Knox is often remembered today only because of his strength of character. Yet if, in the words of Regent Morton, he was “one who never feared the face of man”, it was because he believed: “I am not master of myself, but bound to obey Him who commanded me to speak plainly and to flatter no flesh on the face of this earth.” In the opinion of the great Reformation historian, Merle d’Aubigné, Knox was probably the most eminent Christian in the Reformed Church after Calvin. His eminent, yet humble, godliness comes out particularly clearly in the closing scenes of his life as recorded below. This article is based on Thomas M’Crie’s Life of John Knox, now reprinted by Free Presbyterian Publications (216 pages, large paperback, £5.95). Although a number of biographies of Knox have been published over the years, none have ever approached M’Crie’s Life for its spiritual understanding of this giant among Scotland’s Reformers. B. B. Warfield called the book “a worthy biography of Scotland’s great Reformer”. And William Cunningham referred to the author as someone who “exhibited the finest combination of learning and judgement”. Scotland’s debt to the reformation and to John Knox in particular, should never be forgotten, and there is no better way of preventing such forgetfulness than by reading M’Crie’s book. K. D. M.
Since the time when he had been a slave on the French galleys, Knox’s health had never been robust. At last, in 1570, when Knox was about the age of 56, he had a serious stroke. He soon recovered his power of speech and was able, at least on Sabbaths, to preach again, but for the remaining two years for which he was spared in this life he suffered from serious physical weakness. It was during this period that James Melville, another of God’s special gifts to the Scottish Church and at that time a student in St Andrews, was relishing Knox’s lectures on the prophecies of Daniel. “Of all the benefits I had that year,” wrote Melville of 1571, “was the coming of the most notable prophet of our nation, Mr John Knox, to St Andrews.” “I saw him,” Melville went on, “every day of his doctrine, go . . . a staff in the one hand, and good godly Richard Bannatyne, his servant, holding up the other oxter, from the abbey to the parish kirk, and by the said Richard and another servant lifted up to the pulpit, where he behoved to lean at his first entry, but ere he had done with his sermon he was so active and vigorous that he was like to ding the pulpit in blads and fly out of it.”
Conscious of the weakness of his body, Knox was now, in his own words, “weary of the world” and “thirsting to depart”. When publishing one of his religious letters, he wrote in the dedication, “John Knox, the servant of Jesus Christ, now weary of the world and daily looking for the dissolution of this my earthly tabernacle, to the faithful that God in his mercy shall appoint to fight after me”. And he concluded by saying, “Call for me, dear brethren, that God in His mercy will please to put (an) end to my long and painful battle. For now being unable to fight, as God sometimes gave strength, I thirst (for) an end, before I be more troublesome to the faithful. And yet, Lord, let my desire be moderated by Thy Holy Spirit.”
To the dedication Knox added in a prayer: “To Thee, O Lord, I commend my spirit. For I thirst to be resolved from this body of sin and am assured that I shall rise again in glory, howsoever it be that the wicked for a time shall tread me and others thy servants under their feet. Be merciful, O Lord, unto the Kirk within this realm; continue with it the light of Thy evangel; augment the number of true preachers. And let Thy merciful providence look upon my desolate bedfellow, the fruit of her bosom, and my two dear children, Nathanael and Eleazer. Now, Lord, put (an) end to my misery.’’
During Knox’s absence from his ministry in St Giles, his colleague John Craig had left Edinburgh to labour in another part of the country. In his place it was decided to call James Lawson from Aberdeen to be Knox’s colleague and successor. In this connection Knox wrote to Lawson, ‘‘All worldly strength, yea even in things spiritual, decays, and yet shall never the work of God decay. Beloved brother, seeing that God of His mercy, far above my expectation, has called me once again to Edinburgh, and yet that I feel nature so decayed, and daily to decay, that I look not for a long continuance of my battle, I would gladly once discharge my conscience into your bosom, and into the bosom of others, in whom I think the fear of God remains. If I had had the ability of body, I should not have put you to the pain which I now require you, that is, once to visit me that we may confer together of heavenly things, for into earth there is no stability except the Kirk of Jesus Christ, ever fighting under the cross, to whose mighty protection I heartily commit you.’’ And as a postscript he added the words, ‘‘Haste, brother, lest you come too late.’’
Lawson duly accepted the call, and he succeeded in reaching Edinburgh before it was too late to see Knox. Indeed Knox was able to preach at his induction. Then, after addressing both pastor and congregation as to their duties, he protested as in the presence of God, before whom he expected soon to appear, that he had walked among his congregation with good conscience, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in all sincerity, not studying to please men or to gratify his own affections. He praised God that He had been pleased to give them a pastor in his room, when he was unable to teach. (In fact, this was the last time he came out of his house). He prayed fervently that any gifts which had been conferred on himself might be augmented a thousandfold in his successor. And, very seriously and impressively, he exhorted and charged all present to adhere steadfast to the faith which they had professed.
Less than two months before Lawson’s induction, news of the St Bartholemew massacre in France reached Knox. It was a sore blow to him in any case, but especially because he knew personally some of those who were murdered, among them people of great godliness and learning. Besides, it meant that the Reformation in France ceased to be an effective force; in one week alone seventy thousand Protestants — men, women and children — lost their lives amid scenes of unbelievable cruelty. Knox summoned up his dwindling strength to warn from the pulpit of the vengeance of heaven against the King of France, who had ordered the massacre. He wished the French ambassador to tell his king that divine vengeance would never leave either him or his house unless he would come to repentance, and that none of his descendants would enjoy the throne in peace.
