This Reformation audio resource is a production of Stillwaters Revival Books. There is no copyright on this material and we encourage you to reproduce it and pass it on to your friends. Many free resources as well as our complete mail-order catalog containing classic and contemporary Puritan and Reformed books at great discounts is on the web at www.swrb.com. We can also be reached by email at swrb at swrb.com, by phone at area code 780-450-3730, by fax at 780-468-1096, or by mail at 4710-37A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6L 3T5. If you do not have a web connection, please request a free printed catalog. Sketches of the Covenanters by J.C. McPheeters, 1913, as read by Leah Domes. At the end of each chapter in this book, there are a list of questions entitled points for the class, which have to do with the content of the preceding chapter. We do not include these questions on the tape for the sake of fluency. Tape number three. The solemn League and Covenant in 1643 gave the Covenanted Church of Scotland a mighty impetus in the right direction. But its effect for good was brief. The League united the kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland, and the Covenant placed them under obligations to one another and to God. These kingdoms were thereby exalted beyond measure and privilege. The sacred bond had been prepared by the joint commission that represented England and Scotland, the initial step having been taken by the English Parliament. The King and the Parliament were then at strife. The dominating spirit of Charles, which harassed Scotland, had provoked hostility in England. The strength of that kingdom was nearly equally divided between the two parties. The people of England, who aspired after liberty and felt the throb of nobler manhood in their pulse, had asked Scotland to combine forces against the oppressor. The outcome was the solemn Legan Covenant, which united their armies for the conflict. This sacred bond was adopted by the General Assembly of Scotland, the English Parliament, and the Westminster Assembly of Divines. Afterward, it received a prodigious number of signatures by the people in public and private life. and became quite popular. These kingdoms were thereby placed under solemn obligation conjointly to conserve the reformed religion in Scotland, to reform the religion of England and Ireland, and to root out all systems of evil in church and state. Scotland was far in advance of the other two kingdoms in enlightenment and liberty. The covenant of church had exalted the Lord Jesus as her head, and he had exalted her as the light life, and glory of Scotland. The vine had spread its branches from sea to sea. The two sisters were far behind. She undertook to lift them up. The burden was too heavy. They dragged her down. She was unequally yoked, and the yoke pushed her astray. Doubtless there were reasons that justified the course she had taken, but that course led her into a waste and howling wilderness. Scotland sent her army to help the English reformers in their fight for liberty. The soldiers, coming from covenanted homes, marched, as was their custom, under the banner emblazoned with inspiring words for Christ's crowning covenant. They were led by General Leslie. Victory followed victory until King Charles, overwhelmed with defeat, rode into Leslie's camp in disguise and surrendered as his prisoner. What now shall be done with the royal captive? This was a question which called for the wisdom of both nations. The Covenanters urged him to subscribe the covenant and return to his throne. He refused. They pleaded, promising that their flag would lead the forces of Scotland in his support. He yet refused. They prayed and then treated him with tears to accept the covenant and continue his reign. He would not. What could they then do, but deliver him up to the English army whose battles they were fighting? General Wesley left his command back to Scotland. It was disbanded, for the land again had rest. The suspense, however, concerning the king was painful. The Scottish Hark yet loved Charles. Though he was false, cruel, treacherous, and tyrannical, the Covenanters were still devoted to him as their own king. They prayed, took counsel, sent delegates, did everything in their power to have him restored. All they asked was his adherence to the covenant, the national constitution of government. Let him subscribe to this and Scotland's bravest sons will rally around him. The blue banner will wave over him in bold defiance of every foe, but he would not yield. The king was now a prisoner in England. While he lay at Carisbrook Castle, the Earl of Lauderdale, a Covenanter of some eminence, accompanied by the Earl of Lanark, was stealthily admitted into his presence. These men succeeded in making a compromise. Lauderdale and Lanark agreed to raise an army to bring the king back. The king in turn agreed to confirm Presbyterianism for three years. The permanent form of church government to be then determined by an assembly of divines, assisted by 20 commissioners to be appointed by the king. This prior treaty is known in history as the Engagement. It contained the elements of a base and disastrous surrender of principle. Presbyterianism on probation, built upon the rock of truth, it lasts while the rock endures. Presbyterianism to be succeeded by an uncertainty? How could the Church entrust the government of God's house to the King's commissioners? When the engagement became public, the Covenant of Church was plunged into a debate that wrought havoc. The peaceful sea was struck with a storm, the angry waves lashed every shore. The compromise failed, but the Church was infected weakened, rent in twain, and for 40 years was unable to stand in the presence of her enemies. Henceforward, there were two parties, those who held to the covenant in its clearness, fullness, pungent energy, and logical deductions, and those who trimmed, modified, and compromised divine truth for the sake of numerical strength and temporal advantage. One party was governed by principle, the other by expediency. The entering wedge was followed by other wedges, until the glorious Church of Scotland was chopped and split and thrown about into endless disorder, as wood which men do cut and cleave lies scattered on the ground. The Church of Jesus Christ may never traffic in the truth. The least compromise of gospel principle is treason against the King of Heaven. The terms offered to the world while in rebelling against Christ should be those embodied in General Grant's famous demand, unconditional surrender. Anything less than this is treachery. The truth of the Lord Jesus which costs His blood in its purchase and the blood of the martyrs in its defense should be maintained to the very last shred with the tenacity of unconquerable faith. Unfaithfulness in the least degree may result in greatest disaster. Once a ship was cast upon the rocks and the lives of the passengers were jeopardized simply because the compass buried, it was said, a millionth part of an inch. It requires hair splitting to measure a millionth part of an inch, and in certain cases it is worthwhile. Chapter 20 Crowning the Prince, A.D. 1651 The reign of Charles I came to an unkingly end. The war between him and the English Parliament resulted in his utter defeat. He delivered himself up as a prisoner and because he mercy minded not but persecuted still, mercy refused to spread her white wings over his guilty soul. He was tried for treason by the British Parliament and sentenced to death. The trial continued one week, during which the recital of his misrule and cruel deeds must have intensely harrowed his soul. He yielded up his life by laying his head upon the block to receive the executioner's axe. One stroke did the fatal work. The death of the king was not with the consent of the Covenanters. To them, it was a poignant grief. With all his fault, they left him still as their king. Had he accepted the solemn legion covenant, when a prisoner in their hands, they would have been at his service to restore his power and kingdom. They still hoped for his reformation, entreated him to take the covenant, and pointed him to a triumphal entry into Edinburgh. They pleaded with the English Parliament to spare his life, and sent commissioners to prevent his execution. Through his obstinacy they failed. but that obstinacy he accounted kingly dignity and inviolable honor. The Covenanters, upon hearing of his tragic death, hastened to proclaim his eldest son king in his stead, granting him the throne on condition of accepting the solemn Wagan covenant and ruling the kingdom according to its terms. He was a young man of nineteen years, a prince of comely presence, of a sweet but melancholy aspect, His face was regular, handsome, and well-complexioned, his body strong, healthy, and justly proportioned, and