and the sermon, and the preacher, than about the martyrs themselves. As a whole, therefore, it contrasts unfavourably with the old stone, to whose inscription it calls attention. There is a short notice of the two sufferers in the 'List of those Killed in the Fields' in the 'Cloud of Witnesses,' and Wodrow tells their story with more detail. On February 19, 1685, Captain Bruce, a captain of dragoons, with a party of his soldiers, surprised six of the suffering wanderers' in the lonely muir of Lochenkit, and shot four of them, as is told in a later chapter. The other two were Edward Gordon and Alexander M'Cubine. Gordon belonged to Galloway, and M'Cubine was a native of Glencairn. Bruce took them some miles to the south, to the Bridge of Urr, where Grierson of Lagg was busily occupied in urging the Abjuration Oath upon the country people. On their arrival, Grierson would immediately have sentenced them to death, but Bruce insisted that since the four had been summarily executed, a jury be summoned for the trial of the two. Grierson would summon no jury, and swore that all who had taken the oath had sworn these men's doom. Bruce at last succeeded in getting the matter postponed till next day. Next day, 20th February according to the old style, but March 3 according to the new style, as on the gravestone, they were taken by Grierson to Irongray, and hanged upon an oak-tree near the kirk of Irongray, at the foot of which they were buried.' When brought beneath the tree, a friend asked M'Cubine if he had any message to send to his wife. He replied, I leave her and the two babes upon the Lord and to His promise, "a Father to the fatherless, and a Judge of the widows is God in His holy habitation." When the hangman asked forgiveness, he said, 'Poor man, I forgive thee and all men. Thou hast a miserable calling upon earth.' 'Both died,' says Wodrow, 'in much composure and cheerfulness.

Mr Burnside, of Urr, in 1832, preached a sermon at Hallhill, a farm to the west of the clump of trees, and raised the money needed to enclose the monument. The sermon was afterwards published. In it he gives the traditions of the neighbourhood respecting the sufferers. He says the reason why the martyrs were executed near the Kirk of Irongray was, that it might be in sight of Hallhill, at that time occupied by a family of the name of Ferguson, well known for their attachment to the principles of the Covenanted Reformation. The sight of the execution, it was hoped, would awe them into silence, if not into apostacy. But it acted otherwise. A young daughter of the family waited on the martyrs when brought to the tree on which they were to be hung, and she tied the handkerchief over their eyes. She was in consequence banished from her native country. She went to Lisbon, where she married a carpenter. She and her husband lived to a great age. Seventy years after this execution, on the 1st of November 1755, on the day of the great

earthquake, that has been vividly described by Davy,* when the city was all but entirely destroyed, and sixty thousand people lost their lives, she was sitting on a plank by the riverside, and talking to her husband. While thus sitting, the sea came up, rising, as it were, like a mountain.' Multitudes of people it took back with it, as it retired, to a watery grave, but it carried her on before it, and left her high and dry upon the land.

The stationmaster at Elvanfoot, on the main line of the Caledonian Railway, is a descendant of Alexander M'Cubine, and bears his name. He still possesses the martyr's Bible. It is in good preservation. It is a small folio, and is dated Edinburgh: Printed by Andro Hart, and are to be solde at his Buith, on the North Side of the Gate, a litle beneath the Crosse. Anno Dom. 1610.' According to Principal John Lee, in his wonderful collection of literary information about books and printing in Scotland in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in his Memorial for the Bible [Societies, the Old Testament is the Genevan version, but the New Testament is not. It is from an edition first published in 1576, by Laurence Tomson, an under-secretary to Sir Francis Walsingham. It contains quite a different set of annotations from those in the Genevan version. These annotations are said to be taken from Beza, Joachim Camerarius, and P. L. Villerius, and are generally much longer, and not always more valuable.

The volume is interesting as an illustration of how long the Genevan and other versions of the Bible continued to be used in Scotland after the publication of the authorised version in 1611. On turning up and reading the first chapter of John, it was impossible not to be struck with the large extent to which the authorised version is based on the versions that went before it. It really is altered less from this old Bible of Alexander M'Cubine, than the Revised Version is from its pages.

* See 'Letters Addressed chiefly to a Young Gentleman upon the Subject of Literature,' by the Rev. Charles Davy. 1787. The description itself, one of the most graphic in English literature, will be found in vol. ii. of Charles Knight's 'Half-Hours

with the Best Authors.'

JANUARY 21.

'TO YOU THAT BELIEVE HE IS PRECIOUS.'1 Peter ii. 7.

