TO THE KING’S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY,
The Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland desire to avail themselves of the auspicious and solemn occasion of your Majesty’s Coronation to renew their expression of loyal attachment to your Majesty’s person and throne.
The Divine Statute Book of Church and State enjoins upon us the duty of making prayer, intercession, supplication, and thanksgiving for Kings and all in authority; and in hearty fulfilment of this obligation, we present our prayer to the Triune God that He would bless your Majesty’s person with the blessing that knows no end, enjoyed by all who, through Jesus Christ, are made “kings and priests unto God.”
We also commend, with cordial affection to the same Divine blessing, your Majesty’s illustrious consort, Queen Alexandra.
We desire to express our humble thankfulness to the Disposer of all events that He has been pleased to restore Your Majesty from the gates of death unto so large a measure of health and vigour, and in doing so would pray that Your Majesty may be bountifully enriched with Divine Grace for the continued dis-
charge of the onerous duties of your high office, and that your reign may be adorned in no common measure with the righteousness which exalteth a nation and with the peace and other noble fruits which flow from it. May God grant that under Your Majesty’s powerful auspices the Protestant Defences of our country may be strengthened, and the Kingdom of Christ vigorously promoted throughout the bounds of the empire and the world.
[REPLY.]
Scottish Office, Whitehall, 28th October, 1902.
SIR,—I am commanded by the King to thank the Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland in his own name and in that of Her Majesty Queen Alexandra, for their loyal and dutiful Address, and for their congratulations on the occasion of the Coronation of their Majesties.—I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH.
Rev. Neil Macintyre,
Free Presbyterian Manse, Glendale,
Isle of Skye.
Hutcheson’s Works.
THE Rev. George Hutcheson, A.M., one of whose discourses we publish in this issue, was one of the ablest divines of the Covenanting period in Scotland. He wrote excellent comments on the Book of Job and the Minor Prophets, while his exposition of the Gospel according to John is a standard work of high value. Mr. Spurgeon, who greatly appreciated the works of the old divines, writes in his “Commenting and Commentaries” in terms of the highest praise of Mr. Hutcheson’s works. Of his expositions of John, he affirms—”Excellent; beyond all praise. It is a full-stored treasury of sound theology, holy thoughts, and marrowy doctrine.” Mr. Spurgeon also notes Hutcheson on Psalm cxxx., but he does not appear to have seen it.
J. S. S.