(VI.)
STRATHERRICK, 2nd June, 1876.
MY DEAR DANIEL,—I am longing to hear how you feel. You are little the better of that, but certainly I am one who would wish you well, and I am satisfied you are just as well as your Lord and Saviour would have you to be, as long as He sees fit and until His gracious purpose towards you is answered. I say, without hesitation, His gracious purpose, for not a stroke does He give you either in mind or body, but there is more grace connected with it than you can ever believe while you are in this valley of tears. You will not believe this for my saying it, but that does not alter the case. I would not accept of a grant of all the land between you and me for saying so, unless I believed it myself. And I know that in this particular point my faith has a far better and surer foundation than your unbelief. A far better man than you came actually to his wit’s end, thinking of the prosperity of fools and of his own troubles every morning, noon, and evening; yet he got free of this temptation, although for all that I know he might have had it for years. And when he got free of it, he looked on himself as a beast because he allowed himself to be overcome by such uncharitable thoughts towards his Lord. So will you one day, which, if it be His blessed will, may He hasten. Until then, oh, may patience have its perfect work, and may there be some measure of that which maketh not ashamed, I mean, of the hope which is in a peculiar sense the anchor of the soul, and which keeps the vessel safe notwithstanding all the billows that may be permitted to go over the soul. Oh, may He, who is the Captain of Salvation be at the helm, and when all the wisdom of the poor seamen comes to an end, may He for His own glory bring to the desired haven! . . .
You will remember me to the dear friends at Lybster.—Yours, etc., D. DUFF.
(VII.)
STRATHERRICK, 28th May, 1877.
MY DEAR FRIEND,—I am in receipt of yours of the 23rd, and you see I did not keep you long without an answer, although some other letters that should have been written a month ago are unanswered yet. Certainly if my sympathy would be of any comfort to you, you have that, and I am enabled to remember you particularly, if I can remember myself.
But I am sorry that you are yielding so much to the enemy of your soul as to give so much place to unbelief. You say that you are shut up in the horrible pit of a natural state. Now, sir, let me say in honesty, if you are in a natural state, for my part I never knew what religion was. You will not find your own equal in all God’s Word, neither did I ever read of any, except those in a state of grace, whose main sorrow is occasioned by feeling himself shut out from the comfortable enjoyment of God’s presence. How can it be possible for one to be so grieved for the want of a comfort he never tasted? And if ever you had tasted it for one moment, the whole Bible must be a fable or then He will come in His own time, and will be in your experience as the glorious Son of Righteousness arising with healing under His wings. You say, if the prodigal’s son would be turned from his father’s house without anything in the world to suit his wants, what a miserable wretch he would be! Surely he would be such a miserable one that there was never the like of him in this world, for no one was ever turned away in such a case. That very passage was written to prove God’s willingness to receive every prodigal that is convinced of his misery in being without God in the world. I see plainly that the enemy of your soul is taking advantage of your present low state of mind and body to fight against you by the very things that might be a comfort to you. Oh, do not think of Christ as a hard master; He knows your weak state as to mind and body; He does not expect from you such services as otherwise might be the case. As sure as the sun is in the firmament, the day is coming and may not be far off, when you can read Christ’s love to your soul in all these dealings that are at present so trying to you.
My daughter is somewhat better. A letter from you is welcome at any time. With sincere regards to all my friends in your locality.—Yours, etc., D. DUFF.
(VIII.)
STRATHERICK, 17th August, 1878.
MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—I have been very little at home since you saw me. As to my visit to Caithness, for my own part, I certainly did enjoy it, perhaps more than on any former occasion. And I may say this much, that the few friends at Lybster followed my mind in a singular manner. As to yourself, I had a great desire to see you, although I knew I was not able to do you any good.
As to your body, I suppose none besides yourself can enter into your sufferings in that respect fully, but you will say that however painful that may be, if you would bear some hope of your soul’s salvation,—yes. Now, faith is the gift of God; none can work it in themselves, or in one another; we must wait God’s sovereign will. It is right we should learn this by experience. This is the only thing, as far as I can conceive, that would comfort you, as to your state being safe. Now, sir, you must try to wait on Him for this. What under the sun could the Sovereign Ruler of the universe have in view in making you to go through all the painful feeling you have experienced for years past for the want of a Saviour, I say, the painful feelings? I wish you to ask yourself this question, If you are to be left Christless after having been kept in that state of mind for being so for such a length of time, you will not find your own equal in all God’s Word, neither in any other history whatever.
I may tell you that I have been at the Dingwall Sacrament, and heard Dr. Begg preach three excellent sermons. I would go a considerable distance to hear the worst of the three. I had some conversation with him in private, and he has but dark views of the future. He is certainly afraid that matters will end in the Romanists getting the upper hand in this kingdom. Dr. Kennedy had also a good sermon on Sabbath. There was a number of friends also from other places. I did not go to Creich at this time, being so long from home.
Now, you will remember me with all the sincerity I am possessed of to each of my beloved friends at Lybster. Although at such a distance I do rejoice to think of you, if through grace you and I will get to the better country. Neither will there be hills or seas to separate, nor will there be sad hearts at separation, as the friends and myself had when we parted. May grace and peace be multiplied to you all!—Amen. D. DUFF.