"OF WHOM THE WORLD WAS NOT WORTHY"
-105-
MAY
2, 1568 --Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scots, has been
confined in Loch Leven Castle since June 16th last year. Today she will
escape. The Queen everywhere she has been has fascinated men. Mr. George
Douglas, brother of the lord of Loch Leven Castle, has fallen under her
spell and has prepared for her escape. Willie Douglas, his nephew has
secured the castle keys and rows the Queen ashore. Soon, she will have
gathered an army of six thousand.
On May 15th, the Regent Moray will meet her
outside Glasgow at Langside and though his army is much smaller he will
decisively defeat her. Mary Stuart will flee the field of battle and
will cover sixty miles before she rests. On May 16th, she will cross the
Solway and seek refuge in England, from her cousin Elizabeth. She will
be a captive here for nineteen years.
2, 1716 --Rhode Island. In order to prevent any society or sect from
gaining preeminence in the government, the Rhode Island Assembly passes
legislation that “what maintenance or salary may be thought by any of
the churches, congregations or societies of people now inhabiting, or
that hereafter shall or may inhabit within the same, for the support of
their respective minister or ministers, shall be raise by free
contributions and no other ways.”
2, 1740 --Pennsylvania. At Philadelphia, Elias Boudinot is born. He will
become the first President of the American Bible Society.
2, 1776 --Virginia. The Anglican Devereux Jarratt writes to his fellow
Anglican Archibald McRoberts, “Rev. and Dear Brother—
“Yesterday I preached at Boisseau’s Chapel to a crowded
and attentive audience. Afterward the Methodists held their love feast:
during which as many as pleased rose one after another and spoke in few
words of the goodness of God to their souls. Before three men had done
speaking (although they spoke but few words) you might see a solemn
sense of the presence of God visible on every countenance, while tears
of sorrow and joy were flowing from many eyes. Several testified to
Consolation they had received: some believed they were perfected in
love. When the passions of the people were rising too high, and breaking
through all restraint, the preacher gently checked them by giving out a
few verses of a hymn. When most of the congregation went away, some were
so distressed with a sense of their sins, they could not be persuaded to
leave the place. Some lively Christians stayed with them and continued
in prayer for the space of two hours, till fifteen mourners were enabled
to rejoice in God their Saviour; and some careless creatures of the
politer sort, who would needs go in to see what this strange thing
meant, felt an unusual power so that like Saul among the prophets, they
fell down on their knees and cried for mercy among the rest. 0 may they
still continue to pray till God has given them another heart!”
2, 1815 --England. At Kittering, Northamptonshire, Andrew Fuller dies.
He has acted as one of the founders of the Baptist Foreign missionary
Society that has been formed for the support of William Carey and his
assistants in India.