He  was  greatly  surprised  at  our  Lord's  salu-
tation, wondering  how  he  could  know  him  at
first  sight,  as  imagining  he  had  never  before
seen  his  face.  But  he  was  answered,  that  he
had  seen  him  while  he  was  yet  under  the  fig-
tree,  even  before  Philip  called  him.  Convinced
by  this  instance  of  our  Lord's  divinity,  he  pre-


H.
sently  made  his  confession,  that  he  was  now
sure  that  Jesus  was  the  promised  Messiah,  the
Son  of  God,  whom  he  had  appointed  to  govern
the  church.  Our  blessed  Saviour  told  him,  that.
if  from  this  instance  he  could  believe  him  to  be
the  Messiah,  he  should  have  far  greater  argu-
ments to  confirm  his  faith ;  for  that  he  should
hereafter  behold  the  heavens  opened  to  receive
him,  and  the  angels  visibly  appearing  joyful  at
his  entrance  into  the  heavenly  Canaan.
CHAP.  H.
The  Transactions  of  St.  Bartholomew,
from  the  Ascension  of  Christ  to  his
Martyrdom.
OUR  Apostle  having  his  peculiar  spot  allotted
him,  for  the  promulgation  of  the  Gospel
of  his  blessed  Master,  who  had  now  ascended  into
heaven,  and  dispensed  his  Holy  Spirit  to  fit  and
qualify  his  disciples  for  the  important  work,
visited  different  parts  of  the  world  to  preach  the
Gospel,  and  penetrated  as  far  as  the  higher  India.
After  spending  a  considerable  time  in  India,
and  the  eastern  extremities  of  Asia,  he  returned
to  the  northern  and  western  parts ;  and  we  find
him  at  Hierapolis,  in  Phrygia,  labouring  in  con-
cert with  St.  Philip  to  plant  Christianity  in  those
parts ;  and  to  convince  the  blind  idolaters  of  the
e\11  of  their  ways,  and  direct  them  in  the  paths
that  lead  to  eternal  salvation.  This  enraged  the
bigoted  magistrates,  and  he  was,  together  with  St.
