May 31: The Second Covenant Subscribed (1559)

by davidtmyers

Anyone who has been called into the ministry of the Word of God prays for a godly response in the hearts of the listeners. Certainly this was the desire of the Reformers in Scotland in the sixteenth century. To put away all things that dishonor His name was the prayer of those who entered into the sacred calling. But it didn’t always work out that way in practice.

John Knox had returned to Scotland from Geneva Switzerland on May 2, 1559 (See that post on TDPH for a review). Beginning to preach the Reformed Faith to his fellow Scotsmen, John Knox had preached a thunderous sermon to the citizens of Perth, Scotland. The subject of his sermon exposed the idolatry of the Roman Church which included the worship of images.

Immediately following that message, a Roman Catholic priest unwisely attempted to serve mass. A young boy showed his displeasure at the attempt, for which he was struck by the priest. The boy retaliated by throwing a stone, which broke one of the images on the altar. Soon, the spectators of the altercation proceeded to favor the young boy’s action, by breaking all the images in the church. It turned into a riot when a mob proceeded to enter into all the Roman Catholic churches and even the monasteries, and lay them to ruins. Even John Knox, who tried to stop the unruly mob, referred to them as “a rascal multitude.”

Queen Mary of Guise, the queen regent, responded by calling forth her army, augmented by French troops in the area, and advanced to the city of Perth, threatening to lay waste the town and the citizens of it. The Protestant Lords of the congregation were able to assembly 25,000 soldiers to protect the Protestants. Obviously, a military showdown was about to take place. The queen regent, Mary, anxious to avoid such a showdown, entered then into an agreement that the town would be left open to the Queen, that none of its inhabitants would be interfered with, that the French troops would not enter the city, and that when the Queen would leave, there would be no garrison of troops left in the town.

All of these actions led to that which has been called the Second Covenant, signed and sealed on May 31, 1559. By this, those who signed the covenant resolved 1) to maintain their evangelical confederation; 2) to do all things required by God in the Scriptures; 3) to observe true worship; 4) to preserve the liberty of the Congregation and each member of it. These four points made up this Second Covenant, which was signed in the name of the whole Congregation, with the specific names of the Earls of Argyle and Glencairn, Lord James Stewart, Lord’s Boyd and Ochiltree, and Matthew Campbell.

The Second Covenant was immediately put to the test as the Queen Regent, Mary of Guise, turned her back on all of her promises to the Protestants. The battle for the soul of the nation was set to continue in the land.

Words to Live By:
It would be easy to resort to fleshly means to bring about the spiritual kingdom of God in a land. Our spiritual ancestors in Scotland were under a different standard as they sought to put away all things that dishonor His name. That is what this Second Covenant was all about on this day in 1559. Through godly prayer and spiritual works, as our Confessional Fathers put it, we are to destroy the kingdom of Satan, advance the kingdom of grace, and hasten the kingdom of glory.

Thoughts on Ramadan

The Muslim month of fasting started yesterday. I have pondered sharing some thoughts and am going ahead despite the anticipated flack.
I have seen one Christian friend engaged in Muslim work wishing his Muslim friends well at this time. I have in the past heard of Christians joining the fast in solidarity. I can do neither for my view is a negative one.
First this is part of a religion of works  hoping to be gaining favour with God through this month of self denial.
Second, fasting during daylight and stuffing yourself during the hours of darkness is unhealthy.
Thirdly, more food is consumed this month than other times.
Lastly it is the most antisocial and uneconomic of months. People become bad tempered and work suffers. I have lived in a Muslim culture and observed this. There is pressure on non-muslims to conform too at least outwardly.
One final observation. Islam is a religion of the Middle East and little seasonal variation in daylight hours. It must be a particular trial to observe the fast in the northern hemisphere near midsummer when daylight is approaching 15 hours daily. I understand that those living in the arctic circle have special dispensation to follow the daylight hours of Mecca.
My prayers are with my Christian friends who see this month as a special opportunity to witness to Muslims.l

Sura107 Neighbourly needs, 108 Abundance, 109 Those who reject faith, 110 Help, 111 The father of flame, 112 Purity, 113 The dawn, 114 Mankind,