being of a middle stature, he was capable of enduring the greatest fatigue. Charles II, while emerging from his teens, faced a golden future. The providence of God spread before him prospects of greatness, honor, and success, which the most exalted on earth might have envied. His heart in its highest aspirations had not yet dreamed of the moral grandeur and kingly possibilities that were granted him when the Covenanters called him to rule their kingdom. Even Solomon, accepting a crown at the same age, was not more highly favored. Scotland at this time was exalted into close relation with heaven. The National Covenant had lifted the Kingdom into alliance with God. The people had been emancipated from darkness, pathecy, and prophecy. The Gospel of Jesus Christ had overspread the land with light. The Covenanted Church had flourished marvelously during the last decade. Notwithstanding the storms that swept her borders, her branches veiled the mountains, and her fruit overhung the valleys. Every parish was adorned with a schoolhouse. and the cities with colleges. What sublime possibilities for a king at the head of such a nation! Oh, that the young prince might have a dream in the slumbers of the night and see God! Oh, for a vision, a prayer, and a gift that will fit him for the glory-crusted heights of privilege and power to which he has been advanced! Charles II failed and fell from these heavens like Lucifer. The young king was crowned by the Covenanters, January 1st, 1651. The crown of Scotland, sparkling with precious stones, deeply set in purest gold, was his splendid New Year's gift. But the gift was more than a crown of gold and precious stones. It was a symbol of the nation's power, wealth, people, covenant, honor, and high relation to God, entrusted to his keeping. The coronation took place in the dead of winter. The country was gowned like a bride in white. But the white on this occasion was not the emblem of purity, rather was it the pallor of icy death. The rigorous storms seemed to prophesy our trouble. The very winds were rehearsing a dirge to be plaintively sung over mountains and moors in the coming years. A large assembly of Covenanters met at Scone for the crowning of the new king. There was much enthusiasm, yet beneath it all there flowed a deep undercurrent of doubt and fear. Rev. Robert Douglas preached the Coronation Sermon. The King listened to deep, penetrating, practical words from the Book of God. The Saul and Regan Covenant was read. He gave his assent to it with an overflow of vehemence. Archibald Campbell, the Marquis of Argyll, a prominent Covenanter and statesman, then took the crown in both hands. and lifting it above the prince with great solemnity, placed it upon his head, accompanying the act with an appropriate exhortation. While the oath of office was being administered, the prince kneeled in apparent humility, and lifted up his right hand in solemn appeal to God. At this point he uttered the awful vow in the presence of the people. By the eternal and almighty God who liveth and reigneth forever, I shall observe and keep all that is contained in this oath. He also said, I will have no enemies but the enemies of the covenant, no friends but the friends of the covenant. Thus, King Charles II became a radical covenanter by profession and protestation in the most solemn manner. Time proved his guilty duplicity. The English Parliament, after the execution of Charles I, had passed an act making it treason to proclaim this Prince King. The Covenanters, having thus elevated Charles to the throne, must now settle accounts with England on the battlefield. Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland with a strong force determined to unseat Charles. The Covenanters rallied in defense of their King. Alexander Wesley was once more in command. The two armies were soon facing each other, but hesitated to strike. Both armies were made up of soldiers of the cross. Both had fought for the psalm-laden covenant. Prayer ascended habitually from both camps. The singing of psalms aroused the heroic spirit in each. What wonder if they feared the shock of battle. At length, Leslie moved down from his advantageous position, and Cromwell ordered an attack. The Covenanters were put to flight with terrible slaughter. Had the sweet singer of Israel been on the field after the clash of arms, doubtless he would have repeated his wail. However, the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished. The Covenanters defeated. How? Why? Ah, there was an Achan in the camp. The king was already perfidious in the covenant. His perfidy had blighted the nation and smitten the army. Hitherto God had led the armies of the Covenanters. They had won easy victories and sometimes bloodless triumphs. But now the Lord turns His back upon the banner unfurled for His crown and covenant. The dread disaster sent a wail through all Scotland. The grief was great and the penitential searching steep. The pious and prayerful inquired of the Lord to know the cause of His wrath and the way of deliverance. The eyes of many were open to see the shadow of greater calamities approaching. Argyle, Johnston, Rutherford, Gillespie, and others of kindred spirit saw in the last battle the stroke of the Lord for the sins of the nation. The wrath of God, like a bolt of lightning, had struck that field and thousands lay dead. Greater retributions were coming. Repentance alone could save the country. The King attempted to rally his shattered forces. He raised his standard at Stirling. His army was small. He wanted more men. Hitherto the army had been recruited from the homes of Covenanters. Their rank and file were the resolute sons of the Covenant. The Scottish Parliament in bygone years had made a law called the Act of Classes, by which only those who had taken the Covenant were eligible to office in the government or position in the army. The statesmanship of the Scottish fathers was profound. Their military wisdom was from above. Civil government is God's gift to man. Why entrust it to other than his people? The military power is to guard this trust. Why commit this guardianship to any but the loyal servants of the Lord Jesus Christ? The king had the active classes repealed that he might increase his army. He multiplied his regiments, but forgot the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. Three hundred may be better than thirty thousand. He accepted battle once more with Cromwell, suffered a terrible defeat, escaped from the country, and remained in exile nine years. All honor to General Leslie and other faithful officers who refused to serve after the ranks had been filled with men who feared not God nor regarded his covenant. Can we here find a lesson to lay upon our hearts? Covenanting with God is possibly the highest privilege on earth. Covenant breaking is possibly the most dangerous sin. What could be worse? The covenant breaker destroys much good, brings wrath upon himself and defeat, sorrow and distress upon those whom he represents. Chapter 21 A Sifting Time, A.D. 1653 We now enter the most serious period in the history of the Covenanters. Hitherto we have been on the skirmish line. All we have yet reviewed has been leading up to the desperate and sanguinary struggle which lasted 28 years, costing treasures of blood and indescribable suffering, yet finally resulting in the wealthy heritage of liberty, enlightenment and religion which we now enjoy. Oliver Cromwell, having defeated King Charles, ruled Scotland five years, He was titled Lord Protector, but in reality was a dictator. The government was centered more than ever in one man. Many strange qualities blended in the austere autocrat, some of which command our admiration. He was stern and painfully severe, yet much sagacity and justice characterized his administration. During his sway of power, the Reformed churches in his own realms and on the continent were by him heroically defended. He became in the hand of the Lord the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. The persecuted found shelter under his shadow in the providence of the Lord. He avenged the massacre of the Protestants in Ireland, halted the persecution of Christians on the continent, and gave Rome the alternative to cease the work of slaughter or look into the thunder of his legions at her gates. The Church of the Covenanters, however, had strange experience at the hands of Cromwell. In a ruthless and despotic manner, he dissolved the General Assembly, put the Supreme Court of God's House out of existence to appear no more for 35 years. The meeting previous to this act of violence had been held in the mid-summer of 1653. The ministers and elders had come from all parts of Scotland to sit in council, or rather in debate, concerning the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. The salubrious air and genial sky of Edinburgh