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On Sabbath, June 17th, the pulpit of Laygate Presbyterian Church, South Shields, was draped with black. In the morning, the Rev. S. M. M'Clelland, the pastor of the church, preached from Psalm ciii. 14-17, and at the close of his discourse referred to the death of Mr. Stevenson. He said :—

"You will expect me to refer, before concluding, to one whom we were wont to see with us at brief intervals, and whom these signals of mourning remind us we shall see with us no more. We owe it to the Father of Lights, from whom cometh down every good and every perfect gift, not to let this occasion pass without some tribute to the memory of the departed; for they who are mindful of good men are therein mindful of God who giveth such gifts to men. Mr. Stevenson was not a perfect man-we don't expect on this side of eternity to meet with

benevolence of his nature and his strong desire to promote the best welfare of all around him, that the first object of a public character towards which his efforts were directed was the providing of the means of education for the children of his workmen. So deeply interested in this was he that even before he left Glasgow he engaged a master for the schools he purposed establishing. These were three in number, two week-day and one Sunday-school. The school-room was what was then known as the old station-house, now part of the North-Eastern Foundry. There the schools remained for some years: but the pressure on the accommodation increasing with the enlargement of the works and the increasing population of the neighbourhood, the present schools at the Barnes were erected. In other respects Mr. Stevenson evinced his desire to promote the comfort of the work-perfect men-it may be he was not even a men, by getting the workshops raised in man with the fewest possible imperfections; height, increasing the ventilation, and ren- yet by God's grace he was a truly good dering them more pleasant to work in. He man; one whom to know was to esteem; also had reduced their hours of labour by intercourse with whom was a help to be ter two hours on the Sundays, causing them to thoughts of human nature, or to more come in at twelve o'clock at night instead hopeful thoughts of the possibility of human of ten, but allowing them the wages they happiness on earth. By their deeds ye would otherwise have earned. This con- shall know them,' our Saviour teaches. siderateness on his part gained the reward So judged, Mr. Stevenson was known and it merited, in the respect and confidence the will be remembered as a man-a man in men felt for and in him, as a token of which whom dwelt the Spirit of Christ, a tender, they in March, 1847, little more than two benevolent, compassionate spirit, full of years after he came to the place, presented love to God and of love to men, whose him with a portrait of himself bearing the highest happiness was in seeing, and confollowing inscription:- Presented to James tributing to, the happiness of others; and Stevenson, Esq., by the workmen of the who out of this spirit did respect unto an Jarrow Chemical Company, as a testimony Apostolic injunction, in that according to of esteem and gratitude for the interest he his opportunity, which was great, he did has taken in their welfare.-1847.' Mr. good unto all men, especially unto them who Stevenson had by this time began to make were of the household of faith. The Rev. himself somewhat known as a public man Dr. Hamilton, of London, at a meeting of in South Shields. He was one of the South the English Presbyterian Synod, referring Shields Improvement Commissioners prior to one of many large-hearted acts of to the incorporation of the borough, and Christian liberality done by him who has was most anxious for the improvement of just gone from us, applied to him these the town, which was then in anything but words: For he loveth our nation and hath a creditable state. In 1849 the Laygate Presbyterian Church, and the schools, which are not, however, in connection with the church, were erected, the cost being borne almost wholly by himself. Since Christmas his strength has been failing, not so much so as to produce alarm, and his death was unexpected at the last. By all who knew him he was loved for his true and genuine goodness and heartiness. He had a real desire for the public good, and there was no stint in his liberality to any object which he believed would promote it. What he did was done without ostentation, and seemed to flow from a kind and benevolent heart; and both here and in Edinburgh he had a large circle of friends, who will deeply regret his loss.",

