BY THE REV. D. BEATON, WICK.
(Continued from page 182.)
LADY CULROSS.
ELIZABETH MELVILL was the daughter of Sir James Melvill of Halhill, in Fife. Her father had been Ambassador from Queen Mary to Queen Elizabeth. She married James Colvill of Culross, who, on the death of James, second Lord Colvill, became, by right, third Lord Colvill, but he did not assume the title.
Lady Culross was a lady of fervent religious experience, and well known as a living epistle of Christ, read of all men. When John Welsh was imprisoned in the Castle of Blackness for his connection with the General Assembly, held at Aberdeen in 1605, she addressed the following poetical epistle to him:—
“My dear brother, with courage bear the cross;
Joy shall be joined with all thy sorrow here.
High is thy hope, disdain this earthly dross
Once shall you see the wished day appear.
Now it is dark, the skye cannot be clear;
After the clouds it shall be calm anon.
Wait on His will, whose blood hath bought thee dear—
Extol His name, though outward joys be gone.
Look to the Lord; thou art not left alone;
Since He is thine what pleasure canst thou take?
He is at hand, and hears thy every groan:
End out thy fight, and suffer for His sake.”
To another of the Blackness prisoners, Bailie William Rigg of Edinburgh, she wrote, reminding him that the “darkness of Blackness was not the blackness of darkness.”
In those days, when the ordinances of religion were precious to an extraordinary degree to a goodly company in Scotland, Lady Culross made the most of her opportunities, and was in the habit of frequently attending places where the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was dispensed. In the days of the persecution it was no mere carnal motive or sentiment that brought people together on such occasions, for they virtually took their lives in their hand. And we may, in a measure, understand that a people gathered together with such a feeling, and brought into touch with the matters that told of the wondrous love of the Lord of Glory, must have been awed and impressed in no common way. But notwithstanding this, Lady Culross was afraid that in attending so many Communions she was neglecting her duties as a mother, so she appealed to a pious woman, Euphan M’Cullen, for advice,
who gave her the following remarkable answer: “He that provideth not for his own house hath denied the faith.” The answer seemed to carry condemnation on the very face of it, and Lady Culross could not help exclaiming, “Now you have killed me, for I go to preachings and Communions here and there, neglecting the care of my family.” To which the pious woman replied: “Mistress, if you be guilty in that respect, you have reason to be humbled for it; but it was not said in that sense to me; but the Lord said, ‘I that have said, he that provideth not for his own is worse than an infidel, will not I provide for her and her house, seeing she is mine?'” The answer is a model of Christian wisdom. She is careful to guard against allowing Lady Culross to neglect a plainly-expressed duty, set down in Scripture, if her conscience condemns her in the matter; but, on the other hand, she comforts her with the truth that all believers are God’s children, and that He will provide for His own family.
John Livingstone, who had many opportunities of conversation with Lady Culross, says of her: “Of all that ever I saw, she was most unwearied in religious exercises, and the more she attained access to God therein, she hungered the more. At the Communion in Shotts in June, 1630, the night after the Sabbath was spent in prayer by a great many Christians in a large room where her bed was; and in the morning, all going apart for their private devotion, she went into the bed, and drew the curtains, that she might set herself to prayer. William Rigg of Atherine, coming into the room and hearing her have great motion upon her, although she spoke not out, he desired her to speak out, saying that there was none in the room but him and her woman, as at that time there was no other. She did so, and the door being opened, the room filled full. She continued in prayer, with wonderful assistance, for large three hours’ time.” It is when one reads such an account as this that one begins to realise what Communion seasons were to Lady Culross, and what wrestlings there were at the throne of grace prior to the extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the Kirk of Shotts.
