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IN ESSENTIALS, UNITY; IN NON-ESSENTIALS, LIBERTY; IN ALL THINGS, CHARITY.

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OUR God is the God of order. However confused and complicated things may appear to mortal eyes, all are under the control of an unseen hand, which is working them together for good to them that love God. The providences of the Lord may often seem at variance with his promises, the permissions appear to contradict the revealed purposes; but he sees the end from the beginning, and so manages the affairs of the universe that the powers which oppose his will are made the agents of fulfilling it. The scheme devised by the sons of Jacob to prevent the accomplishment of Joseph's dreams, only served to bring about the events those dreams predicted. The Jews and Romans combined to crush the Messiah's kingdom in the bud.-"If we let him alone all men will go after him." He must be killed, and that in the most cruel manner; as if he had been the vilest wretch on the earth they "numbered him with the transgressors." Poor blind dupes of the devil! They had no eye to see the light of prophecy : hence they unwittingly with "wicked hands" did what God's "hand and counsel determined before to be done." The murderers of Messiah meant for ever to destroy his name and power by his death; whereas his death is the life of his kingdom-the very foundation on which it will for ever stand, and the very power by which all who oppose it are vanquished. All glory to his blessed name: by his own sufferings and blood, death, hell, and sin lie vanquished at his feet! But did there not seem much disorder, confusion, and contradiction in the complicated events of his life, which led to his present exaltation and glory? Threatened by Herod, the God of heaven is a fugitive on earth: he flies into Egypt! He who "distributes thrones and crowns not where to lay his head? Can this be Zion's King? Can this course lead to glory? Yes.

Everything is ordered.

"God moves in a mysterious way,

His wonders to perform:

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He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm."

has

The divine plan is so arranged, and the divine hand so VOL. V.—NO. LVIII., NEW SERIES.

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powerful, that all the permitted evil and opposition shall in the end have the very reverse effect to that it was intended to have.

And why do we make these remarks by way of introducing the Scripture at the head of this paper to your notice? Why, that you may apply the truth of them to your own case, and, by faith, suck honey out of that truth to sweeten the bitter in your own cup. If you are a real Christian, you are on the way to that glory where the once Crucified now shines. But you are opposed. Ah, how many things seem to stand in your way! And, like Paul with his thorn in the flesh, you are entreating the Lord that these things may depart from you. They do not depart ; or if removed, others come; and it is still

"a strait and thorny road,

And mortal spirits tire and faint;
But they forget the mighty God,

That feeds the strength of every saint."

Yes, like Paul, you shall find His grace who appointed the way, will be sufficient for you; and "all things work together for good to them that love God." And hence it is with the spiritual as with the natural Israel, as they march through the wilderness of this world-"EVERY MAN IN HIS PLACE." "For God hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth; and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation."

We are

1. We have our place PROVIDENTIALLY. The book of Providence is a fine study, as its interesting leaves are unfolded by the ever-revolving wheels of time. not lawless and irresponsible creatures, who may innocently sit down in indifference to what may happen. The infallible Teacher says we are to be "not slothful in business." No : it is every man's duty to "serve his own generation; for we are all servants, and we are so "by the will of God." But how various the kind of service we render to each other! True, as Paul says, "all seek their own;" but notwithstanding the selfishness of men, they, in "seeking their own," serve others. The sweep seeks his own bread, and is willing for a small amount to do for me what I should extremely dislike to do for myself-sweep the chimney! And why does he that smutty service for me? He cannot help it:—it is cheerfully done, for I have heard him sing at his work; yet, in a sense, he cannot help it. A variety of circumstances, over which he had no control, led to his being a sweep; and as such he may be a good and happy man, as the following fact will prove. A domestic said one morning to that functionary,-"Well, you have got a black face!" "Ah!" he replied, "it is of little consequence what colour the face be, if the heart be clean by the application of the blood of Christ." The maid was startled, for she was at that time panting for the gospel; and the sweep told her where the truth could be heard. She went, and found a spiritual home. Go from the lowest to the highest rank. Lord somebody seeks his own, when he schemes to get office under the crown; but he serves me. The machine of State he keeps going somehow. I could not keep it going at all; and though it may not be going right-still, it goes; and I obtain a thousand privileges thereby; and as time rolls on other statesmen learn from the blunders of their predecessors to manage better, and serve their generation.

The fact that we each have our place providentially does not imply that it is fixed and always the same. One position may fit us for another. "To him that hath shall be given." If we are faithful in a little, God may give us more. Elisha was in his proper place when ploughing, and Gideon when threshing his father's corn; but they were not less so when God had made a prophet of the one, and a soldier of the other. Happy are they who watch the Lord's hand, and follow the cloud of his guidance! He leads his people by the right way, though often it is a rough one; and he will at last bring them to "a city of habitation."