built us a synagogue.' The 'synagogue,' as you know, was this church in which we worship. And I have reason to believe that on no acts of his life did Mr. Stevenson reflect with greater pleasure than on his efforts in connection with the erection of the Barnes Schools and of this chaste and comfortable Laygate Church And he might well be gratefully proud of these two institutions, for they have ministered to the temporal and eternal well-being of not a few of the present generation, and they will continue, it may be confidently hoped, to be in the highest degree serviceable to many generations to come. By these and many other of his deeds, he being dead yet speake h. Still we miss him. He will be widely missed, in circles far outside of that one more

peculiarly his own, the one in which he expressibly dear. Mr. Stevenson did much

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more immediately lived and moved. We are glad to think he will be widely missed. Oh that God would increase the number of those who when they fall create a blank, because while they stood they delivered the poor that cried and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.' The world could, without much loss, dispense with the affluent multitude who live merely for themselves; there is room in it for many more who live with the will and the effort to make things better than they find them; the rugged road of life smoother for sore-footed travellers; the burdens of life less heavy for those bowed down under them; to whom the advancing of Christ's kingdom-which is one with the advancing of men in knowledge, purity, and that supreme excellence and well-being, which is salvation, is in

He

for others, and delighted in it; his great delight, however, was in thinking and speaking of what God had done for him. never wearied in extolling the goodness and mercy of God which had followed him all the days of his life. Known to him was God's goodness, both in its severity and in its gentleness, and for it in each of its forms he never ceased to be adoringly thankful. And now that by the same goodness and mercy of God our Saviour he hath not only received pardon for all his sins, but ease from all his pain, joy from all his sorrow, the fruition of hope from all his fears, and a home in heaven for a home on earth-now that he hath been taken to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, let us say, Blessed be the name of God from henceforth even for ever." "

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the English Presbyterian Messenger. DEAR SIR,-On a recent visit to a rural district not over forty miles from Manchester, and having a population of 4,000 inhabitants, I happered to be the guest of a thorough Presbyterian. Our converstion turning upon Church matters, he told me that nothing would give him greater pleasure than to see a Pr. sbyterian stat on opened in his neighbourhood. "There are," he added, "many Nonconformists who would gladly avail then selves of such a boon, their only objection being the

absence of instrumental music." Now, sir, my purpose in addressing you is simply to bring this instance before the Church, showing one of the hindrances to the progress of the Presbyterian Church in England. This thriving locality will most certainly soon be occupied by the Independents; at present only a parish church and the Methodists hold the ground. Many other instances of a similar kind could be adduced.

Poetry.

I remain, dear sir,

A FRIEND TO THE CAUSE.

A SONG OF PRAISE AYD THANKSGIVING.

FROM THE GERMAN OF PAUL GERHARDT.

In grateful songs your voices raise
All people here below-

To Him ascribe eternal praise
Whose glories angels show.
With gladsome songs now fill the a'r,
To God our chi fest joy;
Who worketh wonders everywhere,
Whose hand great thir gs employ.
Who, from the womb to latest years,
Upholds the life he gave;

Who, when no help from man appears,
Himself appears to save.
Who, though our way his heart oft
grieves,

Maintains a gracious mood,
Remits the guilt, the sin forgives,

And doth us nought but good.

Oh may he give a joyous heart,
The mind from torrow keep,

And cast all care, fear, grief and smart
Into the ocean deep.

And may his peace for ever rest
On Israel's favoured head;
May all we do by him be blessed;
May his salvation spread.
May love and goodness toward us flow,
In bounteous streams each da,
And every anxious care we know

Be chased by him away.

As long as beats this throbbing heart,
Our Saviour may he be;

Our portion when from earth we part,
To all Etern ty.

When sinks the heart, when strength decays,

By him our eyes be pressed; Then may we see his open face In everlasting rest.

THE ENGLISH

PRESBYTERIAN MESSENGER.

AUGUST, 1866.

THE MAGI.

"Then came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews?'"

II.