united with the sacred and exhilarating interests of the gospel to arouse all that was noble and divine in every heart. The moderator reverently led the assembly in prayer and constituted the court most solemnly in the name of Jesus Christ. Such a prayer should overwhelm the soul with God's presence, burden the conscience with responsibilities, make the spiritual world dreadfully visible, and bring God's servants close to his throne of judgment. The assembly had met last year in this prayerful and solemn manner, but the business of the Lord Jesus soon degenerated into an acrid, harmful discussion that lasted two weeks and ended in confusion. The debate evidently was now to be renewed with the additional bitterness and vehemence that had accumulated during the ensuing year. The ministers and elders having convened, the regular business was underway when suddenly the assembly witnessed what was unexpected. A regiment of soldiers in the churchyard. Cromwell had sent them. The soldiers in bright uniform and bristling with swords and guns struck amazement into the hearts of the delegates. The colonel ordered them to leave the house. They walked out in front of the soldiers and being escorted beyond the city limits, were sent home, not to return under pain of punishment. The General Assembly had fallen into a state of bitter strife with Snare of Satan. There were two parties, and these were quite well balanced. Their power for good was greatly neutralized by one another. Their influence for harm was incalculable. The baneful effect spread like a wiggling shadow over the lands. The two parties at the beginning chiefly deferred in the methods employed to accomplish the same end. The one was governed by expediency, the other by principle. Expediency drew the majority, principle held the remainder. The majority discounted the obligations of the covenant, the minority held to the spirit and letter of the sacred bond. The party in power precipitated the direful conditions. This they did by repeated breaches of the Covenant. The responsibility for the disgraceful proceedings and the shameful termination of the Assembly must be attached to those who made the discussion a moral necessity. The first shadow that darkened the General Assembly was the discussion of the engagement. Two unscrupulous men, one of them a Covenanter, had made a secret engagement with Charles I in his captivity. They had promised to seat him, if possible, again on his throne. He, in turn, had engaged to favor Presbyterianism three years. The engagement aroused earnest and violent discussion in the Assembly. The element of strife had now entered the Supreme Court of God's House, and the downward trend was deplorably rapid. The next fixation was the abolition of the active classes. The active classes guarded all places of trust in the government and army. None but those who expressed sympathy with the national covenant were eligible to places of trust. Here was an unparalleled state of civil affairs. The world had never seen the like. This was a marvelous stride toward the millennium. The fathers are worthy of all praise for this unprecedented effort to build the national government upon the true foundation of God's will, and administer it by man and covenant with Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. This was the first attempt to erect a Christian government in which the fear of God should pervade every department and characterize every official. The abolition of the act of classes involved a great moral issue which the General Assembly had to meet. Strangely, the assembly was divided in the discussion. The debate waxed vehement and barely passionate. The majority favored abolition, thus opening the floodgates of more laxity in official stations. These were called resolutioners, because they offered the resolution to this effect and supported it. The minority were called protesters, because they protested against it. The discussion continued year after year, till all other interests in the General Assembly were overshadowed. The voice of the Church, once powerful in guiding public issues, was now despised. The tones were guttural, supple-curl, alarming, making the blood run in chills. Then came Cromwell and snuffed the Assembly out like a candle. It was sending forth ill-odored smoke and but little light. Are we surprised that God permitted him to quench the noisome spark? The protesters stood for all that the Covenant embodied. The Covenant lay heavy upon their conscience. They trembled at its violation. They saw in the breach of the Covenant the wrath of God against themselves, against the Church, and against the nation. They believed that nothing could compensate for the loss incurred by the forsaking of the Covenant. They trusted in God with absolute faith, would not resort to expediency for any purpose, temporized with no principle, no, not for the greatest advantages. They knew that God could send peace, victory, and prosperity to their country through the covenant, and that he would send defeat, distress, and desolation through the breach of it. The Resolutioners grew more and more lax. They may have dreaded to be termed narrow-minded. They may have sought to be reputed, broad, and charitable. They weakened in morals and influence and lost power and position when tried by the fires of persecution. They finally melted away and disappeared among the enemies of the covenant as snowflakes falling on the mire. The protesters were the covenanters who continued with the Lord Jesus Christ and his temptation. When the covenant calls for martyrs, they were the martyrs. When the cause of Christ demanded witnesses, they were the witnesses. They gave their testimony with a clear voice and sealed it with their blood. These are they whose crimson path we will now follow. Our Lord Jesus permitting, till we come to the last of Scotland's honoured role, the pleasant, youthful, innocent James Rennick. God requires his church to receive, proclaim and defend the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, as it is in the Lord Jesus Christ. This obligation is weighty and the duty is difficult, yet no release is granted. The church that holds most truth should draw most people. The church that abandons any truth for any reason must be unsatisfying to honest souls. The organization that embodies the largest measure of God's Word is the largest church. That which contains the smallest is the least. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. These are the words of Jesus. In his sight a church is measured, not by the number enrolled, but by the truth professed, incarnated, and proclaimed. Chapter 22 An Illustrious Martyr, A.D. 1660 Archibald Campbell, the Marquis of Argyll, was the first martyr to suffer at the hand of King Charles II. Twenty-two years had this illustrious nobleman been in special training for the honors of a martyr. He became identified with the Covenanters at the General Assembly in 1638. From that time he brought his influence wealth, power, and office into the service of his covenant Lord, and grew mighty in the cause of God. He ripened early in convictions and hallowed experiences, which won for him the highest distinction conferred upon mortals, martyrdom. He was in the prime of his years at the summit of his earthly career when he gave his life for the cause of Christ. He was a true warrior. Every drop of his blood was electrified with heroism. In meeting death, he felt a military spirit throb, but suppressing it, he calmly said, I could die as a Roman but choose to die as a Christian. This was the cedar of Lebanon, a choice tree of God, distinguished for its grace, strength, and height, towering above the trees of the forest. Therefore, the first blast struck it with such deadly force. then descended the terrific storm upon the lesser trees and the mountain of God's house was stern with them. The next 28 years were filled with lamentation and mourning and woe. Let us look at the condition of the Covenanted Church as this age of horror settles down upon Scotland. When Cromwell had reduced Scotland, he attempted to convert the Covenanted Church to Congregationalism. Though he possessed some amiable qualities, yet this ignoble work was attempted in the spirit of a Turk, with a bob on one hand and a sword in the other. A resolution in favor of Congregationalism was introduced in the General Assembly of 1652. This was voted down. The military suppression of the Assembly at its next meeting was Cromwell's bitter revenge. Yet we must not fail to see the hand of God in the overthrow of the Supreme Court of His House. As with the temple at Jerusalem before its destruction, this temple was already desolate. The glory had departed ere the storm of divine wrath smote it. The resolution of the Resolutioners, some years previous, favoring the repeal of the Act of Crosses, was a gross