A Sermon

BY MR. ANDREW CANT, MINISTER AT PITSLIGO AND
ABERDEEN.

Delivered at Glasgow in 1638, immediately after the Renovation
of the National Covenant and Celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, who made a marriage
for his son, and he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden
to the wedding; and they would not come,” etc.—MATT. xxii. 2-6.

(Continued from page 173.)

SOME of the servants got a nay-say, and some of them were beaten. Hence we learn that every minister will not be beaten, nor will get the stroke to keep; but if a minister get a nay-say, it will make him as sad as if he had gotten sore strokes. If a minister get a nay-say that has been travailing these many years in the ministry, and yet cannot get one soul brought unto the Lord, that will make him as sad as sore strokes will do. When an honest minister has laboured many years painfully in the sweat of his brows, and has never had another tune but, Come away, come away unto the marriage; and when he walks among them and sees never one coming in, nor never one that has on the wedding garment, what will be the complaint of the poor man? O then he will cry out with Isaiah, “Lord, who believes my report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been made naked? Lord, I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength for nought. What will come of me after so many years’ travail in the ministry? I have not brought forth one child.” The Lord forbid that ye, our people, break your ministers’ hearts. And as for you, brethren, be more watchful over your flocks; be more busy in catechising and exhorting them. And urge the duty of the covenant upon them, and when they are on foot, hold them going. Lead them to the fountain and cock-eye. Lead them to the well-spring, and make meikle of them. Feed the Lord’s lambs, as Christ said to Peter, “If thou lovest me, feed my sheep; lovest thou me? I say, feed my sheep.” Minister, lovest thou me? feed my bair’d sheep; lovest thou me? feed my lambs. You must be feeders and not fleecers, pastors but not wolves, builders but not destroyers; and come away and help up the broken-down wall of Jerusalem. For if one of you can bring timber here, another bring mortar, a third bring stones, and make up a slap in Zion. And I hope we that came here shall go home with blythe news to our congregations—that we cannot say we have got a cold welcome; so I hope ye will think it your greatest comfort and your greatest credit also. Venture in covenant with God, and whosoever thou be that wilt not enter in covenant, we will have thy name, and we will pour

out our complaints before God for thee; for we that are ministers must be faithful to our Master. And I take you all to witness that we have discharged our commission faithfully; and I hope the blessing of the Lord shall be upon them that have given us an invitation of this kind. And it may be your greatest comfort that now ye may go homely unto the Lord, being formerly in covenant with Him; and your greatest credit also, for ye never got such a credit as to lend your Master’s honour a lift. We come to the excuses.

“But they went their way, one to his farm and another to his merchandise.” Luke is more large in this, and saith, “I have bought a piece of ground and must needs go see it; another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; and the third said, I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come.” (1) We learn here that never a man refuses Christ but from some by-respects, such as a farm, oxen, and marriage. I never saw a man staying back from the covenant, but from some by-respects; either some respect to the world, or to men, or to the court, or such bastard by-respects to some statesmen, or to a prelate, or to the king himself, who, we trust, ere it be long, shall think them the honestest men that came in soonest; therefore cast away all by-respects. The apostle John includes their excuses under three different expressions, “The pride of life,” including the farm; “The lust of the heart,” including the merchandise; and “The lust of the flesh,” including the marriage. Therefore let every soul that would love and follow Christ, deny himself, and lay aside excuses. Deny thy own wit, will, and vanities, and lay aside all by-respects, and I shall warrant thou shalt come running, and get Christ in thy arms. (2) Is it a respect to prelacy that hinders thee, O Scotland? cursed be the day that ever they were born. (3) Is it a respect to the novations already come into Scotland? I may say cursed be these brats of Babel. It had been best to have rent them at the beginning, for many woful days have they brought on, and woful divisions have they brought in, and woful backslidings have they occasioned. Therefore away with these by-respects. (4) Is it a respect to the king? The Lord bless our king. Says not the covenant enough for the maintenance of the king? As for the word which they call combinations, it reserves always the honour of God, and the honour of the king; protesting, that we mind nothing that may tend to the diminution of the king’s greatness and authority. Yea, I know no other means under heaven to make many loyal subjects, but by renewing our covenant.

