That the business might proceed with the greater alacrity and success, they first solemnly made their addresses to heaven, that the omnicient Being, who governed the world, and perfectly understood the tempers and dispositions o men, would immediately guide and direct the choice, and shew them which of the two he would appoint to take that part of the apostolic charge, from which Judas was so lately fallen. The prayer being ended, the lots were drawn, by which it appeared that Matthias was the person, and he was numbered amongst the twelve apostles act cordingly.

Soon after this election, the promised powers of the Holy Ghost were conferred upon the apostles, to qualify them for that great and arduous employment upon which they were sent, the establishing the holy religion of the Son of God amongst the children of men in various parts of the world.

The first years of the ministry of St. Matthias, was spent in Judea, where he reaped a very considerable harvest of souls, and then travelled into different parts of the world, to publish the glad-tidings of salvation to people who had never yet heard of the Saviour: but the particular parts he visited are not certainly known. The Greeks suppose, that he travelled eastward; St. Jerom says, his principal residence was near the influx of the river Apsus into the haven of Hyscus in Cappadocia but the people were remarkably rough and uncivilized, so that it is no wonder that he at last fell a victim to their ferocity; though this did not happen till after he had long indefatigably laboured in the vineyard of his great Master, and brought over vast numbers to an acknowledgment and reception of the truth.

We are not told by what kind of death this apostle left the regions of mortality, and sealed the truth of the gospel he had so assidously preach ed with his blood. Dorotheus says, he finished his course at Sebastople, and was buried there near the temple of the sun. An ancient martyrologist reports him to have been seized by the Jews, and as a blasphemer, to have been stoned, and then beheaded but the Greek offices, supported herein by several ancient breviaries, tell us, that he was crucified. His body is by some pretended to be now at Rome, where some relics of it are shewn with great veneration; while others contend, that it is at Triers in Germany. Bollandus is of opinion, that the body of Matthias now at Rome, is that of Matthias, who was bishop of Jerusalem in the year 120, and whose history they have confounded with that of the apostle St, Matthias; but Popish legends and traditions are in no instance to be re lied on..

པར་བར་བར*》

An Account of the VIRGIN MARY, Mother of JESUS.

WE are taught by the predictions of the prophets, that a virgin was to be the mother of the promised Messiah, & we are also assured by the unanimous concurrence of the evangelists, that this virgin's name was Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anna, of the tribe of Judah, and married to Joseph of the same tribe, The Scripture indeed tells us no more of the blessed virgin's parents, than that she was of the family of David, and of the town of Bethlehem; not so much as their names being mentioned, unless by Heli, in St. Luke's genealogy we understand Joachim the virgin's father. All that is said concerning the birth of Mary and her parents, is to be found only in some apocriphal wirtings; and which however are very ancient. St. John says that Mary the wife of Cleophas, who was the mother of those which the gospel styles our Lord's brethren, was the vir gin's sister. Mary then was of the royal race of David; she was allied

likewise to the family of Aaron, since Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias, and mother of John the Baptist, was the cousin of Mary.

In conformity to the Greek church, the Latins have for some centuries past honoured St. Joachim as the father of St. Anna, the mother of the blessed virgin; and though God hath not been pleased to acquaint us with the particulars of her birth; yet the Roman cburch, from a grateful sense of the infinite blessings conveyed to us by the blessed JESUS, hath long celebrated her conception on the eighth of December in the West, and on the ninth in the East, and her nativity on the eighth of September. An anniversary festival of her representation in the temple is kept likewise on the twenty-first of November; and it is commonly believed, that she was consecrated to God at three years of age : but not to build upon uncertainties, thus much we are assured by the testimony of an angel, that she was happy above all other women in the divine favour; that she was full of grace; and that the Lord was in a peculiar manner with her.

Whether the holy virgin immediately after the annunciation, went up to the passover at Jerusalem, [as some have imagined, this being the season of the year for it] or not, we have no account from the evangelist St. Luke: but this he assures us that a little while after she set out for Hebron, a city in the mountains of Judah in order to visit her cousin Elizabeth, to congratulate her upon her pregnancy, which she had learned from the angel, at an age when such a blessing was not usually to be expected.

