A CHILD OF THE COVENANT.
(Continued from page 268.)
SHE being at a certain time in Kirkaldy, and understanding that some people who had just heard sermons, were yet intent upon hearing more, said to a godly woman, C. H., “These folks are like to some horses of which I have been informed that pull a great deal of fodder from the rack and trample it under their feet, eating little or none of it. I think we should be like the horses which eat what they pull down. It were good for us when we have heard a sermon to chew the cud by meditating on what we have gotten ere we look for more.”
Having heard a sermon against backsliding, she was afterwards observed to be heavy and afflicted, and being asked the cause she answered, “I was reproved by what I heard on the Lord’s day, for I am a great backslider.” And being asked how and wherein she replied, “I had met with a great deliverance, for sitting one day by the wall of a house a great piece of slate fell by me, touching only my clothes, and I was not hurt, and yet I did not set apart a time to praise the Lord for such a merciful deliverance, as I had used to do in less things.”
In the beginning of the tenth year of her age, when in a coach on her way to London from York, a Popish lady, being providentially in the same coach, took delight to converse with the child concerning religion. Having endeavoured to persuade her of purgatory, she answered, “Madam, I have been taught my catechism, and I have read and heard from Scripture of heaven and hell; but I never heard of purgatory, nor do I see any ground to believe it.” The lady insisted, “What then think you became of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the patriarchs with other saints who died before Christ’s coming in the flesh?” “Madam, that is easily answered,” said the child, “for all these patriarchs lived and died in the faith of Jesus Christ to come in the flesh. It is written (John viii. 56), ‘Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad;’ and the prophet David (Psalm xvi. 8), seeing Christ to come, did set Him always before his eyes. They and all the other saints believed He was to come in the flesh; and, by virtue of His death and satisfaction, they were saved as all the elect shall be, from the beginning of the world to the end thereof.” Many other remarkable things were spoken during the six days they travelled together, but they are now forgotten and lost. The lady did greatly commend the child, and said to her parents “It were pity she had not some to educate her in the way of their church.”
When she came to London, having occasion to be present at the administration of the Lord’s Supper, she was much affected, but was silent for some time. Yet afterwards she spoke to a friend and said, “I saw that sacrament given by the Independents at Newcastle, at which I was not moved; but now, having seen the Presbyterian way, I am moved; my heart is more engaged to the Lord Jesus than ever. And I would have gladly taken the sacrament, but that I thought myself too young and ignorant, and not fit to discern the Lord’s body, which is necessary in such an ordinance.” She inquired whether any of her age did take that sacrament; and, being demanded the reason of her inquiry, she said, “I have read in the catechisms, and have considered what a sacrament is. This time I saw much of glory and beauty in it, and was made to read much of the love of our Lord Jesus in these words (1 Cor. xi. 23), ‘The same night in which He was betrayed,’ etc. My heart, said she, was exceedingly affected with the word, and with the timing of it—namely, when He was to suffer from men and to endure the wrath of God, which to me held forth His love as past all finding out. This made me to look about, that I might see if any was able to resist the power and love which I saw and felt, that He should have looked on man the same night in which He was betrayed, and far more, that He should have given him such a token for good.” The ordinance was then dispensed in the meeting-house, where Mr. William Thompson and Mr Alexander Carmichael preached in New Queen Street, London. She was observed to have wept much that day, though covertly.
Mr. W. Thompson was one of the outed ministers of Edinburgh.
Mr. A. Carmichael, minister of Pitcairn, was banished from Scotland because he upheld Presbyterianism and the gospel, whereupon he laboured in London during the two years of his life that remained. He wrote an excellent treatise “On the Mortification of Sin.”
