Fair Sunshine
As we continue along in our morning sermon series on the covenant, my mind is being engaged in several
ways. First is my preparation on my part of the series. On Sunday, October 5th, I am going to examine the covenant
of baptism in general. The next Sunday, I will preach on the covenant of infant baptism and I will baptize Maggie
Brown at the 11:00 service. I am really excited about the preaching topics, and baptizing my daughter!
My mind has also been engaged in the working out of the covenant over the years. One of my favorite
books is Fair Sunshine by Jock Purves. It has several character studies of the Scottish Covenanters. Our
denomination, the Associate Reformed Presbyterians, is directly descended from the Scottish Covenanters. Mr.
Purves examines this group in light of their convictions. This group of Reformed believers was being pressured by
the throne of England to sign a covenant proclaiming that the king of England was king over all, including the
church. Our Scottish forefathers were under the conviction that they could not sign this covenant the only king of
the church is Jesus Christ. They stood their ground and refused to sign this covenant. Because of their refusal, they
were systematically hunted down and killed for their convictions. So horrible was this time that it is described as
one of the bloodiest periods of Scottish history, the Killing Times these were the most horrific and atrocious
times ever inflicted on the people of Scotland. Mr. Purves gives the account of a daughter tied to a stake, and
positioned in the bay as her parents stood on the shore watching, high tide came in, and as their daughter was
drowning, they heard her singing the Psalms with her last breath. Another account Mr. Purves details is a group of
children, ranging in age from 5 to 18, drafting their own covenant proclaiming Christ as King over all, and signing
it, knowing that if it were ever found, they would be killed by the local authorities. There are other sketches
detailing families worshiping in the woods men burned at the stake pastors being chased out of town. The
common thread in all of these stories is the covenant of grace.
The Scottish Covenanters were a group of people who took the covenant of grace seriously. They would not
break the bonds of this for any king, or even for their life. They were willing to die rather than break their part of
the covenant. The Covenanters loved their God immensely, because God first loved them in Jesus Christ. They
feasted upon the Word, labored in prayer, and were nourished by the sacraments. Their desire was to glorify God
and enjoy Him forever. No matter what the government or society pressed upon them, they labored to stay true to
their God and His covenant of grace with them.
These Covenanters are our spiritual and denominational fathers. We share so much with them and, yet I
wonder if we share their same conviction with the covenant? Our lives are not threatened our homes are not
destroyed our churches are not burned down due to our adherence to the covenant. What do we allow to stand in
the way of our allegiance to God alone? Society? Culture? Family? Sports? Our lives, property or families are not
threatened, and yet, everyday, Christians fall more and more away from having Jesus as Lord AND Savior of their
lives. History tells us about the people who lives were taken for worshipping God alone and they stood in the face
of death and praised God alone. What will history say about us? Will it tell the story of a people who loved their
God and were devoted to His covenant, even in times of ease? Or, it will tell the story of a people who loved the
world more than they loved God that in times of blessing and ease, we sought the comfort of sin instead of
eternal holiness?
We each have a responsibility to the covenant are you taking that responsibility seriously? I can t write
your story ... Tom can't write your story ... you are the only one who can decide how seriously you take your God and
how much you really love Him and desire to live for Him alone. It is my hope that you will long to be like the
Scottish Covenanters - a people so in love with the God who first loved them that their every facet of life would be
lived for His glory alone.
ways. First is my preparation on my part of the series. On Sunday, October 5th, I am going to examine the covenant
of baptism in general. The next Sunday, I will preach on the covenant of infant baptism and I will baptize Maggie
Brown at the 11:00 service. I am really excited about the preaching topics, and baptizing my daughter!
My mind has also been engaged in the working out of the covenant over the years. One of my favorite
books is Fair Sunshine by Jock Purves. It has several character studies of the Scottish Covenanters. Our
denomination, the Associate Reformed Presbyterians, is directly descended from the Scottish Covenanters. Mr.
Purves examines this group in light of their convictions. This group of Reformed believers was being pressured by
the throne of England to sign a covenant proclaiming that the king of England was king over all, including the
church. Our Scottish forefathers were under the conviction that they could not sign this covenant the only king of
the church is Jesus Christ. They stood their ground and refused to sign this covenant. Because of their refusal, they
were systematically hunted down and killed for their convictions. So horrible was this time that it is described as
one of the bloodiest periods of Scottish history, the Killing Times these were the most horrific and atrocious
times ever inflicted on the people of Scotland. Mr. Purves gives the account of a daughter tied to a stake, and
positioned in the bay as her parents stood on the shore watching, high tide came in, and as their daughter was
drowning, they heard her singing the Psalms with her last breath. Another account Mr. Purves details is a group of
children, ranging in age from 5 to 18, drafting their own covenant proclaiming Christ as King over all, and signing
it, knowing that if it were ever found, they would be killed by the local authorities. There are other sketches
detailing families worshiping in the woods men burned at the stake pastors being chased out of town. The
common thread in all of these stories is the covenant of grace.
The Scottish Covenanters were a group of people who took the covenant of grace seriously. They would not
break the bonds of this for any king, or even for their life. They were willing to die rather than break their part of
the covenant. The Covenanters loved their God immensely, because God first loved them in Jesus Christ. They
feasted upon the Word, labored in prayer, and were nourished by the sacraments. Their desire was to glorify God
and enjoy Him forever. No matter what the government or society pressed upon them, they labored to stay true to
their God and His covenant of grace with them.
These Covenanters are our spiritual and denominational fathers. We share so much with them and, yet I
wonder if we share their same conviction with the covenant? Our lives are not threatened our homes are not
destroyed our churches are not burned down due to our adherence to the covenant. What do we allow to stand in
the way of our allegiance to God alone? Society? Culture? Family? Sports? Our lives, property or families are not
threatened, and yet, everyday, Christians fall more and more away from having Jesus as Lord AND Savior of their
lives. History tells us about the people who lives were taken for worshipping God alone and they stood in the face
of death and praised God alone. What will history say about us? Will it tell the story of a people who loved their
God and were devoted to His covenant, even in times of ease? Or, it will tell the story of a people who loved the
world more than they loved God that in times of blessing and ease, we sought the comfort of sin instead of
eternal holiness?
We each have a responsibility to the covenant are you taking that responsibility seriously? I can t write
your story ... Tom can't write your story ... you are the only one who can decide how seriously you take your God and
how much you really love Him and desire to live for Him alone. It is my hope that you will long to be like the
Scottish Covenanters - a people so in love with the God who first loved them that their every facet of life would be
lived for His glory alone.