sday following, their Covenant with God would be
renewed in Edinburgh. The announcement struck a responsive chord. The
country was astir early on the morning of the appointed day. Doubtless
many had spent the preceding night with the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer.
While the stars were still shining, many households, we may be assured,
were called around the family altar, that the father might bless his
house and hasten to Edinburgh. The commissioners who had been appointed
to lead the people in Covenanting were on the ground at break of day.

The Covenant of 1581 was chosen for the present occasion. Two
generations had passed since that solemn bond had lifted the kingdom
into holiest relation with God. Nearly all the Covenanted fathers of
that event had finished their testimony and were gone; only here and
there a patriarchal voice was heard telling of that solemn day and deed.
The grand-children had lost much of the fervor, power, purpose, holy
enthusiasm, dread of God's majesty, fellowship with Jesus Christ, and
raptures in the Holy Spirit--had lost many of the countless and
unspeakable blessings descending from the sure Covenant made with God
and kept by their fathers. Fifty-seven years had elapsed and many
changes had occurred. Henderson, by appointment, added to the Covenant
what was necessary to make it applicable to their times.

The Holy Spirit came in great power upon thousands and tens of thousands
on that eventful morning; the day was bringing heaven's best blessings
to the Church and the nation. It was still winter; but not frozen roads,
nor drifting snows, nor lowering clouds, nor biting winds, could stay
the people. Many men and women, old and young, were far on their way
before the sun had softened the rasping air. They came on foot and on
horses, in carriages and in wagons, through the valleys, over the
mountains, along the highways and the lanes, pouring into the jubilant
city from all directions as rivers of enthusiastic life. It has been
estimated that sixty thousand came that day to take part in the renewing
of the Covenant, or to give countenance and influence to the solemn
deed. To these spirited people the winter was over and gone, though
February still lingered; the time of the singing of birds had come,
though the earth was clad in her mantle of snow. The season had lost its
rigor upon these Covenanters; their cheeks were red, but not so much
with wintry blasts as with holy animation. It was a sum