TAUGHT and influenced as we have seen, the magi came to Jerusalem. Most naturally did they direct their steps thitherward; for surely, if anywhere, the King of the Jews should be found there. Greatly to the point also was their inquiry when they reached that capital" Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" Admirable, too, was the frankness and simplicity with which they declared how they had seen his star and had come all the way from the East to worship him. We really begin to love these men, they are so genuine and straightforward, and so fearless in their simple faith.

But what must the men of Jerusalem have thought of them? We can imagine the scornful pity with which the priests, and scribes, and Pharisees looked on these earnest Gentile Easterns who had travelled so far on what would seem to them a fool's errand. "It is true that our sacred books speak of such a King, and that we are expecting him to appear; but where now is the sign of his presence? Where is his court?-where his army ?— where the power that is to subdue the world? No, he has not revealed himself yet your star has deceived you; your arts are unholy; and your journey is in vain. And besides, who are you-Gentiles that you are— that you should presume, in any circumstances, to herald his coming? We are his appointed priests and the writers and expounders of his law; and to us he must needs show himself first. He is to be the King of the Jews and not the King of magicians.

And if the Jews were astonished to see the magi in their streets, not less astonished would the magi be at the utter apathy manifested by the chosen people in the chosen city with regard to that which was the very crown and consummation of all their privileges, and which had ever been the sustaining hope and joy of the fathers of their nation. Few, if any, did they meet with who were like-minded with themselves; few, if any, who believed in the Saviour's birth, or who were interested in his coming. The glory had departed from Israel. Her religion had become a dead formality; and when its Divine Author appeared in person, that religion was his most inveterate enemy, pursuing him through a life of shame and suffering even to the cross "He came to his own, but his own received him not."

The news of the arrival of these strangers and of the object of their search soon reached the ears of King Herod; and we are told that, "he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." Why was Herod troubled? Just because he could not tolerate the idea of any one seeming even in name to be a rival to himself. And why was Jerusalem troubled? Just because she dreaded the effects of Herod's fear. A little before this time some of No. 224.-New Series. 15

the principal inhabitants having been seduced unto rebellion, the tyrant had all who were taken alive burned together in a heap. No wonder that Jerusalem trembled when Herod was troubled.

Herod deserved the title of " the cruel " as much as that of "the great." He was very magnificent, but very barbarous; very powerful, but very crafty and spiteful; very proud, but very suspicious and unsparing. He killed his own wife and his two eldest sons because he thought they had designs on his throne; and that, instead of rejoicing, there might be mourning at his funeral, he confined the chief men of the country in a racecourse and then gave orders that they were all to be murdered at the moment of his death. No wonder, we again say, that Jerusalem grew pale when Herod was troubled.

But the king takes action. Not that there was any immediate danger of his throne being attacked. The magi were evidently dreamers—transcendentalists-believers in a common delusion of the time; and the king they sought was more of a spiritual than of a temporal potentate. If it had been otherwise, without a moment's hesitation or remorse, he would have hanged or burned them as he had done many others on far slighter grounds. “Am I not king of the Jews?"-" Yes, truly," acknowledged the magi," thou art the king, and we bow to thee as the ruler of this land. But it is not such a king as thou art that we seek; we have come to see the Messiah of Israel, the Redeemer of the world, who is predicted to appear at this time, and whose star we have seen. It is the Jesus Christ, and not Herod or Cæsar, whom we would visit and worship. We who are the subjects of another king have not come hither to raise the standard of rebellion in a foreign land. If it were merely the king of the Jews in a temporal sense that we <wished to see, we would see him in thee, and, being satisfied, would return at once to our homes; but it is the spiritual King and Deliverer who has brought us to Jerusalem-he who is above all earthly sovereigns-the Son of God and the Saviour of men.

On such grounds we rest our belief that the magi, however imperfect their knowledge may have been, had spiritual views of the Messiah, and were actuated by no sordid motives in coming to Jerusalem in quest of the King whose star they had seen. The risks which they so willingly encountered are sufficient proof of the purity of their hearts, the strength of their faith, and the substantial soundness of their expectations.

