ornaments to their profession
A couple of posts ago I outlined what happened at the revivals of Stewarton and Kirk of Shotts. It's also interesting to see the way that different personalities and their actions contributed to the set of circumstances that the revivals came from, and in both cases, there was a significant contribution from the contemporary women.
In the case of Stewarton, the minister whose work was used to bring about the revival was David Dickson. But prior to the work beginning, Mr Dickson had been banished from his parish up to Turriff, in the north of Scotland, because of his opposition to the Five Articles of Perth (among other anti-presbyterian measures which the church was battling with at the time). Dickson was brought back to Irvine through the efforts of the Earl of Eglinton, according to McCrie. And interestingly, in a parenthesis McCrie manages to talk much more about the wife of this man, rather than the man himself. Apparently, after an unpromising upbringing, the Countess of Eglinton had been converted and was "an ornament to her Christian profession," someone who "exerted all her influence for the promotion of religion and the protection of its faithful ministers."
Then at Kirk of Shotts, as mentioned previously, the revival started after the Monday of a communion. But in terms of the ministers who were present at that communion, it's interesting to see that they were there by invitation, on the request of a group of ladies who were friendly with the local minister, Mr Hance. When their carriage broke down one time as they were passing, Mr Hance put them up until it was repaired - in return, they clubbed together to build him a new manse. It was out of gratitude for that kindness that he asked what he could do for them, and their response was to ask him to invite to the communion some ministers of their choosing. This was a way of being able to hear some of the ministers who (like Mr Dickson) were undergoing difficulties for their commitment to gospel principles, and the selection included the "venerable" Robert Bruce, a longstanding faithful minister who was by then in his 70s, as well as John Livingstone, the 27 year old minister who eventually preached on that Monday. As a final footnote, it's worth mentioning that Livingstone was at that point the chaplain of the Countess of Wigton: the episcopalians had blocked every attempt to induct him as minister to any particular parish, but she and her husband took him into their home as their chaplain, to preach there according to opportunity.
In DP Thomson's book, Women of the Scottish Church, he gives case after case of women advancing the cause of the gospel in whatever way was open to them. Sometimes that meant giving support and encouragement to their own husbands in difficult situations (like in the covenanting period, a couple of decades after these revivals). But there were more than a few instances of women in the nobility using their influence in various ways - such as appointing chaplains as in this case, or giving the ministers financial help, and generally making their resources available to the cause.
When you look at the revivals themselves, it's also noticeable that nobody had to do anything out of the ordinary as a prerequisite for the blessing being poured out. The Earl and Countess of Eglinton were only doing what anyone in their situation would have done, when they worked to have Mr Dickson recalled. The ladies in Mr Hance's case ditto (hmm, who would you choose, if you got the chance to pick your own ministers for a communion...). They were just going about their ordinary ways, doing sensible Christian things based on straightforward Christian principles, and as it worked out, their actions contributed to the network of circumstances that were used as a means of bringing blessing to themselves and others.
"The Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you..." Isaiah 59. "Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgements, and keep and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he swore unto thy fathers, and he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee..." Deuteronomy 7. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3.
In the case of Stewarton, the minister whose work was used to bring about the revival was David Dickson. But prior to the work beginning, Mr Dickson had been banished from his parish up to Turriff, in the north of Scotland, because of his opposition to the Five Articles of Perth (among other anti-presbyterian measures which the church was battling with at the time). Dickson was brought back to Irvine through the efforts of the Earl of Eglinton, according to McCrie. And interestingly, in a parenthesis McCrie manages to talk much more about the wife of this man, rather than the man himself. Apparently, after an unpromising upbringing, the Countess of Eglinton had been converted and was "an ornament to her Christian profession," someone who "exerted all her influence for the promotion of religion and the protection of its faithful ministers."
Then at Kirk of Shotts, as mentioned previously, the revival started after the Monday of a communion. But in terms of the ministers who were present at that communion, it's interesting to see that they were there by invitation, on the request of a group of ladies who were friendly with the local minister, Mr Hance. When their carriage broke down one time as they were passing, Mr Hance put them up until it was repaired - in return, they clubbed together to build him a new manse. It was out of gratitude for that kindness that he asked what he could do for them, and their response was to ask him to invite to the communion some ministers of their choosing. This was a way of being able to hear some of the ministers who (like Mr Dickson) were undergoing difficulties for their commitment to gospel principles, and the selection included the "venerable" Robert Bruce, a longstanding faithful minister who was by then in his 70s, as well as John Livingstone, the 27 year old minister who eventually preached on that Monday. As a final footnote, it's worth mentioning that Livingstone was at that point the chaplain of the Countess of Wigton: the episcopalians had blocked every attempt to induct him as minister to any particular parish, but she and her husband took him into their home as their chaplain, to preach there according to opportunity.
In DP Thomson's book, Women of the Scottish Church, he gives case after case of women advancing the cause of the gospel in whatever way was open to them. Sometimes that meant giving support and encouragement to their own husbands in difficult situations (like in the covenanting period, a couple of decades after these revivals). But there were more than a few instances of women in the nobility using their influence in various ways - such as appointing chaplains as in this case, or giving the ministers financial help, and generally making their resources available to the cause.
When you look at the revivals themselves, it's also noticeable that nobody had to do anything out of the ordinary as a prerequisite for the blessing being poured out. The Earl and Countess of Eglinton were only doing what anyone in their situation would have done, when they worked to have Mr Dickson recalled. The ladies in Mr Hance's case ditto (hmm, who would you choose, if you got the chance to pick your own ministers for a communion...). They were just going about their ordinary ways, doing sensible Christian things based on straightforward Christian principles, and as it worked out, their actions contributed to the network of circumstances that were used as a means of bringing blessing to themselves and others.
"The Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you..." Isaiah 59. "Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgements, and keep and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he swore unto thy fathers, and he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee..." Deuteronomy 7. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3.
posted by cath at
9:08 pm
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