Recommendatory Preface by the Late Rev. Gavin Parker, Aberdeen.
WHILE during past ages darkness has covered the earth, and gross darkness many of the people, it is somewhat gratifying to know that in our highly-favoured Scotland, individuals not a few—the redeemed of the Lord—have beheld the true light, and have been conducted onward to the regions of everlasting day. Nearly a century ago, in the year 1740, the subject of this Memoir began to be visited with illumination from on high; and during the course of thirty years of conflict against sin and of frequent bodily affliction, she enjoyed much spiritual consolation and holy communion with the Father of lights. Although chiefly conversant with the lower grades of society, and not possessing the advantages of a liberal education, her mind was polished by sanctifying grace, and adorned with humility, meekness, benevolence, fortitude, and a generous concern for the spiritual good of others. With an understanding richly stored with the knowledge of divine truth, she was habitually occupied in meditation and prayer; and by the teaching of the Holy Spirit she was enabled to give expression to her ideas and to her desires in a manner suitable to the eloquence which is from heaven. The narrative must be deeply interesting to all who are earnestly engaged in the pursuit of salvation, as it affords a genuine and lucid description of the nature and excellence of personal godliness. We may learn here—as Jehovah Himself has also taught in the Scriptures of truth—that godliness consists in right principles and suitable dispositions of the heart towards God, and in the habitual exhibition of these in a life devoted to His service and glory. It is evident also that her genuine godliness was a production of the Holy Spirit in the soul. Without a divine agency it could not have been acquired in any school of virtue or of theology on earth. It must have been from heaven. All that was good in her—as she candidly acknowledges—came from God, and was rendered permanent and active and useful by the continued agency of God the Spirit in her soul. Behold in her a complete and consistent assemblage of those sentiments and affections which are the very essence of living godliness. Here is one individual who feared the Lord greatly. Witness her feelings of reverential awe, of veneration, of esteem, of gratitude, of submission, of complacency, and of holy desire towards the great God. Under the impulse of these feelings she perused the sacred oracles, she meditated on the character and doings of Jehovah, she bowed herself in prayer before the gracious throne of the Most High. In these exercises she was melted in contrition of soul on account of sin—she sought the lowest place of self-abasement—her mouth was filled with arguments in pleading for blessings to herself and to many. The presence and the agency of the Holy Spirit gave her much liberty in prayer; she delighted herself in the Almighty; her soul was fired with holy zeal for the glory of God, and for the prosperity of His cause and of His kingdom in our land and throughout the world.
In this book godliness is exhibited as an object greatly to be desired. In all diversities of circumstances it affords consolation to man. It is pleasant to walk with God as a friend even in the time of prosperity; a solemn pleasure is deducible from His friendship amid the storms and troubles of life; and in the prospect of death and eternity—when all other friends stand at a distance—it is peace, it is joy, to rest on the everlasting arms of that Friend whose loving-kindness is better than life. In her friendly intercourse with God she enjoyed consolation which the world could not give nor take away. Although frequently cast down, Jehovah, her best friend, did not forsake her. In her experience we may learn that godliness is better than the common objects of pursuit; that it is preferable to the gain and to all the pleasures and honours of this world; and that, with all the anxieties which accompany it, godliness with contentment is gain unspeakably great. We may learn also from this narrative that godliness is essentially the same in origin, in nature, in operations, and results, whatever be the circumstances of those who have it in possession. In this specimen, with which some parts of our land were favoured nearly a century ago, we perceive evidence of the same light from heaven, of the same devotedness to God, of the same diligence in searching the holy Scriptures, and of the same kind of communion with God, which we would now desire to recommend to our fellow-sinners.