Faith is a Christ-prizing grace; it puts a high valuation upon Christ. To you that believe He is precious. Paul did best know Christ. Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Paul saw Christ with his bodily eyes in a vision, when he was wrapped up into the third heaven; and saw Him with the eye of his faith in the holy Supper; therefore he best knew Christ. And see how he styles all things in comparison of Him. I count all things but dung that I may win Christ. Do we set a high estimate upon Christ? could we be willing to part with the wedge of gold for the pearl of price? Greg. Nazianzen blessed God he had anything to lose for Christ's sake.-T. Watson.

JANUARY 22.

THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH.'-Rom. xvi. 26. Faith melts our will into God's; faith runs at God's call; if God commands duty (though cross to flesh and blood), faith obeys. By faith Abraham obeyed. Faith is not an idle grace; as it hath an eye to see Christ, so it hath a hand to work for Him. Faith doth not only believe God's promise, but obeys His command. It is not your having knowledge will evidence you to be believers; the devil hath knowledge, but wants obedience, and that makes him a devil. And the true obedience of faith is a cheerful obedience; God's commands do not seem grievous. Have you the obedience, and obey cheerfully? what say you to this? Do you look upon God's commands as your burden, or privilege; as an iron fetter about your leg, or a gold chain about your neck?-T. Watson.

JANUARY 23.

'HE THAT LOVETH NOT KNOWETH NOT GOD; FOR GOD IS LOVE.'-1 John iv. 8.

Never was a more important declaration made than this; never was more meaning crowded into a few words than in this short sentence-God is love. In the darkness of this world of sin-in all the sorrows that come now upon the race, and that will come upon the wicked hereafter-we have the assurance that a God of infinite benevolence rules over all; and though we may not be able to reconcile all that occurs with this declaration, or see how the things which He has permitted to take place are consistent with it, yet in the exercise of faith on His own declarations we may find consolation in believing that it is so, and may look forward to a period when all His universe shall see it to be so.-A. Barnes.

JANUARY 24.

'WHO HATH CALLED US WITH AN HOLY CALLING.'-2 Tim. i. 9.

Yours is an holy calling. You are called to be saints. Show your vocation by a Bible conversation. Shall not flowers smell sweeter than weeds? shall not they who are ennobled with grace have more fragrancy in their lives than sinners? As He who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Dishonour not your high calling by any sordid carriage. Though pagans and loose Christians take liberty to sin, yet it is not fit for them who are called out of the world, and have the mark of election upon them, to do so. You are consecrated persons, your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and your souls must be a sacrary, or holy of holies.-T. Watson.

JANUARY 25.

'BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE'Rom. iii. 24.

The cause, the inward impellent motive or ground of justification, is the free grace of God; so in the text, justified freely by His grace, which Ambrose expounds, not of the grace wrought within us, but the free grace of God. The first wheel that sets all the rest a-running is the love and favour of God: being justified by His grace; as a king freely pardons a delinquent. Justification is a mercy spun out of the bowels of free grace. God doth not justify us because we are worthy, but by justifying us makes us worthy.-T. Watson.

JANUARY 26.

'BUT YE ARE SANCTIFIED, BUT YE ARE
JUSTIFIED.'-1 Cor. vi. 11.

The Papists calumniate the Protestants; they Whomsoever God justifies He sanctifies. report, we hold that men continuing in sin are justified; whereas all our Protestant writers affirm that righteousness imputed-viz., justification and righteousness inherent-viz, sanctification-must be inseparably united. Holiness, indeed, is not the cause of our justi fication, but it is the concomitant; the heat in the sun is not the cause of its light, but it is the concomitant. It is absurd to imagine that God should justify a people and they go on in sin. If God should justify a people and not sanctify them, He should justify a people whom He could not glorify. God, as He is a holy God, cannot lay a sinner in His bosom. The metal is first refined before the king's stamp is put upon it; first the soul is refined with holiness before God puts the royal stamp of justification upon it.-T. Watson.

CONTINUE STEADFASTLY IN PRAYER.

