'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased.'-Luke ii. 14. 94 WILLIAM TYNDALE. THE ORDER OF MERIT. WILLIAM TYNDALE. No. XII. AT THE STAKE. YNDALE suffered much in prison from cold, and a Latin letter of his to the governor of the prison has been preserved, in which he asks for a warmer cap and a warmer coat, and also for a piece of cloth to patch my leggings;' he wishes for some other warmer clothing; then he says, 'But above all, I entreat and beseech your clemency to be urgent with the Procureur, that he may kindly permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew grammar, and Hebrew dictionary, that I may spend my time in that study.' We may therefore be sure that as poor Tyndale sat in his cold, gloomy, solitary cell, he was busy at his old and loved work of translating God's Word; for it is almost certain that his request was granted. His trial lasted a long time. The judgment against him was foreseen. He was found guilty of heresy and sentenced to death. No mercy was shown to him. The sentence was allowed to take effect. On Friday, October 6th, he was murdered. Cruel men strangled him to death and then his dead body was burnt. But William Tyndale was a brave soldier of Jesus Christ and he stood true to the last; he was 'faithful unto death.' It is to such men as he we owe our national freedom, our religious liberty and much of our knowledge of the truth. Let us prize our privileges; let us be very staunch Protestants; let us hate and oppose all Romish practices; let us never forget that if Popery ever secured the ascendancy and the power again in this realm, she would do as she has done thousands of times before, torture her opponents, and as readily and willingly put men and women to death as heretics as ever the Inquisition did in the days that have gone. THE RIGHT USE OF THE EYES. N Italian Bishop, who had endured much persecution with a calm unruffled temper, was asked by a friend how he attained to such a mastery over himself. 'By making a right use of my eyes,' said he. 'I first look up to heaven, as the place whither I'am going to live for ever. I next look down upon the earth and consider how small a space of it will soon be all that I can occupy or want. I then look round me and think how many are far more wretched than I am.' THE ORDER OF MERIT. RULES AND REGULATIONS. I. Candidates for the honours and prizes of the Order shall be under sixteen years of age, but Competitors who arrive at that age after registering shall not be debarred from further competition. II. Candidates for Admission shall send to be registered(1) their names in full; (2) their address in ful; (3) the date of their last birthday, and their age then; (4) a smali registrationfee of 4d. in stamps, to cover the expense of posting cards, certificates, &c. III. Competitive Examinations shall be held for the Candidates for Admission, and those who obtain the highest marks shall be admitted as Members of the Order of Merit in the Third Class, and shall receive Cards of Membership. IV. Competitive Examinations shall be held for Members of the Third Class, and those who obtain the highest marks shall be ad mitted to the Second Class, and receive Certificates of Honour. V. Competitive Examinations shall be held for Members of the Second Class, and successful Competitors shall be admitted to the First Class of the Order, and receive First Class Certificates of Honour. VI. Competitions for Prizes shall be held between Members of the First Class. N.B.-1. New competitors may register at any time. THE BEREAVED YOUTH.-AN ACUTE LUNATIC. SCRIPTURE ENIGMA. 1. A fruit mentioned as growing freely in Egypt. 2. That which is good to bear in youth. 3. A prudent man, who desired to hear Paul preach. 4. The Prophet who determined to rejoice in God even in great poverty. 5. A cousin of the Virgin Mary. 6. The Hittite who soldAbraham a burying place. 7. A female helper of Paul. 8. The last king of Israel. 9. One of David's warriors who slew Goliath's brother. 10. A tree, the wood of which was used in building the temple. 11. One chosen in the Lord.' 12. An archangel mentioned by Jude. 13. The time mentioned when the nobleman's son began to mend. 14. Something to which life is compared. 15. A constellation named by Job. 16. A descendant of Cain. 17. The river near which Ezekiel received his prophecy. 