On the very day on which Lady Culross was thus engaged, John Livingstone preached his memorable sermon which the Holy Ghost owned in such a remarkable way. It was through her suggestion that Livingstone preached on this occasion, and it can be easily understood that she held him in the highest esteem as a servant of Christ. In a letter written to him in 1631 she says: “My very worthy and dear Brother,—I received your letter, and have no time to answer you as I would. I thank the Lord who upholds you in all your trials and temptations. It is good for you to be holden in exercise, otherwise I would suspect that all were not well with you. God is faithful, as you find by experience, and will not try you above your strength. Courage, brother, all is in love; all works together for the best. You must be hewn, and hammered down, and dressed, and prepared, before you be a
living stone, fit for His building. And if He be minded to make you meet to help to repair the ruins of His house, you must look for other manner of strokes than you have yet felt. You must feel your own weakness, that you may be humbled and cast down before Him, that so you may pity poor weak ones that are borne down with infirmities. And when you are laid low and vile in your own eyes, then will He raise you up and refresh you with some blinks of His favourable countenance, that you may be able to comfort others with those consolations wherewith you have been comforted of Him. This you know by some experience, blessed be God! And as strength and grace increase, look for stronger trials, fightings without and fears within, the devil and his instruments against you, and your Lord hiding His face. You are deeply, almost overwhelmed with troubles and terrors; and yet, out of all this misery, He is working some gracious work of mercy for the glory of His great name, the salvation and sanctification of your own soul, and for the comfort of His distressed children there or here, or both, as pleases Him. Up your heart then, and prepare for the battle! Put on the whole armour of God; though you be weak, you have a strong Captain, whose power is made perfect in weakness, and whose grace is sufficient for you. What you want in yourself you have in Him who is given to you of God to be your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, your treasure and Treasurer, who keeps all in store. The stock and the anwell is in His own hand, and He drops down drop and drop as ye have need, and when ye want long ye shall get double profit, and at length the whole sum, so that ye shall be rich forever. Since He has put His work in your weak hands, look not for long ease here; ye must feel the weight of that worthy calling, and be holden under with the sense of your own weakness, that He may kythe [show] His strength in due time—a weak man and a strong God, who will not fail nor forsake you, but will furnish strength and gifts and grace, according to that employment that He puts in your hands. The pain is but for a moment, the pleasure everlasting. The battle is but short. Your Captain fights for you; therefore the victory is certain, and the reward glorious. A crown and a kingdom is worth the fighting for. Blessed be His name, who fights all our battles and works all our works for us. Since all is in Christ, and He ours, what would we have more but thankful hearts, and grace to honour Him in life and death, who is our advantage in life and death, who guides with His counsel, and will bring us to His glory? To Him be all honour, power, and praise, for now and for ever. Amen.
“Now, I have rest this time from my sleep. I have no time to show you my estate. Cross upon cross, the end of one is but the beginning of another; but guiltiness in me and mine is my greatest cross. Many times like to faint and fall down, but my Lord puts under His hand, sustains and upholds me with His
secret strength, and oft times most near when He seems to be furthest off, and sometimes seasons bitterness with some sweetness. No creature has more cause to complain when I look to myself; none so unworthy, so great cause to rejoice and be thankful: for when I look to His crosses and comforts, for that which He has done, is doing, and will do, and for the least persuasion of His unchangeable love, for taking such pains to ding me out of myself, out of all creatures, and means under the sun, and many times seems to ding me from Himself; but when He puts back by appearance, yet He is drawing forward; when He strikes with one hand, He sustains with the other; the greater misery I find in myself, the greater mercy in Him, and the greater mercy the greater guiltiness when it is abused. Then when sin and misery abounds, there grace and mercy superabounds; so I am in a labyrinth; how shall I get out? Only this is my comfort—that mercy shall prevail. Our sins are finite, but His grace is infinite: our guiltiness great, but His goodness is greater, and exceeds. The rage and malice of our enemy is cruel, yet it is bounded; but the love of Jesus passeth bounds, is incomprehensible, overcomes all things. And to conclude, our misery will end shortly, but His mercy endures forever. When I begin I cannot end; it is some comfort to me that they get liberty to pray for me. My great temptation now is, that I fear my prayers be turned into sin. I find and seize the clean contrary in me and mine, at least some of them. Samuel is going to the College at St. Andrews to a worthy master there, but I fear him deadly. I depend not on creatures; pray earnestly for a blessing. He whom ye know is like to overturn all, and has broken all bands. Lord pity him! There was some beginning of order, but all is wrong again, for the death of his brother makes him to take liberty so that I have double loss; and sweet Mary Preston is with God. Sweet was her end, but a sore stroke to me. None, except her husband and children, will have more missing of her. I have abused many benefits and right bitter strokes, yet can make right use of nothing. Lord help and work that which He requires and take the glory to Himself.
