Our Presbyterian forefathers had to give up so much. If persecution came to our country, what would we be willing to give up for the sake of the Gospel? Someone once said, If the Church wants the fashions of Egypt, let her have Egypt's plagues as well. Clothing suitable for a Christian is that which he is willing to die in. Jesus said, 'in this world you would have trouble...'.I pray that my family would be faithful in times of persecution- the 'killing times' in Scotland took 20,000 faithful men to glory as martyrs. How long O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
On July 22, 1680, faithful Richard Cameron was martyred in Airsmoss. His head and hands cut off and taken to Edinburgh, just as Robert M'Ward had spoken. Before his murderers committed the barbarous act of publicly displaying his head and hands upon the Netherbow Port, they first had one further act of antichristian cruelty to enact. His father being in prison for the same cause, they carried them to him, to add grief unto his former sorrow, and inquired at him if he knew them. Taking his son's head and hands which were very fair--being a man of fair complexion like himself--he kissed them, and said, "I know--I know them; they are my son's--my own dear son's. It is the Lord--good is the will of the Lord, who cannot wrong me nor mine, but hath made goodness and mercy to follow us all our days." After which, by order of the Council, his head was fixed upon the Netherbow Port, and his hands beside it with the fingers upward.
-John Howe, Scot's Worthies
2 comments:
I read much (maybe all) of that book eight or so years ago. Very convicting!
A couple of years ago I visited Howie's old home at Lochgoin farm, near Fenwick. There is a huge monument to Howie there, along with Howie's personal library and small museum of Covenanter relics. The amount of research he did is obvious from the books, which would have been a considerable outlay when he bought them.
Lochgoin is run by a charitable trust, and I would advise anyone who can to visit the farm. William Guthrie's Fenwick church is nearby, as are many other Covenanter sites.
When you see where the book was written, it helps you to realise that Howie was no mere academic, he was a church member writing of his own church's history.
May God continue to bless 'The Scots Worthies'.
Post a Comment