Protestantism in Scotland - James Aitken Wylie

away of winter of the Old Economy, and the
coming of the springtime of the Gospel, as comes
the Eastern spring with its affluence of verdure,
and blossoms, and songs: -- "Lo, the winter is past:
the rain is over and gone: the flowers appear on the
earth: the time of the singing of birds is come, and
the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." The
preacher took occasion to refer to the springtime of
the Reformation in Scotland, when the earth was so
green, and the skies so fair. Its short summer had
been chased away by a winter of black tempests,
but not finally, nor for long, he was assured. The
Scottish earth would again grow mollient, its skies
would clear up, and the Gospel would again be
heard in its now silent pulpits. The sight around
him showed that the Evangelical Vine had struck
its roots too deeply in the soil to be overturned by
the tempests of tyranny, or blighted by the mephitic
air of a returning superstition. The sermon ended,
there followed, amid the deep stillness of the
multitude, the prayer of consecration. The
communicants now came forward and seated
themselves at the Communion-tables, which were
arranged much as in an ordinary church. Two
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