years he preached the gospel in Judea, and then went to promulgate the faith of Christ among the Gentiles. He laboured to evangelize Ethiopia, Persia, and Parthia, and at length suffered martyrdom at Nadabbar, in Asiatic Ethiopia, being slain by a halbert, A. D. 62. His only writings are the evangelical history, which bears his name. 2. MARK. Mark, the evangelist, whose Hebrew name was John, was the son of a pious woman of Jerusalem, at whose house the apostles and first christians frequently met for prayer, Acts xii. 12. He is supposed to have been converted by the ministry of Peter, who calls him his son, 1 Pet. v. 13. Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas in their missionary labours through several countries, but, declining to attend them through their whole progress, he returned to the apostles at Jerusalem, Acts xiii. 5-13. We find him afterwards at Antioch, Acts xv. 37. whence he went with Barnabas to Cyprus. He subsequently accompanied Timothy to Rome, 2 Tim. iv. 11. from which, it is believed, he went into Asia, where he found Peter, with whom, it is thought, he again returned to Rome, Col. iv. 10. and wrote the gospel which is called by his name. Mark is said to have been sent by Peter to advance the cause of Jesus Christ in Egypt. His ministry was eminently successful in Lybia, Marmorica, and Pentapolis. He returned to Alexandria, where he suffered various severe persecutions from the idolatrous rabble, at the time of celebrating one of the great festivals of Serapis, an Egyptian divinity, and died of the wounds his enemies inflicted as they were repeating their torments after a night of imprisonment. 3. LUKE. Luke, the evangelist, was a native of Antioch, and by profession a physician. Some suppose he was one of the seventy disciples of Christ, but this appears incorrect from his own remarks at the beginning of his gospel. the life and ministry, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Saviour: but it is sometimes applied to the whole New Testament. The word gospel is formed from two old Saxon words; the first god, signifying good, and spel signifying a speech or tidings; it is intended to denote the glad tidings of divine forgiveness and eternal salvation by Jesus Christ, which God has commanded to be preached and sent to all nations and people upon the earth. CH. II.-BIOGraphy of the Writers of THE NEW TESTAMENT. To the reader of the New Testament, it will be of no small importance to have present to his mind, a short sketch of the life and character of those holy men, who were the inspired writers of the sacred books, which are the only rule of our faith and practice, as they were the founders of the christian church. 1. MATTHEW. Matthew, or Levi, the apostle and evangelist, was the son of Alpheus. Before his call to the apostleship, he was a publican, or tax-collector in the employ of the Roman government. This was an office of very bad repute among the Jews, partly because of the covetous exactions of those who were appointed to it, and partly because it was a proof of their being subject to a foreign power. Matthew was a custom-house officer, and his business consisted in collecting the duties on all the merchandize that came by the sea of Galilee to Capernaum, and the tribute payable by passengers who travelled by water. This lucrative post he cheerfully relinquished for the sake of Christ, on whom he became a faithful attendant, and was an eye-witness of his miracles. Matthew continued with the rest of the apostles till after the ascension of Christ; but little is known of him subsequently to that event. It is related that for eight years he preached the gospel in Judea, and then went to promulgate the faith of Christ among the Gentiles. He laboured to evangelize Ethiopia, Persia, and Parthia, and at length suffered martyrdom at Nadabbar, in Asiatic Ethiopia, being slain by a halbert, A. D. 62. His only writings are the evangelical history, which bears his name. 2. MARK. Mark, the evangelist, whose Hebrew name was John, was the son of a pious woman of Jerusalem, at whose house the apostles and first christians frequently met for prayer, Acts xii. 12. He is supposed to have been converted by the ministry of Peter, who calls him his son, 1 Pet. v. 13. Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas in their missionary labours through several countries, but, declining to attend them through their whole progress, he returned to the apostles at Jerusalem, Acts xiii. 5-13. We find him afterwards at Antioch, Acts xv. 37. whence he went with Barnabas to Cyprus. He subsequently accompanied Timothy to Rome, 2 Tim. iv. 11. from which, it is believed, he went into Asia, where he found Peter, with whom, it is thought, he again returned to Rome, Col. iv. 10. and wrote the gospel which is called by his name. Mark is said to have been sent by Peter to advance the cause of Jesus Christ in Egypt. His ministry was eminently successful in Lybia, Marmorica, and Pentapolis. He returned to Alexandria, where he suffered various severe persecutions from the idolatrous rabble, at the time of celebrating one of the great festivals of Serapis, an Egyptian divinity, and died of the wounds his enemies inflicted as they were repeating their torments after a night of imprisonment. 