382 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD ;CIO ',Re-4-2C: St. ANDRE W, the APOSTLE. A LTHOUGH the facred hiftorians L .. have largely defcribed the tranfac- tions of St. Peter and St. Paul, yet we find they have been fparing in their accounts of the other apostles, giving us only now and then a few oblique strokes and accidental remarks concerning them. Why no more of their refpeéiive aéiionswere recorded by the penmen of the Holy Scriptures, is to us unknown : perhaps the Divine Provi- dence thought it convenient that no further account should be given of the first planting of Christianity in the world, than what concerned Judea and the neighbouring countries, at least the molt eminent places in the Roman empire, that the truth of the prophetical predi&ions might appear, which had foretold, That the law of the Meffiah should comeforthfrom Zion, and the word ofthe Lordfrom ferufalem. Befides, a parti- cular relation ofthe aéis offomany apostles, performed in fo many countries, must have fwelled the facred volumes to an enormous bulk, and confequently rendered them lets ferviceable to the ufeofChristians ingeneral. The apoftle St. Andrew was born at Bethfaida, a city of Galilee, built on the banks of the lake of Gennefareth, andwas fontoJohnorJonas, afifhermanofthattown. He was brother to Simon Peter, but whe- ther elder or younger, is not certainly known, though the generality of the an- cients intimate that he was the younger: but, however that be, he was brought up to his father's trade, at which he laboured till our bleffed Saviour called him to be a fifher of men, for which he was, by force preparatory inftitutions, qualified even be- fore the appearance of the Meffiah, in his public character. 3 We are told by the evangelifl, John the Baptift had lately preached the doéirine of repentance ; and was, by the generality of the Jews, from the impartiality of his pre- cepts,' and the remarkable ftriélnefs and aufterity of his life, held in great venera- tion. He trained up his profelytes under the discipline of repentance, and, by urging oil them a fevere change and refor- mation of life, prepared them to entertain the doélrine of the Meffiah, whole ap- proach he told them was now near at hand reprefenting to them the greatnefs of his perfon, and the importance of the -defign on which he came into the world. Befides the multitudes that flocked to the Baptift's difcourfes, he, according to the cuftom ofthe Jewilh matters, had fome peculiar and feleft difciples, who more conflantly attended on his lelures, and generally waited upon his perfon: In the number of thefe followers was our apoftle; and was with him beyond Jordan, when the Meffiah, who had fome time before been baptized, came that way. Upon his approach, the Baptift pointed him out as the Meffiah, ftyling him the Lamb ofGod, the true facrifice, that was to expiate the fins ofthe world. As foon as the Baptift had given this charafler of Jesus, Andrew, and another difciple, probably St. John, followed the Saviour of mankind to the place of his abode ; from whence, after force conver- fation with him, Andrew departed, and, having found his brother Simon, informed him that he had difcovered the great Met -. flab, fo long expelled by the houfe of Jacob; and, accordingly, brought him to JESUS. They did not, however, flay long with
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