While in London for the space of ten months, she was in account with everyone, and much esteemed, yea, and admired by her teachers. Her school-fellows also respected her; but she wearied to converse with them because she found it not for edification. They were much taken up about delicacy of food and vanity of apparel, which she misliked or regarded not. Being desired to go to a dancing-school for a while, she went to observe their conduct, which having seen no persuasion could move her to go any longer. “I cannot,” said she, “endure their lightness of speech and behaviour, nor the danger of bad company.” And therefore she exercised herself mostly in sewing and learning to write, and did carefully attend meetings for preaching and catechising, conversing with few except her own mother. Hence many remarkable passages of her life are lost—namely, for these ten months, and seven more, wherein she sojourned in the north of England, in regard her mother, who was accustomed with her, did not much observe, nor kept she any record of her sayings or practices.
In the “Introduction,” Mr. Hog mentions her attending the meeting-house of Mr. Thomas Lye. She went to London for her education.
Upon her return from England, she went to Ayr to visit her grandfather and grandmother. There it pleased God to try her with a vehement cholic, which lasted for the space of 17 hours. As soon as she got a little breathing and was able to speak she uttered these words, “Now I know what I have heard often: if I had died in this case I could have had no composed thoughts of the Lord, of death, or of judgment.” And therefore she exhorted all about her not to delay meditations about death, nor preparations for it, till a sick bed; “for,” said she, “I find sickness hath enough to do for itself.” After her recovery she was more close and serious than ever in self-examination and every other way.
About this time it seemed as if the Lord anew carried her through all the steps of effectual calling. She gave some account of her spiritual concerns as follows:—”Satan,” said she, “was assailing me after his wonted manner; he suggested that there is yet time enough for me to be religious; let childhood once pass, said he, and ‘Remember your Creator in the days of your youth’ (Eccl. xii. 1).” Moreover, she was afraid lest the religion she had might only be owing to her good education. This gave her great trouble for several weeks, fearing lest she had been hitherto destitute of saving grace, and caused her to lament heavily that sad estate of matters before the Lord.
At this time it pleased Him to give her views of original sin, and of the enmity of our natures against God, more clearly and distinctly than ever. “I have read,” said she, “concerning original sin in the catechisms and other books, and I believe that great truth from Rom. v. 12, ‘As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.’ ‘Tis reasonable we be sharers of the guilt, seeing we would have enjoyed the benefit and privileges had our first parents stood. How that sin works in me I cannot know, only I am convinced that I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. I feel a hard heart in me, a heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” She was thus for awhile under great soul trouble from the sense of her lost estate and utter distance from the Lord. But in all this she justified the Lord whatever it might please Him to do.
“I see,” said she, “the necessity of a Saviour; but I cannot come to be persuaded that He will look upon such a polluted wretch as I am.” In this strait the Lord set home that word upon her spirit—namely, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John iii. 16). “Then,” said she, “I was made to see a possibility of being saved, which is only by the Lord Jesus. But I find not only inability but unwillingness to come to Him. And that scripture was borne in upon me (2 Cor. v. 21), ‘He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.’ This,” said she, “held forth the Lord Jesus more fully to me as our surety and righteousness. But ah! I am so great a sinner, and yet so unwilling to be denied to my own righteousness, that my troubles and fears are increased even by the hearing of Him, because I cannot come to Him for righteousness and salvation. Thus I was sore tossed, and became almost hopeless: I saw there was no help but by coming to the Lord Jesus; and yet I found an utter unwillingness to go to Him. Alas!” said I, “shall I thus die eternally? Then in my strait that word was given me, ‘The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost’ (Luke xix. 10). This instantly calmed my spirit, and showed me more than a possibility of salvation, which I had learned from the former scripture. Then another word followed—namely, ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance,’ etc. That word came with such power that I was sweetly drawn, and even compelled. Then I was made willing to part with my own righteousness, and to take the Lord Jesus for all things.
After this I was enabled through grace more fully to prize the Lord Jesus; I was also made humbler, and brought to mourn for sin in a more kindly manner; and I saw Him more lovely in everything.