violation of the covenant and the proceedings in the assembly had thereby degenerated into bitter debate. The assembly had lost its power for good and therefore its right to exist. This part of the golden candlestick had exhausted its oil and God removed the useless part. The church did not seem to be seriously affected by the abolition of the assembly. The process was more like the removal of a tumor than of a vital organ. God can do without the most excellent parts of the church's organization when they become diseased and endanger the system with blood poisoning. During the rule of Cromwell, the subordinate courts were mostly unmolested. The synods flourished, the presbyteries were uninterrupted in their work, the congregations enjoyed quietness and refreshing. The strength that existed in the church was chiefly among the shepherds. not among the sheep. There were 14 synods, 68 presbyteries, and 900 congregations when the persecution began under King Charles II. During Cromwell's administration, the land had rest. Unusual quietness prevailed among the clans. There was a great calm. The four angels were holding the four winds of the earth, so the servants of God were sealed in their foreheads. The people were diligent in waiting upon the Lord. The Holy Spirit fell upon them with power. They became intensely interested in the ordinances of grace. They clustered around the family altar, through the house of God, hallowed the Sabbath, observed the sacraments, and tarried much in secret prayer. Thus they were unwittingly preparing to enter the dreadful cloud. The vine was taking deep root, anticipating the storm that was in the air. When Cromwell died, the public mind experienced a strange reaction. The politicians of the two kingdoms, Scotland and England, reverted from the severe discipline of the protector, launched into every excess of luxuriousness and dissipation. A cry for the return of the profligate king swept the country from London to Edinburgh. Even the Covenanters were loud in calling for the banished monarch. They determined not to be the last in bringing back the king. They would, however, renew their allegiance to him only on condition that he would renew the covenant with them. From France, where he had found an asylum, came his captivating reply, I am a covenanted king. He was received with enthusiastic demonstrations. King Charles organized his government in Scotland by immediately placing in power the most virulent enemies of the Covenanters. Within one month, they were ready to execute whomsoever they would. The Earl of Middleton was the head official. When off his guard by indulging in drink, he divulged the King's secret instructions, confessing that he had been commissioned to do three things. One, rescind the Covenant, Two, behead Argyle. Three, sheath every man's sword in his brother's breast. Argyle in those days was one of the great men of Scotland, if not the greatest. He was recognized in the council as overshadowing his associates in personal excellence, public spiritedness, trustworthiness, and executive ability. He was a fine scholar, masterly statesman, wealthy landlord, brave soldier, and faithful covenanter. His magnificent estate lay in Argyllshire, where the mountains are fringed with locks in the most picturesque manner. The scenery is charming. One summer evening, as our ship passed along the broken coast, a sunset of surpassing beauty scattered its blending colors in rich profusion over clouds, hills, vales, and locks, The scenery was panoramic and enchanting. But greater gorgeousness than a thousand sunsets fell upon the outlook at the remembrance of the famous Argyle himself and his wife and children, his home, hearth, altar, covenant, and martyrdom. What incomparable grandeur were such hallowed associations throughout their colors. When Charles had first been placed on the throne ten years previous, Argyle had the honor of setting the crown upon his head. The king at that time feigned great friendship and respect for him. He sought and received counsel from Argyle in apparent meekness and with evident appreciation. On one occasion he remained nearly all night with him in prayer for preparation and fitness to rule the kingdom. He even sought Argyle's daughter in marriage. Such was the former intimacy of the King with Argyle. But once again on the throne he determined to crush the Covenanters and Argyle was his first victim. When Carmel was conquering Scotland, Argyle fought him till further resistance was useless. He even then refused to sign the Declaration of Submission but agreed to keep the peace. Disagreement with Carmel was the main charge preferred against Argyle. He was tried and convicted. The sentence was passed upon him on Saturday. He was executed on the following Monday. He eloquently defended himself. It was a scene highly tragical. This calm, innocent, dignified man looking into the face of his accusers and overawing them with his bold vindication and pathetic appeal for justice. Kneeling down, he received his sentence. which was death by decapitation, his head to be placed above one of the city gates as a gruesome warning to all covenanters. Argal arose from his knees and looking upon his judicial murderers calmly said, I had the honor to set the crown on the king's head and now he hastens me to a better crown than he owns. The great cause of his death was his devotion to the covenant and the solemn admonitions he had tendered the king. His wife, hearing of the decree of death, hastened to his prison. They have given me till Monday to be with you, said he. The stricken woman was overcome. The Lord will require it, the Lord will require it, said she in tumultuous grief. Forbear, forbear, replied Argal, for I truly pity them. They know not what they do. He was filled with inexpressible joy at the thought of honoring Christ with his blood. The fear of death was gone. Heaven was so near, glory was ready to break upon him. The Lord was soon to be seen face to face. He went to his execution like a prince to his coronation. This was a Stephen of that age, and this the persecution that scattered the Covenanters. We are soft and puny for lack of hardships. The difficult places and dreaded conditions through which Christians passed make life strong, sublime, triumphant, fruitful and good work, resourceful in the Holy Spirit and glorifying to God. Chapter 23 Resisting Unto Blood, A.D. 1661 King Charles had put Argyle to death. The head of the martyred nobleman had been placed above the prominent gate called the Netherbow Port of Edinburgh. There it remained four years, meeting the public gaze in the glare of day and in the gloom of night. And yet the sight had its charms. The broad brow and beneficent countenance still retained the expression of goodness and greatness. The sun-brown features and the wind-shaken locks, the motionless face and silent lips made a touching appeal to the passers-by as he filed through the gateway. Many hearts were softened, many eyes were moistened, many serious thoughts were awakened. The death of Argyle only followed the ferocious spirit of the king. The Tyre had tasted blood, now he must drink deeply of the crimson flood and satiate his cruel heart. With vengeful hatred he reached for Samuel Rutherford, the venerable minister of Amloth. Neither feeble health nor gray hairs could elicit the king's compassion. A rock never pulsates with kindness. But ere the officer could lay his hand upon this man of God, his lord and master took him home to heaven. James Guthrie Sterling, a distinguished minister of Christ, was the next upon whom the king set his cruel eyes. He was seized and thrust into prison to await trial for high treason. High treason. What was high treason in those days? What had Guthrie done to merit the King's mortal displeasure? Here is the sum of his chronics. James Guthrie had preached, spoken, written, voted, and protested against the Resolution and the Resolutioners because he had approved of the suspension of the moral test for office. He had written and published a message to the nation entitled The Causes of God's Wrath. pointing out the many breaches of the Covenant and pleading for repentance. He had declined the King's authority when cited to be tried for ministerial services which his enemies accounted treasonable. He had advocated Christ's supremacy over the Church and over the nation and had disputed the King's authority in ecclesiastical matters. For pursuing this course of action, James Guthrie was charged with high treason. But the rudest terms of the world and the basest charges made by men are often turned into heaven's fairest badges. The iron chains that manacled Rutherford he called gold. He called his prison the king's palace. How could Guthrie have done otherwise, as a faithful minister of Christ Jesus and the high calling of the gospel? Was he not responsible for