3. LUKE. Luke, the evangelist, was a native of Antioch, and by profession a physician. Some suppose he was one of the seventy disciples of Christ, but this appears incorrect from his own remarks at the beginning of his gospel. He was the faithful and constant companion of Paul in his various travels, labours, and sufferings. He wrote his gospel in Achaia, about A. D. 63, and the Acts of the Apostles about A. D. 64. Both these books were dedicated particularly to a christian of distinction named Theophilus, as is supposed, an Egyptian. By some, Luke is said to have suffered martyrdom under the Roman emperor Nero; but others affirm that he was hanged upon an olive tree in Greece by a party of pagans. 4. JOHN. John, the evangelist and apostle, was the son of Zebedee, a fisherman of Bethsaida, a town of Galilee. He and his brother James were called by Christ to be his apostles; and, on account of their powerful eloquence, they were surnamed by him, Boanerges, sons of thunder. John was pre-eminently beloved by his Lord; and to his affection he committed the care of his mother when on the cross. Leaving Judea before the destruction of Jerusalem, he laboured chiefly in Asia Minor, particularly at Ephesus. The churches in Pergamus, Thyatira, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, are believed to have been founded by him. In the persecution under Domitian, the Roman emperor, John is said to have been put into a cauldron of boiling oil, in which he stood four hours unhurt. Being taken out, he was banished to the isle of Patmos, where he was favoured with the glorious visions of the exalted Saviour, and was inspired to write the book of the Revelation. From this island he returned the next year, and resided chiefly at Ephesus, until A. D. 100, when, beloved by all, and at the advanced age of about a hundred years, he died in peace among his fellow-christians. The three epistles, and the gospel, which bear the name of John, were written by this apostle. 5. PAUL. Paul was an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, and both of his parents were Hebrews. He was a native of Tarsus, in Cilicia, and by birth a free citizen of imperial Rome. Before his call to the apostleship, he was known by his Hebrew name Saul; but he used Paul, his Roman name, among the Gentiles. His parents sent him early to Jerusalem, to study the Jewish law under the direction of Gamaliel, the most celebrated doctor of his nation. The improvement of the pupil corresponded with the fame of his master, and all his influence and talents were devoted to preserve the Jewish traditionary corruptions, to destroy the church of Christ, and to extirpate even the name of christian. But in the very midst of his murderous career, while " breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord," sovereign grace and mercy renewed his heart, and he consecrated all his powers to the service of Christ! Never, perhaps, was any man so entirely devoted to glorify God, and to promote the best interests of mankind; never, probably, did any disciple of the Saviour exhibit so eminent an example of christian virtues and benevolent labours, as this chosen vessel of the Lord. It has been said, that the consideration of the conversion and apostleship of Paul alone, must leave every infidel without excuse for his rejection of Christianity. After being the instrument of inestimable blessings to the church of God, by his preaching, example, and writings, he sealed the truth of the gospel with his blood, being beheaded at Rome, June 29, A. D. 66, by order of the emperor Nero. The fourteen epistles of the apostle Paul are a treasure of inestimable value to the church of Jesus Christ. 6. JAMES. James was called the Less, to distinguish him from James the brother of John, who was put to death by Herod, Acts xii. He was the son of Alpheus Cleopbas, and he is called the Lord's brother, because he was of the kindred of the virgin Mary. On account of the admirable holiness of his life, he was surnamed the Just. He is mentioned as having been the first bishop of the christian church at Jerusalem, where he was venerated even by the Jews for his sanctity. However, Ananias the high-priest, with the scribes and pharisees, called him, at the passover, to stand upon the porch of the |