Some days after, being sick and in bed, she asked a friend sitting by her “Whether there was such a passage in the Bible as ‘Himself took our infirmities and bare our sickness.'” The person answered “There is,” and read it from Matt. viii. 17. She heard it, and was silent for that time. The next day she said “The word you read yesternight was made a blessed word to me. He Himself! O what an one is He Himself! I got by faith a more full discovery of Him through the vail of His flesh than ever I had attained before. I saw Him as God-man, reconciling the world to Himself and even such sinners as I am. O, what love and bowels of compassion did I see in Him to sinners, and that from all eternity? Not that He was new, or that there is any change in His nature, but He drew more near to me in that new and living way, which gave more comfort to my poor, wearied, and languishing soul, and made me to rejoice in God my Saviour.
“After this Satan endeavoured to shake me sore, alleging that my closing with the Lord Jesus was presumption, and that it was merely to get peace and quietness, and not either from love to God, or hatred of sin, nor yet for righteousness in and from Christ. He also brought in several places of scripture to show that my heart was not right with God. This troubled me sore. Then the Lord condescended to carry home that word with power upon my spirit (2 Sam. xxiii. 3), ‘Although my house be not so with God, yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant.’ Thus I was made to covenant with God.
“After this I was taught to discern Satan’s wiles, and to see my own weakness and unbelieving heart more clearly than ever. Ah! I am always ready to forget what the Lord has done for me, and to side with the enemy. At this time the Lord taught me somewhat better to understand the difference betwixt His bearing in words upon the soul and Satan’s citing scriptures to us. I observed that when the Lord gives the word, whether for conviction or otherwise, it makes a divine light to break up in the soul, it quickens and leads it to the Lord Jesus. But when Satan presents the word it brings the soul into confusion, it weakens the hands, and fills the heart with hard thoughts concerning the Lord. I find my mind very bent upon such thoughts, however, and I need not be furthered in them.”
Some while after she said, “I never receive any word, whether for confirming me in the faith or clearing up of duty to me, but immediately it is tried, whether by temptation from Satan or trying dispensations of Providence towards myself or others.”
Her father having been imprisoned in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, and the day for his appearance before the Privy Council being come, he had caught so great a cold that he could scarcely speak, for which cause he used interest with the clerks that he might not be called that day; and a delay being promised, his friends were easy, not expecting his appearance at that time. Emilia having retired, returned to her mother and said, “I think my father will be called to appear before the council this night, and I would have us all go to prayer.” The company agreed, provided she would begin, and she was persuaded to do so. In prayer she not only entreated the Lord that he might be kept from sinning, and delivered out of prison, but that He would also give him utterance to speak before them. And it was made evident to all concerned that her prayers were heard and answered, for contrary to all expectation her father appeared that night: his hoarseness was taken away, he spoke aloud and freely, and was ordered to be set at liberty without any bonds or engagements. Before the child had well done praying notice came concerning her father’s appearance, and all the effects followed.
On a certain day, being sick, she said, “I have had but a tossed body and a sickly life all my time, and if it were the Lord’s will as to what concerns myself I would be away. Yet if it may be for the glory of God, and the comfort of my parents, I would be content to live and to be denied my own desires.” Accordingly she lived some few years after this.
Upon the occasion of one’s saying to her, “Emily, other children call their parents sir or mistress, but you do not so.” She answered, “I am ready to do so if it be their pleasure, but the mentioning the relation raiseth awe and reverence in my spirit when I speak to them. And I find it was the way of the patriarchs of old to say to their children “My son,” etc., and of the children to say “My father.””
Being occasionally in a gentleman’s house, and having observed that the lady was almost continually reproving and chiding her children, she said to one of the family “Were it pertinent for me to speak to such a person, I would advise her ladyship to take some of that time which she employs in chiding her children and set it apart to pray for them. Constant chiding makes them careless of reproof, and hardens them in the evils for which they are reproofed.