the honor of the church? Was he not entrusted with the truth and claims and glory of Christ? Was he not accountable for the souls that waited on his ministry? Guthrie had an exalted view of the gospel ministry. He had the eagle's eye to take in a wide horizon and the lion's heart to meet dangers and difficulties. He took his instructions from the Lord and stood above the fear of man. He lived with the open Bible in his hand, his soul delighted in the deep, broad, sublime truths of salvation. The ministers of the covenant in those days dwelt in the bosom of Jesus Christ, breathed His Spirit, saw His glory, pulsated with His love, and were irresistibly carried forward in the discharge of the duties of their high office. They served as the ambassadors of the King of Heaven. Only by dishonoring their office, vitiating their conscience, shriveling their manhood, disowning their Lord, and imperiling their souls could Christ's ministers do less than James Guthrie had done. Yet he was charged with high treason. The trial was set for April 11, 1661. Guthrie came before the tribunal full of peace and comfort. He answered for himself in a masterly speech. His pleading was deeply felt. Some members of the court arose and walked out saying, we will have nothing to do with the blood of this righteous man. He was urged to retract. He was offered a high office in the Episcopal Church if he were to see to their terms. Such engagements he held in contempt. Neither threat nor reward could weaken his loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Covenant. The closing sentence of his defense was tender, fearless, and sublime. My Lords, my conscience I cannot submit. but this old crazy body and mortal flesh I do submit, to do with it whatever you will, whether by death or banishment or imprisonment or anything else. Only I beseech you to ponder well what profit there is in my blood. It is not the extinguishing of me or many others that will extinguish the covenant and the work of reformation. My blood, bondage or banishment will contribute more for the propagation of these things than my life or liberty could do, though I should live many years." The death sentence was passed upon him. He was condemned to be hanged, his head to be placed above the city gate beside Argyles. He received the sentence with great composure. The execution was fixed for the first day of June. To those who sat in judgment on his case, he replied, My Lords, let this sentence never affect you more than it does me, and let my blood never be required of the King's family. In such cases, dealt with the wife through sympathy is the greatest sufferer. But Mrs. Guthrie was strong in the Lord and had courage equal to her trials. She was her husband's faithful helper in the difficult places. Once, when duty imperiled his life, and he was in danger of halting, she urged him on, saying, My heart, what the Lord gives you light and clearness to do, that do. Noble words. Nothing wiser and greater could come from consecrated lips. Just before his death, Guthrie was permitted to see his son, Willie, at the time five years old. The father tenderly fondled his child so soon to become an orphan and spoke words adapted to the innocent heart. So little did the child comprehend the terrible tragedy that he could scarcely be restrained from playing on the street while his father was dying. But the meaning soon dawned upon him with melancholy effect. It was said that he never played again. The execution was public and the streets were thronged. Guthrie mounted the scaffold with a cheerful spirit. He spoke with great deliberation and earnestness for one hour to the immense throng that crowded close to hear his last words. He then yielded himself to the executioner who placed the death cap over his face. But as the light of the bright June day was shed out from his eyes, a vision of entrancing joy seemed to break upon his soul. In that flash of inspiration he saw Scotland. The land was covered with the glory of Christ, peace filled all her borders, and prosperity crowned her industries. Churches and schools adorned her hills and valleys, the mountains and moors were filled with devout worshippers. The Sabbath poured forth its weekly blessings. The Psalms arose with solemn music in praise to the Lord Jesus. The covenanted reformation in that vision was triumphant. Lifting the cap from his eyes, he exclaimed with the rapture of a prophet and with the shout of a conqueror, The covenants, the covenants shall yet be Scotland's reviving. Thus he died in the full assurance of victory. His head was affixed over the gate where it remained many years. The sun bronzed the face, the storms smote it, the rains drenched it, the snows dashed against it, the winds swirled the white locks, the stars looked down in silence, the people looked up in sadness, but James Guthrie was heedless of all. The soul was mingled with the redeemed in heaven and rejoicing in the presence of God. Guthrie had gone home to be forever with the Lord. Little Willie often came and sat near the gate, gazing up at the silent, motionless head. He would stay there till night veiled the somber features of his father. He seemed to be communing with the spirit that now lived above the stars. Where have you been, Willie?" his mother would say on his return. I have been looking at father's head, he would sadly reply. The intense strain sapped his vitality and he died in early manhood. Have we a conscience like that of the covenanted fathers? A conscience that cannot submit to a man? A conscience that can take instructions only from God? The surrender of conscience to man imperils the soul. Chapter 24, Source of the Covenantious Power, A.D. 1661. The death of Marquis Argyll was the signal for the utter overthrow of the Covenanted Church in Scotland. He was chief among the nobles who in those days stood by the Covenant, and James Guthrie was chief among the ministers. These mighty men quickly followed each other in watering God's vineyard with their own blood. The issue now between the King and the Covenanters was clear, direct, unmistakable, beyond the possibility of evasion. Both parties set themselves for the desperate struggle. Henceforth, compromise was out of the question. The King was determined to abolish the Covenant, obliterate Presbyterianism, establish Episcopacy, and assume to himself the place, power, and prerogatives of the Lord Jesus Christ as head of the Church. The Covenanters disputed his right to these pretentious claims at every point. Especially did they challenge his authority over the Church, and testify against his blasphemous presumption They looked with horror upon his attempt to grasp the crown of Christ, that he himself might wear it. This they resented and resisted as treason against the King of Kings. They could not submit to the man who clothed himself with Christ's supremacy. That robe of royal priesthood must not be worn by mortal men. The Covenanters grew very spirited and fearless in defense of the independence of the Church. When these two leaders, Argyll and Guthrie, had been sacrificed, their enemies doubtless thought the people would be as sheep scattered upon the mountains without a shepherd. But the Good Shepherd was ever with them and gave them faithful ministers, who fed the flock amidst their wintry desolations. The Covenanted Church had noble sons to lift up the head of the fainting mother even when persecution was at its worst. The Church of Christ was very dear to these Covenanters. They gazed with rapturous eyes upon her high origin, her mysterious character, her indescribable glory. She dwelt in the very heart of God. She was a bride of the Son of God. She was clothed with the righteousness of God. She was adorned with all the excellency of character God could lavish upon her. The church was the habitation of the Holy Spirit. The covenant was the marriage bond joining her to her Lord and husband. The love of the covenanters for the church of the Lord Jesus arose in flames of jealousy when they saw a mere man, a desolate and sinful man, attempt to woo her heart and alienate her affections from her Lord and King. They could not endure it. Her honor and purity were worth more to them than life itself. The testimony of the Covenanters against the wrongs done the Church was both pathetic and vehement, ranging all the way from tender, tearful supplication to pointed, fearless denunciation. At times they spoke with meekness and hope, as if standing on the mount of beatitudes, again with severity and sadness, as if the voice came from the fiery summit of Sinai. Their eloquence in the sacred office matched the tenderness of the dove and the terribleness of thunder, distilled like a dewdrop and smote like pointed lightning. the sword of burnished steel they wielded to good purpose in self-defense, and the sword of the word they used with telling