Part XI

Text: "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read.... " Isaiah 34:16

Chapter IV

Spanning the life of William Tyndale and the King James Version of 1611, many versions of God’s Word appeared.

Miles Coverdale had translated a printed Bible in 1535, which was the first printed English Bible. He dedicated it to King Henry VIII. This pleased him so much that he authorized Coverdale in 1538 to prepare another edition. Because of its large size, it was called, "the

Great Bible." And this was not the last version.

When Mary, Queen of Scots, banned the public use of the Bible, several scholars went to Geneva, Switzerland to print a small pocket Bible. It was therefore known as the "Geneva Bible" and became very popular. The Puritans of England adopted this as their official version

in protest to the 1611 version which had been authorized by the ungodly King James of England. But how was the Word of God to reach the New World? While we do rejoice the English-speaking people can now "seek out the Book of the Lord and read," and though we rejoice in the knowledge of other countries in Europe also making the Word of God available to their people in their own language, shall the newly-discovered continent of North America remain in Heathen darkness? Shall we content ourselves that only a few peoples of the world can know the way of the Lord and Walk therein? Shall old Lucifer, that soul-destroying monster yet remain the earthly lord of whole continents?

Chapter V

As the "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord"--(Psalm 37:23), God, whose plan cannot be frustrated by man, had already prepared the Pilgrims to bring the Word of God with them to the shores of North America. Moravians, who were the followers of John Huss, Presbyterians, the followers of John Knox, and other reformed groups among whom were the Dutch, as well as the Baptists--all came bringing copies of God’s Word. But why did they come? What plan did the Almighty set to work to cause such a migration from the Continent of Europe as well as the shores of Britain? Read about it in the next edition of THE ANGELUS.

February 1, 1750--John Newton, converted slave trader, marries Mary Catlett.

February 2, 1594—Giovanni Pierreluigi, better known as "Palestrina" after his hometown, will die today. He has been styled as "the Saviour of church music" having composed 93 Masses, Motets on the Song of Solomon, and his well-known Stabat Mater. On his grave can be read, "The Prince of Music."

*February 5.... : This 24th day of Shevat, in this second year in the reign of Darius comes the Word of the Lord unto the prophet Zechariah.--(Zechariah 1:7)

February 5, 1812—Adoniram Judson and Miss Hasseltine are united in marriage. They will spend but a few days and then sail for India.

February 5, 1837--Dwight Lyman Moody is born the sixth child. This is also his mother’s birthday.

February 5, 1864--Fanny Crosby, though blind, writes her famous hymn,

We are going, we are going

To a home beyond the skies.

More than 5,000 hymns will come from her pen.

February 6, 1564--John Calvin, the man of God who brought the reformation to France, preaches his last sermon with difficulty.

*February 12, 1401--William Sawtre will be burned at the stake today, and will become England’s first Protestant martyr since the Albigensian War in 1210.

*February 14,....: This third day of the month "Adar", the second temple is completed. This is the sixth year in the reign of the Persian king, Darius. The construction has been prospered by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.--(Ezra 6:14,15)

February 14, 269--A young pagan priest in Rome has been assisting the persecuted Christians after having witnessed the horrifying treatment they have received under Emperor Claudius II. He has himself been seized and thrown into prison. He would most likely have been released after a short sentence except for the fact that during his confinement, Valentine has been converted! Tradition tells us he has prayed for the restoration of the eyesight of the jailer’s daughter, and which prayer was heard. Yet, even this has failed to deliver him. He will be clubbed to death today.

February 14, 1497--Philip Melancthon, the scholar of the German reformation, is born to a master armor-maker. "Melancthon" is the Greek translation of his name "Schwarzert". Both translate to mean "Black earth."

*NOTE: Due to the variance from year to year in the Jewish calendar, these days may be as much as two week’s difference.

Look at the child left to himself--without restraint. A more perfect picture of misery and ruin cannot be conceived. His evil tempers are thought to be the accident of childhood. They will pass away as his reason improves--it is thought.

The child is not nurtured in wickedness or under the influence of a bad example: he is only left--left to himself. Left: the restive horse, with his reins loosed, plunges headlong over the cliff. He is merely full of his own spirit.