That is, Persevere in prayer. The word rendered in the authorised version 'continue in,' and 'continue steadfastly' in the revised version, literally signifies to persist in a thing, and if duty, to keep at it, so that nothing comes between us and its performance. The word occurs in connection with prayer in several parts of the New Testament. Thus the employment of the eleven in the interval between the Ascension and the Day of Pentecost is described in the words, 'These all continued with one accord in prayer -in revised version, 'These all with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer' (Acts i. 14). When the Apostles desired the brethren to choose out of their number men to fill the office of deacon, they said, 'Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer '-in the revised version, 'We will continue steadfastly in prayer'-' and to the ministry of the word' (Acts vi. 3, 4). It occurs in the precept, 'Continuing instant in prayer'-revised version, 'continuing steadfastly in prayer' (Rom. xii. 12); and in a substantive form in the word 'perseverance,' in praying alway with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints' (Eph. vi. 18). The idea presented in these different passages is much the same in them all. It is that of ardent and untiring constancy in

prayer until the object sought for be obtained. There is nothing unusual in this injunction to perseverance. It arises from the very nature of prayer. Prayer is worship, and worship is ever due to the God that made us, and from whose bountiful hand all our blessings flow. Prayer is fellowship with God, and this fellowship we must seek constantly to maintain. Like Enoch, we must walk with God. And prayer is a presenting of our wants before God, and these wants we must present until supplied. But so long as we are on this side of the grave we are needy creatures-ever needing sprinkling with the blood of atonement, as well as renewing grace and divine strength to keep us from falling. Therefore it is that we are charged, 'Continue in prayer,' that is to say

Make use of all the opportunities afforded for prayer. As the business of life has to be attended to, as we have to work for our daily bread, prayer can only be engaged in at intervals. To continue in prayer, is to make a prayerful use of these intervals or natural seasons for prayer so often as they come round. The morning and evening occupy a first place among these seasons. They are, as it were, pauses in our existence, intervals between our active and non-active state, which call to prayer. To continue in prayer is to take care that as the day opens and closes with us we call upon God, and worship His name. Before taking food is another of these intervals. We then, for the time being, cease to labour, and proceed to take what will enable us again to resume labour; and in the transition we have surely a season that calls us both to acknowledge the hand that gives us day by day our daily bread, and to ask His blessing on His gift, that it may tend to our maintenance in life, and fit us for the performance of life's duties. What is true of the period immediately preceding our partaking of food is not less true of that which immediately follows. It is a season that specially calls

us to express our sense of the goodness of Him on whom the eyes of all wait, and who gives them their meat in due season, who opens His hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He hath given thee' (Deut. viii. 10). The Sabbath is specially a time for prayer. One of its chief ends is to give us an opportunity for worshipping God, and contemplating His character and work, without the distracting cares that often characterise our working days. Just as the Sabbath is devoted to this end will we make progress in holiness, in religious knowledge, and in acquaintance with God. Spend the time God has given us for the contemplation of His character and acquaintance with Himself in what is called amusement, and the certain consequence will be ignorance in spiritual matters. Hence the low state of religion in many parts of Europe. The Sabbath is devoted to other ends than those for which it was given, and as a natural result their religion is often little better than a mockery of the To continue in prayer is to act very differently, is to make the Sabbath a day into whose holy exercises prayer in the closet, in the family, and, above all, in the sanctuary, largely enters.

name.

'With saints I'll sanctify the day

The Lord has called His own;
I'll go where they are wont to pray

And worship at His throne.'

Cultivate a praying spirit. There is much in the world calculated to unfit us for prayer. The reading of evil books, keeping company with evil associates, the frequenting of places whose associations and objects are alien to holiness, will certainly occupy the mind with other thoughts than thoughts of God. It is true we cannot always be praying, but we are not to frequent the society in which prayer would be looked upon as an intrusion, and altogether out of place. We are not to read the books that unfit us for prayer. The books that we find pollute the mind, suggest to it unholy thoughts, and thus unfit us for religious exercises, are best employed when closed and put out of the reach of harm either to ourselves or others. The sooner this is gone about the better for all concerned. If we would continue in prayer, we must avoid everything foreign to its nature. Our books must be such as will suggest thought for prayer, and our companions must be such as are desirous, by their intercourse with us, to cultivate a

praying spirit, rather than to dissipate it or send it away.

WATCHING THEREIN.

The word here rendered' watch' is of frequent occurrence in Scripture, although this is the only instance where it is used in connection with prayer. The precept requires—

Liveliness in prayer. A watchman asleep is a watchman useless for the end for which he has been appointed. In the army, for a watchman or sentry to be asleep is to incur the punishment of death. To watch in prayer is to be lively in its performance, is to make it not a form of words listlessly spoken, but the utterance of the heart, the outpouring of a living soul rejoicing in the exercise as communion with God.