effect in the spiritual warfare for their Lord and His Church. The strength which the Covenanters possessed and employed in battling for the rights of the Church and the prerogatives of their Lord amazes the contemplative mind. Their power was always sufficient. new every morning, fresh every hour, inexhaustible under most excessive strains, and mighty to win moral victories everywhere. Whence the power? What was its source? Explain as you may the fortitude, inspiration, enthusiasm, exalted purpose, indestructible hope, an unconquerable faith of the Covenanters under the cruel treatment and prolonged persecution they endured, we must reach the conclusion that their strength lay in their covenant of union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Being thus united, the God's strength was theirs. The covenant they cherished with holy awe, its sacredness lay heavy upon their hearts. It lifted the conscience up into the presence of God His throne of judgment was continually flashing its brightness upon their eyes. A deep consciousness of God's presence, power, and approval grew upon them. The dreadful majesty of God overawed them. The sacrificial love of Jesus Christ set their hearts on flames. The Bible to them was teeming with promises, shining with doctrines, and terrible with fiery warnings. They walked on the borderline, being oftentimes even more in the other world than in this. The glory of the Lord fell upon them till some of them were compelled to cry out, With whole Lord it is enough. The trials drove them into the arms of their father, and oh how sweet it was to lie on his bosom when cold and hungry, weary and sobbing amidst the sorrows of this world. But was this the happy condition of many, or merely of a few, in those days of sad adversity? How was the hundred thousand Covenanters, while suffering in their homes, or roaming through the mountains, or hiding in the caves, We have a record of a few only, but we are persuaded that many others enjoyed an equal portion of the abounding love of Christ. The promise of God is ever sure. As thy days, so shall thy strength be. Terrible days ensure extraordinary strength. The Lord had a great harvest in those times, ministers and people, men and women, parents and children, a generation of honored worthies. Samuel Rutherford was one of that mighty host. His life reveals the secret and source of the Covenanter's strength. He was a small man, not built to endure hardships. He was of a fair complexion, denoting gentleness and a tender heart. He was roughly tossed from his earliest years upon the billows of trouble. An invalid wife claimed his kindliest attention and received it with utmost care. The children were laid in short graves, one after another, till only a little daughter remained. The persecutor drove him from home and church and people to live in exile in an unfriendly city. At the age of sixty-one, the wrath of King Charles fell upon him, and his life was demanded. But God sheltered him from the gallows. Through all these trials, the heart of this little, fair man was shrill-voiced, rapid-stepped, and quick eye was ever an overflowing well of joy and praise. He seemed to live in the very heart of God, walked hand in hand with Jesus Christ, and was continually wrapped in the flames of holiest love. It is said that he arose at three in the morning to have five hours of prayer and study of the word in preparation for the day's work. He seemed to be always among his flock, yet was he ever ready for the pulpit. This minister, like his blessed master, could be seen, early and late, leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills, in his eagerness to visit his people who were scattered widely over the country. As he walked, his head was erect and his face heavenward. His eyes were feasting on the glory above the sky. His musings cast him into transports of joy in Christ. His covenant with God exalted his soul into sweetest familiarity with the Lord. The Holy Spirit came upon him in great power and with superabundance of gifts. Rutherford, having a high-keyed voice, was a poor speaker, but that did not prevent him from holding multitudes spellbound. They came from afar to hear him tell of the love of Christ. He gazed upon visions of Christ's loveliness, arose in raptures of joy as he discoursed on Christ's glory, and seemed at times as if he would fly out of the pulpit in his animation. He was so full of life, of power, of heaven, of glory and of God, that his words and thoughts and teachings were pictures, revelations, inspirations, apocalypses, scenes in the eternal world, glimpses of the glory of Emmanuel and Emmanuel's land. Here are some of his spiritual chromosomes as they took color and language from his soul. My one joy next to the flower of my joys, Christ, was to preach my sweetest, sweetest master and the glory of his kingdom. I would beg Roger for God's sake in hell's hottest furnace, that I might rub souls with Christ. Were my blackness and Christ's beauty carded through leather, His beauty and holiness would eat at my filthiness. Christ's honeycombs drop honey and floods of consolation upon my soul. My chains are gold. When Weatherford was on his deathbed, his enemies sent for him to stand trial for treasonable conduct. His treasonable conduct was his fearless preaching of the gospel and heralding the royal glory of Christ, which included severest denunciation of the king's arrogant claim of authority over the church. He replied, Tell them I have got the summons already before a superior judge, and I behoove to answer my first summons. And ere your day come, I will be where few kings and great folks come." As he lay dying, he opened his eyes, and his familiar vision of Christ and the world of glory breaking upon him with unclouded luster, he exclaimed, "'Glory, glory in Emmanuel's land!' With this outburst of joy on his lips, He joined the white-robed throng to take up the heavenly song. The same source of strength is yet available. Power comes through holy familiarity with God, personal relation to Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Are we full of power in the Lord's service? Chapter 25 Expelling the Ministers, A.D. 1662 The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. In the martyrdom of Argyll and Guthrie, blood of the best quality had been shed, and the most precious seed had been sown. Therefore the harvest will surely be great, the field will yield a hundredfold. The fidelity of Argyll and of Guthrie, their devotion to Christ and the covenant, reappeared in hundreds of noblemen and in hundreds of ministers all over Scotland. overawed and subdued the Covenanters by sacrificing their prominent leaders? Their foes mistook their spirit and underestimated their strength. Knowing little of the deathless principles of the Covenant that carried them into the service of the Lord, not counting their lives dear for Christ's sake, the Covenanters overawed. Will the sun faint and fail beneath the gale? Will the oak wither at the loss of a few boughs? Will veterans recoil at the first fire? Rather, will not the fighting spirit be roused? At this time, the Covenanters numbered about 1,000 ministers and 100,000 communicants. They had 900 congregations. The ministers were not at all staunch. The 11th Compromise had been working. Half the number had become more or less infected. They had weakened in the covenant and yielded to King Charles under his vicious administration. The political whirlpool in its outside circles was drawing them slowly yet surely towards its horrible vortex. The shifting time had come for the Covenanters. God knows how to shake his sieve to clean the wheat. He seeks not bulk, but value. Numbers are nothing to him, character is everything. He would rather have Gideon with 300 men up to the standard than 30 regiments below it. He preferred one-tenth of Israel to the whole number, and sifted the nation in Nebuchadnezzar's sieve to get the good wheat separated from the inferior. The covenanted church became loaded down with chaff, weevil, shrunken grains, and broken kernels, low grades of religious life. and the Lord shut the bag out of the church by making it exceedingly painful and difficult to stay in. The way of faithfulness was filled with hardships. God made covenant keeping dangerous and expensive. The followers of Christ were compelled to take up the cross and carry it. If true to their Lord, they must go outside the camp bearing his reproach. If they keep conscience pure, they must accept cruel mockings discouraging, imprisonment, banishment, and death. In this way would God separate unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. The others may be of use and degree, yet to prevent general defection and universal declension, God winnows the wheat. But who were thrown out of the Presbyterian Church in the reign of Charles II? Were