hast thou heard us, O Lord, mercifully, we say, because that neither in us, neither yet in our confederates, was there any cause, why thou shouldest have given unto us so joyful and sudden a deliverance: for none of us ceased to do wickedly, even in the midst of our greatest troubles; and yet hast thou looked upon us so pitifully, as though we had given unto thee most perfect obedience. For thou hast disappointed the counsels of the crafty; thou hast bridled the rage of the cruel; and thou hast, of thy mercy, set this our perishing realm at a reasonable liberty.

O thou Lord, that only givest all good gifts, give us hearts, with reverence and fear, to meditate on thy wondrous works, lately wrought in our eyes. Let not the remembrance of the same unthankfully slip from our wavering minds. We grant and acknowledge, O Lord, that whatsoever we have received shall fall into oblivion with us, and so turn to our condemnation, unless thou, by the power of thy Spirit, keep and retain us in recent and perpetual memory of the same. We beseech thee therefore, O Father of mercies! that as, of thy undeserved grace, thou hast partly removed our darkness, suppressed idolatry, and taken from above our heads the devouring sword of merciless strangers, that so it would please thee to proceed with us in this thy grace begun.

And albeit that in us there is nothing that may move thy majesty to show us this favour, yet, for Christ Jesus, thy only well-beloved Son's sake, whose name we bear, and whose doctrine we profess, we beseech thee never to suffer us to forsake or deny this verity, which now we profess: but seeing that thou hast mercifully heard us, and hast caused thy verity to triumph in us, so we crave of thee continuance to the end, that thy godly name may be glorified in us thy creatures. And seeing that nothing is more odious in thy presence, O Lord, than ingratitude and violation of an oath and covenant made in thy name; and seeing thou hast made our confederates of England the instruments by whom we are now set at this liberty, and to whom, in thy name, we have promised mutual faith again; let us never fall to that unkindness, O Lord, that either we declare ourselves unthankful unto them, or profaners of thy holy name. Confound thou the counsel of those that go about to break that most godly league contracted in thy name, and retain thou us so firmly together, by the power of thy Holy Spirit, that satan may

have no power to set us again at variance or discord. Give us thy grace to live in that Christian charity, which thy Son our Lord Jesus hath so earnestly commended to all the members of his body; that other nations, stirred up by our example, may set aside all ungodly war, contention, and strife, and study to live in tranquillity and peace, as becometh the sheep of thy pasture, and the people that daily look for our final deliverance, by the coming again of our Lord Jesus: to whom, with Thee and the Holy Spirit, be all honour, glory, and praise, now and ever. Amen.

EXTRACT FROM THE TESTAMENT

OF

JOHN KNOX.

Made about six months previously to his decease.

LORD Jesus, I commend my troubled spirit unto thy protection and defence, and thy troubled church to thy mercy. Because I have had to do with divers persons of the ministry, whereunto God of his mercy erected me* within this realm, my duty craves that I should now leave unto them a testimony of my mind.

And first, unto the papists and to the unthoughtful world I say, that although my life has been odious to them, and oftentimes they have sought my destruction, and the destruction of the church, which God of his mercy has planted within this realm, and has always preserved and kept the same from their cruel enterprises, yet to them I am compelled to say, that unless they speedily repent, my departing this life shall be to them the greatest calamity that ever yet has taken hold upon them. Some small appearance they may yet have in my life if they have grace to see; a dead man have I been almost these two years last past: and yet I would that they should fully consider what better state they and their affairs stand in than has been before, and they have heard long time threatened. But if they will not admit me for an admonisher, I give

* Raised me.

them over to the judgment of Him who knows the hearts of all, and will disclose the secrets thereof in due times. And thus far as to the papists.

To the faithful God, before his Son Jesus Christ, and before his holy angels, I protest, that God by my mouth, be I never so abject, has shown to you his truth in all simplicity. None have I corrupted, none have I defrauded, merchandize have I not made (to God's glory I write) of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, but according to the measure of the grace granted unto me, I have divided the sermon* of truth in just parts; beating down the pride of the proud in all that did declare their rebellion against God, according as God in his law gives to me that testimony; and raising up the consciences troubled with the knowledge of their own sins, by the declaring of Jesus Christ, the strength of his death, and the mighty operation of his resurrection. In the hearts of the faithful, I say, I have a testimony of this at this day in my conscience before God, howsoever the world rage.

Be constant, therefore in the doctrine that ye once publicly have professed. Let not slanderous‡ days draw you away from Jesus Christ. Neither let the prosperity of the wicked move you to follow it or them; for however God appears to neglect his own for a season, yet he remains a just judge who neither can nor will justify the wicked. I am not ignorant that many would that I should enter into particular determination of the present troubles, to whom I plainly and simply answer, that as I never exceeded the bounds of God's Scriptures, so will I not now do, by God's grace. .. I know on my death the rumours shall be strange, but, beloved in the Lord Jesus, be ye not troubled above measure. But yet again I say, remain constant in the truth, and He who of his mercy sent me, conducted me, and prospered the work in my hand against satan, will provide for you abundantly, when either my blood shall water the doctrine taught by me, or he of his mercy otherwise provide, to put an end to this my battle.

* Word.

+ Power.

+ Evil, troublesome.

CERTAIN EPISTLES AND LETTERS

OF THE SERVANT OF GOD,

JOHN KNOX,

SENT FROM DIVERS PLACES TO HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILIARS IN CHRIST JESUS.

WORTHY TO BE READ BECAUSE OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE WRITER, THE SOLIDITY OF THE MATTER, AND THE COMFORTABLE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE TO BE FOUND THEREIN.

DR. M'CRIE, in his life of Knox, mentions a manuscript volume in his possession which formerly belonged to the Rev. Robert Wodrow, and which is described in the preface to Crawford's edition of Knox's history. This volume contains copies of six tracts written by the Reformer, and forty-three letters which throw considerable light upon his character and history, and supplied Dr. M'Crie with much valuable information. At the beginning is written, “This book belonged sometime to Margaret Stewart, widow to Mr. Knox, afterwards married to the knight of Fawdonside; she was sister to the earl of Arran."

Dr. M'Crie kindly furnished transcripts of some of these letters for the present work; eleven of them are now printed for the first time. They manifest the spiritual feelings by which Knox was influenced, and the Christian reader will derive benefit to his soul from their perusal.

Knox refers to these letters in his answer to Tyrie, (see p. 299,) and he printed one of the letters to his mother with his reply to the Jesuit.

Two letters are added from other sources.