I would have had the men that made these excuses framing them another way. I would have had him that married the wife, saying, My wife has married me; and he that bought his oxen, saying, My oxen have bought me; and he that went to his farm, saying, My farm has bought me. And if ye will mark the words, ye will find them run this way. (1) Marriage is lawful; but when a man

beasts himself in his carnal pleasures, then the wife marries the man; “therefore let them that have wives, be as though they had them not, and them that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not.”

(2) Buying of farms is lawful, but when a man becomes a slave to his own gain, it takes away the soul of him, the farm buys the man; likewise husbandry is lawful, but when a man yokes his neck under the world, it trails and turmoils him so, that he cannot take on the yoke of Jesus. (3) Thus also the merchandise buys the man. Then, for Jesus Christ’s sake, cast away all excuses, and come away now, and marry Christ. (1) Away with thy bastard pleasures. (2) Away with thy bastard cares, and come away to Christ, and He shall season all thy cares. (3) Away with thy falsehood, thy pride, vanity, etc. Away with thy corn, wine and oil, and come to Christ, and He shall lift up His countenance upon thee. The Lord give thee a blink of that, and then thou wilt come hopping with all thy speed, like unto old Jacob, when he saw the angels ascending and descending, then he ran fast, albeit he was tired, and had got a hard bed, and a far harder bolster the night before, yet he got a glorious sight, and his legs were soupled with consolation, which made him run. Lord blink upon thy lazy soul with His amiable countenance, and then thou shalt rise and run, and thy fainting heart shall receive strength, when the Lord puts in His hand by the key-hole of the door, and leaves drops of myrrh behind Him, then a sleepy bride will rise and seek her Beloved. But to our point.

Marriage is lawful, merchandise is lawful, husbandry is lawful, but never one of these is lawful when they hinder thee from the Lord. Neither credit, pleasure, preferment, houses nor lands are lawful, when they hinder thee from the Lord’s sweet presence. Jerome said well, “Though my old father were hanging about my neck, and my sweet mother had me in her arms, and all my dear children were sticking about me, yet when my Lord Jesus called upon me, I would cast off my old father, and throw my sweet mother under foot, and throw away all my dear children, and run away to my Lord Jesus.” Lord grant, my beloved, that what ye have heard of Christ may sink in your souls: and when ye have seen poor things running here and there, to get a prayer here, and a prayer there, and ye wonder what they are seeking, they are seeking their Beloved; and if ye ask, “What is their Beloved more than another?” They will answer, My Beloved is the fairest and trimmest, and the highest and honourablest in the world; He has the sweetest eyes, the sweetest cheeks, the sweetest lips, and trimmest legs and arms, “yea He is altogether lovely;” and then they will be made to cry out, “O thou fairest among women, tell us whither is thy Beloved gone, that we may seek him with thee?” O if we knew Him! Lord work upon you the knowledge of Him. O what a business would you make to be at Him! Lord grant that our ministry may leave a stamp upon your hearts. Then had we gotten a rich purchase. Would to God ye were like

