That day week, to satisfy the one absent and doubting Apostle, He appeared to them again in the same manner; and then, the Paschal feast being fully over, the disciples returned as He had bidden them to their homes in Galilee, uncertain what was to come next, or if they should return to their old habits.

When Simon Peter proposed "to go a fishing," all his fisherman friends joined him, but again came the long weary night of toil in vain, until morning dawned upon the hills, and they made for the landing-place, where, in the morning twilight, they saw One standing, and heard Him say, "Children, have ye here any meat?" and as they answered, "No," He bade them cast the net on the right side of the ship.

Then John knew the beloved voice, and said to Peter, "It is the Lord:" and Peter, only pausing to gird his garment round him, flung himself into the water, and was at his Lord's feet, while the rest were dragging the net heavy with the hundred and fiftythree great fishes. A fire burnt on the shore, and broiled fish and bread were ready for the fishers again to "eat and drink with Him after He had risen from the dead." When the meal was over He gave His earnest charge to Peter, "Feed My sheep," thrice repeated, and then foretold to him the mode of His death, at which Peter, anxious to learn what was in store for the friend, who he must have felt was more worthy than himself, asked, "Lord, and what shall this man do?"

The reply repressed curiosity, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me."

Of any other appearances of the Lord to the disciples we know no particulars, only that once James beheld Him, and at another time five hundred, who must have comprised nearly all the Galilean believers, assembled on a mountain, and were there blessed by His presence. By His direction, as it would seem, the Apostles went back to Jerusalem, and there, on the fortieth day from His resurrection, they met Him again on the Mount of Olives, where, near Bethany, they beheld Him ascend by His own power into the sky, assuredly the most marvellous triumph ever witnessed by mortal eyes.

CHAPTER IV.

THE PARTING OF BRETHREN.

"As in death He hung,

His mantle soft on thee He flung
Of filial love, and named thee son;
When now that earthly tie was done,
To thy tried faith and spotless years
Consigned His Virgin Mother's tears."

Isaac Williams, translation of Ancient Latin Hymn.

GOING back to Jerusalem, the Apostles waited according to their Lord's command to "be endued with power from on high," and when that power came, on the Day of Pentecost, the strength and ability inspired into them brought them to the fuller perception of their mission, and how to fulfil it. Jerusalem remained for the present their home. The three thousand who had become believers on the Day of Pentecost were ministered to by the Apostles, and all lived like devout Jews, going to the Temple daily, at the stated hour of prayer, for their worship, but, instead of the daily sacrifice of the lamb, celebrating that holy rite which their Lord had instituted.

At one of these occasions of worship at the Temple, Peter and John together worked the miracle of healing

on the impotent man at the Beautiful Gate, and as the people came about them in wonder, the elder Apostle proclaimed the glory of their risen Lord, until they were dragged away to the council of the Sanhedrim for raising a commotion in the temple. There again they boldly maintained their Master's cause, but, angry as the rulers were, there was so entire an absence of grounds for punishing them, that they were released with a warning. The only effect of the warning was to cause the assembled disciples to raise a hymn of praise to their Saviour and God, that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Nor did this attempt at persecution put a stop to the numerous conversions of both Hebrew and Greek Jews, and a community was formed where all possessions were shared together, the rich, like Barnabas, bringing all their means, and living with the poor. After the sacred Feast instituted by their Lord had been partaken of, a table of love was spread, at which all partook of the food supplied from the common stock, and the whole Church seems to have lived together in a sort of rapt state, expecting their Lord's speedy return, and not at all understanding His parting commission to them to teach all nations.

The falsehood of Ananias and Sapphira-which was really contempt of the Holy Spirit, the unpardonable sin-occasioned their sudden death, and this, together with the numerous miracles of healing, roused the fury of the priests, who were of the unbelieving or Sadducean party. The Apostles were thrown into prison, but at night were released by an angel, and

were again found preaching in the Temple cloisters. Again they were apprehended, again Peter maintained their cause; and the candid-minded Rabbi, Gamaliel, was so impressed as to recommend their release, "lest haply we be found to fight against God."

The others of the Sanhedrim, therefore, only scourged these innocent men, and let them go free. But on the one hand, the young Stephen, a Greek Jew, newly chosen as one of the first seven deacons, began to perceive that the Gospel was to extend far beyond Jerusalem; and on the other hand, Saul, also a Greek Jew, and a pupil of Gamaliel, a young man lately come to Jerusalem, viewed these innovations with terror, and stirred up a fresh persecution. Stephen was the victim in the strife, and most of the believers fled from Jerusalem, the Apostles alone standing their ground. The dispersion, however, led to the spread of the Gospel, and the next time we hear individually of John, he accompanied Peter to Samaria, there to fill up what had necessarily been left imperfect by Philip the deacon, who had been the first to carry on the work that had been begun by the Lord Himself in His own conversation with the woman at Jacob's well. There John for the first time came in contact with that form of misbelief which the latter part of his life was to be spent in combating.

Simon, born at Gitton, a village in Samaria, was bred up in the wild loose teachings that had prevailed among the strange people who had mingled the true worship with their own superstitions, and