Having for the space of four months sojourned in a country place, where she had not the occasion of pure ordinances, and but little of Christian fellowship, she was asked how she spent the Sabbath. To this she answered, “I am often troubled ere it come, and concerned about what I shall do, seeing I must be all day alone; yet I must say (and O that I could speak it to the glory of God, and for engaging others to love Him, and to trust in Him!) I have found Him faithful, who hath promised to keep poor souls alive in time of famine. For sometimes the Lord brought to my remembrance what I had formerly heard of the word preached, and at other times I was made to consider and reflect upon it, how He had led me these years past, which was establishing and very comfortable to my mind. And sometimes, when I had thought to read so much and to repeat what I had learned from my ordinary reading of the word, the Lord so breathed upon the word that I got as it were a letter from every verse, whereby my soul was so edified and the Sabbath shortened to me that when they called me to supper I was loth to leave my retirement and to return to company, and regretted that the Sabbath went over so soon.”
In conference with a godly person who had been at Edinburgh, where she expected to hear how matters were going with the Lord’s people in the land, amongst many other questions she asked “How it went with them in secret, and what they found of the Lord’s presence and power in ordinances?” “Why do you ask that?” said the person. She replied, “It is not with me in my retirements as sometimes it was; my heart and work fell naturally to my hand, and I came off from it refreshed; as it was said of Hannah, “She returned, and her countenance was no more sad” (1 Sam. i. 18). But now the great part of my time is spent in getting my heart brought up to a tune for prayer, and when I come back I am weighted and wearied. I think nobody is in such an evil case and hath a heart so bad and slothful as I have; neither do I find that in the word preached which I used to find. I would gladly hear that it is better with others than it is with me.”
A letter was written by her to her mother, from Falkland to Edinburgh, where her mother was and had continued long. “Dear Mother, I trouble you with this line to let you know we all are in good health, blessed be the Lord! O that I had grace to improve health and everything, and all the changes of our lot! I think the Lord hath been letting me know what it is to abound, and now what it is to want the precious opportunities I had in Edinburgh and the Canonmills this time twelvemonth. On which times I cannot but reflect with delight, and say, ‘The Lord was kind to me there, though I did not see it at the time; the Lord was then alluring unworthy me, and yet I would not be allured.’ I need not tell you what my case was at that time. I see the Lord was kind to me for the time which is now come. I cannot but say, ‘The Lord is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever,’ yet all the comfort I have is when alone. Dear mother, I trouble you with these only to have the help of your prayers, that the Lord may make up all our wants in His fulness. It is reported here that the prisoners who were sent to sea are now cast away. Let us know the certainty. You tell me my Lord Harcass is to sit on the bench. I think it a mercy the matter is come this length. The Lord, who hath done all things for you, direct him to adjust our affair aright and to put an end to it. The Lord be with you and guide you in His way, which is the earnest desire of your daughter and servant in all duty,
EMILIA GEDDIE.
“For my dear mother, Mrs. Geddie,
at Edinburgh, these.”
At that time a village at a distance from the town; now the New Town includes it.
This probably refers to the 67 prisoners mentioned in Cruickshank’s “History,” chap. 13, who were banished to Virginia for no other crime than attending meetings for worship in the fields. One of these was a mere boy of 16, who wrote to his friends that he “supposed he was the youngest prisoner in Scotland, but the Lord had opened his eyes, and revealed His Son in his heart, since he came under the Cross; and that, though he found difficulty in parting with relations, yet he had found that fellowship with Christ which did much more than balance the want of the company of his dearest friends.” They were landed at Gravesend, and then set on shore to shift for themselves. This may have given rise to the report that they were “cast away.”
Lord Harkarse. Wodrow mentions him as “a staunch Protestant.” He was Sir Roger Hog of Harcarse, in the parish of Fogo, Berwickshire. Along with Wauchope of Edmonston, he was afterwards “turned out of the Justiciary to make way for Papists.”