very obvious solution. The fact however is evident, that little more is recorded of St. Andrew in the sacred history, except so far as he is comprehended in the general account of the twelve Apostles.

On three occasions indeed he is particularly mentioned: first, as having given notices to Jesus of the lad with five barley loaves and two small fishes, previously to the miraculous feeding of the five thousand"; then, as having been consulted by Philip concerning the Greeks, who had come up to Jerusalem to worship at the feast," and who were desirous of seeing Jesus, and as having joined with Philip in procuring their admittance to his presence"; and, thirdly, as having, together with Peter sand James and John, privately inquired of our Lord on the mount of Olives concerning the time of the approaching desolation of Jerusalem and of his own last coming, and as having been thereupon indulged, together with them, with a larger share of his Lord's confidence.

1

But in general he does not appear to have taken a prominent part in the transactions recorded in the New Testament; nor does he appear to have been treated with that distinction, which marks the intercourse of our Saviour with

"John vi. 6.

n John xii. 22.

• Mark xiii. 3.

the other three Apostles, whose call was coincident with his. Probably it is for this reason, that, although he was first brought to the knowledge of Christ, and was invited to his company immediately by Christ himself, whereas his brother Simon received his information afterwards, and that from Andrew, by whom also he was conducted to Jesus, yet it is the manner of the evangelists to speak of Andrew by a term, less honourable personally to him, as." Simon Peter's brother :" and that, although he was, together with Simon, called to be a follower of Christ before James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and is also, together with Simon, mentioned before them in some enumerations of the twelve Apostles', as if priority of rank had been given to him on their call to the apostolate, yet in other enumerations he is not distinguished by that mark of honour, but his name is inserted after those of James and John. Certain at least it is, that we do not read of him, that he had the same privilege of being admitted to the confidential intimacy of our Lord, as his brother, and the two sons of Zebedee; nor had he like them from our Lord the distinction of an appropriate surname; the former having been distinguished by the sur

Matt. x. 2. Luke vi. 14. Mark iii. 17, 18. Acts i. 13.

name of Peter, the two latter by that of Boanerges, or the sons of thunder: a distinction indeed, conferred upon them only, and withheld from Andrew in common with the rest of the twelve Apostles.

The last mention, made of our Apostle in the sacred history, occurs after the narrative of our Lord's ascension. Probably indeed he was one of the two disciples, spoken of, but not named, in the 21st chapter of St. John's Gospel'. However, upon the return of the eleven to Jerusalem, after our Lord's ascension, we find him named with the rest, who assembled together; and "all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." Together with the other Apostles, he continued then for some years, preaching the Gospel in Judea; until the time came for them to go forth, and spread the knowledge of the Messiah" unto the uttermost part of the earth"." Upon the dispersion of the Apostles, the lot of St. Andrew appears to have been cast in countries to the north of Judea. There have not indeed been wanting thoset, who have

See Dr. Doddridge's note on the place in his Family Expositor.

⚫ Acts i. 8.

t Cited in Dr. Cave's Life of St. Andrew.

given a particular account of his travels and ministry, with many historical incidents, and much geographical detail. Such account may be judged to rest on no very ancient or sound authority. It may be sufficient to remark in general, that on the best evidence which we possess his zeal for propagating the Gospel led him through Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bithynia, and along the inhospitable shores of the Euxine sea, to the barbarous regions of Scythia: that thence he returned through Paphlagonia to Byzantium, where by Nicephorus, a patriarch of Constantinople, he is asserted to have instructed the inhabitants in the Christian faith, to have founded a church for divine worship, and to have ordained Stachys, called by St. Paul his beloved Stachys"," first bishop of Byzantium; assertions however, which do not rest upon the credit of high antiquity: that from Byzantium he passed through Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, and Greece, and "preached every where" as he went," the Lord working with him, and confirming the word with signs following ;" until at Patræ, a city of Achaia, he at length fell a victim to the rage of Ægeas, proconsul of that country, who was indignant at the success of the Apostle in converting the

u Rom. xvi. 9.

inhabitants to the faith of Christ, and unable to bring them back to the worship of their false gods.

The instrument of his martyrdom is generally supposed to have been a cross: not of the usual form, but of that form which is commonly designated by his name. It had been his glory to preach the cross; and to the suffering and shame of the cross he was now devoted, not being nailed to it in the customary manner, but tied to it by cords, after having undergone the punishment of scourging, that his deathi might be more lingering and tedious. In this condition he remained for two days, still enduring his sufferings with resignation and cheerfulness, and still preaching from the cross the heavenly truths for which he suffered; till it pleased the Divine mercy to hear his prayers, to release him from his afflictions, and to permit him to depart in peace and seal the truth of his religion by his death. Thus lived the apostle St. Andrew; and thus he died: a faithful follower of a crucified Saviour throughout his life; and a faithful follower of Him even to the moment, and in the very nature and instrument, of his death.