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GLASGOW, 4th January, 1900.
MY DEAR D—,—Your most welcome letter came yesterday, and I was pleased to hear that you are well. . . . I have been down at Dumbarton to-day, as it was the fast day there in view of having the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper dispensed first Sabbath. We had a very nice sermon from Mr. — on Psalm li. 12. He spoke much about the children of God being a people separate from the people of the world. After speaking much about that, he said that he did not mean that their own heart’s experience is that they are separate from the world. He said they were like a man going on a journey and his dog following behind him; he tried to turn his dog home, but the dog would not; he tried to cause the dog to leave him by casting stones at him, but he could not get rid of him, so he had to put up with the brute’s adherence. . . . I am afraid to say anything from myself while I am left with a hard and stony heart, and that for my sins; for there is nothing else that provokes God to take away His Spirit but my own sins. It is by reason of my hard and stony heart that I would desire to live another day in this body of sin.
I am grieved I have to tell you that our dear friend, Mr. Donald MacKay, is very ill since two or three weeks. It is your duty as a professing Christian to pray earnestly that, if it be the will of the Most High, he may be spared for a time, as the Lord’s true servants are so few among the sons of men. I have been to see him on Thursday evening, when he was very weak. There was none with us at the time, and he repeatedly said: “Am I Thy servant, or am I not?” I said to him, when I was leaving him, that I hoped he would soon recover and be able to get up again. He said: “If that is the will of the Most High, but I should seek rather to be reconciled to His will.” I heard since that he is better, and that he got out of bed for a little while.
Dear D., we have great need, at the beginning of another year, that we should be enabled to count our days, that we might apply our hearts unto wisdom—the wisdom which none of the rulers of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.
We all join together in wishing you a happy and joyous new year. Chirsty says the next time you are to stay a month in Southampton you should come home, and I would second that motion. I trust you will bear a little with my folly. . . . May the love of God, which passeth knowledge and understanding (to them who ever got a taste of it), uphold you unto the end, so that you would not fear though thousands ten set round against you be.—Your affectionate friend,
J. MACLEOD.
GLASGOW, 19th January, 1900.
My DEAR D——-Your most acceptable letter came yesterday. and I was glad to know that you enjoy a measure of health. I was often wondering at the correspondence which passed between you and me. I must say there is some brotherly love in it, and the truth says, “Let brotherly love continue.” Now, in considering this truth, we see that love cannot continue where there is no love; but Paul expresses this truth to the Church whom he knew had brotherly love, but he was afraid that it would not continue. He did not say, “Have brotherly love,” for he knew they had it, but he warns them of the need they had of exercising this grace toward one another. Now, this is what I am afraid of-that it will discontinue; not that I had not a token of the love of Christ, but I am afraid of the mountains that stand between me and Christ. Only, I would say as Ruth said to Naomi, “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part between thee and me.” So the gracious soul says to Christ—that nothing but death can part them. Now, a word between you and me (as a man said in an issue of our Magazine): sin has not been the cause of our meeting, and I hope sin will not be the cause of our parting. The gracious soul may find itself in this condition at times that it cannot join itself to the Lord’s people, because they are a people that have got a clean heart, and it cannot join the men of the world, for his nature is contrary to theirs. But where grace is, the soul will be enabled to say again with Ruth: “Let me find favour in thy sight, my Lord; for thou has comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.” Many a time the children of God find mountains rising up between them and Christ, causing them to conclude that these mountains will banish them for ever from His presence, and they will never reach the promised land. They are often like to give up all hopes, and, indeed, they would do that, were it not for the truth of God. But when they find in that Word that that was the very experience of the true Israel, and that what they concluded would be their ruin turned out to be a cause of rejoicing. But, dear D., time will not permit me to enlarge on this subject, as I wish to post this letter to-night.
Mr. Mackay is much about the same, only I don’t think he is worse. . . . . I am glad you met with a Sutherlandshire man there, and perhaps he is one who would rather the fiery furnace than worship the king’s idols. May the Lord be with you and uphold you in His love is the prayer of your affectionate friend,
J. MACLEOD.