thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing." This was enough! These words of gracious condescension melted away all his doubts. His recovered faith, lost to him for a moment, needed not to avail herself of the conceded test, but cried out at once, "My Lord, and my God!"

St. Thomas, after his Divine Master's ascension, became a faithful preacher of the Gospel in Persia and India, and was at length put to death by the Brahmins who found their trade of lies disturbed by his successful preaching. They fell upon him while engaged at his private devotions, stoned him, and then ran him through with a lance.

ST. STEPHEN has the distinguished honour of being the first who suffered death for the name of Jesus, and on that account is often called Stephen, the Proto-Martyr. We know nothing of him before he is mentioned as one of the Seven, appointed by the Apostles, to the office of deacon in the Church. There is little doubt that St. Stephen was a Jew, and he is described as "a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost." But though thus admirably fitted to fill the office to which he had been chosen by the people, and solemnly set apart by the Apostles, and though he confirmed his divine vocation by "great wonders and miracles," he could not escape the rancour of the Jews. Not being able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake, they suborned false witnesses against him, as they had before done in the case of his Blessed Master, accusing him of blasphemous words against God and Moses. Then it was that St. Stephen uttered that faithful and striking epitome of Jewish history, which we find in the 7th chap. of the Acts. This address excited to the utmost the rage and malice of his enemies, at the same time that the truth of his words "cut them t› the heart." Then "they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit.'

Our next Festival commemorates ST. JOHN, the EVANGELIST, the son of Zebedee, and brother of James, the youngest and most beloved of the Apostles. Much that we have mentioned concerning St. James the Great, of course applies to him also, but there are some particulars that we must not overlook. The sweetness and gentleness of his disposition, which endeared him so peculiarly to his Divine Master, were joined to a devotion and constancy, which enabled him, when the first panic was over, to pass through the last trying scenes preceding his Lord's death, with an unwavering fidelity. And when that Blessed Lord hung agonizing upon the Cross, it was to John's faithful and affectionate care, that He commended her, who was nearest and dearest to Him in the flesh-His-sorrowing and widowed mother. St. John, too, was the first among the disciples to arrive at the Sepulchre, on the glorious resurrection morning, and to hear the glad tidings confirmed by the lips of the Angel, which had first been announced to them by Mary Magdalene And when Jesus, set free from the shackles of the grave, walked once again, and for the last time, with His disciples, by the sea of Tiberias, it was to St. John that He gave the charge: "Feed my Lambs," which constituted him peculiarly the Apostle of children. Who can read his simple, loving, earnest Epistles, as from a father to his dear children, without feeling how well he was fitted for this office!

St. John, as the youngest, was also the last survivor of our Lord's chosen Twelve. Though not called upon to suffer death by martyrdom, he had his full share of afflictions and persecutions during life. He was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil, by order of the Emperor Domitian, but the God in whom he trusted brought him unscathed out of the trial. By the same emperor he was banished to the desert island of Patmos; but here again

the Providence of God made the cruelty of man turn to His praise, for it was, while in the solitude of this banishment, that St. John wrote that sublime book of Revelations, in which are set forth the things that are to happen in the last time. Besides the Epistles, and the Book of Revelations, we are also indebted to St. John, for the Gospel which bears his name, wherein are preserved at greater length than in the other Evangelists, those beautiful discourses of our Lord, which more inmediately preceded His Passion.

By the HOLY INNOCENTS, whose Festival we celebrate on the 28th, are meant those Hebrew Children who were barbarously put to death by Herod, in the hope that thereby he would secure the destruction of the Infant JESUS. Though involuntary and unconscious martyrs, the Church has thought fit to enrol them in that blessed company, inasmuch as they suffered for Christ, and glorified God by their death. The Church reckons three sorts of martyrdom. The first in both will and deed, as was the case with most of the Apostles; the second, in will but not in deed, as was the case with St. John the Evangelist, already mentioned; and the third in deed, but not in will, which was the case of the Holy Innocents. Their's was indeed a happy lot, to be admitted by so quick a passage, to the joys of Paradise, almost before their lips had tasted of the bitter cup of human suffering!

And now we come to that great Festival, which has been consecrated in all Christian countries, as a day of holy joy and social rejoicing. To the young especially, it is a season of surpassing enjoyment. Christmas is peculiarly the Festival of children, for on this day God himself condescended to become one of their number; and we may be sure that nothing pleases Him better, than to see them celebrating His coming among them with innocent gaiety and becoming mirth. But in our joy, let us not

forget our devotion; in our mirth, let us not omit our gratitude; but, assembling in His Courts, and falling low before His footstool, let us give Him hearty thanks and praise for the great mercies secured to us, by the event which we commemorate this day; let us meditate upon His blessed example of lowliness and humility, of love and purity, and let us seek to grow daily more like Him that as He humbled Himself to become the Son of Man for us, we may be found worthy to be called the children of God, to be made partakers of His Divine nature, andı admitted to share the glories of His Eternal Kingdom.

H. E.

CHRISTMAS CAROL.

CAROL, carol, Christians,

Carol joyfully;

Carol for the coming

Of CHRIST'S Nativity;

And pray a gladsome Christmas

For all good Christian men;

Carol, carol, Christians,

For Christmas, come again.

Carol, carol.

Go ye to the forest,

Where the myrtles grow,

Where the pine and laurel

Bend beneath the snow:

Gather them for JESUS;

Wreathe them for His shrine;

Make His Temple glorious,

With the box and pine.

Carol, carol.

Wreathe your Christmas garland,

Where, to CHRIST, we pray;

It shall smell like Carmel

On our Festal day; Libanus and Sharon, Shall not greener be, Than our holy chancel, On CHRIST'S Nativity!

Carol, carol.

Carol, carol, Christians!

Like the Magi now,
Ye must lade your caskets,
With a grateful vow;

Ye must have sweet incense,

Myrrh and finest gold, At our Christmas altar,

Humbly to unfold.

Carol, carol.

Blow, blow up the trumpet,
For our solemn feast;
Gird thine armour, Christian,
Wear thy surplice, priest!
Go ye to the altar,

Pray, with fervour, pray,
For JESUS' second coming,

And the Latter Day.

Carol, carol.

Give us grace, oh Saviour,

To put off in might,

Deeds and dreams of darkness,

For the robes of light!