(Continued from page 336.)
JANUARY 16th, 1884.—Rested fairly well. At worship sang part of the 145th Psalm. The sixth and seventh verses are very precious, but why make a difference? Every verse extols His glorious majesty, and oh, He is worthy of all glory, honour, praise, and blessing. Read the thirty-second chapter of Jeremiah. The prophet was instructed to buy a field for money; and now the Chaldeans were to take all. The providence seemed to contradict the promise. “Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for me?”—(v. xxvi. 7.) The chapter makes all clear, and I remember when matters looked dismal with the Ropery Company through short fishings, the directors and others were for dissolving. I was much encouraged by what is revealed in this chapter, and accordingly bought their shares, and had no cause to regret. What cause of gratitude for His goodness in providence to unworthy me and mine! There is nothing too hard for Thee. Wrote Mrs. Paterson, Thurso, and Donald Macdonald, Strathalladale.
17th.—Rose to worship at half-past nine. Paul sums up his work by telling that he preached “repentance toward God, and
faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.” Holy Spirit, teach what to write. The holy law commands us to “love the Lord thy God.” The blessed Gospel declares that “God so loved.” “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”—(Rom. v. 8, 9.) “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”—(John xvii. 23.) “Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love.”—(John xiv. 8, 9.) Who can tell of the unsearchable love of God in Christ Jesus, from everlasting to everlasting? His people say, “Behold what manner of love” is this. They love Him because He first loved them. Eternity will be unfolding it. Oh, then, what repentance ought to be toward God for not keeping ourselves in the love of God, and for doing that which He hates, thus grieving the ever blessed, loving Father. “To whom much is forgiven, the same loveth much.” There also ought to be “faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.” “He that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh” to the Son. This is the will of the Father, that whosoever seeth the Son should believe on Him, that He came to do His will, and to lay down His life for the sheep. Who makes God a liar, but they that believe not that there is life in His Son? The fifty-third chapter of Isaiah sets forth the glorious One, taking the low place of the transgressor, so making peace. “Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things; from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”—(Acts xiii. 38, 39.) May the love of Christ constrain us to live not unto ourselves, but unto Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us, the wonderful bridegroom of His Church.
18th.—My general health better. Down stairs during the evening. While reading the eighteenth of Exodus I was led to remember some of the goodness of God during my past days in connection with my business affairs. The wealthy people in and connected with Wick set the ropework agoing when I was born a poor child in Camster, and now the most of it is mine. “For neither got their sword the land, nor did their arm them save; by thy right hand, arm, countenance; for thou them favour gave.”—(Psalm xlv. 3.) In Exodus xviii. 8-11, it is said that “Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them; for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly He was above them.” It was good and wise counsel Jethro gave to Moses regarding his having too much to do among the people. “Thou wilt surely wear
away, both thou and this people that is with thee; for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. . . . Be thou for the people to God-ward.”—(v. 18, 19.) “If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure.”—(v. 23.) I ought to aim at following the counsel as far as I can. Moses did so. “And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh . . . and Jethro took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God.”—(v. 10-12.) Well done. “Whoso is wise, and will these things observe, and them record, even they shall understand the love and kindness of the Lord.”—(Psalm cvii. 43.)
19th.—Rose to-day, feeling better. Went round the garden, flowers appearing, and weather fine. I do need to watch unto prayer and to plead for the outpouring of the Spirit of grace and supplication. The Holy One complains in Isaiah, xliii. 22, “But thou hast not called on me, O Jacob, thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.” It should be my chief joy to go to the throne where grace reigneth through righteousness to the praise of His glory; where I have gone trembling under a burden of guilt, and have returned, saying, “Thou turned hast my sadness to dancing, and girded me with gladness,” and willing to praise, “and never silent be.”—(Psalm xxx. 11, 12.) O cruel sluggard, how you wrong and starve your immortal soul by indolence! Quicken me, O Lord, that I may find it no vain thing to wait upon thee. Justly mayest Thou give me the back and not the face. Look on me graciously in the face of Thine Anointed in whom Thou art well pleased. Let Him see of the fruit of the travail of His soul. And may I see all flowing from the divine fountain of everlasting love, even Thine.