2. Every man has his proper place in the church; that is, every Christian. It is evident PAINFULLY EVIDENT-that most professors disregard church order. But if discipline be of no importance, why did the great Head of the church institute church order at all, and commission the apostles to teach people "to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded?" True! we may be too much wedded to order, and

neglect the spirit through over anxiety about the letter of the gospel. But what Christian privilege is not capable of being abused? Alas for the depravity of humanity! Who has not observed the power of men to pervert everything good to a bad purpose? The Papists have turned the observance of the Lord's-supper into idolatry, and put baptism in the place of the work of the Holy Ghost. Shall we, therfore, neglect these ordinances, or treat them as things of no importance? God forbid! The Christian is not inferior to the Jewish church, but far superior in many respects. "If the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory." (2 Cor. iii. 9.) And part of the glory of the Mosaic church was her order: they encamped in order, they marched under the cloud in order, "every man in his place." Dear reader, art thou a church member? Then there is a place for thee in the ranks of " the army of the living God." It may be a lowly, or a lofty one. God appointed it, and fitted thee for it. It may be to go forth in the battle, or to abide by the stuff. Whatever it is, your happiness, usefulness, and, under God, your growth in grace depends upon it. One day my watch stopped. I took it to the watchmaker; and on enquiring what had been the matter, he said, "Oh! only a little pin dropped out of its hole among the works."-Only. Ah! the place of the pin was the hole; and when it left its place, it stopped the watch. May be thou art as a little pin in God's tabernacle, yet very useful. Study, then, to know and keep thy place; and learn the evil of departing therefrom, in the case of those who said to Moses and Aaron-"Ye take too much upon you." They suffered for their sin, and so shall all who follow in their ways.

But

3. There is a place in heaven for every one who believes. "I go to prepare a place for you." One said, "Lord, grant that my sons may sit the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left in thy kingdom. Now Jesus did not say it was not his to give. But, in Matt. xx. 23, leave out the italics; and you will see it is not his to give, “but for whom it is prepared of the Father." Yes, blessed be the Lord, whatever apparent disorder and confusion may obtain in the church on earth, there will be none in heaven. As we have seen, Jesus is gone to prepare our place, the Holy Ghost is preparing us for it; and in due time the dear Lord will come again to receive his people to himself, that where he is there they may be also. Then every man will be in his place. The mystical body of Christ will be complete, and every member of that body complete in itself. There will be no schism in the body-no deformity, defilement, spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. Glorious prospect! For if there be any truth in the Bible-any reality in Christianity—the humblest, weakest, and most obscure believer may with confidence look forward to the glorious day when he shall rise up to God,-body, soul, and spirit, our whole person as free from all the direful effects of sin as if we had never been touched by that poison of the old serpent. Glorious wisdom that planned to save us! wondrous power that carried out all the design! amazing love which gave us an interest in such a salvation! precious blood that cleansed us from our sins! perfect righteousness that justifies our persons! Well may we exclaim,--“ Who is à God like unto thee," O triune Jehovah! and join in the song of praise, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." J. S. ANDERSON.

JOHN KNOX.

(Continued from page 199.)

IN 1549, after a captivity of nineteen months, the great reformer was liberated. He left France, and landed in England two years after the death of Henry VIII., when Cranmer was using every exertion towards establishing the doctrines of the Reformation. This prelate recommended Knox to the English Privy Council, who chose him as an itinerant preacher, and sent him to Berwick, where he became both highly popular and successful in the work of preaching.

At Newcastle, where he was summoned to appear by Tonstal, Bishop of Durham, for teaching that the mass was idolatrous, he so ably asserted and defended the beauty and simplicity of the divine ordinance of the Supper, that his opponents were silenced, and his fame widely spread.

In 1551, the English Privy Council chose him Chaplain in ordinary to King Edward VI., at an annual salary of forty pounds. In this year he was consulted about the Book of Common Prayer. Here his thorough-going reforms were not entirely adopted; although, mainly by his influence, the Communion Service was purged from the idea of transubstantiation and the adoration of the elements. In the following year, Knox was employed in revising the Articles of Religion, previous to their ratification by Parliament. In his preaching at this period, he fearlessly told the Papists that he believed they desired the death of the king, and that they cared not who succeeded him, provided that their idolatry was again set up. In consequence of these utterances, several charges against him were laid before the Privy Council; who, having summoned him and heard his defence, immediately acquitted him, offering him the benefice of All-Hallows in the City. This, however, he declined. It was proposed, shortly afterwards, to make him a bishop, but the same objections which had stood in the way of the benefice precluded his acceptance of the English bishopric; for Knox could not recognize the spiritual power of a temporal potentate, as such, in the church of God, and was decidedly opposed to the Episcopal system of church government.

Upon the lamented death of the pious Edward, the accession of bloody Mary, and the consequent re-establishment of Romanism as the religion of the State, after faithfully declaring and protesting against the evils then prevalent, Knox retired to Dieppe in France, thence to Geneva, and lastly to Frankfort, where he was chosen, and for some time officiated, as minister to the English exiles.

