we shall depart this life, we may rest in him; and that, at the general Resurrection in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight; and receive that blessing, which thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world: Grant this, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen."

Praise to the noble brotherhood of those,

Christ's soldiers, who "resisted unto blood!”
And praise to him, who foremost dared oppose
Till death the malice, which his Lord withstood!

Praise to the martyr'd army, and to thee,

STEPHEN! but praise alone to you be given!
Blessing and worship to the Majesty,

The dread, the jealous Majesty of heaven!

Lo! while around thee prest the murderous band,
The courts of glory to thy sight were shown.
And thou didst see the incarnate Saviour stand
Fast by the brightness of the Almighty throne.

"Lord, Jesus, take my spirit to thy rest!

Lord, from their charge this sin in mercy keep!"
Thus, humbly kneeling, was thy prayer addrest:
And thus adoring didst thou sink to sleep.

Led by that Spirit, Saint! who prompted thee,
Servants of God we to His house repair;
And in the union of the Deity

Pour to the incarnate Word a Christian's prayer:

Father, forgive! forgive, eternal Son!

And, Spirit blest, thy suppliants' sins forgive! Forgive our foes, Thrice Holy Glorious One, And grant us ever in thy grace to live!

ST. JOHN.

John the brother of James. MARK iii. 17.
That disciple whom Jesus loved.

JOHN xxi. 7.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST.

THE Saint of this day was one of the sons of Zebedee, "John the brother of James." Distinguished from his brother and all of the other Apostles, except St. Matthew, by being an evangelist; distinguished from the other evangelists, except St. Matthew again, by being an apostle; distinguished from St. Matthew by being not an evangelist only and an apostle, but a prophet: but, notwithstanding these high and honourable marks of distinction, by nothing more favourably known in the Christian Church than by his character of "that disciple whom Jesus loved."

The father of St. John was Zebedee, a fisherman upon the sea of Galilee; probably of the town of Bethsaida, the residence of Andrew

G

and Peter and Philip. His mother was Salome, mentioned by St. Mark as one of the devout women, who ministered to our blessed Saviour in Galilee, waited upon him in his journey thence to Jerusalem, stood by the cross at his crucifixion, prepared spices to anoint his dead body, and, on coming with that intent to the sepulchre, saw there a vision of angels, who gave them the first joyful news that he was risen.

The first express mention of St. John in the Gospel history is on occasion of his being called with his brother James to leave the business, in which he was at that time occupied, and to follow Jesus. It is probable however, that in his own Gospel he speaks of himself as one of the two disciples of John the Baptist, (the other was St. Andrew,) to whom the Baptist pointed out our Saviour as the Lamb of God, and who thereupon sought Jesus in his own abode: it being his manner to indicate himself by allusion in other passages of his Gospel. If so, the instructions which he had received from the Baptist, and his own interview and conversation with Jesus, would have prepared him for the ready obedience, with which he, as well as Andrew, received the injunction of their Lord, and together with his brother "left the ship and their father, and followed