that marquis in Italy, who fled from thence to Geneva, being persecuted by the Jesuits; and when they followed him, and offered him sums of gold, he answered, “Let those perish forever who part with an hour’s fellowship with Christ, for all the gold under heaven.” And sundry of the martyrs being at the stake, having this and that offered to them, they had still this word, None but Christ, none but Christ: and when they were bidden, Have mind of your well-favoured wife, and your poor children; they answered, “If I had all the money and gold in the world, I would give it to stay with my wife and poor children, if it were but in a stinking prison; but sweet Christ is dearer unto me than all.” Then cast away all excuse. Would to God we were like that woman when going to the stake—”I have borne many children,” says she, “and yet, notwithstanding of all these pains, I would suffer them all over again, for one hour’s fellowship with my Lord.” Then come away, come away, cast away all excuses, come away; as the Saviour says, “The storm is past and over, the winter is away, the time of singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; arise, my fair one, and come away.” God be thanked, there is a sad winter over Scotland’s head, and our figs are blossoming, and our trees are budding, and bringing forth fruit, now is the turtle singing, and his voice is heard in our land: now is Christ’s voice heard, now is our Bridegroom standing waiting on our way-coming; and here am I in His name, crying unto you, Come away: here am I to honour my Master: all honour be to him for ever and ever. Come away then, for the winter is going, the summer is approaching, our vines are blossoming, in token of a fair summer: arise, arise, and come away.

Verse 9, “Go ye, therefore, out to the highways:” as if He would say, Well, I see the Jews will not come in; “therefore go your ways and fetch in the Gentiles.” Yet I hope in God there shall many of the Jews come in shortly. They spake for you when you could not speak for yourselves; they said, “We have a little sister, and she has no breasts; what shall we do for her in the day she shall be spoken for?” Now pray ye for them. Always they refused to come in, as ye heard; and not being worthy, they would not come to Him to make them worthy. Always, says the Lord, go out and call in the Gentiles to My table, My Son may not want a wife: He is too great a king to want a spouse, and My supper is too good cheer to be lost; therefore go and fetch in the Gentiles. I thank the Lord that ye are come in. I know not a town in the kingdom of Scotland that is not come in, except one, and I am afraid for the wrath of God to light on that shortly. Always God hath his own time. But trow ye, that God will give that honour to everyone? Nay. I protest in my own silly judgment (howbeit I cannot scance upon king’s crowns) that it were the greatest honour that ever King Charles got, to subscribe the covenant. But trow ye that every minister and

burgh will come in? Nay: if you will read the history (2 Chron. xxx. 10) you will see the contrary; when Hezekiah was going to renew the covenant, and to keep the passover, the holy text says that numbers mocked and thought themselves over-jelly to come in; but those whose hearts the Lord had touched, they came in and kept the blythe day. Indeed I was afraid once, that Christ would have left old Scotland, and gone to new Scotland, and that He would have left old England, and gone to new England: and think ye not but He can easily do this? Has He not a famous church in America, where He may go? Indeed I know not a kingdom in all the world, but if their plots had gone on, they had been at antichrist’s shore ere now; but all his limbs and laths I hope shall be broken, and then shall our Lord be great: therefore come away in your wedding garment, and ye that have not put it on, now put it on, and come away to the marriage: and I thank the Lord, that ye are prevailed with, by God’s assisting of our faithful brethren to bring you in; the Lord grant that ye may come in with your wedding garment. It is but a small matter for you to hold up your hand; and yet, I suspect, some of you when it was in doing took a back-side. I tell you that it is no matter of sport to board with God: therefore come away with your wedding garment: for the Master of the feast sees you, and knows all that are come to the marriage feast. I know you not, but my Master knows you every one: He knows who came in on Sabbath and who came in yesterday, and who will come in to-day, and who are going to put on their wedding garment and cast away their duds. Away with your duds of pride, your duds of greed and of malice; away with all these duds, and be like the poor blind man in the gospel, who when he knew that Christ called him, he cast his old cloak from him, and came away; so do ye, cast aside all excuses and come to the wedding. And now with a word of the wedding garment I will end.

This wedding garment consists of three pieces: (1) There is one piece of it looks to God, and that is holiness. (2) There is another piece of it looks to ourselves, and that is sobriety. (3) Another piece of it looks to our neighbour, and that is righteousness.