The work of God in her soul is faithfully and distinctly stated in the account which she gives of her own experience. She was awakened and alarmed, and continued in much agitation of mind and could not rest until she found Christ the only resting-place—the only sure refuge for the sinner. She saw and felt much of the majesty of Jehovah as a law-giver and righteous judge, and she continued trembling in herself until she was enabled to trust in Christ as the end of the law for righteousness. Then she felt liberty; then she had peace and hope and joy; then her hope rested on the sure foundation; and then she began to give thanks to Jehovah for victory obtained through the Lord Jesus Christ. From that time till her death she continued a follower of the Lamb. She lived by faith on the Son of God, and afforded very satisfactory evidence of her progress in knowledge and faith and hope, and that she was through grace ultimately prepared to be for ever with the Lord.
This book is useful to afford us some light upon the state of religion in our land at the time in which she lived. It was then a common practice for the pious people to be fervent in spirit on sacramental occasions, and to travel in great numbers, even to distant places, to wait on God and to enjoy communion with Himself in His appointed ordinances. The fact also is clearly and frequently stated that praying people did not go in vain. There was bread in God’s house. There were messages given to His servants well calculated to awaken, to instruct, and to edify the people. Those were times in which the exalted Saviour went forth conquering, and did subdue many souls. Those were times of refreshing from the presence of Jehovah. His word had free course and was glorified, and the people who feared God spake often one with another; they enjoyed the presence of the Holy Spirit as a comforter, and they were strengthened to go on their way rejoicing.
In this book also the teachers of Christianity may learn what should be done. The discourses by which the people were congregated together and edified were intelligible, scriptural, discriminating, searching, and replete with useful instruction. Many of them exhibited rich intellectual feasts. The hearers enlightened by the Holy Spirit must have been fed with the heavenly wisdom, and delighted with the treasures of knowledge which many of the discourses contained. In those times God gave to many places of our land pastors according to His own heart, who fed the people with knowledge and understanding. They preached Christ Jesus the Lord, and salvation by faith in Him. The sovereign love, the rich grace, and the glorious holiness of Jehovah—the personal glory, the official authority, and the finished work of Jesus Christ—and the application of redemption to the soul by the Holy Spirit—they clearly and powerfully illustrated. Jesus Christ and His salvation they frequently and pathetically recommended to the hearers. Sinners were urged to believe on the Son of God, and without delay to accept Him as He is offered in the Gospel, and cordially to welcome Him, and to close with Him for their own salvation by renouncing at once all other confidence, and by trusting in Him as the only and the Almighty Saviour; and those who, through grace, had already believed, were as faithfully exhorted, by a life of ardent and consistent piety, to “adorn the doctrine of God the Saviour in all things.” Is not this the same kind of preaching which would still be useful? This kind of preaching the Saviour recommended when He said, “Go and teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” And now, when many are in danger of perishing for lack of knowledge, those teachers who love the souls of the people may be encouraged, by the things written in this book, to search deeply into the meaning of the revealed will of God, and to employ all their talents and all their learning in giving faithful and intelligible illustrations of divine truth, for the spiritual and everlasting good of sinners ready to perish.
But why should I persist even in mentioning such things? They are far better stated in the book itself. Nothing that I can say will make such a production agreeable to the carnal mind, and those who are spiritually minded need no recommendation from me. The book will speak for itself, and the glorious truths contained in it will commend themselves to the hearts and consciences of the people who love God. Let the readers then enter at once within, and behold the true light from heaven shining with splendour into a consecrated temple of the Holy God. In such a production as this no verbal embellishment is requisite. Here there is no fiction; there is no imaginary tale. Here is real—here is consistent—godliness. Come and behold the image of God in a renewed and sanctified soul. Come and see heaven upon earth. Come with a desire to understand the good things here explained, and with a desire to receive and to enjoy the good things here recommended.