7 verses. Do you see the one who denies judgement? He repulses the orphan.
3 verses. We have granted you the fount of abundance so turn to your Lord in prayer and sacrifice.
6 verses. Say to those that reject faith I do not worship that which you worship.
3 verses. When the help of God comes and victory celebrate the praises of your Lord.
5 verses. Perish the hands of the father of flame. He will burn soon in a fire of blazing flame.
4 verses. He is God the one and only, eternal, absolute, begetting not.
5 verses. I seek refuge with the Lord odf the dawn from the mischief of created things.
5 verses. I seek refuge with the Lord cherisher of mankind

To those born between 1925 and 1955

No matter what our kids And the new generation think about us, WE ARE AWESOME !!! OUR Lives are LIVING PROOF !!!  > To Those of Us Born 1925 - 1955:  >  > At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don't read anything else, Please read what he said. ~~~~~~~~~ TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930s, '40s, 'and 50s, !!  First, we survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank While they were pregnant.  They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.  Then, after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs Covered with bright colored Lead-based paints.  We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets, And, when we rode our bikes, We had baseball caps, Not helmets, on our heads.  As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes..  Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.  We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.  We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.  We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter, and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And we weren't overweight.  WHY?  Because we were always outside playing...that's why!  We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. --And, we were OKAY.  We would spend hours building Our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, Only to find Out we forgot the brakes.. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned To solve the problem..  We did not Have Play Stations, Nintendos and X-boxes. There were No video games, No 150 channels on cable, No video movies Or DVDs, No surround-sound or CDs, No cell phones, No personal computers, No Internet and No chat rooms.  WE HAD FRIENDS And we went Outside and found them!  We fell out of trees, got cut, Broke bones and Teeth, And there were No lawsuits From those accidents. We would get Spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare hand,  And no one would call child services to report abuse.  We ate worms, And mud pies Made from dirt, And The worms did Not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, 22 rifles for our 12th, rode horses, made up games with sticks and tennis balls, and -although we were Told it would happen- we did not put out very many eyes.  We rode bikes Or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just Walked in and talked to them. Little League had  tryouts And not everyone Made the team. Those who didn't Had to learn To deal with Disappointment.  Imagine that!!  The idea of a parent bailing Us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!  These generations have Produced some of the best risk-takers, Problem solvers, and Inventors ever.  The past 60 To 85 years have seen an explosion of innovation and new ideas..  We had freedom, Failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.  If YOU are One of those born Between 1925-1955, CONGRATULATIONS!  You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.  While you are at it, forward it to your kids, so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.  Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ? ~~~~~~~ The quote of the month  by Jay Leno:  "With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the  country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist  attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?" For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.. For the rest of us.....  please pass this on.

Sura 102 Piling up, 103 Time through the ages, 104 The scandal monger, 105 The elephant 106 The custodians of the Ka'aba,

8 verses.  Piling up good things of the world in rivalry diverts you until you visit the graves.
3 verses. By time through the ages, man is in loss except such as have faith.
9 verses. Woe to every kind of scandal monger, who piles up wealth thinking it would make him last forever.
5 verses. Did you not see how your Lord dealt withe companions of the elephant? Did he not make their treacherous plan go astray?
4 verses. For the covenants of the custodians of the Ka'aba let them adore the Lord of this house.

Sura 97 The night of power, 98 The clear evidence, 99 The convulsion, 100 Those that run, 101 The day of noise and clamour

5 verses. We have revealed the message in the night of power. Therein come down the angels and the Sprit by God's permission.
8 verses. This who reject truth among the People of the Book and polytheists were not going to depart from their ways until clear evidence should come to them.An apostle from God repeating scriptures. Te People of the Book did not make schisms until after clear evidence came totem. Those rejecting the truth will be in hell fire.
8 verses. When the earth is shaken to her utmost convulsion men will proceed in companies sorted out to be shown the deeds they had done.
11 verses. Bu the steeds that run man is to his Lord ungrateful.
11 verses. By the day of noise and clamour a day when he whose balance of good deeds will be found heavy will be in a life of good pleasure.

