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of sin, both by the evidences of thy wrath and mercy." In the midst of his meditations he would often address those who stood by, in such sentences as these: "O serve the Lord in fear, and death shall not be terrible to you. Nay, blessed shall death be to those who have felt the power of the death of the only begotten Son of God."

On the afternoon of Sabbath the 23d, he suddenly exclaimed, "If any be present let them come and see the work of God." And to Johnston of Elphingston, who was sent for, he said: "I have been these two last nights in meditation on the troubled state of the church of God, the spouse of Jesus Christ, despised by the world, but precious in the sight of God. I have called to God for her, and have committed ber to her head Jesus Christ. I have fought against spiritual wickedness in heavenly things and have prevailed. I have been in heaven and have possession. I have tasted of the heavenly joys where presently I am."

To some who inquired if he felt much pain, he answered, that he was willing to lie there for years if God so pleased, and if he continued to shine upon his soul through Jesus Christ: and then went on to emit such pious ejaculations as the following: "Live in Christ, live in Christ, and then flesh need not fear death.-Lord grant true pastors to thy church, that purity of doctrine may be retained. Restore peace again to this commonwealth with godly rulers and magistrates Once Lord make an end of my trouble. Lord I commend my spirit soul, and body, and all into thy hands. Thou knowest, O Lord, my troubles: I do not murmur against thee."

On Monday the 24th, which was the last day he spent on earth: being asked by Campbell of Kinzeancleugh, if he had any pain, he replied: "It is no painful pain, but such a pain as shall I trust put an end to the battle. I must leave the care of my wife and children to you, to whom you must be a husband in my room." He afterwards desired his wife to read the 15th chapter of 1st Cor., saying when it was finished, "Is not that a comfortable chapter? O what sweet and salutary consolation the Lord hath afforded me from that chapter!" A little after, he said, "Now for the last time I commend my soul, spirit, and body, (touching three of his fingers) into thy hand, O Lord." About five o'clock in the evening, he said to his wife, "Go, read, where I cast my first anchor," meaning the seventeenth chapter of John's Gospel.

Appearing, after this, to fall into a slumber, he sighed deeply, and "I have being asked, on awaking, the cause of this, he replied: formerly, during my frail life sustained many contests and many assaults of Satan, but at present that roaring lion hath assailed me most furiously and put forth all his strength to devour and make an end of me at once. Often before, hath he placed my sins before my eyes, often tempted me to despair, often endeavoured to ensnare me by the allurements of the world; but these weapons being broken by the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, he could not prevail. Now he has attacked me in another way; the cunning Serpent has laboured to persuade me that I have merited heaven and eternal blessedness

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by the faithful discharge of my ministry. But, blessed be God, who has enabled me to beat down and quench this fiery dart by suggesting to me such passages of scripture as these, What hast thou, that thou hast not received? By the grace of God, I am what I am: Not I, but the grace of God in me. Being thus vanquished, he left me Wherefore, I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, who was pleased to give me the victory; and I am persuaded that the tempter shall not again attack me, but within a short time, I shall without any great bodily pain or anguish of mind, exchange this mortal and miserable life, for a blessed immortality through Jesus Christ."

About ten o'clock, being asked by Dr. Preston if he heard the prayers which had just been read, he replied, "Would to God that you and all men had heard them as I have heard them; I praise God for that heavenly sound." About eleven he gave a deep sigh, and said, Now it is come. Immediately his secretary, Richard Bannatyne, drew near, and, perceiving that he was speechless, requested him to give a sign that he died in peace.-Upon this he lifted up one of his hands, and sighing twice, expired without a struggle !*

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VI. JAMES LAWSON.

[This eminent minister of Jesus Christ was born about the year 1538, in the neighbourhood of Perth. After passing through the usual course of education, at the university of St. Andrews, he went for some years to France, as tutor to the three sons of the countess of Crawford. Upon his return, about 1568, he commenced the teaching of Hebrew in St. Andrews; and shortly after, was elected subprincipal in the university of Aberdeen. Here he continued tili 1572, when he was invited to become successor to Mr. Knox, as a minister of Edinburgh. In this situation he approved himself a workman that needeth not to be ashamed;" but it is chiefly as a defender of the reformation principles, and on account of the sufferings he endured in that cause, that he deserves a high place among the worthies of Scotland. In the year 1584, he was obliged to fly into England from the vengeance of the king, and he died on the 12th of October, that year. Upon the 7th of that month he caused to be written, read over, and subscribed the following testament, which, as it contains his dying sentiments, under views of eternity, both as to his own spiritual state, and with regard to the concerns of the church, we insert here as his last words.]

