FROM HER FIFTH TO HER NINETEENTH YEAR.1
Upon the occasion that a person in whom she was very nearly concerned was likely to be expelled from the place because of refusing to conform, as the law then required, the child, without acquainting any person of her design, endeavoured to prevail with some of her associates that they would join together in prayer for detaining that person amongst them. She had before this time, as she herself narrated, much rejoiced at the merciful providence that a person so useful should have come to dwell where she resided; and therefore she could not but look upon it as a heavy stroke to the neighbourhood and upon herself in case one should be thrust from them who was of so great use to them both in spiritual and secular regards, and particularly to herself, as having
1 This portion is entitled in the original edition, “Some further speeches of Emilia Geddie, uttered to and in the hearing of persons worthy of credit, observed and collected by K. C., her schoolmistress, who was intimately acquainted with her, and given in by the said K. C. as followeth.” So careful was the compiler to give only what was genuine.
This schoolmistress seems to have been Katherine Collae, or Mrs. Ross, who, when in the north at Oldearn, was one of the most intimate friends of Mr. Hog of Kiltearn at the time when persecution caused him to reside in Morayshire. Circumstances led her to remove southward to Falkland after she was left a widow and had lost twelve children successively. This was in 1672. (See “Spiritual Exercises of Mistress Ross,” p. 62, prefaced by Mr. Hog of Carnock.) She taught sewing, and was the instrument of converting many of her scholars. Her name frequently occurs in the “Diary of James Nimmo,” a copy of which exists in MS., written by Wm. Geddie, the uncle of Emilia Geddie.
the charge of her education. She was not fully nine years of age when she laid out herself for bringing about the forementioned project, yet it failed in so far as she could not procure a joint concurrence in that enterprise. Nevertheless, she set about the duty herself alone, and, having severed some time for that effect, she got (as she herself narrated) a merciful return, and was encouraged from that word “Be not afraid, only believe,” Mark v. 36. She looked on the mercy as so much the greater, because she acknowledged her great want of a concernment upon her spirit suiting the weight of that matter. The gentlewoman about whom all this business was made, being her schoolmistress, asked the child “What her thoughts were of the matter, and if she expected her being suffered to stay in the place.” She readily answered, “There is no fear,” but declined to mention how she came to know so much. But being importuned she humbly and modestly gave the foresaid account, and everything fell out accordingly. For, though all possible means were used to cast that person out of the place, yet they prevailed not. She stayed there as long as she thought meet with much quietness.
The child, being very intimate with her schoolmistress, gave her a particular account of her spiritual concerns from time to time. One day, upon the earnest suit of a near relation, her mother was prevailed with to permit the child to go to a penny wedding of a servant of that friend. Yet her schoolmistress, not inclining that she should go, said nothing, but only gave her a place of Scripture to read and ponder—namely, Isaiah xxii. 12, 13, 141—and desired her to inquire into the Lord’s mind in it. This she accordingly did; and, having returned, her mistress asked her what she thought of that passage. She answered “She had learned so much from it that she would by no means go the wedding.” “I have not forbidden you,” said her mistress. “But the Lord hath forbidden me by His word,” said the child. Hereupon her mistress required her to show how that was. She answered, “My going to that wedding would have been contrary to the word I had, and that in two things. First—The Lord is calling us at this time to fasting, mourning, and prayer, and, had I gone to that wedding, I had gone to feasting, revelling, and mirth. Second—That place speaks of girding with sackcloth, and I behoved to have been in a finer dress than ordinary if I had gone to the wedding. Therefore, it is neither suitable to the times, nor the suffering condition of my father’s family, to go to such feastings.” These were near her very words; so she would not go.
A day or two after, some of her cousins treated with her to go in with them to a chamber of that house where the marriage enter-
1 “And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth; and behold! joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine; ‘Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die.’ And it was repeated in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of Hosts.”
tainment had been held. There some of the young gentlewomen danced, but she was only a spectatrix.1 Immediately, hereupon, she fell under a heavy damp, and went quickly off from the company humbly to inquire of the Lord into the cause. But finding nothing by prayer, she essayed reading of the word, waiting for some convincing discovery from thence. And, having found nothing there, she tried meditation; and searching her way by that means, and not finding out the cause, she went to prayer again; and the Lord convinced her of the evil in countenancing and encouraging the other children in their lightness and vanity. Hereupon, she was humbled for her sin, and confessed it to the Lord, and declared she found the access to pardon easy. She got discoveries of the love of Christ to her soul clearer than ordinarily, and said, “she was admitted to such near embraces of Christ by faith that she could have been satisfied to have gone immediately from thence to heaven.”