The first is holiness. I charge you to put it on; ye that are the provost and bailies, I love you dearly, and all the members of the town; gentlemen, and all gentlewomen, and all of you I love you dearly; and therefore I charge you all before God, in my last farewell unto you, to be holy, according as ye have sworn in your covenant.

1. Be sober. Howbeit I be a stranger, yet I like brotherly love and Christian fellowship well; but drunkenness and gluttony, feasting and carousing, I hate, especially now when the Kirk of Scotland is going in dool-weed. Therefore be sober. (1) Be sober in your apparel. I think there is too much of gaudy apparel among you. (2) Be sober in your conceits. (3) Be

sober in your judgments. (4) Be sober in your self-conceiting. (5) Be sober in your speaking. (6) Be sober in your sleeping. (7) Be sober in your lawful recreations. (8) Be sober in your lawful pleasures. And finally, be sober in all respects, that it may be seen ye are the people that have renewed your covenant.

1. Be righteous. I know not if ye have false weights and balances among you; but whether there be or not, I give you all charge who have sworn the covenant, to be righteous.

In a word, this wedding garment is Jesus Christ. “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.” I cannot give you a better counsel nor Christ gave to Martha—forget the many things and choose that one thing which is needful; and with David, still desire that one thing—”To behold the beauty of the Lord in his temple”; and with Paul—”Forget the things that are behind, and press forward to the prize of the high calling through Jesus Christ.” The Lord fill your hearts with the love of Christ.

If thou askest what will this garment do to thee, I answer, This garment serves (1) for necessity; (2) for ornament; (3) for distinction.

1. For necessity. And this is threefold. (1) To cover thy nakedness and hide thy shame. (2) To defend thy body from the cold of winter and heat of summer. (3) For necessity to hold in the life of the body. So put on Jesus Christ, this wedding garment, and (1) He shall cover the shame of thy nakedness with the white linen of His righteousness; (2) He shall defend thee when the wind of trial begins to blow rough and hard, and when the blast of the Terrible One is arising to rain fire and brimstone upon the world. “Then he shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and a place of refuge for a covert from storm and from rain.” “A refuge from the storm and shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” When men are pursuing, He shall be a brazen wall about thee, and when they pursue thee, He shall keep thee in His bosom.

2. A garment is for an ornament. Who is the best favoured body and the trimmest soul? Even the poor soul that has put on the bridegroom Jesus: that soul is fair and white, and altogether lovely. “There is no spot in it,” because the Lord hath put upon it “broidered work, bracelets, and ornaments.”

3. A garment is for distinction. There must be a distinction among you—between you and the wicked world—because ye have renewed your covenant with God; and this distinction must not only be outwardly (for an hypocrite may seem indeed very fair), but it must be by inward application. I desire you all that are hearing me not only to put it on but to hold it on; put it on and hold it on, for it is not like another garment, neither in matter nor shape, nor in use nor in durance. I may not insist to handle it; but it is not like other garments—especially it is not like a bridegroom’s garment, which he has on to-day and off to-morrow.

Therefore I charge you all your days to hold it on. Ay, that which ye had on upon Sabbath last, and yesterday, and which you have on this day, see that ye cast it not off to-morrow. What heard you cried on Sabbath last and yesterday and this day? Hosanna, hosanna! And wherefore cried ye yesterday and this day, Hosanna, hosanna? Look that when we are away, and your ministers not preaching to you, that ye cry not, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” I fear that many who, last Sabbath, yesterday, and this day, have been crying Hosanna, hosanna, shall, long ere the next Sabbath, cry “Crucify Him and hang Him up.” But I charge you, O sons of Zion and ye daughters of Jerusalem, that your tongues never cease in crying Hosanna till Christ come and dwell in your soul.

Ye that are masters of this college, if ye count me worthy to speak to you, I would have you keep your garments clean, and take heed that ye be not spotted with uncovenanted spots. Ye that are scholars, take heed what sort of learning and traditions ye drink in, and hold your garments clean. We hear of too many colleges in the land that are spotted, but we hope in God that ye are yet clean. And young and old of you, take all heed to your garments, that they be white and clean and beautiful.