they not the strong, unyielding, uncompromising Covenanters? Who are these separated from their brethren, and driven like chaff before the wind over mountains and moors? Are they not the zealous defenders of the Reformed faith, the true soldiers of Jesus Christ? To the casual eye, the scrupulous, strong-headed, hard-fighting Covenanters or tossed out, and the rest remained at home to distribute the prey. The lax party had the organization and held the church. The strict party suffered disintegration and were banished. But such a view is only superficial, yea, it is a visual illusion. The Church of Christ depends not on external organization. She can live without assemblies, presbyteries, or sessions. She can enjoy the fullest measure of the love of Christ without chapels, masses, or groups. She can have power and render service in any community without ministers, elders, or deacons. When the Covenanters were driven out by the persecutor, The covenanted church went forth into the wilderness, leaning upon the Lord Jesus Christ, her beloved. She brought with her all the essentials. She had the Bible, the covenant, the faith, the sacraments, the Holy Spirit, the love of God, and the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. The valleys were her places of worship. Her meeting houses were fitted up with stone seats, rock pulpits, granite walls, green carpets and azure ceilings. Aurora stones was her sacramental table, and the purling stream her baptismal bowl. The mountains round about were filled with angelic hosts, and the plains were covered with the manna of heaven. The banner of Christ's love waved over the worshippers, and the glory of God filled the place. Such was the church of the Covenanters in the times of persecution. The King and his advisors in 1662 required of the Covenanted Church what no faithful, self-respecting Covenanter would render. The demands in substance were that the oath of allegiance embodying the King's supremacy over church and state shall be taken, that the ministers in preaching and praying shall not refer to public sins whether committed by the King or his Parliament. that the administration of the church shall be, to some extent, according to the poetic form, that the edicts of the king and the enactments of the parliament shall not be questioned, even in the light of God's word, that the ministers shall comply with these demands or be banished from their respective homes, parishes, or presbyteries. Such was a sieve that did the work. What loyal heart could broke these terms? What minister of Christ, bent on preserving honor and conscience, could remain in charge of his church? In comparison with the covenant, all earthly inducements were as rotten straw in the judgment of those whose eyes took in the world of glory and rested on the Lord. Two hundred covenanted ministers quietly accepted the penalty. On the last Sabbath of October, 1662, they preached their farewell sermons. The churches were crowded. The grief of the people was indescribable. Heart groans broke into loud lamentations. There was never such a sad day in Scotland as when the poor persecuted ministers took their leave of their people. Two hundred more stood their ground and fought the battle a little longer. These were forcibly ejected. Thus that defilating blast smote 400 congregations of Covenanters. The minister with his wife and children departed in deep sorrow from the pleasant manse and the loving people. Tender ties were sundered and holy endearment sacrificed. The comforts of life were abandoned and safety, shelter and supplies left behind. The minister could have retained all had not his conscience been so tender. But the servant of the Lord may not be bribed. Offer the true minister of Jesus Christ money, comfort, pleasure, honor, houses, lands, all that the world can give to corrupt his conscience in his calling and you will get a laugh of scorn that will freeze the blood. The winter storms were descending upon the man of God and his unprotected family as they walked across the glebe to return no more. They went out not knowing where they were going. Night may fall upon them in a dreary place. Tomorrow may come to them without a roof or a table or a fire. Winter may drive them into a cold cave where possibly some good-hearted shepherdess may find them and share with them her pail of milk and oaten cakes. with all no complaints. They had taken joyfully the spoiling of their goods for the sake of Christ. By them the reproach of Christ was accounted better than the riches of Egypt. Alexander Paden was one of the fighting ministers. He preached till forced to leave his pulpit. On the day of his farewell service the congregation was convulsed with grief. Paden had to restrain the wails of the people again and again. Coming down from the pulpit after the service, he shut the pulpit door and struck it three times with his Bible, saying with great emphasis, I charge thee in my Master's name, that no man ever enter thee, but such as come in by the door as I have done. The pulpit kept the song charged. No one entered there till after the persecution. It remained empty 26 years. Prolative ministers were sent to fill the 400 vacant pulpits, but the people refused to hear them. The time of field preaching had now come. The conventicles in the mountains and moors became the order of the day. The ministration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that river of God which makes glad the city of the Lord, had now reached the precipitous places where it was broken upon the rocks. Yet it continued to flow and even increase in volume and strength. The preaching by these ministers in the desolate places was powerful, impetuous, majestic, thunder-like amid the mountains, making the kingdom tremble. Great trials make great men. We live in an easy age. Ministers may now have pulpit and salary on easy terms. They can preserve a good conscience without special self-denial. No providential issue now to separate the false from the true. But the ease of conscience in the church's ministry and the easy terms of communion in her membership may change God's gold and make it dim with dross and thus necessitate a furnace. The Lord may suddenly spring an event upon his church that will compel the true to be very true and the false to be very false. Where will we stand in case the trial come? Chapter 26 the Field Meetings, A.D. 1663. Middleton, the King's Commissioner, had dictated to the Covenant of Ministers how they should conduct their ministry. They boldly declined his authority over their work in the Gospel. He then laid down conditions upon which the pastoral relation must depend. These conditions have been stated in the foregoing chapter They may be summed up in three brief sentences. Acknowledgement of the King's supremacy over the Church. Agreement to refrain from all public criticism of the King. Willingness to conduct public worship as the King directed. Such were the terms on which the Covenant of Ministers might continue their work. They were given one month to reach a decision. The conflict of interest that tried the famous 400 ministers, none knew but God. Home, wife, children, salary, comfort, tender tithes, future supplies, and the wealth of the congregation. Oh, how much was involved in that decision. Can the husband, the father, the shepherd, the watchman, arise and forsake all? Can he suspend the high calling, sunder the holy tithes, abandon the field and flock and go forth not knowing whither he goeth? Can flesh and blood endure the ordeal? But look at the other side. Will the servant of the Lord take orders from man? Will the ambassador of God submit to be muzzled? Will a pastor of Christ's flock hold his position for what he finds in the flesh pot? Will the preacher of righteousness connive at wickedness? Will the herald of gospel liberty become a slave to vilest men? Such was the other outlook. Which way will the man of God take? The Lord made the way of faithfulness hard to travel. Only they who, like Caleb, followed the Lord wholly, could walk therein. To make this choice, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ had to arise in the heart and surge through all the veins above love for life or children, or house, or lands, or brethren, or sisters, or self, and it must consume all these in the flames of its vehemence. And the Lord made the wrong way also hard to travel, yea, impassable, except for those whose sin against light made them exceedingly sinful. What more vile, degraded, contemptible, and criminal than a minister of Christ that is least to an earthly power purchased with things that perish, and controlled by the Zion men. In this manner would God separate the precious from the vile, and put them far apart. On November 1st, 1662, three-fourths of the Covenant of Ministers were brought to this valley of decision. The King's edict took effect upon those who had been settled within the past thirteen years. The others, for the time, were exempted. About seven hundred, therefore, stood at the parting of the ways. Of this number, about sixty percentum chose to suffer with Christ, that they might reign with Him, the rest being fainthearted abode by the staff. All honour to the Church that can muster such a proportion of self-sacrificing ministers. These men accepted the challenge and went forth like soldiers into the field of action saying, we will continue the conflict till we overcome, or handed down in debate to posterity. 