19th.—My dear aged friend, William Elder, Scotscalder, came to-day, as he heard that I was worse. We both wept when we met. I will not soon forget it. He does not seek a high position for himself, but he would knock down all that riseth up against the Most High. He feels very lonely since his dear brother Alexander, and worthy William Murray were taken away. They were so often together, and were bound by the bonds of redeeming love, that he finds none to fill their place. How he pities the blind ministers ruining their poor blind followers, leading them to lightness and vanity, instead of walking worthy of God, adorning the Gospel, and being living epistles seen and read of all men! Instead of that, “they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things,” bazaars, soirees, vain songs, vain company, where there is no fear of God, but rather doing the work of their father, the devil, and pretending they are not.
21st.—Yesterday and to-day pretty well. Last night the room was full at worship. I began by asking a blessing, and singing the last three verses of the eighteenth psalm. Robert Ross read
the ninth chapter of St. John, and sang part of the forty-fifth psalm. William Elder then prayed. Sang again part of the same psalm, and Robert Ross concluded by prayer. The meeting seemed solemn and pleasant. I have much cause to be thankful, but “when I would do good, evil is present with me,” mistrust, fears, guilt, want of warm love and desire, and want of prayer and praise. Thou knowest them that are tossed and afflicted, but not comforted, yet Thou hast comfort in store for them. Wrote Mrs. A., Mrs. H., and my niece, Mrs. Watt.
22nd.—Changed my bedroom down stairs. Rest very disturbed. I found a letter from John Sutherland, Badbea. The following is an extract from it. It is dated, 1st November, 1854. “I have had too much attachment to some idols in the Beloved’s room, and whatever He is to do with me at last, I know by experience I am deprived of these idols. But there are idols I am still keeping, right hand and right eye. Once I had my prayers, and sweet meditations, and my affection for the Lord’s people, and how I was esteemed, and had such credit from them. But what will that avail me in my sad trials, and in a very short time to venture to enter the dark valley over Jordan with my profession without fruit! If you were an aged experienced Christian, I could enlarge on this subject, but I must drop it.” Oh, if I could get my soul as a prey!
23rd.—Rested better than on any previous night since I was ill. At evening worship thought I received some sweetness while reading, and I enjoyed the ninety-fourth psalm, especially from tenth to nineteenth verse, thanks for the wonderful record. It has given me cause for renewed hope, which should stir up abundant thanksgiving through the Holy Ghost. A blink of holy hope in Jehovah holds up a soul when ready to sink. He is the present help in time of need. Oh, to deny ourselves for His sake, and account that we are not worthy to suffer shame for His name. Wrote Duncan Cameron, Duthil, and A—F—.
24th.—Snow and cold. My breathing much affected. Some friends were here to-day, and brought me cream and honey. May they get full reward! Last night, while much troubled, getting little sleep, I dreamed that a circle of curiously dressed people, and of strange appearance, stood around me, and told me they were my friends who dwelt in the air, and that ere the sun would take another circuit in these heavens, I would be removed from this earth. I find that Paul warns the Thessalonians, in the 2nd epistle, chapter ii. 2, that they “be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.” I have much need to be exercised in the counsel given in Eph. vi. 10-20.