For the Lord’s sake, all ye that are hearing me take heed to your garments; but especially ye that have subscribed your covenant, take heed to your garments; for blythe will your adversaries be to see any spot on them. And, therefore, for the Lord’s sake, study to be holy. Otherwise Papists will rejoice at it, and the weak will stumble at it; and so ye will wound and bore the sweet side of Christ. And therefore put on your wedding garment, hold it on, and hold it clean; walk wisely and before the world.

Now I commend you to Him who is able to strengthen, stablish, and settle you. To Him be glory, honour, and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sir George MacKenzie, the King’s Advocate.—Mr. Andrew Lang, whose literary activity is one of the marvels of the day, has written a life of Sir George Mackenzie, who had an unenviable notoriety for sending many of the Covenanters to an undeserved death. Sir George is better known as the “Bluidy MacKenzie.” He was a brilliant lawyer, a distinguished scholar, and poet. He had a large part in founding the famous Advocates’ Library. But with all his brilliant parts and philosophic insight, he was a bitter and cruel persecutor of the Covenanters, and the innocent blood he was the means of shedding cries for vengeance in the ear of Him who hears the groaning prisoners’ sighs. Mr. Lang does his best to present his hero in the fairest light and the Covenanters in the worst, but history for all time coming shall know Sir George as the “Bluidy MacKenzie.”

Memoirs or Spiritual Exercises of Katherine Colace or Mrs. Ross.

THE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE OF A SCHOOLMISTRESS OF THE
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

(Written with her own Hand.)

(Continued from page 178.)

ONE day, about that same time, I was considering my way and what length I had come in mortification of idols. I found, after some serious enquiry, that after many a conflict I had win to some victory. Then I began to inquire what way, according to the command, I should keep myself from idols? Now, that which my heart was readiest to run out after was my little ones and the Lord’s people. As for the first, it had been my exercise by their deaths and sicknesses to be studying deniedness to them, and so came to some victory. As for the other, the Lord took another way. He discovered to me that there was a glory in the saints that darkened all the glory in the world, so that I had never seen so much of the glory of the saints as He discovered to be in them; and I saw wherein all my acquaintances excelled, and was united to them, from the discovery of the glory of the grace that was in them. But then He was pleased to give me a clear and distinct view of the glory of God in Christ, and that “in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,” which was as far above the glory that I saw in the saints as the heavens are above the earth. And though I discovered at that time my great ignorance, and that I was but at the borders of what might be known of Him, yet what I saw was as much as I was able to bear. This made all the glory I had seen in the saints to disappear; nay, all the created glory of angels and the spirits of just men made perfect (which at that time I had some discoveries of) seemed like mole-hills to the great mountains when compared with the uncreated glory of the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in Christ. But, oh what fulness did I apprehend that I was not able to conceive of!

When my soul was satisfied with that blessed sight I began to remember the question I had been proposing—How shall I keep myself from idols? I gathered this answer, viz., to be thus kept within sight of God, makes all other things, however lovely, to disappear. This had some abiding impression upon my heart. But still, fearing my heart’s departing, I sought that the Lord would persuade me that I should not, and for this I would have an absolute promise. But this was my ignorance, for the Lord makes no promise against backsliding but conditionally, though against final departing He doth. Now, this led me to some more observation of the condition of the promises of keeping in His way and from idols. One of them was Psalm lxxxi. 13, 14, which,

hearkening to His voice, I took not only to be a general observation of His will, but dependence on God for the particular guidance of His Spirit to the seasonable performance of these things, which I had many encouragements to observe. And the omission thereof affected as much as any evil, it being a practice indispensably necessary to the tender walk of a Christian.