400 ministers expelled from their congregations, 400 churches left vacant, 400 families rendered desolate, 40,000 of God's sheep and His many lambs, left to wander in the wilderness without a shepherd. Who can estimate the extent of such a calamity? Who can reckon the sorrows, sufferings, and stupendous losses, public and private, caused by this iniquitous act of the king? But the four hundred ministers were not silenced. Who can silence tongues of fire? They were scattered but not conquered. They took shelter where it could be found, under friendly roofs, within dismal caves, under dripping moss hags in the open fields and on mountaintops. They wandered over desolate moors and on lonely ridges. They suffered hunger, weariness, sickness, exposure. The rains of summer drenched them and the snows of winter stiffened them. They were clothed with plaids, shawls, and threadbare garments. They hastened from place to place to elude pursuers. and wherever they went they carried their Bibles. The Bible to them in their desolation was meat, drink, light, shelter, fellowship, everything the soul could wish. These men of God were devoted preachers. They loved to preach, had a passion for preaching. The word of God that carried them into such excessive suffering was in their bones as fire, an unquenchable flame, and in their hearts as rising waters, an overflowing river. As Christ their Lord and Master preached in summer and in winter, in the house and in the field, to as many as came so preached they to one soul or to ten thousand. The King sent detachments of his army over the country to compel the people who had lost their pastors to attend services under the ministers of the Episcopal Church. They refused. The new clergymen preached to empty pews in many of the covenanted parishes. The Covenanters instinctively discovered the haunted places of their own ministers and further they prepared for their preaching. They traveled far that they might hear the precious gospel in its richness and fullness from consecrated lips. They were hungry for the word of God and willingly incurred hardships and dangers to get a feast. These meetings at first were small. In time they developed into the great conventicles. at which thousands assembled to worship God. A conventical Sabbath was a solemn day, the time and place having been fixed beforehand, the people were notified in a very private manner. A kind of wireless telegraphy seemed to have been operated by the Covenanters. The news spread and thousands came at the call. The place selected was usually in the depression of a lonely moor, or under the shelter of a desolate mountain, yet any spot was dangerous. The king had issued successive proclamations against the conventicles, and his troops were constantly scouring the country in search of them. The services were of necessity sensational. At the appointed time the people were on the ground. Many came a great distance, some of them traveling under the shades of night. From every direction they converged. Fathers and mothers with their sons and daughters were there. The young and the old were equally full of zeal, and the women were courageous as the men. On the way they would cannily scan the country from the hilltop to see if the dreaded dragoons were in sight. The hour for the service, having arrived, The audience sat down upon the grass or on the rocks. The minister took his stand on a prominent spot. Sentinels occupied elevated points from whence they could detect and report the approach of troops. The mountain extended its friendly shelter over the congregation. The sun shed its light upon them like the smile of their Heavenly Father. The sky spread over them as a canopy of God's high throne. The wind swept through the bushes and over the heather with regaling freshness. This was God's sanctuary, built without hands. Here his people worshipped in spirit and in truth. The minister from his granite pulpit would catch the inspiration. The waiting people, the earnest faces, the gleaming eyes, the solemn hour, the charming scenery. the occasion, the danger, the privilege, the responsibility, the presence of God, the nearness of heaven. How much here to awaken all that was noble, courageous, and overpowering in God's messenger. The fiery, pathetic, powerful eloquence that echoed among those rocks and swept through the coves was beyond the reporter's skill. Here heaven touched earth, eternity overlapped time, glory overspread the worshippers. These were days when that which is most sacred, awful, and sublime burdened men's souls. Here holy oratory, distilled by dew, breathed like zephyrs, crashed like storms, leaked like devouring flames. The recorded sermons of these ministers are yet regarded as the very marrow of Christian literature. Have we the zeal of these fathers for the house of our God? Are we carried to the place of worship at the appointed hour by our love for Jesus Christ? One glance at the enthusiasm of the Conventicle Covenanters would surely make the present generation blush. Chapter 27 the Covenanters communion AD 1664. The Lord Jesus Christ loves his church with love that arises into flames. I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. The church is his bride, his well-beloved, his only one. He has bestowed his heart upon her. The love of Jesus for his church has never been excessive in intensity. His blood was shed for her redemption love laid him on the altar where his life was consumed for his sake. It laid all covenant blessings at her feet, placed the angelic host at her service, made the universe tributary to her welfare, opened heaven for her admission, prepared her throne at the right hand of God, and gave the eternal ages to her for service and enjoyment in Jesus Christ her Lord. And this love has never abated. His voice resounds across the centuries, falling upon her ears in sweetest accents, saying, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. The Lord Jesus asked the church for reciprocal love. It is his due. Christ is worthy. Nothing less than vehement love will satisfy the divine heart. The apostle, in dread of its subsistence, cries out, keep yourselves in the love of God. how readily the church, in interest and zeal, becomes cold. Her spiritual pulse sinks till it is scarcely perceptible. The flames disappear and the colds lie hidden in their own gray ashes. With such conditions the Lord is vexed. He gently chides His inconstant bride, saying, Thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, repent, and do the first works. When, in unwaning faithfulness, he tenderly soliloquizes, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her, and she shall sing as in the days of her youth. The covenant of church was now in the wilderness. The Lord had brought her hither, that he might rule her back to himself, and revive her first love. Here he spake to her heart the words that rekindled the fires of her earliest and strongest devotion to the covenant, that holy contract of her marriage to the Lord. The loving fidelity of the 40,000 covenanters or more who had been deprived of their ministers by King Charles was severely tested. The Lord Jesus in his crucial providence was to them as a refiner's fire. Their love was sorely tried in the terrible heat. The first question that appealed to the heart was concerning comfort and convenience. Their churches were occupied by other ministers. There the people could have preaching, hear the word, listen to prayers, sing psalms, and receive baptism and the Lord's Supper. True, the services were spiced and ornamented with details which the covenantians disliked because they weren't scriptural, But could they not find hidden manna on the sand and kernels of wheat in the chaff? Could they not get sufficient food in the new ministrations to sustain their souls? Could they not reach heaven by the new road as certainly as by the old? Such were the inquiries that appealed to their love of ease. These sturdy sons of the covenant said no. They said it too with emphasis like the lightning that strikes the oak. They said public worship not in all parts according to the book of God is corrupt. We will not participate in such services, for the Lord has said, Cursed be the deceiver that sacrifices unto the Lord a corrupt thing.