The home of the Covenanters in those days was mostly the abode of virtue and intelligence, of comfort in the Holy Spirit and abundant grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The knowledge of God was the light in which the household dwelt.  The language of the Shorter Catechism was the mother tongue; the children were dieted on Psalms and porridge; the family altar was indispensable; the Holy Bible was appreciated more than bread, and King David’s poetry more than roast lamb.  The father’s prayer at the hearthstone was vital to the household as the breath of their nostrils; morning and evening the voice of parents and children mingled together in the worship of God.

To the family that kept Covenant with God the Sabbath came with peculiar loveliness and inspiration.  On Saturday evening special preparation was made for the coming of the Lord’s Day; even the turf was piled beside the fire, the potatoes were washed and in the pot, and the water carried from the spring; “the works of necessity and mercy” were reduced to a minimum.  A solemn hush fell upon the fields, and a heavenly light gleamed upon the house, as the sun ascended the sky.  The noise of labor had ceased, and the human voice was suppressed.  The notes of a plover, or the bleating of a lamb, or the lowing of a cow, might be heard making the quietness all the more impressive.  The morning came pouring out blessings upon the people, like Christ Jesus on the Mount of Beatitudes, filling every open heart with sweetness, holiness, and inspiration.  The blessed morning came to lead the father and mother, with their sons and daughters, up into the mountain of God’s House, to stand in the presence of the Lord of glory, and absorb the brightness that would shine in their faces for many days to come.  The Sabbath was the great day of the week in the Covenanter’s home.

Let us get a glimpse of these homes of the Covenanters, as they suffered when the storms of persecution swept the land.  But will not the dwelling-place of the righteous be protected from harm?  Will not the Lord, in His glorious presence, hover over them as a cloud by day and as a flaming fire by night?  Hath He not said, “Upon all the glory shall be a defence?” Shall the cruel persecutor then have power to tread on that sacred threshold?  May the ruthless slayer enter this little sanctuary, where God and His children dwell together in mutual and unquenchable love?  Will the wicked be permitted to draw the sword, and quench the coals on the hearth, and the fire on the altar, with the blood of the worshipers?  The answer is found in the story of the sufferings of the Covenanters.

God had now begun judgment at His own House.  He was testing the fidelity of His people.  The test must touch every point, cover every relation, and reach the degree of suffering that satisfies His mysterious will.  God cares much, even for houses, fields, harvests, garners, comforts, conveniences, earthly ties—­He cares much for all these as they affect His people.  He cares infinitely more, however, for their moral cleanness, spiritual growth, untarnished fidelity, unconquerable faith, and everlasting honor.  Therefore He permits the furnace to be heated, and sometimes heated sevenfold; yet He brings them out of the flames without the smell of fire on their garments.