No sooner had Mary entered the house, and began to speak, than, upon Elizabeth's hearing the voice of her cousin's salutation, her child, young John the Baptist, transported with supernatural emotions of joy, leaped in her womb, whereupon she was filled with the Holy Ghost, and being by divine inspiration acquainted with the mystery of the incarnation, she re saluted Mary, and cried out, "Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." Then Mary, filled with acknowledgments and supernatural light, praised God, saying, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, & my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour," &c. Mary having continued here above three months, till Elizabeth was delivered as St. Ambrose thinks that she might see him on whose account she principally made that visit, returned afterwards to her own house at Nazareth, waiting for the time of her delivery: but when she was ready to be delivered, an edict was published by Cæsar Augustus, in the year of the world 4000, the Erst of CHRIST, and the third before the vulgar Æra; which decreed, that all the subjects of the Roman empire should go to their respective cities and places; there to have their names registered according to their families. Thus Joseph and Mary, who were both of the lineage of David, repaired to their city of Bethlehem, the original and native place of their family: but while they were in this city, the time being fulfilled in which Mary was to be delivered, she brought forth her first born son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger of the stable, whither they had retired; for they could find no place in the public inn, because of the great concourse of people that were then at Bethlehem on the same occasion; or they were forced to withdraw into the stable of the inn, not being able to get a more convenient place for her to be delivered in.

The angels made the birth of CHRIST known to the shepherds, who were at this time in the fields near Bethlehem, and who came in the night to see Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger, in order to pay him their tribute of adoration. Mary took notice of all these things, and laid them up in her heart. Some time after came the Magi, or wise men from the East, and brought to JESUS the mysterious presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, having been directed thither by a star which

Zz

ning of his public ministry; and from hence our Lord went to Capernaum

mother and brethren.

It is true, we learn from the third chapter of St. Mark, that on a cer tain day in the year of CHRIST thirty four, and vulgar æra thirty-one, that as JESUS CHRIST was teaching in a house at Capernaum, so great a crowd of people stood about him, that neither he nor his disciples had time to take any refreshment; which caused a report to be spread abroad, that he had fainted away, or fallen into a swoon. The virgin and the brethren or relations of JESUS came to see what had given occasion to this report; and when they could not get into the house for the throngs of the people, they caused a message to be conveyed from one to another, till it was told JESUS, "That his mother and his brethren were at the door, and desired to speak with him." JESUS being accordingly informed of their coming, and that they waited to speak with him, being at that instant engaged in the work of his ministry, preaching the word of God,

he made this reply, my mother, and who are my brethren "

And looking upon those

were round about him, he said, These are my mother and my brethren ;" declaring, "That whosoever did the will of his heavenly Father, the same was his mother, and sister, and brother." This was what CHRIST had taught in another place, that we must prefer God to all human relations, and give the preference to his service: but this saying could not reflect upon his mother, who was amongst the principal of those who did the will of his heavenly Father.

Immediately upon Mary's approach, a woman of the company said with a loud voice, directing her words to JESUS: "Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked." To which he replied, "Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it." Not intimating hereby, that she who had the honor to bear him, did not deserve to be called blessed throughout all generations; but that even her happiness consisted more in doing the will of CHRIST than in giving him a human body, which was indeed not her own act, but effected by the power of God,

We have no further account of the holy virgin from this time, till we find her in Jerusalem at the last passover our Saviour celebrated there which was in the thirty sixth year of CHRIST, and thirty third of the vulgar æra. In this city she saw all that was transacted against him, followed him to Mount Calvary, and stayed at the foot of the cross during the passion of her blessed Son. We cannot doubt but her soul was at this time pierced through, as old Simeon had prophesied, with the most acute pains, for the death of such a Son. Yet her constancy was remarkable: for when the apostles were all frightened away from their Master, she, with a courage undaunted, & worthy of the mother of CHRIST, continued even in the midst of the executioners, being prepared to die with her Son, who was now become her Saviour; who being now ready to leave the world, & seeing his mother at the foot of the cross, & his beloved disciple St. John near her, he bequeathed her to him by his last will and testament, saying to his mother, "Woman behold thy Son ;" and to his disciple, Behold thy mother." And from that hour the disciple took her home to his own house, and provided for her,

Some authors of the fifth century think the virgin Mary died and was buried at Jerusalem, or rather in her sepulchre at Gethsemane, near that city, where, to this day, it is shewn in a magnificent church dedicated to her.