But why do I still persist? There is no need for an effort to light up a torch to show you the splendid sun. This book is richly irradiated with emanations of glory from the Father of lights. The splendour is softened or rendered more inviting to sinners, yet not diminished nor obscured by rays from the Sun of Righteousness, even from that one Mediator who is the brightness of the Father’s glory. The Spirit of illumination, in revealing, within this humble and benevolent believer, the things of Christ, gave her power to understand and energy to write in a luminous manner, and for the edification of others, what she had tasted and known and enjoyed of sovereign and saving grace. The Three-One God is hereby manifested and glorified. As the sun shines by his own light, so this book—as it reveals the glory of God—may be said to have the true light described in its statements. Those who have eyes to see that light may, by a prayerful perusal, drink in much wisdom and holiness and joy. Those who are yet in the darkness of spiritual death may at present see nothing in it to admire; they may even see many things to despise and to condemn. Yet God may make it useful even to despisers of truth and of salvation. By a rational and serious perusal of such a book they may at least learn that they are yet destitute of illumination from the Spirit of God. They may learn also that it is possible for the Holy Spirit to give them eyes to see the wonders of salvation; and they may even be induced to pray that God may also open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and grant to them an inheritance among those who are sanctified.
All who peruse it with candour may be convinced that Solomon declared the truth when, at the dedication of the Temple, he thus addressed Jehovah, the one living God: “Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart.”
GAVIN PARKER.
ABERDEEN, October, 1836.
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It will readily be granted that the perusal of the lives of eminent saints, in which are recorded their religious experiences of the love, goodness, and condescendency of a gracious and merciful God to their souls, is both a delightful and beneficial exercise. Hereby the reader is acquainted with the high attainments of the truly godly; their various exercises while in their militant state; the divine support they are favoured with in all their trials; the power and efficacy of sovereign grace upon their hearts, which makes them striking examples of the truth and reality of religion; and that the Lord, in very deed, vouchsafes “to dwell with men on the earth,” and makes them attest the excellency and recommend to others the religion of the blessed Jesus. Marion Laird, the author of the following Memoirs, was allowed by all who knew her to be a very eminent saint, and one that was highly favoured of the Lord. As she has not acquainted us with any account of the first period of her life, we presume the following short sketch thereof will not be unacceptable to the reader:—Our author was the daughter of Alexander Laird, farmer in Berfern, in the parish of Inverkip, about four miles west of Greenock. She was born on the 23rd of October, 1722. As her parents removed from Berfern to Greenock in her younger years, so she was educated and brought up in that place till she was fit for service. She resided for some time, in the station of a servant, in the family of one Alexander Parker, in a place called the Toor, in the parish of Kilbarchan. It was there the Lord first vouchsafed Himself to her—took a saving dealing with her heart—and where her concern about religion and her exercise of soul were first perceived. This happened, as she herself informs us, between the beginning of April, 1740, and July, 1741.
The Lord, it would appear, in bringing about a saving change upon her heart, brought her first to Mount Sinai, and there discovered Himself in all the awful terrors of majesty, prior to His bringing her to Mount Zion and manifesting Himself gracious and merciful to her soul, and showing her the riches and glory of His grace. She was often—even after the Lord had displayed His loving-kindness to her—left in the dark, on account of His withdrawing His gracious presence from her for some time. She was much harassed with Satan’s fiery temptations, and several times even tempted to put a period to her natural life; but on all such occasions, as she herself informs us, the Lord was a present help in the time of need. While she enjoyed any measure of health and strength she was a conscientious attender upon the public and private exercises of religion, enjoyed much of the Lord’s sensible presence in them, and often had her soul filled as with marrow and fatness. Sacramental solemnities were, for the most part, very refreshing to her, and sometimes like the suburbs of heaven; and she carefully remembered the subjects that had been most beneficial to her, and the instruments the Lord made use of as messengers of peace to her soul. Sabbath days were generally feasting times to her. When at any time it was otherwise, she was much concerned about the Lord’s hiding Himself from her, and quite unhappy till He returned and lifted up the light of His gracious countenance upon her soul. Perusing the Scriptures was her daily exercise and peculiar delight. She appeared to be well acquainted with them; could quote opposite portions of them upon every occasion with facility and ease; and seemed to have very distinct views of their true sense and meaning. Secret prayer was what she had great pleasure in—often got very near access to God therein—and many times He was graciously pleased, in that duty, to reveal to her the secrets of His covenant, both respecting herself and others. Meditation, especially upon heavenly and divine things, was her unwearied and delightful exercise; and often when she mused the fire burned, which made her meditations to be very sweet.