Anxious to meet his elders and deacons, Knox called them to his home for a final farewell. They gathered in his room along with the minister of Leith. “The day now approaches,” Knox told them, “and is before the door, for which I have frequently and vehemently thirsted, when I shall be released from my great labours and innumerable sorrows and shall be with Christ. And now, God is my witness, whom I have served in spirit in the gospel of His Son, that I have taught nothing but the true and solid doctrine of the gospel of the Son of God, and have had it for my only object to instruct the ignorant, to confirm the faithful and the distressed by the promises of grace, and to fight against the proud and rebellious by the divine threatenings. “I know that many have frequently and loudly complained, and do yet complain, of my too great severity, but God knows that my mind was always void of hatred against the persons of those against whom I thundered the severest judgements. I cannot deny that I felt the severest abhorrence at the sins in which they indulged, but I still kept this one thing in view, that if possible I might gain them to the Lord. What influenced me to utter whatever the Lord put into my mouth so boldly, without respect of persons, was a reverential fear of my God, who called, and of His grace appointed, me to be a steward of the divine mysteries, and a belief that He will demand an account of the discharge of the trust committed unto me, when I shall stand before His tribunal . . . . “In the meantime, dearest brethren, do you persevere in the eternal truth of the gospel; wait diligently on the flock over which the Lord hath set you, and which He hath redeemed with the blood of His only begotten Son. And thou my brother Lawson, fight the good fight and do the work of the Lord joyfully and resolutely. The Lord from on high bless you and the whole Church of Edinburgh, against whom, as long as they persevere in the word of truth which they have heard of me, the gates of hell shall not prevail.” Knox was exhausted after speaking; the others were filled with a mixture of joy and sorrow. In that spirit they prayed and parted.
On the day before Knox died he told Bannatyne, “I have been these two last nights in meditation on the troubled state of the Church of God, the spouse of Jesus Christ, despised of the world, but precious in the sight of God. I have called to God for her, and have committed her to her Head, Jesus Christ. I have fought against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places and have prevailed. I have been in heaven and have possession. I have tasted of heavenly joys where presently I am.”
Because he had difficulty in breathing, someone asked Knox if he felt much pain. His answer was that he was willing to lie there for years if God so pleased, and if He continued to shine on his soul through Jesus Christ. He seemed to be asleep, but off and on he was preaching and praying aloud. “Live in Christ,” he was heard to say, “and then the flesh need not fear death.” And his petitions continued, “Lord, grant true pastors to Thy Church, that purity of doctrine may be retained. Restore peace to this commonwealth, with godly rulers and magistrates.” Some time later he lifted his hands towards heaven and said, “Lord, I commend my spirit, soul and body and all into Thy hands. Thou knowest, O Lord, my troubles; I do not murmur against Thee.”
When struck by increased weakness Knox had told his wife and Richard Bannatyne that he wished one of them to read to him each day John 17, Isaiah 53 and a chapter from the Epistle to the Ephesians. He also asked at various times to have particular Psalms read to him and some of Calvin’s sermons on Ephesians in French. On his last day in this world he asked his wife to read to him 1 Corinthians 1. When she had done so he said to her, “Is not that a comfortable chapter? O what sweet and salutary consolation the Lord hath afforded me from this chapter!” Then about 5 o’clock on that 24th of November, 1572 he again asked his wife to read to him. “Go read where I first cast my anchor,” he told her. So, probably for the last time, he heard read the 17th chapter of John. And then she read to him once more from the sermons of his old friend and colleague, John Calvin.
After a sleep that evening he was asked why he was sighing so deeply. He replied, “I have formerly during my frail life, sustained many contests and many assaults of Satan, but at present that roaring lion hath assailed me most furiously, and put forth all his strength to devour and make an end of me at once. Often before hath he placed all my sins before mine eyes, often tempted me to despair, often endeavoured to ensnare me by the allurements of the world; but with these weapons, broken by the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, he could not prevail. Now he has attacked me in another way; the cunning serpent has laboured to persuade me that I have merited heaven and eternal blessedness by the faithful discharge of my ministry. But blessed be God, who has enabled me to beat down and quench his fiery dart by suggesting to me such passages of Scripture as these, ‘What hast thou that thou hast not received?’, ‘By the grace of God, I am what I am’, ‘Not I, but the grace of God in me.’ Being thus vanquished, he left me. Wherefore I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ, who was pleased to give me the victory, and I am persuaded that the tempter shall not again attack me, but within a short time I shall without any great bodily pain or anguish of mind, exchange this mortal and miserable life for a blessed immortality through Jesus Christ.”
After family worship they asked Knox if he had heard. “Would to God,” he answered, “that you and all men had heard them as I have heard them. I praise God for that heavenly sound.” About an hour later he said, “Now it is come.” Richard Bannatyne went over to him and counselled him to think on those comforting promises of the Saviour Jesus Christ which he had so often declared to others. At once he realised that Knox had lost the power of speech, so he asked him to give a sign that he was hearing and that he was dying in peace. Knox lifted one hand, sighed twice and died peacefully. One of Scotland’s greatest sons had passed to the eternal blessedness of heaven, there to receive the reward of his faithful labours.