Sheriff MacCulloch, Dornoch, was saying: “Satan has three darts to cast at the awakened and believing soul. One is, that he is not among ‘the elect’; a second, that his day of grace is past; and the third is, that he has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost.”
On one occasion at a Communion at Latheron, Caithness, a great man from Ross-shire was expected to be present. On Friday, at “the fellowship meeting”, all eyes were looking for him, and on being asked to speak to “the question”, he rose and said: “There are only two persons here — he who has got Christ, and he who has not got Him; and he who has got Christ will have fears till the day of his death that he has not got Christ, while he who has not got Christ will not believe till the day of his death that he is without Him.”
Rev. Finlay Cook remarked that Christ was saying in the Gospel: “Count down your sins to me, and I will count down my pardons to you.”
Rev. John Kennedy, Redcastle, said that he never preached the Gospel rightly but he found himself the greatest sinner in the church.
One remarked that if the Apostle Paul had got his prayer answered in the removal of “the thorn in the flesh”, as he desired, he would be of little use in the Church all his days afterwards.
Rev Robert Finlayson said that Paul was never holier than when he cried, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
George Mackay, Golticlay, Caithness, and a friend were going on a Sabbath evening to “a reading”. On the way they passed some people who were scolding one another about cows and grass. George said to his companion: “Do not these people put us to shame? How faithful they are to their master, the devil! and how unfaithful we often are to our Master, Christ.”
Sandy Gair came home one day with his horse from “the smithy”. Next morning he found the horse choked with the halter. In a spirit of much submission, Sandy said, “Well, this is a trial, but glory to God, He is not done speaking to me yet.”
— F.P. Mag. Vol. 25.