25th.—Reading the book I like best (Bible excepted), Ralph Erskine’s sermons. A letter of Mrs. A.’s will be a pleasure for me to write here. “My dear friend,—The kind letter received this morning was very welcome. Not but that we hoped you got
home safely, for I was remembering that David Steven used to say that he was often laid up coming from the market, selling watches, but not from the means of grace. I thought Wednesday and yesterday to write and ask for you, but instead wrote the one day to Mr. Duff, and the next to Dr. Kennedy, telling them you were like to make us fear you had become a broken vessel as well as themselves, and requesting them, when their own bodily infirmities had to be brought before the Hearer of prayer, that they would for their friends’ and brethren’s sakes remember you. He to whom all authority has been committed by His Father knows what end is to be served by His varied dealings with His people. That end is His own glory, and they think they would rejoice in His accomplishing that end, but let Him begin to deal with them to that end, alas! alas! how far are they from submission, from meekness, from quietness, but, like the bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, either kicking in rebellion, or sulking in stubbornness, the only hopeful sign being, that underneath the rebellion and the stubbornness, like the wail of an infant in a storm, a voice is rising, “Thou art the Lord my God.” Yes, He is the Lord their God, and yet perhaps, they nursing only what is opposed to Him. Surely now He will leave them to their own way, surely now He will withdraw the breathing from the babe of grace that struggles to be heard, saying, “The Lord is my God,” surely now He will turn from the strife altogether, and let them alone, but He had His own end in view, the glory of His own grace, so the decree is gone forth from heaven. “I will surely have mercy upon him. Surely I will have it, notwithstanding all the unlikelihood. Surely I will turn him. Surely I will humble him. Surely I will make him a pleasant child. Surely I will hide pride from his eyes. Surely I will make him a debtor to me, and to my grace, for every thought that he thinks, every word that he speaks, every action that he does. Surely grace, and grace alone shall be magnified in him.” Kind love to you all. We sent our petition against instrumental music away to-day with 810 signatures, and one against the Affirmation Bill is being filled.”
26th.—Slept well, and rose at nine for family worship. Be stirred up all that is within me to magnify and praise the Triune Jehovah for His everlasting love and the fruits thereof. But oh! little is yet known of it. How great is the goodness kept in store! “I am thine exceeding great reward.” Nothing short of Thyself; and no one knows but Thyself what Thou art, and what Thou wilt be to the souls which Thou hast made capable of glorifying and enjoying Thee.
28th.—Monday. This morning rather better. Had a fair night’s rest, for which my dear wife and I audibly prayed and confessed; and likewise united this morning in thanksgiving for having had more rest than we looked for. Last night I told the children I had given up smoking unless it be made clear to me that I should use it. “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”—
(Rom. xiv. 23.) Sweet prayer time often used for smoking. Lord, grant steadfastness. I also resumed the good old practice of catechising. I think I found good of the questions at my first convictions and conversion, especially for the first, the ten commandments; and for the latter, Christ’s priestly office. Everyone of us should have the Shorter Catechism. The doctrines of salvation are plainly taught in it.
29th.—Being requested by the doctors, I was in bed most of to-day. Rev. F— H— called and prayed. I asked him to preach earnestly holiness to the Lord, and also to practice it. He said that was the best advice I could give him.
Rev. Thos. Connellan on the Jesuits.
SPEAKING at the meeting of the Protestant Congress, held lately in London, the Rev. Thomas Connellan, of Dublin, remarked that it will be a revelation to most Protestants to be told that there are in England at the present moment thirty-three establishments of the Jesuits, and that the number is daily increasing. Every country in the world in which the Jesuits established themselves was eventually compelled to expel them from her border. Paris allowed them to set up a college there, and two of them tried to murder Henry of Navarre. Ravaillac, the man who murdered him eventually, was one of their tools. When Fawkes was plotting his diabolical schemes here, his chief adviser, Garnet, was a Jesuit. When Paraguay was ceded by Spain to Portugal, the Jesuits had the Portuguese king nearly murdered, and were expelled from his dominions. In 1764 they were expelled from France. They were expelled from Spain in 1767. In 1765 they were expelled from the Sicilies. In 1773 the Pope suppressed the order, and was poisoned for his pains. Russia expelled them in 1870 and Germany in our own time. Not a petty state from Mexico to Patagonia which has not cast them out, taught by sad experience that their works are evil. Yet England takes them to her bosom in the nineteenth century! Continuing, he said—These men have formed what they call an Apostolate of the Press. They are trained to prove black white, falsehood truth, evil virtue. Some uninstructed Protestant lecturer or writer makes a slip, and behold he is assailed from all sides. Even well-trained controversialists and ripe scholars are no match for the tricky and fraudulent methods of the Jesuits. The authenticity of documents will be denied, and if nothing else can be done, abuse will be heaped mountains high upon the heads of their opponents. We had a specimen of their methods last week at Hackney, when they sent one of their pupils to perjure himself in order to strike down an opponent. Formerly the poisoned cup and the dagger were their weapons. Now the weapons are calumny, slander, and moral assassination.—The Bulwark.