Death of Prince William of Gloucester
The tragic death in an air crash of Prince William of Gloucester and of his co-pilot, Commander Vyrell Mitchell, is a solemn reminder that death may come suddenly and unexpectedly to any of us. It brings before us, too, that death is no respecter of persons. Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses—all must go hence when that solemn messenger comes. In this loud voice there is a call to high and low, to rich and poor, to seek preparation for death, judgment and eternity while the day of mercy lasts. “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed he judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” Ps, 2: 10-12.
The sympathy of the whole nation goes out to their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince Richard, and all the Royal Family in their sad loss, as well as to the family and relatives of Commander Mitchell.
Uganda Asians
General Amin of Uganda is to expel from his country all Asians holding British passports. Our Government has accepted responsibility for them and is preparing to receive a considerable number of them into this country. The action of the Ugandan Government in forcing such an exodus of Asians is to be deplored. Britain has ever been noted for her hospitable attitude to persecuted peoples and we would not wish the Government to be unsympathetic to the plight of these Asians. We cannot, however, but express our alarm at the spate of immigration into this country in recent years. This influx of people of alien faiths is, in our view, a real threat to the maintenance of the Christian institutions of our land. The blessings we have enjoyed as a nation over a long period of our history are the fruit of the Gospel and Christianity and are being put in jeopardy through the de-christianisation of the land. That word—“your land, strangers devour it in your presence”—is being fulfilled in our case as a judgment from the Most High. What a call to repentance this is to us as a nation for our gross backslidings from the living and true God.
Knox Commemorative Cover
To try to make some amends for their failure to produce a stamp to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of John Knox, the Post Office have produced 50,000 commemorative covers. On the insert Knox is described as: “To some, the founder of a great intolerance, and to others a divinely inspired reformer.” Surely this description of the Reformer only adds insult to injury. What need was there to give currency to the prejudices of Knox’s enemies while ostensibly attempting to commemorate his death? Even the description “divinely inspired reformer” is open to misconstruction. One wonders who it is behind the scenes that is responsible for these blunders. One would not be surprised though the hand of a Romanist was in it. Notwithstanding the enmity of men to Knox and all he stood for, the day is coming when he will receive his rightful and honoured place as one to whom Scotland owes a debt of gratitude. Under God’s hand he was instrumental in bringing the Church in Scotland out of the dark night of Popery into the noon-day light of Gospel liberty.
Aberdeen University and Drugs
It is really alarming when a judge of Lord Cameron’s standing has to express himself so strongly regarding drug-taking in the North of Scotland. During a recent case he said: “I am appalled by what has been said here about drug-taking amongst children, because they are no more than children, in the country districts of Ross-shire, and still more appalled about the conditions in the University of Aberdeen.” A first-year Aberdeen University student was charged with supplying LSD to eight boys aged from 15 to 19.
From this and similar reports it is clear that not only those attending Universities, but children anywhere throughout the Highlands are exposed to the danger of drug-taking. Parents ought to warn their children of this danger and the authorities ought to do all in their power to prevent this dangerous evil spreading.
Little sins—It is as much treason to “coin” a penny, as a twenty-shilling piece; because the royal authority is as much violated in the one as the other. The authority of God is as truly despised in the breach of the least commandments, (as some are called) as in the breach of the greatest.
Christian Treasury