St. Andrew,

APOSTLE.

30 NOVEMBER.

The Sacred Text.

ETHSAIDA, the city of Andrew.-St. John

i. 44.

John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two dis

ciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto Him, Rabbi, where dwellest Thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias. And he brought him to Jesus.St. John i. 35, &c.

Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

B

And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him.St. Matthew iv. 18, &c.

When they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.-St. Mark i. 29.

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; the first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother. -St. Matthew x. 2.

When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto Him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?St. John vi. 5, &c.

There were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: the same came therefore to Philip, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.-St. John xii. 20, &c.

As He went out of the temple, one of His disciples saith unto Him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as He sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?-St. Mark xiii. 1, &c.

When they were come in, they went up into an upper

room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.-Acts i. 13, 14.

BIOGRAPHICAL ADDITIONS.

HUS much, naming him by name, Holy Scripture narrates of St. Andrew's history, beyond those unnumbered texts in which he is included as one of that blessed band of Apostles who followed Christ while He went about doing good, who became channels of His power over

diseases and devils, who were taught of Him that spake as never man spake, who from His own hand received His Body and Blood, who fled from the garden, who returned if not to the Cross at least to the upper chamber, who shared their Lord's parting benediction, and who watched the cloud which received Him out of their sight.

To these facts traditions of more or less certainty are appended. St. Andrew is styled by the Greeks Protoclet, or first-called: and by the Venerable Bede, Introductor to Christ, a name aptly assigned to that large-hearted Saint who at the outset of his ministry brought St. Peter to the Messiah, and at subsequent periods introduced to his Lord's notice not only certain Greek suppliants, but

even a lad who had five loaves and two small fishes. After the apostolic dispersion from Jerusalem, St. Andrew, preaching the Crucified from place to place, travelled, according to tradition, into Russia, and as far as the frontiers of Poland. If so, by him, true consecrated mouthpiece of the Fiery Tongue that spake, did our Lord go forth as fire into fields of barren snow which yet are portions of God's own harvest-field of the whole earth. Then were the wilderness and the solitary place glad for Him, then did the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose. God alone knoweth whether He had much people in those places: but there, without doubt, did St. Andrew's own soul bring forth fruit thirtyfold, or sixtyfold, or a hundredfold, to his Master's glory. He is said. also to have preached in Byzantium: but if so, no trace remains to us of this labour; though much, I hope, is clear to the eyes of Angels who behold the elect safely garnered now in paradise.

At Patrae in Achaia, having kept the faith and exasperated the Proconsul by a harvest of souls, he finished his course. On an X-shaped cross, constructed as is alleged of olive-wood, and to him the pledge of assured peace; to his yearning soul less the olive-twig of the pilgrim dove than the very ark of rest; on such a cross after ignominious scourging he made his last bed, and from such a bed he awoke to that rest which remaineth to the people of God. The outburst of his joy on beholding his cross has been handed down to us: Hail, precious cross, consecrated by my Lord's Body, jewelled by His Limbs. I come to thee exultant, embrace thou me with welcome. O good cross, beautified by my Lord's beauty, I

have ardently loved thee, long have I panted seeking thee. Now found, now made ready to my yearnings, embrace thou me, separate me from mankind, uplift me to my Master, that He Who redeemed me on thee may receive me by thee." Nevertheless, for his righteousness' sake the people interceded that he might be spared, and his mortal remains were duly cared for by a holy woman Maximilla.

Of St. Andrew and St. Peter we know not which was the elder by natural birth, but St. Andrew appears to have been at least by some brief period the elder in Christ's kingdom of grace. Whereupon as a better Esau he of good-will did service to his Jacob; and said not "he hath supplanted me," but himself led St. Peter to our Lord.

The elder shall serve the younger.—Genesis xxv. 23. By a similar spirit was Moses moved when he led God's chosen nation toward the promised land:

There ran a young man, and told Moses, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua answered, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!— Numbers xi. 27, &c.

"There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?"

Perhaps these words afford us a glimpse of brotherly likeness between the characters of St. Andrew and St. Peter. Faith and hope suggest "five loaves and two fishes" as ample from our Lord's hand to feed more than 5000 persons: human reason supervenes and hesitates, saying, “but what are they among so many?"