The Queen Dowager of Scotland, having been made Regent in the minority of the celebrated Mary Queen of Scots, and appearing to favour the Protestants, Knox was induced once more to return to Scotland, and again commenced preaching at Edinburgh and other places. At this time he penned a letter to the Regent, exhorting her to protect the Protestants, which was received and treated with disdain and silence.

The next vicissitude led our Reformer to Geneva, whither he was called by the English exiles, as one of their pastors. Here he found a home for nearly three years, eminently useful, not only in his local sphere, but by keeping up a correspondence with the faithful in Scotland, whom he instructed and admonished to continue in the faith; being determined as soon as the way was opened, again to return to his native land, and to that work for which God had so eminently qualified him.

In this part of his history we may trace the humility and obedience of the true servant of Christ. His own desire probably would have prompted him to remain in Scotland, in furtherance of that work in his beloved country, the success of which God had laid so near his heart, and of which success evident signs had already appeared. He was at this time eminently popular among the Protestants in Scotland; and it would appear to him that God was blessing his labours in no ordinary degree; when, just as his usefulness and greatness were ripening, the summons from Geneva came. No bishopric nor benefice awaited his acceptance. These inducements, as we have already seen, had before proved powerless. No crowned head invited him, but the simple voice of a number of despised exiles who were without an under-shepherd was sufficient warning for him to come down from his great work and expatriate himself once more, well knowing that God could raise and use other instrumentality in his stead. Thus Knox, not only taught the independence of the church of Christ on temporalities, but practically enforced it by his conduct and career.

About this time he published a work, entitled, "The First Blast of the Trumpet against the monstrous Regiment (or Government) of Women," in which he maintained the rule of queens to be repugnant to nature, contumely to God, and contrary to his revealed will. On this we would remark, that Knox stands in no

singular position in holding this view: the salique laws of many countries enforce his idea of the subject. But there is little doubt that it was the tyranny of bloody Mary of England which induced him to put the trumpet to his mouth, and to blow the blast that almost cost him the loss of the favour of Queen Elizabeth in later times.

The providence of the God of truth, watching over his church, so overruled the martyrdom of Mill, who was burnt at St. Andrews at the advanced age of eightytwo, that the Protestants of Scotland rose in horror of the act, openly joined in the reformed worship, and implored the return of Knox. He therefore revisited Scotland to find the Queen Regent determined to withstand the Protestants and to support Popery by force. His arrival caused quite a panic among the Papists, who declared him in council an outlaw and a rebel. Notwithstanding that his life was eagerly sought, he prepared to present himself with others of the reformed preachers who were to undergo a trial at Stirling; and masses of the people resolved to accompany him. Hearing of the arrival at Perth of this numerous body escorting Knox, the Queen Regent promised to stop the trial, upon which the Reformers halted. She, however broke her promise; the trial proceeded, and the preachers were outlawed.

On the day in which the news of this act of perfidy arrived at Perth, Knox preached a powerful sermon against the idolatry of the mass. At the conclusion of the discourse, the congregation were dispersing, when an impudent priest uncovered a rich altar-piece, profusely decorated with images, and proceeded to celebrate mass. But in the course of a few minutes the altars, images, and all the ornaments of the church were torn down and trampled under foot. The mob then demolished all the monasteries in the town, in spite of the persuasions of Knox and the power of the magistrates. The Queen Regent now assembled an army to punish the people of Perth ; but found the Protestants so well armed and prepared that she retired.

Many noblemen having joined their ranks, the Protestants were enabled to show a bold front, and proceeded mutally to enter into a covenant for the maintenance of a purity of worship. These people became distinguished by the name of “The Congregation," the nobility of their number being called "The lords of the Congre gation."

During the conflicts which now ensued, the cathedrals, monasteries, and religious houses, with all their apparel, furniture and sedilia, were demolished and scattered, making way for the simple and earnest teachings of the Protestant preachers, who could not satisfy the cravings of the newly-awakened people for the pure word of truth.

With this state of affairs in our mind, we cannot fail to observe the overruling hand of God. While we could wish, viewing matters from our stand-point, that the work had been carried out with a milder method; of this we may rest assured, in those fierce days it was the right way.

The proceedings of the Scottish people in thus at once wiping from their hands the stain of Popery (which is the blood of the saints) in the demolition of Popish ornaments and sedilia, have in modern times been deprecated as completely barbarous and Goth-like, inasmuch as many rare specimens of antique art were destroyed, and thus lost to posterity. The antiquarian mania which prompts these feelings, makes its subjects oblivious of the fact that, if numerous specimens of what they now esteem on account of rarity (often lacking any other recommendation by the way) had been preserved, their value, with those that are still extant, must have been very materially lessened. But what is more to be blamed than this is, that these modern idolaters of what they call divine art, despairing to find a legitimate point on which to fix the supposed stigma, fasten it upon the men who waged war, not with stocks and stones, but with the evil influence of error upon the hearts of their fellow men, and with spiritual wickedness in high places. Knox is called the Iconoclast; and justly so: for if ever a man was favoured with the witness of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men to the hurling down of the kingdom of darkness, and from an eminence usurped by the creatures of God,

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