STRATHY POINT.
MY DEAR FRIEND,—I received your very kind and welcome letter some time ago. Though I am so long in replying, I was very glad to hear from you, and not only that but I felt very near to you some time back. I am the old sinner that I used to be with an evil nature continually in flames against the will of the Lord. I was sorry to hear of your being ill, but hope you are better before now. It may be more profitable for you to be laid aside some times than if you were always well. However, fools do not know what is good for them, but He that ruleth all things well knows best what is good for us. There is a certain case described in one of the gospels. It is written that a certain man said in his heart, that the Lord was delaying His coming, and the effect of that was that he commenced to ill-use the menservants and maidservants. Now this is a very dangerous spirit, and it is in all men by nature, and in order to keep it down, we have need to die daily, that is, we have need to employ every day as if it were the last. If we would come to this, how ready would we be to do the will of the Lord in the measure we would know it. But this is more the exercise of my own spirit than an answer to your letter.
As for my own case, I am like a man that would be going in a storm, and often not having much light, but sometimes, as it were, a spark of light. And you know how a man that is walking to a certain place on a dark night would rejoice to get a blink of the daylight. He might be getting very doubtful whether he was on the right way or not, but how precious would light be if it would reveal to him that he was on the right way, or even if it would enable him to turn from his crooked ways. A traveller that has his direction towards a good place may be apt to linger on the way, or may get his mind entangled too much with the affairs of this life, even things which he has very little business with. In such a case he might be very needful of a sharp rebuke from his Master, and I think if he would be made to turn to his right way that he would kiss the rod which struck him.
I sometimes think that my soul is united to this cause, or to His cause, and this movement for it. You know that he who loves God, loves the children of God. It is impossible for one to love the Father in this case, except he love the children. We are increasing here, though very slowly. . . . I had a very kind letter from —. He is complaining of darkness and little wonder, when the Sun has shone on him. It is the very thing which the Church said: she just said she was black because the Sun shone on her. . . . May the Lord pour of His Spirit on you all, and on us, and on all the household of faith! May He who is blessed for ever bless you all in your outgoings and incomings! —Your dear friend,
DONALD MACKAY.
STRATHY HEAD,
21st February, 1894.
DEAR FRIEND,—I write you these lines, though I am often afraid all will be against me at last. Some time ago these words had a little effect on my spirit, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth;” but they have very little effect now. The children of the Bridegroom cannot fast while the Bridegroom is with them, but when that is not the case they will mourn and fast. It would be good for us if the Lord would put His cause so near our heart that we would be cast down when His cause would be low, and be glad when His cause would flourish in the land. It is written that sin is the sting of death. Though the serpent is all hateful, the sting is the place where danger lies. . . .
I wish you all may prosper, but especially in holiness, as time is short. Keep a good watch on the carnal mind, in case it may take away all your goods. . . . Your friend,
DONALD MACKAY.
STRATHY HEAD,
6th December, 1894.
I am glad that you wrote C—. We have many causes of being thankful to the Lord, when we think of the long suffering of the Lord toward us such sinful creatures. If I know anything of what the love of God is, it is sweet in the mouth and in the heart. But it also causes bitterness in the heart; indeed, there is an infinite dislike in the love of God to sin, and little wonder then that the lot of the sinner, who knows it, and who is so full of sin, should be sorrow. Not that the love of God is bitter, for if it was so, heaven itself would be bitter. How wonderful that the Lord Jesus should suffer death that they might get a resurrection from the dead and a foretaste of the love, which at the final resurrection they will get a fulness of. Remember this, that the crown is not only for Paul, but also for all them that love His appearing; and do not deny so much your interest in Him, as you long for His appearing. I may say a little of what is awaiting you. In the first place, perfect holiness and a fulness of the love of God. Death will be swallowed up in victory, and you may cry, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” May the Church of God flourish spiritually in this land and in all lands! May the Lord grant to His Church in this land great love to one another.—Your affectionate friend,
DONALD MACKAY.
I write you these few lines, hoping you do not forget me. I do not expect to write much. I have great need that the breath of life would breathe on my soul. . . . It is very dangerous for me to see too much of other people’s failings and too little of my own. Charity “thinketh no evil.” I do not mean that charity will not enable a person to rebuke sin, but I think this, that charity sees them that are Christ’s in a measure as they stand in Him, and not as they stand in themselves. It is something more precious than we understand to be in Christ, as the branch is in the vine. And it is written, “Except you abide in me, and I in you, you cannot bear fruit.” Now, the nature of the vine is in the branches. O to have such union with Jesus, as the branch has with the vine.
Try and be earnest for a poor sinner like me at a throne of grace. May the Lord take me out of darkness into His light, and I hope you will pray for me that my speech may come from love to Jesus and to sinners when I speak to them.—Your dear friend,
DONALD MACKAY.