“Ye write that ye are like to have no settling there. If God have a work to do with you there, He can change hearts; if here, He can and will open a door, though never so fast closed. Ye say my watch is, often wrong, goes sometimes too slow, sometimes too swift. Ye say ye are oft too slow, but can not be like the watch in running too swiftly. I fear when ye went first to Ireland that ye did run too swiftly, therefore ye are like to be driven back again till ye be better tempered; but God has a work in all for His glory and your good, therefore cast yourself upon Him. He knows what is most meet. Wink, and let the Lord work. Submit to His will, and He shall do better than ye can think and direct you to the best, and crown His work with mercy and compassion. As for your suffering, I know ye had bitter temptations in it; and
yet I doubt not but ye had answerable comforts, sour seasoned with sweet. Be humbled when ye look to your part, but be thankful when ye look to the Lord’s part; bless His name for that which He has done to you, and for you, and by you, and press to walk before Him, answerable in some measure to His fatherly care, blessed providence and loving kindness, whereof ye have had so many sweet experiences. O watch and pray that ye fall not into temptation. Seek early, and ye shall find better than gold, pearls and precious stones; the gold is better won early than late. If you make a use of winning a penny when ye should rest, and sleep when ye should rise early to your work, the winning of that penny may lose you a pound; therefore, sleep in time and awake in time, and fall to work in due season, and ye shall find by experience the truth of His precious promises. Therefore strive against sluggishness, I charge you: it is but a custom. Work early, and ye shall win enough to make you rich. Ye know the proverb—Sanat, dicat, sanctificat. Try a month, as ye said once, and ye shall find some gain that will stir you up to seek Him early whom your soul would love. Suppose that He has trysted you to meet Him, read the Proverbs, and ye shall find that he calls you instantly and earnestly to seek Him early and ye shall find. Bid me do as I say. Alas! I fear I have tint the tide, but yet I would mint to it again. Lord, help and draw us with the cords of love, and make good that new covenant, and do all things for us when we can do nothing, and accept our weak endeavours in the merits of Him in whom only He is well pleased.
“Now I have forgotten myself. I fear I lose my sleep and the gold also; therefore send me something with the first sure bearer to recompense the loss. Write something on some good subject; the last verses of the 40th of Isaiah; that ye taught in Culross, or upon the Song of Zacharie, or anything ye please. Seek something from Him that has abundance. Take the pen in your hand and seek a blessing and set to, and God will furnish, ye will find. If ye will not, I will write no more to you, which will be no small loss. Be not sweer I beseech you. Now, laugh at my shortness. Help me and mine earnestly with prayer and praises: never such need. Forget not our Saturday of humiliation, nor our Sabbath of thanksgiving, as the Lord will assist. . . . Pray all for me earnestly: never such need. Lord, pour out the spirit of prayer and praises, and let us never forget that which we should prefer to our particulars. The powerful presence and blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ be with you all, and comfort and encourage you as He knows your need. Now, I leave you in His arms. Yours ever in Christ, E. MELVILL.”
Such letters as these reveal the source from whence came the constancy and fidelity in the hour of temptation and suffering to these high-born ladies of the Covenant times. Their heroic resolution to suffer affliction with the people of God had the same
heavenly origin as that of Moses, who made a choice so contrary to what worldly wisdom would have dictated.
