BY THE REV. D. BEATON, WICK.
(Continued from page 108.)
MRS. JOHN CARSTARES.
MRS. CARSTARES was the eldest daughter of William Mure of Glanderston, by his second wife. She was married to Mr. John Carstares in 1647 or 1648, minister of Cathcart and afterwards minister of the High Church, Glasgow. Mr. Carstares was one of the most pious of the Covenanting ministers and there are many anecdotes recording the depth and sincerity of his piety. In his wife he found a true helpmeet, as he himself bears testimony in a letter written in 1662:—”I desire to bless Him that ever He was pleased to cast our lot to be together, and that he found you out a helpmeet for me: you were never a temptation to me, nor an obstruction to me, either in my ministerial or Christian course, though you have been little furthered and much obstructed by me; but He can make up out of the riches of His grace to you what you have been now these fifteen years at a loss by me.” In another letter written two years later, he says:—”I desire to bless the Lord for you; you have been to me, indeed, a meet and faithful help, and, if I had more improved your fellowship and counsel, your discreet and wise counsel, I am not ashamed to say it to you, I might have thriven better as a man, as a Christian, and as a minister. He might very justly, for my sins, deprive me of such a wife, such a mother, such a friend, such a counsellor, yea, of all relations, sweetly centred in such a one.” When persecution broke out over the land Mrs. Carstares showed the true steadfastness of her religious principles by remaining true to the cause of Christ. In 1662, Mr. Carstares received a summons to appear before the Privy Council, which he announces to her, as follows:—”I hope, my dear, you can bear, through the grace that hath often strengthened you in difficulties that have occurred about me since we came together, to hear without vexation of mind, that I have this day got a charge to compar before the Council this same day fourteen days, a double whereof I have sent you. It may be He will pity me and help me. The cause is good, and nothing at all disgraceful. O, to have a suitable frame every way, pray for it, and for sinless and inoffensive through-bearing. . . . Now, my heart, let me beseech you to take courage in the Lord, who hath given you a room in His heart, and will in due time give you a room amongst them that stand by the throne. Resolve to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. We may see this storm blow over, if kept faithful, and meet with higher and holier things.”
In 1664 he was again summoned before the Privy Council in
connection with the dying testimony in favour of Presbyterianism, which Mr. James Wood, Professor of Divinity at St. Andrews, had left behind him. Knowing the implacable hatred of Sharpe, Carstares thought it advisable to put himself beyond his reach for a time, so he fled to Ireland. It is supposed that it was during this period that the following letter was addressed by Mrs. Carstares to her husband:—”My dearest and most kind Friend,—It was refreshing to me to have a line from you, but it troubled me to find you so heavy. He doeth well who hath found it meet to put us in heaviness for a season, finding there was need of it. It did wound me when I read that in yours, your not being adverse to come here, which is thought by your friends very unmeet and unreasonable; for though you be very clear as to the cause, yet to cast yourself in such imminent hazard is a wrong, and I am persuaded you are not called to it, nay, you are called to the contrary; so hide yourself as well as you can, and if it please the Lord so to order you be found out—which I wish may not be—I hope He shall glorify Himself in you, and carry you honourably through. Put not yourself to it while [until] the Lord bring you to it. I hope my request, which is so reasonable, shall prevail with you. My dear, weary not in wandering; it has been the lot of many of His worthies to wander in caves and dens of the earth; and although your accommodation should be very bad, so that you cannot go about duties as you would, He counts your wandering better service to Him than your preaching. My dear, a little while will put an end to all our troubles; as for myself, I had reason always to bless the Lord that ever I knew you, and this day I desire to bless Him more than ever that ever I was so nearly related to you, and that I have a husband wandering and suffering for the truth. Let us both bless Him together for this. He might have given me one that was persecuting the truth. The Lord strengthen and confirm you! That commodity you desired cannot be gotten for the present, though they be most willing to give it. I hope the Lord shall provide another way; the bearer will show you all other things. The Lord’s blessing and protection be with you, and may He be near your soul with the consolation of His Spirit! Farewell, my dear, I am your own.—J. C.”
In 1667, Mr. Carstares was denounced as a rebel and outlawed, and it is probably at this date that the following letter was addressed to him by his wife:—”My dearest Friend,—The bearer will show how all matters here go. The west-country gentlemen and ministers, who were declared rebels, are now forfaulted. I bless the Lord it nothing troubles me. A smile from God and the lifting up the light of His countenance can make up, and even doth make up, all the injuries men can do, so that the lines are fallen to me in a most pleasant place, and I have a goodly heritage! I think my lot very far above the lot of my adversaries! Blessed be God who made the difference; there being no cause, but even
so, because it pleased Him. My dear, let us willingly cleave to Him and suffer for Him. We owe Him much. How much are we in His debt, who hath added this mercy to all the former mercies, that He has counted us worthy to suffer for His name’s sake? O for grace to be steadfast to the end, and that He would graciously pardon our unfaithfulness to Him and to His cause and people! Alas! Zion’s condition lieth not near my heart as it should.—J. C.” Mrs. Carstares was not called to die at the stake or seal the truth with her blood, but she had the spirit which martyrs had when they counted not their lives dear unto them. Her son, afterwards the famous Principal Carstares, though not like his parents in deep piety and steadfastness of principle, became one of the most notable ecclesiastical leaders the Scottish Church ever had.
(To be Continued.)