18. A stormy wind spoken of by Luke in his account of a voyage made by Paul. The initials of the above will give a characteristic of the people of Christ. THE BEREAVED YOUTH. N amiable youth was lamenting in terms of the sincerest grief, the death of a most affectionate parent. His companion endeavoured to console him by the reflection that he had always behaved to the deceased with duty, tenderness and respect. 'So I thought,' replied the youth, whilst my parent was living; but now I recollect with pain and sorrow many instances of disobedience and neglect, for which, alas, it is too late to make reparation.' A TEMPTATION RESISTED. AGS a boy was going to his Sunday-school, he saw three of his companions, who endeavoured to persuade him to play the truant; but he resolutely resisted the temptation, and went to school. When the circumstances came to be known by his teachers, and the boy was asked why he did not comply with the urgent entreaties of his companions, he answered, 'Because I have read in my Bible, "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." Let every boy think of this story when he is tempted to do any thing which he knows to be wrong; and like the Sunday scholar, recollect the precepts of the word of God. AN ACUTE LUNATIC. COUNTRY newspaper reports a conversation between a gamekeeper and an inmate of a lunatic asylum, the two meeting on the lawn in front of the building. Inmate: 'Good morning to you; that's a fine horse you have-pray what is he worth?' Gamekeeper: This horse cost my master £60.' Inmate: And what may that gun have cost which you have?' Gamekeeper: This is one of Westley Richards' and consequently is expensive; it cost £20. Inmate: And what are these dogs worth?' Gamekeeper: These dogs are worth about £20.' Inmate : 'And what have you in that basket?' Gamekeeper: 'A snipe.' Inmate : And what is that worth?' Gamekeeper: 'I should think it's worth sixpence.' Inmate: Well, I should recommend you to drive off as fast as you can, for if our governor were to know than any man expends £100 to procure a sixpenny bird, he would immediately seize him and put him in his asylum.' P PRIDE. RIDE frequently keeps people in ignorance. A philosopher being asked by what means he had acquired so much knowledge, replied, 'By not being prevented by pride from asking questions when I was ignorant.' THE BIBLE IN THE MEMORY. N some countries, where the Roman Catholic religion prevails, little children are not allowed the blessed privilege of reading the word of God. A bigoted priest one day seeing a little boy with a Bible in his hand, commanded him to burn it. The boy reluctantly complied; but at the same time said, 'I thank God that you can't take from me the twenty chapters that I have in my mind? A AN AGED MINISTER'S EVENING HYMN. VENERABLE clergman and doctor of divinity, at the age of seventy years, lodged at the house of a friend, where he saw the mother teaching some short prayers and hymns to her children. 'Madam,' said he, 'your instructions may be far more important to your children than you are now aware; my mother taught me a little hymn, when a child, and it is of use to me to this day. I never close my eyes to rest, without first saying, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; Above his business, 35. Aged Minister's Evening Hymn, An, 95. Buying a Broken Tumbler, 13. Birds in the Snow-Eliza Kerr, 50. Buried Proverb, 77. Bible in the Memory, The, 95. Calm in a Storm, 19. Christ Near, 43. Christ the Only Refuge, 54. Danger Equally Shared, 51. Forgive One Another, 6. Faithful Standard Bearer, The, 30. Good Doctrine, 2. General Rebuked, A, 7. Ginger, the Workhouse Boy, 18. God in the Heart, 62. Gold Eagle, The, 74. Golden Hair at the Lighthouse, 77. Happy Home, A, 13. Honour Old Age, 51. 'How Long?' 59. He Does it for Me, 71. Holy Courage, 75. 'I'm too Busy,' 3. 'I am the Door,' 22. CONTENTS. Imperial Generosity, 54. In Disgrace, 58. In Confidence; or, the Dinglefields, 74. 'Jesus can Save Me,' 6. Knowledge and Love, 15 Lady Huntingdon and 'Her Beggars,' 3. Letters of Recommendation, 21. Light in the Window, A, 45. Mother's Prayers, 55. Marion's Reward, 82. Nobleman's Conversion, A, 54. ORDER OF MERIT, THE, 4, 12, 20, 29, 36, 44, 53, 60, 69, 76, 84, 94. Out of Reach, 26. 'Only one Brick upon Another,' 59. On Waste, 91. Protecting Cloud, 6. Poor yet Rich, 22. Readiness to Die,' 11. Runaway Knock, The, 71. SUNDAYS OF THE MONTH, 4, 12, 20, 28 36, 44, 52, 60, 68, 76, 84, 92. Scripture Cryptograph 5. Scripture Enigma, 5, 21, 37, 53, 69, 85, 95. Something for All to Do, 6. Singular Restoration, 11., Silence, Virtue of, 15. Stories of Adventure, 46. St. Pancras Ciock-E. Cornforth, 58 Small Beginnings. 62. Snow Song, Luther's, 70. |