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Scottish Covenanters: 'THE PRINCIPLES FOR WHICH THEY CONTENDED'

Posted at Log College Press: Reformed Presbyterian minister David McAllister’s Poets and Poetry of the Covenant is a worthy homage to the heroic faith of the Scottish Covenanters in verse, which we have highlighted on this blog previously, but its prose introduction should not be overlooked. It is a helpful overview of what the Covenanters stood for, and what inspired so many powerful poetic tributes. Let us briefly sketch the leading principles for which the heroes and martyrs of these songs of the Covenant contended: I. The supreme authority of God's Word in all the relations of human life. In the church, as one of their own number said, "they took their pattern, not from Rome, not even from Geneva, but from the blessed Word of God." They held that the state was bound to regulate all its affairs by the same law of ultimate authority. The Bible was to them a national as well as an ecclesiastical law-book. Kings and noblemen and lowlier citizens were all under its

Getting the Kingdom Right

By Jared Olivetti - Posted at Gentle Reformation: Ever since I came into the Reformed Presbyterian church twenty years ago, I've been hearing about this kingdom . Though I grew up in reformed churches, the idea of Jesus being the Mediatorial King over the world for the sake of the Father wasn't a significant part of my thinking. But these covenanters, they had this grip on Jesus-as-King and they refused to let it go. And so I was taught the beauty, power and hope of Jesus' kingship. And with that kingship came lots of talk about the kingdom--which makes sense, since Jesus came proclaiming a kingdom and the apostles kept right on preaching that same kingdom. But my speaking about the kingdom was always (and remains to a degree) a little sloppy. I began at some point to talk about "building" the kingdom, thinking I was doing Jesus a favor by getting on board with His project. The problem is that the Bible never speaks this way. Continue reading...

5 Minutes in Church History: The Greyfriars Kirkyard

"In the museum at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland, there is one of only a few original copies of the National Covenant. The National Covenant was presented there in the kirkyard. It was discussed and signed in front of the pulpit on February 28, 1638..." Listen here...

William Guthrie on the duty of self-denial

Posted at Reformed Covenanter: Lastly, If ye have gotten Christ ye will be much employed about the work of mortification and self-denial. When Jesus comes unto a soul, He works in that soul much self-loathing and self-abhorrence. The soul that hath gotten Christ will say with the apostle, “Those things that I counted gain, I now count loss for Christ.” This leads me to another point of doctrine, which is this: That the soul that is beloved of God, and for whom Christ hath given Himself, is much engaged in the exercise of self-denial. The apostle says not, “That the Lord loved me, and gave Himself for me, on account of anything that was in me;” but, “Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me, even me, who was a persecutor; for me, who was a blasphemer; for me, who was such and such.” How much, then, was this minister, Paul, engaged in the exercise of self-denial? Again, you may observe that the soul that is loved of God, and for whom Christ hath given Himself, will be much in the exe

7 Reasons to Study the Bible with the Covenanters

Posted at Reformation Scotland: The Second Reformation made a unique contribution to bible study. It produced many simple and practical commentaries on the Bible for everyone. They were brief, plain, practical and above all affordable. They get to the heart of what the Bible means but also to the heart of the reader in a richly devotional way. David Dickson encouraged other ministers to produce this unique series. These expositions are of great value. They were highly commended by C H Spurgeon in his classic survey, Commenting and Commentaries. Some of them explain difficult books like Job, Ecclesiastes and Revelation. Men such as Alexander Nisbet, James Fergusson and George Hutcheson worked hard in this area over many years. They contributed commentaries that together covered large areas of Scripture. In total 44 of the 66 books of the Bible. Four of these commentaries were never published. Dickson followed the example of Robert Rollock who expounded the Scriptures from the pul

The Unconquered Mind: The Story Of George Gillespie

Details: Stories Of The Covenant Published on Nov 9, 2018 http://www.storiesofthecovenant.com/   George Gillespie became one of most clever people in the whole of Britain. What was the secret of his ability to use such convincing arguments? How could he use this gift to the glory of God? Find out by watching The Unconquered Mind: The Story of George Gillespie. YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/pYwFdWOTYEA

The Testimony of Thomas Stoddart Executed in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket on 12 August, 1685

Posted at Jardine's Book of Martyrs : Thomas Stoddart was executed in the Grassmarket on 12 August, 1685. Matthew Bryce , David Law and Gavin Russell were hanged alongside him. ‘Men, Brethren, And Fathers, Hearken,—I being to take my farewell of the world, I leave this my dying testimony, according to the form of the Christians of old; I having like the same ground for it that he had who used that word; that was Stephen; who was condemned, because he spoke blasphemous words against the law and the temple. So, because I will not adhere to, nor approve of their laws, which now have power in their hands, they condemned me to die, though they could not witness so much against me for speaking against them, and they never essayed to prove the sentence upon me, which now I shall study in a word to give you an account of. And first, I received my sentence of banishment, and then notwithstanding of that I was committed to the justices to abide the assize, and they passed upon me th