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MAY

 3, 1679 --Scotland. A company of nine Covenanters lying in wait for Archbishop James Sharp’s Chief Agent, Carmichael, encounter the carriage “ the cruel Archbishop himself. He has betrayed the Scotch Covenanters from the moment he accepted the Archbishopric of St. Andrews, and has persecuted his former colleagues with such cruelty that today he is assassinated. Every soldier in the Royalist army is now allowed to torture and kill any Covenanter, including women and children.

3, 1700 --England. Matthew Henry has a son today whom he names “Philip” after his father. He is the only son of nine children.

3, 1776 --Virginia. The Anglican preacher Devereux Jarratt again writes Archibald McRoberts:
“East night three or four of my neighbors met together to keep a watch-night, at which it is the custom to spend three or four hours in religious exercises and to break up at twelve. Such was the distress of those that were convinced of sin, that they continued in prayer all night and till two hours after sunrise. Here also fourteen or fifteen received a sense of pardon: so that in two days thirty of my own parishioners have been justified, besides others of other parishes.
“Indeed I do not take it for granted that all are justified who think they are so: Some I fear are mistaken. But I shall judge better of this when I see the fruits.”

3, 1814 --At Sea. Thomas Coke will die today while at sea en route to India to establish a Methodist mission there.

3, 1817 --Switzerland. The pastors in Geneva frame the “Riglemens” consisting of certain articles every student is ordered to sign before he is consecrated. It is intended to exclude from the pulpits of Geneva the doctrines they so hate: particularly the Deity of Christ, Original Sin, Grace and Effectual Calling, and Predestination.

3, 1851 --England. Charles Spurgeon is immersed in the Lark at Isleham and will unite with the Baptist Church. His mother’s reaction is that she had earnestly prayed he would be converted but never that he would become a Baptist. To this, Charles responds, “As usual, mother, God gives us more than we ask.”


3, 1863 --Virginia. From Milford, General Robert E. Lee writes, “Yesterday, General Jackson penetrated to the rear of the enemy and drove him from all his positions from the wilderness to within one mile of Chancellorsville. He was engaged at the same time in front by two of Longstreet’s divisions. This morning the battle was renewed. He was dislodged from his strong positions around Chancellorsville and driven back towards the Rappahanock, over which he is now retreating. Many prisoners were taken, and the enemy’s loss in killed and wounded is large. We have again to thank Almighty God for a great victory ... I regret to state that General Poston was killed; General Jackson severely, Generals Heth and P. Hill slightly wounded.”

 

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