The ancient fathers of the Eastern and Western churches, asserted her perpetual virginity, and St. Augustine tells us, that this is one of those points which we ought to receive as of apostolic tradition, since the Holy Scripture gives us no more account of it, than by only remarking how fully the blessed virgin was resolved to serve God with an entire purity. The title which hath been constantly appropriated to her in all ages, as often as she is mentioned, is a geod argument to confirm our belief con. cerning this: See Ezek. xliv. 2.

MARY MAGDALENE.—This remarkable convert was a native either of Magdala, a town of Galilee, on the other side of Jordan, or Magdalos, a town situate at the foot of Mount Carmel, and had her surname from the place of her birth. Some affirm, that she was the sinner mentioned by St. Luke, ch. vii. 37, &c. but this opinion is built only on conjecture. Both St. Matthew and St. Mark tell us, that JESUS had cast out of her seven devils; which some understand in a literal, and others in a fig. urative sense.

Mary became, however a constant attendant on the blessed JESUS, after he had removed her plague. She followed him to Mount Calvary continued amidst the Roman guards at the foot of the cross, with the holy virgin, and saw his precious body laid in the tomb; after which, she returned to Jerusalem,in order, after the Sabbath, to embalm her Lord. She also carried the welcome tidings to Peter and John, and our blessed Lord himself appeared to her first after his resurrection. The apostles, however, did not believe her report, till it was confirmed by others, and they themselves had seen their Saviour. After this event, she is not mentioned in sacred writ,

MARY, the sister of LAZARUS.-Mary, the sister of Lazarus, with her sister Martha, lived with their brother at Bethany, a village near Jerusalem. Our dear Redeemer had a particular affection for this family, and often retired to their house with his disciples. One day [and perhaps the first time that Jesus went thither] Martha received him with remark able affection, and took abundance of pains in providing a proper entertainment for him; but Mary her sister continued sitting at her Saviour's feet. to his words with peculiar attention. This Martha considered as an instance of disrespect, and therefore said to JESUS, “Lord, as an instance dost thou not that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her, therefore, that she help me." But our Lord justified Mary, by telling her sister; that she had chosen the better part, which she should never be deprived of. Lazarus their brother, some time after this, fell sick, and his sisters sent to acquaint JESUS of the misfortune; but he did not arrive at Bethany till after Lazarus was dead. Martha hearing that JESUS was come into neighbourhood, went to him, and told him, that if he had not been ab sent her brother had been still alive. JESUS promised her, that her brother should rise again: to which Martha answered, "I know that he shall rise again at the last day," JESUS replied, "I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shail he live; and whosover liveth and believeth in me, shall never die, believest thou this ?” Martha answered, "Yea, Lord: I believe thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." Having said this, she departed, and gave her sister notice privately, that JESUS was come. Mary, as soon as she heard the welcome tidings, arose and went to JESUS; and, as Martha had done before her, said, " Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." The blessed JESUS was greatly moved at the pathetic complaints of these worthy sisters, and on asking where they had buried him, they conducted him to the sepulchre. On his arrival at the place where the body of Lazarus was deposited, the great Redeemer of mankind groaned deeply in his spirit; he wept, he prayed to his Father, and then cried with a loud voice," Lazarus, come forth." The dead obeyed the voice of the Son of God; Lazarus immediately revived, and JESUS restored him to his sisters.

During the supper at Bethany, Mary to express her gratitude to JESUS, took a pound of spinkenard, a very precious perfume, and poured it on the head and feet of JESUS, wiping his feet with the hair of her head; and the whole house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Judas Iscariot was bighly offended at this generous action; but his Master vindicated Mary, and told him, that by this she had performed an act preparatory to his em halmment, signifying, that his death and burial were not far off. This is the at account of her in Scripture.