Her attainments in religion were very high and almost singular, and her trials were also very great, and some of them almost uncommon. She never was in her proper element but when the Lord smiled on her tabernacle, which was often her happy situation; but, generally after signal manifestations of divine love and sensible enjoyments of communion with God, the Lord either suddenly withdrew or some trial or difficulty came in her way to keep her humble. And many times “a messenger of Satan was sent to buffet her, lest she should be exalted above measure.” This was always matter of deep exercise to her, and made her quite unhappy till the Lord returned in love to her soul. She was strongly impressed to commit to writing some account of the Lord’s gracious dealing to her soul, but much afraid lest anything she had experienced, or might say about it, would but dishonour Him and be an injury to religion, which she was always very tender of. Her mind, however, was so much impressed to the duty that she at last prevailed upon herself to essay it, but kept what she had committed to writing a profound secret till the year 1756, when she was seized with a severe fever, and somewhat apprehensive that it might issue in death, she then acquainted Mr. Cock, under whose ministry she then was, what she had done, and even showed him her papers. Mr. Cock, on perusing them, encouraged her in her design; desired her on her recovery, which he expected, to finish them; and, as she acquaints us herself, was at some pains to learn her to write with more accuracy. In the month of August, 1757, she was seized with bodily trouble, which continued to increase for some months; and so acute and sharp did it become against the month of December following, that her whole body was exceedingly sore pained with stitches, to such a degree as if so many darts had been stuck into it and left remaining there. In this pitiful condition physicians were of no avail. All the means that were used for her relief rather increased than alleviated her pain. Thus she continued, bound with cords of affliction in a greater or lesser measure, all the remaining days of her life, which was about thirteen years and three months. She had not only several presages of the approach of this indisposition, but certain evidences of its being a lengthened-out rod. During this long period of sore distress, which she bore with exemplary patience, resignation, and submission to the divine will, she was not altogether without her trials, though the greater part of it was a time of singular manifestations of the love of God to her soul, by which she was strengthened and encouraged to bear up under whatever the Lord saw meet to measure out for her in the world. While she was thus confined to the house, and mostly to her bed, for such a number of years, it was her study to spend her time in the best manner she could. Reading, meditation, prayer, spiritual converse with those that visited her, and keeping up an epistolary correspondence on religious matters with some select friends and acquaintances, engrossed the most part of her time. She had a singularly pious turn of mind; could talk with remarkable freedom and distinctness on religious subjects, and had a very great pleasure therein. She was also well acquainted with vital religion, and the power and efficacy of divine grace upon her heart.
In these years of trouble and confinement she was visited by great numbers, both of ministers and private Christians, and some of these from a considerable distance. She improved these opportunities not only in hearing instruction from them, but also in giving very wholesome advices in her turn, especially to young people, which had often such a good effect as gained their affection entirely to her, to that degree that they would communicate more of their mind and inward case to her than they would do to the nearest relations. She had a peculiar talent of delivering her sentiments on any religious point, particularly of adapting herself to the cases of exercised persons, and always ready to comfort them with these consolations with which she herself was comforted, when she was in a condition to speak to them; but she was often, through weakness and being subject to fainting, unable to speak. She was never more in her element than when pouring out her supplications at the throne of grace. She was often there on her own account, and frequently employed, even by experienced Christians, to spread out their case before the Lord, which was no small part of her exercise; and always, when so employed, got something of importance to communicate to them. She very frequently said that when she had errands for others to the throne she always got something to herself, but was always certain that when she was admitted to the nearest access, and enjoyed the greatest familiarity with God, she might lay her account with being severely assaulted by the enemy.