Being at school, which she punctually attended, she was observed to go often forth one day. Whereupon a certain person traced her, and found that she was frequently at prayer that day. Having come home from school, she asked a servant “whether there had been any stir about her father’s house?” The servant, fearing to trouble her, was at first unwilling to answer, but, on further importunity, told her that the house had been carefully searched for papers, but none were found. After this, she retired and gave thanks to the Lord for the merciful return of her prayers, and was much taken up about the public concerns of the churches, and of this church. At that time she got a full and strong persuasion of the Lord’s appearing for the deliverance of His church in this land. Next day, being demanded the reason of her greater than ordinary frequency at prayer, as aforesaid, she modestly gave the fore-mentioned account, and added, “she had seen the most glorious sight she ever saw.” Being desired to impart what it was, she declined, but being pressed, she said, “I have seen the Lord on His throne of majesty, and coming forth against His enemies, and I saw them made to fly as chaff before his presence; and I wept,” said she, “for the misery of the wicked.” Being inquired what she thought of her father’s enemies, she answered, “I think they are even taken in with the Lord’s enemies.” Upon another day she came very cheerfully and pleasantly to her mistress and said, “I have gotten two great mercies—one is, That the Lord will again appear gloriously in this land; and the other, That the Lord hath given assurance to my soul that I am His.”
Thereafter, her mistress having been from home a week or thereby, at her return called the child to account about her spiritual condition during her absence—for as to her learning she was exact and diligent, and needed no incitement. She answered, “I have
1 A looker-on.
been sore assaulted with temptations, and in prayer I got that word, ‘The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head’ (Gen. iii. 15), and so he went away. But, a little after, I was left to a worse evil for a time, even lightness of heart, and to have been rid of it I could have wished to have been again in my former tempted condition. Next, I was somewhat taken up about suffering for truth, and found that I am able neither to suffer nor flee. Then I got a clear discovery of the sufferings of Christ, which, I am convinced, would dispose my heart to suffer for Him.”
Upon a Sabbath, when she and another child were praying and reading sermons in her father’s garden, a girl came in upon them who had been one of their society, but had that day gone to church. She fell a plucking of the flowers, whereupon Emilia said, “These are the fruits of the curate’s preaching, even breaking of the Sabbath day.” The girl desired the child who was with Emilia to pray; but Emilia, thinking the desire proceeded from curiosity, gave her comrade a watchword not to comply therewith. “Her carriage,” said she, “is very unlike the Lord’s Day, and had it not been my father’s garden I would have bidden her go away, but seeing the garden is his I thought it not convenient.”
About this time, her father being in London, she wrote a letter to him as follows:—
“LOVING FATHER,—I pray you may be guided in your way, and not left to sin against God; for this is a very trying time, and the people of God are under many temptations. You have need to watch over your heart now. If the Lord bring you to your journey’s end, I desire you may bring me home a new Bible and the Confession of Faith and Catechisms, with the Covenants and Scriptures at length, and what else you please. I am unwilling to trouble you further, and so I rest your affectionate daughter,
“EMILIA GEDDIE.
“Falkland, June 11, 1675.
“Present my service to Mr. Carmichael and his wife. Farewell, dear father; I wish to hear good news of you.”
In a conference she said to a certain person, “What good get you of Scriptures which come passingly into your mind through the day?” The person did put the question back to herself, and she answered, “They serve to divert my mind from other vanities, but I get no profit by them to the exercising of my soul to godliness, save when I get them from God by prayer, or else go to the Lord by prayer with them.”
She asked her mother, “Have you prayed for repentance to him
1 These curates had supplanted the godly and much-loved Presbyterian pastors, and besides were “mean and despicable in all respects,” according to Archbishop Burnet, who adds this further testimony, that they were “the worst preachers he ever heard, and many of them openly vicious.”
who persecuteth us, and possesseth our estate?”1 Her mother answered “No.” To this she replied humbly and modestly, “I think you should have done it. I have been trying it as I could, and do think that no other rod was fit for us save such an one. But he will be brought low, and your hands shall not be on him. You shall return and possess your own, and in your return you shall have nothing to do but to see the salvation of the Lord.” All this came exactly to pass.
In the time of her sickness, when one day she was observed to be under great heaviness, a friend inquired the cause. She answered, “I see great and sore troubles coming upon the church and people of God in this land; and great warnings are given them to enter into their chambers until the indignation be overpast.” And she further said, “The promises ye have been getting these days past may be chambers for you to hide in. As for me,” added she, “the Lord will hide me in the hollow of His hand; I shall not see these evil days. O that his people would flee to his promises and to the bleeding wounds of Jesus Christ! In these only there is safe hiding in a dark and gloomy day.”