The Life of James Renwick

The Life of James Renwick

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Title: The Life of James Renwick A Historical Sketch Of His Life,
Labours And Martyrdom And A Vindication Of His Character And
Testimony
Author: Thomas Houston
Release Date: October 18, 2004 [EBook #13781]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Illustration]
The Life of
JAMES RENWICK
A historical sketch of his life, labours and martyrdom and a vindication
of his character and testimony.
_by Thomas Houston, D.D._
Originally this life was written as an introduction to "The Letters of
Renwick" Published by Alex. Gardner, Paisley, 1865.

Cover Picture: Execution of James Renwick, Edinburgh, 1688.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
The prophet's message to Eli, "Wherefore the Lord God of Israel said *
* * THEM THAT HONOUR ME, I WILL HONOUR," (1 Sam. ii. 30,)
declares a fundamental law of the divine government, which the history
alike of individuals and of communities has illustrated in all by-past
ages. The works of many men of eminent talent and remarkable
energy--admired in their own day,--have speedily passed into oblivion,
or have been productive of few permanently salutary results. Despising
God, "they have been lightly esteemed." Those, on the other hand, who
honoured God, and were devoted to His service--however humble their
talents or position in society,--however contemned and persecuted by
the world--have been honoured of God. Their labours have been
accepted to advance His glory in the earth--their memories have
continued long fragrant, and their principles and character have
furnished the most valuable instruction and the brightest examples to
future generations.
Of this we have a striking instance in JAMES RENWICK,--the last,
and in various respects the most illustrious of the Scottish martyrs of
the seventeenth century. Hated and persecuted in his own day, by the
men in authority in Church and State--caluminated and reproached by
ministers and others, who professed evangelical sentiments and
affected piety--and his principles generally misrepresented and
condemned even to our own day,--there is yet abundant evidence to
show that the Master whom he faithfully served, and for whose cause
he willingly surrendered his life, singularly owned and honoured him.
His faithful contendings and arduous labours contributed not a little to
subvert the throne of a bigot and tyrant, and to achieve the nation's
liberties. They served also to secure the purity and independence of the
Church, and to transmit a legacy of imperishable principles to future
times, when "the handful of corn" upon the top of the mountains, "shall
shake with fruit like Lebanon." Scant and fragmentary as are the
memorials of Renwick--clothed in the most homely garb, and written
with no artistic skill, they have yet been the means of nurturing vital
piety in many a humble breast and household, in these and other
countries, from the martyr era, to our own day; and not a few of the

most devoted ministers, who have earnestly contended for precious
truth, and been wise to win souls to Christ, have received from the
record of the labours and sufferings and testimony of Renwick, some of
their first solemn impressions for good, and propelling motives to holy
diligence and self-devotion. As the story of Joseph in the Old
Testament has been remarkably blessed, above other parts of the divine
word, for promoting the conversion and early piety of the young, so the
unadorned narrative of the life, labours, and death of the youthful
Scottish martyr, has led not a few to prefer the cause and reproach of
Christ to the world's favour--to imbibe his spirit, and to imitate him, in
seeking ends the most important and glorious.
Renwick's work in the Church is not yet fully accomplished, nor is the
influence of his name losing its attractive power. On the contrary, there
is evidence, increasing as it is cheering, that while the one is drawing to
it more earnest regard and willing workers, the other is constantly
becoming more powerful and widespread. Let any person compare the
manner in which the later Scottish martyrs--Renwick and the Society
people,--were spoken of in the histories, civil and ecclesiastical,
emitted in these countries, forty or fifty years ago, with the altered tone
of historians of a recent date, and he will see that posterity is beginning
to do tardy justice to the memories of men of whom "the world was not
worthy,"--- who were the noblest, most disinterested