Sura 92 The Night, 93 The glorious morning light, 94 The expansion, 95 The fig, 96 Read or proclain of the clot of congealed blood.

21 verses. By the night, he who gives and fears God, and testators to the best, we will make smooth for him the path to bliss.
11 Verses. By the glorious morning light thy guardian Lord has not forsaken you.
8 verses. Have we not expanded your breast and removed your burden?
8 verses. By the fig, the olive Mount Sinai and the city of security, those who believe and do righteous  deeds shall have an unfailing reward.
19 verses. The five first revealed verses. Proclaim in the name of the Lord who created man out of a clot of congealed blood. Your Lord is most bountiful.

Sura 87 The Most High, 88 The overwhelming event, 89 The break of day 90 The city, ,91 The sun

19 verses. Glorify the name of your Guardian Lord Most High. Creator, ordainer of laws and guidance. This is in the books of the earliest, Abraham and Moses.
26 verses. The overwhelming even is the day of blazing fire.
30 verses. Do you not see how your Lord dealt with the Ad of Iran, with Thamud and Pharaoh?
20 verses. Muhammad a freeman of Mecca.
15 verses. By the sun ... The Thamud rejected their prophet. Disobeying the apostle they hamstrung the she-camel.

Sura 82 The cleaving asunder, 83 Dealing in fraud, 84 The rending asunder 85 The zodiacal signs, 86 The night visitant

36 verses. When the sky is cleft asunder then each soul shall know what it has sent forward and kept back. Day of judgement.
36  verses. Woe to those dealing in fraud who do not think they will be called to account.
25 verses. When the sky is rent asunder you will meet your Lord.
22 verses. By the sky displaying the zodiacal signs the persecutors will have the penalty of hell.
17 verses. The night visitant is the star of piercing brightness. Every soul has a protector over it.

Sura 77 Rise sent forth, 78 the great news, 79 Those who tear out, 80 He frowned, 81 Folding up

50 Verses. The winds sent forth and spread abroad a message. Day of judgement.
40 verses. The great news is disputed. Warning of penalty near.
46 verses. The angels tear out the souks of the wicked with violence.
42 verse.The prophet frowned and turned away because there came a blind man interrupting.
29 verses. When the sun is folded up, the world on high unveiled and the scrolls laid open, go straight of hide.

Wine and strong drink in the books of Moses.

Wine
Noah drunk
Genesis 9:21 - He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.
Genesis 9:24 - When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him,Melchisdek and Abraham
Genesis 14:18 - And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)
Lot's daughters
Genesis 19:32 - Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.”
Genesis 19:33 - So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
Genesis 19:34 - The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.”
Genesis 19:35 - So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
Isaac
Genesis 27:25 - Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son's game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
Wine to be a blessingGenesis 27:28 - May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.
Genesis 27:37 - Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?”
Jacob's blessingGenesis 49:11 - Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
Genesis 49:12 - His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
Drink offeringExodus 29:40 - And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering.
Leviticus 23:13 - And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the LORD with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin.
Numbers 15:5 - and you shall offer with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, a quarter of a hin of wine for the drink offering for each lamb.
Numbers 15:7 - And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Numbers 15:10 - And you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Priests to abstain
Leviticus 10:9 - “Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
Numbers 6:3 - he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried.
NaziritesNumbers 6:20 - and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. They are a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed. And after that the Nazirite may drink wine.
In the promised land
Deuteronomy 32:14 - Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of Bashan and goats, with the very finest of the wheat— and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.
Deuteronomy 33:28 - So Israel lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down dew.heavens drop down dew.
Rebellious Israel;
Deuteronomy 32:33 - their wine is the poison of serpents and the cruel venom of asps.
With false gods
37 Then he will say, f‘Where are their gods,the rock in which they took refuge,
Deuteronomy32:38 - who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection!

Strong drink
We have already seen priests are to abstain
Drink offering
Numbers 28:7 - Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD.
The titheDeuteronomy 14:26 - and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.
During the exodus wanderingsDeuteronomy 29:6 - You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.

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