"At London, in Honielane, Cheapside, in Mr. Anthony Martin's house, upon Wednesday, October 7th, 1584; I, Mr. James Lawson, minister of God's word, of the flock of Christ at Edinburgh, wish grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord

• M'Crie's Life of Knox, in ioc.

Jesus Christ, and the continuance of the Holy Spirit, to all those that serve the Lord and love his blessed evangels, giving to understand, to whom it appertains, that, being whole in mind, but finding my God summoning me by his messenger sickness, wherewith he has laid me on bed, to put an end, as appears, to my course in this my transitory life, have thought it good to commit my testament and latter will to writing, as follows:

"First, I thank my God, through Jesus Christ my Saviour, who has not only of his unspeakable mercy, whereof I confess myself most unworthy, (if he should deal with me according to my deserts), plucked ine out of gross ignorance and blindness of superstition, papistry, and idolatry, especially since the time I heard that notable servant of God, Mr. Knox, of blessed memory,* impugn with great authority of doctrine that antichristian tyranny; but also of his great goodness from time to time, has moved me by his sacred word and instruction of his Holy Spirit, to dedicate myself and the small talent which his wisdom hath intrusted to me, to the edification of his people in the holy ministry, ordained in his kirk, and has blessed also the same, first in his congregation of Aberdeen, and last in the town of Edinburgh; testifying to the whole world, that as I have felt from time to time the working of his Holy Spirit kindling in my breast a bent and ready will to discharge my own conscience in teaching the word of God purely and sincerely, without fearing the faces of men, and also to procure the establishment of that ecclesiastical discipline revealed and set down in the holy scriptures of God, according to the measure of knowledge given to me to do, so I feel of God's special love, a delectation, a zeal, and thirst sealed up in my heart to persevere in the same, as the infallible truth of God, and to continue in the same if it shall please God to prolong my days. Albeit, Lord, far be it from me to boast or glory in any thing in thy presence, before whom the angels are not able to plead their innocency! But, in the cause of thy Son Jesus Christ, seeing the want of sufficient zeal, diligence, and ability in the said office, and the many infirmities and imperfections staying me in the performance thereof, as it became me, I have my refuge to the throne of thy grace, acknowledging, after all my irksome travels wherewith I am broken, that I am an unprofitable servant, referring the whole praise of my weak ministry to the glory of thy holy name, by whom I have my being and moving, craving in the meantime pardon of all my offences and sins, being now assured of the remission thereof through the merits of the death and passion of Jesus Christ, with whom I am conjoined in his everlasting covenant, by lively faith, whereby I presently possess his mercy:-Attour I render most hearty thanks unto his gracious goodness, that he has not only used me as a poor instrument to communicate his heavenly counsels unto others, but also has called me to great honour to suffer

It is obvious from this, that Mr. Lawson had listened with improvement to the early ministrations of John Knox, though it also appears that he had previously a tendency in favour of the reformed opinions,

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for the defence of his truth and ecclesiastical discipline* contained therein, and has of his careful providence given lively experience of the performance of that promise which his Son, my Saviour, made, that whosoever shall forsake house, father, mother, brethren, sister, wife, or children, for his name's sake, or the Gospel's, should receive a hundred fold now at this present, and life everlasting in the world to come. Not only to the most godly and learned brethren and sisters among the strangers, and especially in the godly family whereinto the Lord brought me, and wherein I have been most savingly entertained, my heart's desire, but also to so many of my brethren and fellowlabourers in the evangel with me, of my own country, whose kindness, courtesy, and good offices towards me shown, I wish the Lord to register to the one and to the other. And now turning my exhortation to my faithful brethren whom God has called to dispense the holy mysteries of his word and sacraments, whose days it shall please the Lord to prolong after my departure, I beseech them all in the bowels of Jesus Christ, that they take heed that they employ their whole studies during whatsoever time shall be granted them on the face of the earth, to prosecute their good course to benefit the people committed to their care, by preaching the glad tidings of salvation, in season and out of season, neither for lucre nor for the fashion, but earnestly, zealously, and with ready mind, in promoving, planting, and advancing that holy ecclesiastical discipline, in the house of God, which is established in his word, and so much the more valiantly and constantly to stand in defence thereof, that Satan's supports (pseudoepiscopalians) and grievous wolves are entered in and umpiring as if they were lords over God's heritage, whom neither the apostle Paul, nor any part of the word of God, did ever allow maliciously to