I had at that time several answers of prayer and fulfilling of expectations. The Lord made me many times meet with the performance of that promise, “They shall decree a thing, and it shall come to pass.” He gave me some particular good for every one that had shown me kindness, and set me awork, particularly to pray for the gospel’s coming to that country by Mr. Thomas Ross, his ministry, and that Mr. Thomas Hog might be brought from prison, who had been in that country sometime before, and was particularly exercised about these. And,

First—About Mr. Thomas Hog I was kept still praying, and got many promises of his deliverance, and was tried, not only with improbabilities, but with what seemed quite contrary to my expectations, which proved trying and constant exercise. But the Lord comforted me with these things: (1) That it was more for the Lord’s glory that he was there, where he had greater opportunity of a public testimony, having frequent visits from all ranks and airts of the country, whereas formerly he lived obscure and in a private place. (2) It was for his greater honour, not only by making known what of God was in him, but by discovering him to be another thing than what he was represented to be, viz., unconvertible. Whereas he was found to be very affable for the edification of all that came to visit him. (3) It should be advantageous to us for the increasing of our desires after the means we formerly enjoyed. (4) The Lord comforted me with the hope of his deliverance from prison. Especially, one day He was pleased to show me that his integrity in keeping the Lord’s way should be the mean of his deliverance; and so it was. For the Prelate finding himself at a loss by his imprisonment, by finding him more free in speaking against them, having greater opportunity than formerly, turned less active in detaining him. The Lord also comforted me by showing me what service He had to do with him, not only in the place he came from, but in all the corners of that country and through the whole land, which also came to pass. For he, living eight years thereafter, preaching in his own house, was the instrument of converting many; and ministers about did likewise wax bold, by his example, to fall about the work of preaching: he was also one of the first that licensed ministers in Scotland after he was put out of his kirk. And, to shut up all, the Lord brought that place to my hand—Prov. xxii. 19—”That thy trust may be in God, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.”

The Lord also comforted me with this: that, though none had been seeking his delivery from bonds but myself, I should have

attained it as a blessing to that place for their kindness to me. And great was the blessing he proved, not only by his walk to take the reproach off the way of God that he who was before him had brought upon it, but by bringing many to Christ of as lively professors as ever I did see or expect to see again.

Next—I was put to pray for Mr. Thomas Ross’s coming to the country of Moray on the forementioned account, and was pressed to go over to Ross where he then lived, not knowing any thing but that it had been for a visit. I parted with him, and crossed one of the ferries betwixt Ross and Moray, and staying the Lord’s Day in a friend’s house, began to be sore troubled for parting with him, and was put to pray for his coming over, yet knew not for what I was so desirous to have met with him. When I was about to have come from that place, he came over where I was and told me that he behoved to come, for the Lord had holden forth to him that I had prayed for it. I was put to wonder what it meant, as yet not knowing the cause. He resolved not to part with me till he knew for what he was sent over. So going out with me homeward, stayed all night. Upon the morrow it was told me that he should come to Moray and be a blessing to that country, which then he had no thoughts of. Then I told him he behoved to come to Moray, and so parted much refreshed, the Lord being gracious to my soul that morning. Sometime after the Lord brought him to that place, and great was the blessing he proved to it, for the Lord made him the mean of converting that eminent worthy, the Lady Kilravock, who built a house for him on her own land, where the gospel had never been in any power. There the Lord blest his ministry, not only for the comfort of these who had grace and to the reforming of others, but to the real converting of severals, some of which were a wonder for experience in the ways of God, attained to in a very short time.