She had also the honour of being numbered among Samuel Rutherford’s correspondents who, in one of his letters, says:—”Madam, let me have your prayers, as ye have the prayers and blessing of him that is separated from his brethren.” In another letter he writes:—”Your son-in-law, W. G., is now truly honoured for his Lord and Master’s cause. When the Lord is farming Zion, it is a good token that he is a true branch of the vine, that the Lord beginneth first to dress him. He is strong in his Lord, as he hath written to me, and his wife is his encourager, which should make you rejoice. As for your son, who is your grief, your Lord waited on you and me, till we were ripe and brought us in. It is your part to pray and wait upon Him. When he is ripe, he will be spoken for. Who can command the Lord’s wind to blow? I know that it shall be your good in the latter end. That is one of your waters to heaven, ye could not go about; there are the fewer behind. I remember you and him and yours as I am able; but, alas! I am believed to be something, and I am nothing but an empty reed. Wants are my best riches, because I have these supplied by Christ. Remember my dearest love to your brother. I know that he pleaded with his harlot-mother for her apostacy. I know also that ye are kind to my worthy Lady Kenmure, a woman beloved of the Lord, who hath been very mindful of my bonds. The Lord give her and her child to find mercy in the day of Christ! Great men are dry and cold in doing for me; the tinkling of the chains for Christ affrighteth them; but let my Lord break all my idols, I will bless Him. I am obliged to my Lord Lorn: I wish him mercy. Remember my bonds with praises, and pray for me, that my Lord may leave the north by my bonds and sufferings. Grace be with you. Yours, in his sweet Lord Jesus, SAMUEL RUTHERFORD.”
Lady Culross possessed poetic gifts and cultivated her taste for poetry. In 1603 a thin quarto, consisting of sixteen pages, was printed, bearing the title:—”Ane Godlie Dreame, compylit in Scottish Meter be M. M., Gentlewoman in Culros, at the request of her Friendes.” The poem is an allegory setting forth the experiences of the believer on his journey from this world to the heavenly Jerusalem. Anderson, in his Ladies of the Covenant, thus refers to its introduction:—”It is introduced with a description of the heaviness of heart which the writer felt from her solitary musings on the depraved state of the world in her day, which she calls ‘this false and iron age,’ and on the bias of her own heart to sin. Troubled with a train of reflections on these and similar topics, she endeavoured to pray; but utterance failed her, and she could only sigh, until relieved by the effusion of tears, when she poured forth her lamentations. Thus tranquillised, she retired to bed, and, falling asleep, dreamed that her grief and lamentation were renewed, and that with tears she besought God for succour:—
“Lord Jesus come (said I) and end my grief,
My sp’rt is vexed, the captive would be free;
All vice abounds, O send us some relief!
I loathe to live, I wish dissolved to be.”
The pilgrims’ sad condition and experience, is further described
in the lines :—
“I sighed again, and said, Alas! for me
My grief is great, I can it not declare:
Into this earth I wander to and fro,
A pilgrim poor, consumed with sighing air.
My sin, alas! increases mair and mair,
I loathe my life, I irk to wander here;
I long for heaven, my heritage is there,
I long to live with my Redeemer here.”
Under the guidance of the Angel of the Covenant, she
continues her journey, and thus describes her experience :—
“Then up I rose and made no more delay,
My feeble arm about His arm I cast;
He went before and still did guide the way,
Though I was weak my sp’rt did follow fast,
Through moss and mires, through ditches deep we passed,
Through pricking thorns, through water and through fire,
Through dreadful dens, which made my heart aghast,
He bore me up when I began to tire.”
In the same booklet there is the following poem :—
“Away! vain world, bewitcher of my heart!
My sorrow shows my sins make me to smart;
Yet will I not despair, but to my God repair.
He has mercy aye, therefore will I pray;
He has mercy aye, and loves me,
Though by His troubling hand He proves me.
Away! Away! too long thou hast me snared;
I will not tyme more time; I am prepared,
Thy subtle slight to flee; thou hast deceived me.
Though they sweetly smile, smoothly they beguile;
Though they sweetly smile, suspect them,
The simple sort they syle, reject them.
Once more away! shows loath the world to leave,
Bids oft away with her that holds me slave;
Loath I am to forego that sweet alluring foe.
Since thy ways are vain, shall I them retain?
Since thy ways are vain, I quit thee,
Thy pleasure shall no more delight me.
A thousand times away! ah! stay no more;
Sweet Christ, me save, lest subtle sin devour;
Without Thy helping hand, I have no strength to stand.
Lest I turn aside, let Thy grace me guide:
Lest I turn aside, draw near me;
And when I call for help, Lord! hear me.
What shall I do? are all thy pleasures past?
Shall worldly lusts now take their leave at last?
Yea, Christ these earthly toys shall turn in heavenly joys.
Let the world begone, I will love Christ alone;
Let the world begone, I care not,
Christ is my love alone, I fear not.”
(To be Continued.)