• Mr. Lawson had no doubt suffered much anxiety of mind, in common with every lover of the presbyterian church, with regard to the means and measures which had lately been adopted to subvert and destroy it. Early in 1584, a parliament was held, by which the liberties of both church and state were laid at the feet of the king and of those by whom he was guided. To decline the judgment of his majesty or of the privy council in any matter, was declared to be treason; all that the church had done towards the abolition of episcopacy was pronounced unlawful; all church courts, such as assemblies, presbyteries, and even sessions, were suppressed, the bishops made cominissioners on ecclesiastical causes, and all animadversions on the acts of govern ment, either private or public, strictly prohibited. Against these "black acts," as they were called, not a nobleman, baron, or burgess ventured to open his mouth. Some of the ministers repaired to the parliament house with the design of protesting for the rights of the church, but were not admitted. The magistrates of Edinburgh received orders to drag from the pulpit any individual, who presumed to censure what the parliament had done. But this did not deter Mr. Lawson and his colleagues from exonerating their consciences; and, when the acts were proclaimed at the market-cross of Edinburgh, they, "taking their lives in their hands, went boldly and made public protestation" against them, with all the ceremonies usual on such occasions. This boldness, however, had nearly cost them their lives. Orders were immediately issued to apprehend them, and they only saved themselves by a timely flight into England, where they were soon after joined by almost twenty others of their brethren.— See M'Crie's Life of Melville, vol. I. p. 222.

impugn the same. And as concerning the flock of Edinburgh, howbeit this body of mine has greatly wasted, yet I repent me nothing of my travail there, being assured that the Lord has there a kirk which unfeignedly fear his name, and for whose salvation the Lord has made my ministry profitable. Therefore, from my very heart I leave my blessing to all the faithful there, who dearly love the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and my God, blessed for ever, bless them not only with true and faithful labourers in the ministry, and to preserve them from ravenous wolves, but also with continual increase, with all godliness and perseverance in that true faith and doctrine which I have taught among them, and at last with everlasting life in heaven, whereby both they and I shall mutually rejoice. And for a few others, whose names, in charity, I suppress, who, as they grieved my heart oftentimes while I was present with them, by resisting the upright and godly cause, and assisting the enemy, so now, since my departure from them, through their subscribing that false and infamous libel* set out against us, their pastors, and sundry other unthankful dealings, which we neither merited nor looked for at their hands, they have done what in them lay, to wound the same; for my part, I forgive them with my heart; and seeing they would colour their baseness under the shadow of obedience to a superior power, I beseech the Lord to forgive the king for obtruding that letter, injuriously exacting their subscription thereunto, and to give them both true repentance therefor, and not lay the burden thereof to their charge, nor leave at their hands my blood. May the same Lord open the king's eyes to behold in what hazard he has brought the true religion, his own person, fame, and state, together with the best and most obedient subjects within his realm, and give him grace in time to withdraw himself from these pestilent and wicked counsellors wherewith he is environed, and leave that unhappy course wherein he has wrapt himself, most fearfully, to the great danger of his body and soul, unless he repent. Amen. Amen.

• In addition to the bodily disease under which Mr. Lawson was doomed to suffer, almost ever since his arrival in England, a disease which seems to have been induced by the air of that country, though no doubt aggravated by the sorrow and disappointment which he felt at the state of matters in Scotland, he was shocked and wounded in his best feelings by another circumstance. It appears he had joined with his colleague in addressing a letter to the inhabitants of Edinburgh, stating the reasons of their flight. To this letter a reply was immediately drawn up by archbishop Adamson, in name of the congregation, couched in the harshest and most contumelious terms, denominating them fugi tives, rebels, and wolves, and renouncing all connexion with them. This dis graceful paper was immediately sent by the king to the town council, accompanied with an injunction, that it should be subscribed by them and the principal inhabitants; and by the threats and importunities of the court, a number of persons were induced to set their names to it. It is to this fact that Mr. Lawson alludes in the above passage; and it seems to have made a deeper impression on his mind than perhaps, considering the character of the individuals, it ought to have done; but this, when we take into account the delicacy of his feelings, under a sinking frame, and the unhappy circumstances in which he was otherwise placed, was not wonderful.-See M'Crie's Life of Andrew Melville, vol. i. p. 233.

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