The Lord was very gracious to me in being near to me in all things wherein I called upon Him, and kept me quiet in the midst of my outward troubles that were not few, I not being suffered to be careful for any thing, but by prayer and supplications made my requests known; and the God of peace did fill, etc. But one day, defending a necessary truth with some heat against one that was debating with me, I lost my frame, and was challenged with that word: “The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

After this I met with a sore affliction. My sister taking a sore fever at Innes, I went to see her, and took a sore sickness; as also I met with inward trouble for omitting a duty I had been often taught with a strong hand. And such inconveniency following the same, there arose a great storm in my soul, which when I had been sore tossed with for a considerable time, I was made calm again. The means the Lord was pleased to bless for that end were as follows (I being in sore perplexity): 1. From the thoughts of my sister’s threatened removal, being dangerously sick. 2. By charging myself with having a hand in it, the seeking

my advice in something relating to her health, that she told me had been of use to her in such cases; I rashly advising her without enquiring of the Lord, it turned to her hurt. 3. The place we were in was strange to me. 4. The curate there was triumphing over us; we were also near the Prelate, and both like to die; none were near that understood soul-work; we were far from friends and acquaintances, being well used by them in such cases. I say, in this great perplexity, I began to reflect, First—Upon my interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that in Him all the promises are “yea” and “amen.” Secondly—It was my duty to make use of the promises that were most suitable to my case. That which I pitched upon was—Psalm 1. 15—“Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver,” etc. And I betook myself, though under great indisposition, to pray, and concluded, though without any sense, that He would hear me, and resolved to wait on His time. Upon which I felt a present calm in my soul. He afterwards made out His Word in both our recoveries, and drew our souls and bodies out of that deep.

When the Lord had brought about that great deliverance, He put me upon a piece of work that I was very unwilling to undergo, which was the re proving of that gentleman (in whose house my sister was) for taking the Declaration; which I did, and told him, if he humbled not himself before the Lord, the wrath of God would pursue his house. And, to witness that I thought as I said, I brought my sister out of his family when she was very low, who never returned there again to stay; and much visible wrath pursued his family from that day.

These lessons I learned by that affliction, being sharply exercised therewith, and taken up in searching my way: 1. Security is a most dangerous sin; it indisposes for the lively exercise of any duty, and so through sloth the building falls down, and drowsiness clothes a man with rags. It stealeth in when one is in the best frame, and it is very hardly put out again. 2. That absolute dependence on God is an indispensable duty at all times and in all things, especially for direction, approbation, and consolation. 3. When the Lord is pleased in His condescendency to bestow any or all of these mercies on us, we are to take good heed that they be neither slighted nor abused. That this doth occasion a sad change of weather sad experience taught me. 4. We may have mercies we little prize, the want whereof might make us very miserable, at least to sense. 5. The great thing that makes our storm terrible is either the want of the lively exercise or strength of faith. 6. Disappointments of expectations after prayer prove very weakening to faith in a new strait: therefore we should be careful to be sicker [sure] in the grounds of our confidence. 7. That, when—through the imperfection of our understanding in taking up the mind of God—we meet with a disappointment in our expectation, we are to take good heed that we neither question what we have on good grounds expected, or what we may expect

on good grounds for the time to come, but to be humbled under our ignorance, which may occasion mistakes. 8. To prize the people of God more, and their fellowship as pleasant and profitable in the time of straits, yet to dote upon them less, since there may be cases that none can be of use but God only, at least to sense. 9. It is the duty of all who ever knew soul-trouble not to forget to pray particularly for all under it; this may be of use, though we know it not. 10. A seeming little sin given way unto, as vain thoughts, unnecessary words, frothiness in carriage, etc., may be an inlet to evils that may not so easily be put out. 11. When the soul is convinced of sin, let it be never so little if the heart take with it and mourn for it; let them be ever watchful against the sin whatever temptations come in the way, or else it may cost dear. 12. We are not only to search in order to know the mind of God in a rod in general, but in every remarkable circumstance thereof. 13. When the heart remains unsatisfied, notwithstanding of many discovered causes of our being afflicted, we should proceed in enquiring till we be satisfied. For the Lord sometimes keeps the main thing last that He hath to speak to us by the rod. It was so with me here; for though by search I got occasion of learning all these lessons, yet the main thing was last, which was my bearing witness against that gentleman’s taking the Declaration, not only by holding forth the evil of that sin and wrath following it as I could to him, but by letting him see I was in earnest by taking my sister out of his house.

