the Macmillans are romantically religious This romantic element may be accounted for in part by the origin of the family—the highlands of Scotland, and while destined to live in distant parts of the world, like other natives of this region, they have never gotten the “eerie” of the hills out of their blood, or ceased to be incurably romantic. But our family has a deeper reason for being romantic, in that its religion is primarily “a Covenant religion”—remembering that the word “Covenant” is not to be understood in a theological sense, or from a legalistic standpoint. It is for example, the covenant which the bride makes with the bridegroom. It is this romantic element which helps to explain why during the times of persecution in Scotland, Covenanter preachers so often chose their text from the Songs of Solomon—“My beloved is mine, and I am his, and he feedeth among the lilies.” There were not many lilies to be enjoyed by our Covenanter forebears in those stormy days when the family name had its rise, but there was heather that was much loved and admired though destined to be stained with martyr blood. But perhaps this romantic element in our religion can best be explained by remembering how our Covenanter forebears insisted upon worshipping Christ as “King.” This devotion to Christ as “King,” as well as “Saviour,” doubtless grew out of their conflict with earthly kings in their struggle for religious liberty. But an understanding of this historic struggle would be incomplete if we did not grasp the length to which our religious forebears took Christ into their innermost life and affairs. In contrast to the Crown against which they fought, their King was the “King of Kings”—One who as their leader and defender not only gave strength but dignity to human life, which no earthly monarch could possibly bestow. It helped them in the lowly lives they lived and the limitations they endured. They might live in a cottage, and at times without a roof over their heads, but at such times they did not feel unimportant, neither was their situation ever regarded as altogether hopeless. Christ was their King and Protector—One who would care for them to the end. This helps us to understand, why our forefathers were so partial to the Psalms of David, especially the “Messianic” psalms in which Christ is portrayed as King. It was this that gave them 16
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