d fight of faith which
they continued with unabated ardor. They stepped into the firing line
where the shock of war was heaviest, and became the aggressive party,
demanding from the king their Covenanted rights. The Lord was ever with
them; they heard Him saying, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world." Their zeal and energy were but the crested waves of Omnipotence,
the Lord's own strength surging along the strand of time, and dashing
against the rocks of wickedness and misrule--waves of Divine energy that
must yet overflow every land, overcome the whole world, and cover the
earth with glory, as the waters cover the sea.

[Illustration: CLAVERHOUSE.

Claverhouse was a captain of dragoons, who pursued the Covenanters and
slaughtered them with savage atrocity. He outlived the persecution, but
was killed the next year, 1689, at the battle of Killiecrankie, fighting
against the accession of the Prince of Orange. "A shot in the left eye"
sent the reeking soul into the presence of God, whom he, in aweful
blasphemy, had promised to take into his own hands. He died at the age
of forty-six.]

These strong-spirited, unbending Covenanters believed that the time had
now come for a forward movement, and they accepted the task as from the
Lord. They were not merely unconquerable; they were determined to
conquer. At the beginning of the persecution they were passive, meekly
submitting to reproach, spoilation, imprisonment, and death, for
Christ's sake. This continued till patience was exhausted.

Their second attitude was that of self-defence. Oppression maketh a wise
man mad. The people came armed to the Conventicles, and with swords and
muskets met the troops that attacked the meetings. These acts of
self-defence developed into two distinct efforts to raise an army for
the redress of grievances. All this time the Covenanters recognized
Charles II. as their king.

The third attitude was that of revolution. They now had reached this
point. They challenge the king's right to reign. They resolve to take
the crown from his head, and place it upon the brow of a man worthy of
the honor, one who "feared God, and hated covetousness." What a daring
task! what courage exhibited by these men! what unbounded confidence in
the righteousness of their cause as they against all odds, all earthly
advantages, and all human wisdom, proclaim the king's forfeiture of the
throne, and face the consequences of that proclamation!

This was a fo