ST. JUDE’S, GLASGOW.
A BRIEF narrative of the change wrought by the Holy Ghost in the soul of John Macleod, and of his short journey from the time of his being savingly changed till he passed into his everlasting rest, has been given to our readers in the November issue of this Magazine in 1906. His bereaved brother and sisters, and another friend who was dear to him, have handed me, some time ago, a goodly number of his letters. After looking through them all, and finding that they were truly worthy of being placed on record, and that they are well calculated to promote godliness, we have decided to print them in the Free Presbyterian Magazine.
When they are all printed—that is, all of them that we consider suitable for publication—we will return the MSS. to the proper parties.
The transcribing of them has been very refreshing to my own soul, and I pray the readers of them may be revived, refreshed, and comforted by the perusal of them.
N. C.
8th June, 1898.
MY DEAR —, —It is the desire of my heart and my prayer to God that you and I would be enabled more and more to die unto sin and to live unto righteousness, and not only you and I, but all the Israel of God.
I don’t mean to write you a long letter, and while my pen goes over these words, may the Holy Spirit guide it so that I will not hurt my own conscience, or the feelings of my fellow-creatures; but above all other things, that I might not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. I thought since I came to this place that I got a moment that I would desire that He would take me away without even seeing my friends any more in the flesh. I am not writing this to any creature, but to one whom I know has had some experience of the love of Christ. I speak of the love of Christ. If I am not deceived I have some experience of the love of Christ, and as the boy said—”If it was a delusion, it was a sweet delusion.” No man could utter the love of Christ to perfection, for the mind of man is too narrow, so that the symbols of heavenly things must be borrowed from earth before we can understand them. I heard an expression made by — once in a prayer, and it is very strange I have not told you of it before, for many a time it has softened my hard heart. He seemed to be very downcast in the beginning of his prayer, but he paused for a moment and then said, “O Love of heaven, Thy children seek Thee.” Of course he said it in Gaelic. Oh, to be seeking Him, and to be His children, that we might grow like Him; as Mr. — said, “Every one is growing like his God.”
Dear —, may we be preparing to die, for die we must; so that we may not come to the conclusion that Ceazar Rogia came to in his last moments. He said, “I prepared for every thing in the course of this life but death, and now I must die, though entirely unprepared for it.” Dear —, may we be preparing for death above all other things, as it is written in Job—”But man dieth, and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?”—Yours affectionately,
JOHN MACLEOD.
GLASGOW, 1st December, 1899.
MY DEAR —, I received your letter just now, and I am glad to hear that you have arrived safely. I am also grateful to you for your promptness in writing me. We are all as you saw us under the good hand of Providence.
How wonderful are the dealings of God with His own people! How wonderful is the love of God to them—a love wherewith He loved a people laden with iniquity! He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and how could you love a person who is so filthy in your eyes that you could not look upon him? Yet His love to them was such that He raised them out of that awful corruption in which they were by nature; and not only that, but He gave them a foretaste of that love in His Word in a day of mercy in time, which they will not forget throughout an endless eternity. This is the day in which the Word of God was made sweet to their taste. In this day they were able to say, “I in my heart have hid Thy Word, that I offend not Thee.” In that day they were enabled to put all their hope in His Word, and they were bound in such a manner to it knowing that it was of a truth His Word. It would be good for us were we bound to that Word so that it would be our guide in everything we do—even the least of our worldly concerns. Now, —, may His Word be your guide in your journey to other kingdoms. I am not going to enlarge, as I am afraid you will not get this letter. Indeed, Satan says to me you will not get it, but I shut his mouth by saying, If not, may it be blessed to the party that gets it. The love of God is of such a nature that the soul that gets a taste of it cannot describe his feelings. “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” May this be your portion until you return, and may He uphold you in His wonderful love. . . . Your loving friend,
JOHN MACLEOD.
Death of Ex-Premier.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, the popular Premier, died on the 22nd April after several weeks’ illness. Sir Henry, during his term of office, made one or two good Protestant appointments in the Church, notably that of the Bishop of Newcastle, but his personal example in the matter of Sabbath observance, and his carrying through the Deceased Wife’s Sister Act, were features of his career far from commendable.