STRATHY HEAD, 6th June, 1894.
DEAR FRIEND,—I received your very kind letter some time ago, and was very glad to hear from you.
It is the spiritual mind which is life and peace, and nothing else than that will do; for though I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing, and though I give my body to be burned, it is nothing. O what need I have to be made a new creature in Christ, and to depend on the Holy Spirit of God for comfort and renewing! How good would it be for me to come to that blessed experience—”Though our outward man perish, our inward man is renewed day by day.” But as for me, it will be very wonderful if ever I will be found in the number of the saved.
You were writing about my going forward to study. It is very little that I ever studied, and though there have been some truths impressed on my mind—even some of these before I was speaking to you last—yet other things are so unlike it. Still, I would like to study just now, whatever the end of it may be. Please say in your reply if you think you can come to Strathy this time, for there is great need of the Gospel here, and it is to be feared that the case is this—”If ye were blind, you had not had sin, but now you say you see, therefore your sin remaineth.”
It is sad to hear of Dr. A—going to the Rev. Mr. Macdonald’s (Shieldaig) congregation in such a way. What need have we to be directed by the Lord to do His will, and not to depend on man for our path of duty!
My soul is very dry and barren; pray for me, as I know you care for my soul.
M— rises a while every day, though far from being strong. She is grieved to have heard that Dr. A— is going to Shieldaig; but it would not have been pleasant for the prophet of the Lord to see Jehoshaphat going with Ahab to battle.
Wishing you may get a mind and way to come north soon, I will be coming to an end with this letter. May you have the presence of the Lord as a congregation. Do pray for me. May the Lord give a door of utterance to all them who have chosen rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Let me know who are the elders who were ordained recently at —.
I am, your affectionate friend,
DONALD MACKAY.
LYNDALE LODGE, PORTREE.
MY DEAR BROTHER,—I am, after coming home, somewhat cast down, because I fear that I have grieved the Holy Spirit of God, and if the Spirit will leave me I need not continue this work. My desire and prayer for you is that you may be filled with the Spirit. I long to see you again. May Jesus grant that I may not be separated from you at the Judgment-Day, when all will go to their own place. You may know the way coming home was not very comfortable with these two passages—”Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The other passage which I was exercised about was—”A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” If I should have the Spirit I could enjoy myself, but when I am in this way, it is very few that I find shelter with. I am thinking my soul longs to meet with you, though I am afraid I am discouraging you with my dull spirit. O that light would break in on my soul once more, and that I would taste of the forgiveness of sins. May His Spirit be with you, to give you a door of utterance. O that it would please Him to bring in other sheep in some place by some one. As for myself, my sins are so great, and I am so unwatchful. May Jesus forgive such a sinner. Remember me to all the friends, and tell them to pray in a special manner for me, to see if the Spirit will return to my soul. I have a very kind letter from M— before me as I write. May the love of Christ be in you; and the more I get of the Spirit of prayer for you all there, the happier I will be. Be sure to write immediately, supposing it were only a few lines.
I am, your loving brother,
DONALD MACKAY.
P.S.—Do pray for me, though you will feel tired in the Lord’s work. O that light would come from Heaven.—D.M.
STRATHY HEAD, 5th October, 1898.
MY DEAR FRIEND,—I was pleased to get your kind and welcome letter a few days ago, though we would like better if you had come yourself if that would be His will. A day came on the Apostle Paul when he had to lay aside his own will in order that he might do the will of the Lord. It seems the more of this spirit is found in any soul, the more he will enjoy of the peace of God. And when the day will come when they will have no other will, this peace will flow through their souls like a stream or river. What would do us good is that the virtue which flows from the intercession of Christ would reach on us. When the woman mentioned in the Gospel touched His garment, through faith virtue went out of Him, by virtue of which she acknowledged that she was healed from her disease. So those who get nearness to Him through faith will realise in themselves that quickening power has come to their souls, and although they shall not be wholly delivered from their diseases in time, at death their souls will be made perfect in holiness, freed from all sin, and at the great and last day their bodies also. And I am persuaded you are among these, because you have been often raised with Him by the power of His Spirit working in you effectually.
Tell our dear friend, —, that I am thinking of going to Glasgow, but that I am not quite sure yet, as I am far from being strong. I hope you will both pray for me in this matter. I desire to be kindly remembered to all the household, also to all other friends.—With kindest regards, I am, your dear friend,
DONALD MACKAY.