Monday, March 17, 2008

Michael Bruce

Michael Bruce was minister of Killinchy from 1656 - he was their next minister after John Livingstone. He was a great-grandson of Rev Robert Bruce of Edinburgh, and was a mighty field preacher of his day, both in Ulster and Scotland. I've just downloaded a copy of Howie's "Sermons Delivered in Times of Persecution in Scotland", where it says of Bruce:

"...The fire of persecution for non-conformity in Scotland soon extended to the North of Ireland. The king and his courtiers
well knew that there were many valiant men in Ulster who would never bend before the blast, however furious it might blow.


Bruce was ejected from the church and living of Killinchy, and, orders being given for his apprehension, he was compelled to betake himself for safety to the houses of private friends and other places of refuge. But he did not cease to proclaim the Gospel. In kilns, barns, or woods, and even in the night, he and many of his flock met and held sweet fellowship together in partaking, in doctrine and sacrament, of the bread of life..."

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

'Tis a braw site ye have, an' it's what I like goin' through. Many's the tim we think o' the nicht we furst heerd youse at Harvey's meetin in Portadown.Now there's a body that kens the oul Book.
Dae ye mind after youse sung in the meetin we had a bicker o' tay?
An afterwards youse rendered a lach more.
We have a blythe tim lustenin' tae yer recordin' an we hear ye forby on thae wireless.
A see that youse are Covenanteers an' lang may ye keep thae Blue Flag flyin'.
An' may The Lord be wi thae whole lot o' youse.
Fair fae ye!

Jim