(To be Continued.)

News from Canadian Mission.

THE following letter has been received from the Rev. Donald Macleod, missionary, by the Rev. Neil Cameron, Glasgow:—

EGMONDVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA,
26th August, 1908.

MY DEAR MR. CAMERON,—I duly received your very kind and welcomed letter, and regret being so long in answering it. I have visited the North Line, Kincardine, Lochalsh, and Goderich, and at all these places had splendid gatherings, which, on the whole, were most encouraging. I have been at Brucefield for the last two Sabbaths, the Communion being on the second. The usual services were observed from Thursday to Monday, with the addition of a prayer-meeting in Mr. Forrest’s house on Saturday night and Sabbath night after the evening service. At these meetings Mr. Forrest, Mr. M’Leish, Mr. David Mackenzie, Mr. Phineas M’Donald, and Mr. Baird took part with a good measure of liberty, and, personally, I enjoyed them very much. Friends were present from East Williams, Lochalsh, Newton, Wardsville, Detroit, and Milwaukee, U.S.A., and on Sabbath evening a Mr. Thomson was present from Oregon, U.S.A. Quite a number came from Detroit, and the gathering being swelled by some residents

about Brucefield itself, it was the largest seen in connection with our Church there yet. The Methodists again kindly gave us the use of their church for the whole week. I had there also my first baptism—an infant daughter of Mr. Roderick Mackenzie, Detroit, named Margaret Christina. He is a brother of Mrs. Shupe, who was also present with her husband. I hope the Lord will abundantly bless the administration of the Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper to all of us who were present. I came here yesterday as I had some little business to do in Seaforth, and I am leaving to-morrow morning for Newton, breaking my journey at Stratford for a few hours in order to visit Mr. Robertson. I shall be (D.V.) leaving Newton for Owen’s Sound en route for Winnipeg on Tuesday morning, the 1st of September. Mr. Alick Finlayson, Lochalsh, is going with me to Winnipeg.

Sometime ago I had a letter from the Secretary at Toronto re marriage in answer to Rev. Mr. Sinclair’s letter. He wouldn’t give me permission right away to perform marriage, as he thought he hadn’t all the particulars that he would like to have; but he sent me a copy of the Marriage Law of Canada, and asked me to study carefully sections 1 and 2 of it. After doing this I saw that the only thing about which there was any doubt was if a year would count for residence in Canada. When at Parkhill I consulted Mr. Mactavish, solicitor, there, and he assured me that I need not in the least have any fear in regard to it. So it is settled so far as I am concerned. But we have already taken steps to interview some of the Members of Parliament with a view to getting, if possible, the right given to our Mission here that any of our ministers coming from Scotland would be allowed to marry.

We are also going to make some repairs and improvements on the Church at East Williams, North Line, and Lochalsh. I shall (D.V.) be going to Wardsville and Detroit some time after my return from the North-West. The weather is keeping fine and cool, and I feel very well indeed. It is such a welcome change from the hot weather that we have been having ever since I came. I am very much indebted to you for remembering us at the throne of grace, for our need of it is daily increasing, and I have no doubt you will continue to plead for us. I often think that the people here are at a great disadvantage as hearers of the gospel in not being accustomed to the sea and the hills and mountains. Scotland is highly favoured in that respect, as resembling so much the land of mountains, hills, and streams, that borders on the Mediterranean Sea where the Revelation of God was given; for the whole Word of God abounds with references to these things, and people who have never seen them cannot be expected to fully appreciate and understand them, and neither they do. We need here the promise: “I will pour water upon the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground.” At all the places that I have visited the people are in their usual health. I hope that you are all well. I must now conclude with my kindest regards to you all.—Yours very sincerely,

D. MACLEOD.