sword of the Holy Ghost, which is the word of God, in battle against our spiritual enemy. The Scripture that Christ brings is written in the eighth chapter of Deuteronomy. It was spoken by Moses a little before his death, to establish the people in God's merciful providence. For in the same chapter, and in certain others that go before, he reckons the great travail and divers dangers with the extreme necessities that they had sustained in the desert, the space of forty years, and yet, notwithstanding how constant God had been in keeping and performing his promise, for throughout all perils he had conducted them to the sight and borders of the promised land. And so this Scripture more directly answers to the temptation of satan; for thus does satan reason, as before is said, “Thou art in poverty and hast no provision to sustain thy life. Therefore God takes no regard nor care of thee, as he doth over his chosen children." Christ Jesus answered, "Thy argument is false and vain; for poverty or necessity precludes not the providence or care of God; which is easy to be proved by the people of God, Israel, who, in the desert, oftentimes lacked things necessary to the sustenance of life, and for lack of the same they grudged and murmured; yet the Lord never cast away the providence and care of them, but according to the word that he had once pronounced, to wit, that they were his peculiar people; and according to the promise made to Abraham, and to them before their departure from Egypt, he still remained their conductor and guide, till he placed them in peaceable possession of the land of Canaan, their great infirmities and manifold transgressions notwithstanding."

Thus are we taught, I say, by Christ Jesus, to repulse satan and his assaults by the word of God, and to apply the examples of his mercies, which he has shown to others before us, to our own souls in the hour of temptation, and in the time of our trouble. For what God doth to one at any time, the same appertains to all that depend upon God and his promises. And, therefore, however we are assaulted by satan, our adversary, within the word of God is armour and weapons sufficient. The chief craft of satan is to trouble those that begin to decline from his obedience, and to declare themselves enemies to iniquity, with divers assaults, the design whereof is always the same, that is, to put variance betwixt them and God, into their conscience, that they should not repose and rest themselves in his as

sured promises. And to persuade this, he uses and invents divers arguments. Sometimes he calls the sins of their youth, and which they have committed in the time of blindness, to their remembrance; very often he objects their unthankfulness towards God and present imperfections. By sickness, poverty, tribulations in their household, or by persecution, he can allege that God is angry, and regards them not. Or, by the spiritual cross, which few feel and fewer understand the utility and profit of, he would drive God's children to desperation, and by infinite means more, he goeth about seeking, like a roaring lion, to undermine and destroy our faith. But it is impossible for him to prevail against us, unless we obstinately refuse to use the defence and weapons that God has offered. Yea, I say, that God's elect cannot refuse it, but seek for their Defender when the battle is most strong; for the sobs, groans, and lamentations of such as fight, yea, the fear they have lest they be vanquished, the calling and prayer for continuance, are the undoubted and right seeking of Christ our champion. We refuse not the weapon, although sometimes, by infirmity, we cannot use it as we would. It suffices that your hearts unfeignedly sob for greater strength, for continuance, and for final deliverance by Christ Jesus; that which is wanting in us, his sufficiency doth supply; for it is he that fighteth and overcometh for us. But for bringing of the examples of the Scriptures, if God permit, in the end we shall speak more largely when it shall be treated why Christ permitted himself thus to be tempted. Sundry impediments now call me from writing in this matter, but, by God's grace, at convenient leisure I purpose to finish, and to send it to you. I grant the matter that proceeds from me is not worthy of your pain and labour to read it; yet, seeing it is a testimony of my good mind towards you, I doubt not but you will accept it in good part. God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant unto you to find favour and mercy of the Judge, whose eyes and knowledge pierce through the secret cogitations of the heart, in the day of temptation, which shall come upon all flesh, according to that mercy which you (illuminated and directed by his Holy Spirit) have showed to the afflicted. Now the God of all comfort and consolation confirm and strengthen you in his power unto the end. Amen.

A

MOST WHOLESOME COUNSEL

HOW TO BEHAVE OURSELVES IN THE MIDST OF THIS WICKED GENERATION, TOUCHING THE DAILY EXERCISE OF GOD'S MOST

HOLY AND SACRED WORD.

BY JOHN KNOX.

1556.

IN 1556, Knox, who was then in Scotland, received letters from the church of English exiles at Geneva, which stated that they had appointed him to be one of their ministers. He considered it to be his duty to accede to their request, and in July proceeded thither. Previously to his leaving Scotland he gave his brethren such directions as he considered suitable to their circumstances at that time, and wrote the following letter to be circulated amongst such as had heard his preaching.

The state of the Protestants in Scotland at that period was very similar to their situation in England, which is thus described by Strype, in his Memorials of the reign of queen Mary :-"When the learned preachers and ministers were most of them burnt or fled, and the flocks left destitute of their faithful pastors, some of the laity, tradesmen, or others, endued with parts and some learning, used in that distress to read the Scriptures to the rest in their meetings, and the letters of the martyrs and prisoners, and other good books; also to pray with them and exhort them to stand fast, and to establish them in the confession of Christ to the death. Such a one was that excellent pious man and confessor, John Careless, who was a weaver of Coventry; and Clement, a wheelwright, who, speaking of the warnings of the preachers that were then dead and had confirmed their sayings with their blood, said thus of himself;—' I myself, when I was with you, did with my simple learning and knowledge, the best I could, to call you from those things that will surely bring the wrath of God upon you, except ye repent in time, and turn to the Lord with your whole heart; but how the preachers' warnings and my poor admonitions have been and are regarded, God and you do know."" Vol. iii. p. 364.

In another place, Strype says, "The course they took in these sad times was the same which the primitive Christians did, when they were under their persecutions, namely, prayers and tears. They continued to assemble together even in the hottest times, and in these assemblies sometimes they only prayed together." Vol. iii. p. 245.

MOST WHOLESOME COUNSEL.

To his brethren in Scotland, after he had been quiet among

them.

THE COMFORT OF THE HOLY GHOST FOR SALUTATION.

NOT so much to instruct you, as to leave with you, dearly beloved brethren, some testimony of my love, I have thought good to communicate with you, in these few lines, my weak counsel, how I would ye should behave yourselves in the midst of this wicked generation, touching the exercise of God's most holy and sacred word, without which neither shall knowledge increase, godliness appear, nor fervency continue among you. For as the word of God is the beginning of spiritual life, without which all flesh is dead in God's presence; and as it is the lantern to our feet, without the brightness whereof all the posterity of Adam walk in darkness; and as it is the foundation of faith, without which no man understands the good will of God, so it is also the only organ and instrument which God uses to strengthen the weak, to comfort the afflicted, to reduce to mercy by repentance such as have slidden, and, finally, to preserve and keep the very life of the soul in all assaults and temptations. Therefore, if that ye desire your knowledge to be increased, your faith to be confirmed, your consciences to be quieted and comforted, or, finally, your soul to be preserved in life, let your exercise be frequent in the law of your Lord God. Despise not that precept which Moses, who, by his own experience, had learned what comfort lies hid within the word of God, gave to the Israelites, saying, "These words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart, and thou shalt exercise thy children in them; thou shalt talk of them when thou art at home in thy house, and as thou walkest by the way,