To be on our guard against all enemies to prayer. The watchman is expected to be on the alert that no one enter the premises to steal or destroy the property under his care. In like manner we too must be on our guard that no enemy take away or destroy our opportunities for prayer. Prayer has not a few such enemies. Thus, with family prayer, there is the business of the world, that would often seize for its ends the few minutes in the morning and in the evening needed for the household to worship the God of the families of Israel; there is sloth, the folding the hands together for sleep, after the natural time for sleep is past, so that not seldom there is no time for worship, unless we expose ourselves to the world as too late in beginning the work of the day; there is the fear of being mocked by our neighbours if we be heard in united prayer; there are the amusements of the world, and even the meetings that good people sometimes hold, that, each in their own way, are enemies to family prayer; for not a few of the world's amusements unfit us, or take up the time required for its performance, and public religious meetings are sometimes supposed to be a becoming substitute. To watch in prayer, is to be on our guard against all these enemies; is to suffer not one of them, not even a church meeting, save on very rare occasions, to prevent for a single morning or evening the offering of the sacrifice of prayer on the family altar.

Secret might seem to be more easily gone about than family prayer; but it, not less, has enemies waiting to destroy or snatch away the opportunities for its performance afforded us in our daily life. Sometimes sloth, sometimes the pressure of business, and sometimes even forgetfulness, would attack us and gain

the mastery. But to watch in prayer is so to overcome sloth, is so to arrange our time, is so to keep duty before us, that nothing comes between us and obedience to the command, Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.'

Ever to be ready for prayer. The watchman is expected to be always at his post, ever ready for whatever may happen. Just so is it with prayer. We are to pray without ceasingthat is, we are always to be in a praying frame; to be at nothing in which prayer would be out of season; to be in no place where, if the call were given, we could not becomingly engage in prayer. In the house and by the way, in the sanctuary as well as behind the counter, the bench, the desk, or the loom, we are always to be in a frame for prayer. It is to be with prayer as in some trades it is with fire. The fire is not always blazing in its full strength. When the workman is otherwise occupied it is allowed to go down, yet never so far but that when needed it may, in a few moments, be raised up to the intensity required. From the necessities of life we cannot always be praying, yet we are ever to be in such a condition, in such a state of mind, at such occupations, that a few moments consideration will be enough to enable us to send up fervent prayer to God.

The precept 'watch in the same' thus instructs in the nature of prayer; but it at the same time tells us of prayer as a means of protection and defence against our foes. These foes are stronger than we, for they are the world, the flesh, and the devil. Let them attack us, and they are victors, but only so long as we trust to strength of our own. Watch against them in prayer, and an arm stronger than that of any creature protects us -Christ the power of God comes to our aid; and greater is He than all that can be against us. Watch against them in prayer, and we are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and so stand above Satan and all his devices.

WITH THANKSGIVING.

The pronoun here rendered 'with' is the same as that in the preceding clause translated' in,' so that the clauses may be rendered uniform, Watch in the same in thanksgiving. The thanksgiving is therefore not secondary to the watching, but of equal importance. Our watching in prayer is to be gone about in thanksgiving.

Much of Scripture is expressed in the language of thanksgiving. The book of Psalms, while a book of praise, is largely a book of thanksgiving. This is true even of the Epistles of Paul. He seldom writes on any theme at length without every now and then breaking out into thanksgiving. Our prayers, not less than our songs, are to be made in thanksgiving; and the reason doubtless is, because thanksgiving enlarges our conceptions of the kindness of Him from whom cometh every good gift and every perfect gift; is a delightful way of dwelling upon the love of Him who is the God of our salvation, and calls forth in the heart and life one of the loveliest of Christian graces-humility. It is no wonder, therefore, that thanksgiving should be often enjoined upon us. 'Offer unto God thanksgiving' (Ps. l. 14). Giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father' (Eph. v. 20). In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward' (1 Thess. v. 18). Our thanksgiving is to take a wide range. Everything we possess is to lead us to gratitude; and we have but to reflect for a moment to see how wide may be the range and how ample the material for thanksgiving. Our spared lives, our health, the possession of reason, our daily bread, our civilisation, our freedom, our Protestantism, our open sanctuaries, in which the gospel of the grace of God is so largely preached, our noble religious literature, our missions, the many opportunities afforded us to do good, and, above all, salvation through Christ, the love of God in sending His Son to save us, and the grace of the Lord Jesus in becoming poor that we through His poverty might be made rich, the victory he has achieved for us, so that we can look upon death as overcome, and say, 'O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ'-will each and all furnish us with matter for thanksgiving.

Are we obeying the injunction of the text, 'Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein in the same in thanksgiving'? Is prayer not sometimes neglected? Does not a trivial matter sometimes put it aside? Let it be so no more; and let us rise to a proper conception of the character of prayer as worship, as communion, as a chief means by which blessing is conferred. Let us seek the aid of the Spirit, whose office it is to teach