercises, great was his acceptance with God. In time of drought he is reported to have obtained rain from heaven: a legend which recalls the stirring words of his own Epistle (v. 16, &c.) :—

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit."

During several years God sheltered him from the malice of his enemies; while he fed the flock committed to his charge, and led them along the way they should go. But about the year 62 the unbelieving Jews, having become exasperated by St. Paul's appeal to Cæsar, turned their rage against St. James. Summoned before the Sanhedrim on a charge of violating the laws, and posted on the battlements of the Temple to make recantation of his faith, St. James glorified God by confessing Christ. Then from the Scribes and Pharisees arose a cry, "The Just Man also hath erred;" at which word the Saint was cast down from the battlements to the ground. There, like that Greater than he Whom in countenance he is said to have resembled, he knelt in prayer for them that slew him: there he was stoned; and there a blow on the head from a club ended his banishment, and unlocked to him the gates of New Jerusalem, within whose Temple he should thenceforward abide face to face with Him Whom his soul loved:

"I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it."—Revelation xxi. 22.

St. James was interred where he suffered martyrdom, near that temple made with hands from which the glory had departed; and the site of his grave was marked by the erection of a small column. Blind, even when in some sort drawing near to the light, the Jews traced to his death the destruction of Jerusalem.

One General Epistle conveys to us the mind of the Spirit as communicated by inspiration to St. James. In this Epistle we find, I think, an eminent patience and calmness.

Temptations are a form of joy: they work patience. Whoso lacks wisdom has but to ask of God. The lowly and the rich alike have cause for rejoicing. To endure temptation is blessed. With the Father of lights, from Whom come all good gifts, is no variableness. The engrafted word should be received with meekness. Not to bridle the tongue is to deceive the heart. The faith of our Lord Jesus Christ must not be had with respect of persons. The offender in one point is guilty of all. Faith without works is dead, being alone. Be not many masters. Blessing and cursing should not proceed from the same mouth. Let the wise man show his works with meekness of wisdom. The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. From whence come wars and fightings? from lusts. God giveth grace to the humble. Submit to God. Whoso humbleth himself in His sight, the Lord shall lift up. Speak not evil one of another. If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. Be patient. Grudge not one against another. The prophets are an

example of suffering affliction and of patience. We count them happy which endure.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.-St. James iv. 17.

A Prayer for Sympathy of Love.

GOD of the living, to Whom all live; Who acceptest the elder and the younger; Who makest brethren to dwell together in unity, and to prefer one another in honour; Who, bringing forth from Thy treasure things new and old, didst bestow on St. Philip and St. James righteousness of the Law and grace of the Gospel, obedience of servants and adoption of sons, calls and inspirations, gifts and graces, Thy kingdom, with things of this world added thereto, daily bread, and what eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into man's heart :-O God, who callest us to tread in the steps of these Thy holy Apostles, with the call give us enabling grace; that looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, we may for His sake look also upon the things of each other; and ourselves being weak may help the weak, bearing one another's burdens, rejoicing with them that do rejoice and weeping with them that weep; until that day when there shall not be one feeble person among our tribes, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. To which blessedness admit us all, O our Father, for Thine Only Begotten Son's sake, Jesus Christ. Amen.