faith of the Holy Trinity throughout the foiir quarters of the world. The number is prefigured in the Old Testament by many examples, — by the twelve sons of Jaoob, — ^the twelve princes of the children of Israel, — the twelve fountains in Elim, — the twelve stones in Aaron's breast-plate, — the twelve loaves of shew-bread, — the twelve spies sent forth by Moses, — the twelve stones of which the altar was made, — the twelve stones taken out of Jordan, — and the twelve oxen which supported the brazen laver. In the New Testament, the number is shewn in the twelve stars on the crown of the woman in Revelation, — and the twelve foundations, and twelve gates of the heavenly Jerusalem, seen by John."
It is interesting to remark, that out of the twelve apostles, we have no less than three pairs of brothers, Peter and Andrew, James and John, and Jude aod James the son of Alphaeus.
14. — [Bartholomew.] It is thought by many that Bartholomew is Nathanael, whom we read of in the first chapter of John. Jansenius, Montanus, and Ferus maintain this. But there seems no warrant for the conjectTU*e, except it be the fact that we find Bartholomew always mentioned in close connection with Philip, who called Nathanael to Christ.
15. — [James the son of AlpJuBus.] This appears to be that James whom St. Paul calls the " Lord's brother." (Gal. i. 19.) The fact that he is here called the " son of AlphsBus," goes far to prove that the word " brother" in the New Testament must not be taken too literally, and admits of being understood as "cousin." The Alphseus here mentioned must either be a different person from the father of Matthew, or else Matthew must have been brother of James and Jude. St. . Mark says, that Matthew or Levi was the son of Alphaeus.
It was this James who took the lead in the council, (Acts xv. 19.) and seems to have been regarded as the moderator or chief of the apostles in Jerusalem. He was also the writer of the Epistle which bears his name. It is remarkable that like Matthew and Simon the Ganaanite, we never read of his saying anything, or coming forward in any way, while our Lord lived. Yet, after our Lord's ascension, none seems to have had so prominent a position in the Church.
16. — [Judas the brother of James.] This apostle is remarkable for having had three names, Jude, Lebbseus, and Thaddseus. He it was who wrote the epistle which bears his name.
[Iscartot.] Many conjectures have been made as to the meaning of this name. None of them are satisfactory. Some think that it means that he was a man of the tribe of Issachar, — some that he was a man of Kirioth, a small town in Judah, or .Carioth, a town of Ephraim. Nothing certain is known about the subject
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