Yet Herod in his pride could not brook the idea of any one assuming his title in never so harmless a sense, and, owing to his suspicious nature, could not rest till the imaginary "King of the Jews" had been put out of the way. So he called together the chief priests and scribes and asked them, "Where Christ should be born." With great readiness he was told, "In Bethlehem of Judea," and was referred to the Scripture which foretells it. These priests and scribes knew the letter of the law well. The prophecy of Micah was quite familiar to them. And it does seem strange, and still more lamentable, that in their failing to understand their own law, and in their indifference to the one great promise of which they and their nation were the custodiers, they should have presented so marked a contrast to the despised Gentile magi. The priests of Israel had become the blind leaders of the blind.

Herod, however, was so far satisfied. He had learned the place of the Saviour's nativity; and, inviting the wise men of the East to a private interview, he told them to go to Bethlehem, where they would see the Messiah whom they sought, and then, having worshipped him, to come back and tell him where he dwelt that he also might go and worship him. The

old fox! The crafty, cruel man! He worship him! As soon would the devil have obeyed the words of Jesus, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Herod had secretly resolved to destroy the babe, the mystery of whose birth began now to alarm him.

Herod against Jesus! the great monarch against the little babe that had just come into the world amidst such humble surroundings! Small chance of escape for the feeble and unsuspecting innocent-and yet none so safe as he. Angels guarded the manger at Bethlehem; the Divine Being mysteriously overshadowed, embraced, and consecrated for ever the infant form that lay in it; and against Jesus even a Herod was powerless. In the foiling of this wicked king's purposes, in the assistance which he was led to give the magi in their efforts to find the King of the Jews, being thus made a contributor to their success and through them to the glory of him whom he sought to destroy, we see how easily God can make even the wrath of man to praise him.

We e come now to the last part of the narrative. Thus instructed by the king according to the counsel of the priests and scribes, the magi turn their backs on Jerusalem and take the road to Bethlehem. And as we follow them out of the crowded and unbelieving city into the beautiful country that lies between it and Bethlehem, we breathe more freely, and our spirit becomes more hopeful and elastic. It was night, or evening, when they set out on their five or six mile journey, perhaps because in that warm climate night is the best time for walking, and, it may be, because night to them afforded in its starry sky an occupation which they loved, and excited thoughts as high and bright as the luminaries it unveiled. No sooner would they get into the green lanes, away from the hum of the city, than they would naturally fall into their old habit of communing with the skies; and it was, doubtless, whilst they were thus engaged, that the new and strange star which had so fascinated them in their own country, again met their startled gaze. It seems clear that they had not seen this star since they left the East. They came to Jerusalem, saying, "We have seen his star in the East," and when they saw it on the way to Bethlehem, it is described as "the star which they saw in the East." Great had been their faith. Only heartened by a weird-like memory, they had pursued their long journey, and had even withstood the chilling experiences of Jerusalem; and though a darkling shadow may have lighted on their spirits when directed away from the capital to an obscure town, they had gathered their stuff together and resolutely stepped forth towards Bethlehem. And so their faith having stood the test, the star which was before a divine herald, became now a divine comforter and guide, beaming hope and encouragement on them, and leading the way to the object of their search," And, lo, the star, which they saw in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was: when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."

The action here ascribed to the star has given rise to the idea that it was not a real star, but only a luminous body floating in the air, and called into being by God for the special purpose which we see it discharging in the narrative. As we indicated in our former paper, we do not accept this idea. A real star, it is said, could not move about in the way described, and would be far too distant to indicate to human eye, either a line of road by its motion, or a particular spot by its arrest. True, but it is not necessary to suppose that the star of the King of the Jews actually and literally did this. The words of Matthew should be taken as the popular expression of a common optical illusion. All the time that the magi were travelling to Bethlehem, they saw the star, and were convinced by it that they were on

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