It was always her ardent desire to have the love of God, above every other thing, impressed upon her soul; and about three weeks before her death she was observed to forget many other things, and had that as the principal object of her conversation. Her bodily trouble increased more than ordinary for about ten days before her death. The night preceding her dissolution, when three or four persons had come to inquire for her, she desired a Christian acquaintance to pray for a safe passage to her into the land of glory. He signified to her that he did not expect her departure to be so near, but she insisted on her request. After he had gone about prayer he asked her what she now thought of Christ, to which she replied that “Christ is my Redeemer, my strength, my fortress, my shield, my portion, my salvation, my glory, my everlasting all,” etc. She slept but very little through the whole night, but said to those who attended her that she had solid and agreeable meditations on her blessed Lord. She spoke with elevated pleasure of that scripture with which our Lord comforted His disciples (John xiv. 2, 3): “I go to prepare a place for you; but I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also.” She several times repeated these words—”I think He is on His way.” She quoted these words (Psalm xlv. 15) with a holy triumph:—
“They shall be brought with gladness great,
And mirth on every side,
Into the palace of the King,
And there they shall abide.”
Her natural weakness continued still to increase, till it became at last very difficult to hear what she said. She was overheard to say, with a very low, broken voice, among her last words that were understood, “O lovely Jesus!—O precious salvation!—O blessed inheritance!”
About a quarter after six o’clock in the morning, on Saturday the 22nd of September, 1770, in the forty-eighth year of her age, she fell asleep in the Lord with the greatest composure, and without the least emotion, just as if she had slept away in Himself, it having been difficult for those who were present to know precisely when she breathed her last. So much shall suffice for a short account of the author of the following Memoirs. It only now remains that the reader be acquainted that the following Memoirs are carefully printed from the original manuscript copy; the first and greatest part of it wrote by the author’s own hand, and the sequel—after she became unable to write—dictated by herself, and wrote under her own eye by an intimate acquaintance, still in life. The publication of them hath been often earnestly solicited for since her death, but purposely delayed, in expectation that the Rev. Mr. Cock—under whose ministry she lived for several years, and who had frequent opportunities of seeing and conversing with her during the course of her long trouble—would have wrote the Preface and given a more full and particular account of her, as she had often communicated her mind to him both fully and freely. But his going to America has prevented the public of this, for after waiting so long, nothing of this nature has come to hand, though desired and also wrote for. As a great part of her Christian experience during her thirteen years’ illness is contained in the religious letters she wrote to some select friends and acquaintances, we have subjoined to the following Memoirs a collection of forty-seven of these letters, being all that we were in possession of.
The reader of the following Memoirs is not to expect to have his ear tickled with a flow of fine words and elegant diction, though her language and manner of expression—all things considered—is very far from being despicable; but if the reader be a person any way acquainted with the power and efficacy of divine grace upon his own heart, he may expect to find what is vastly preferable—even the genuine sentiments of a pious soul successfully wrestling against sin and the temptations of Satan, and deeply exercised to true godliness; and this will prove, by the divine blessing, solid food to his soul, and be a means of inflaming his heart with love to the blessed Redeemer, who condescends to vouchsafe His kindness to any of the fallen tribe.
Upon the whole it may with propriety be said that Marion Laird was a striking instance of the reality, power, and efficacy of religion; and as such singular instances are but very rare, we shall conclude with an anecdote of another very religious woman who died a little after her, in full assurance, about fifty miles distance from her. The minister of the place paid her a visit on her death-bed, and gives the following account of her:—”Last week,” says he, “a member of this congregation died triumphantly. She told me that she had no more ado but to die; that all the promises in the Bible were on her side; and that the Spirit of God had put them into her heart. She, at my desire, repeated several of them. My soul was refreshed to hear her. I asked her whether we should pray or praise. She said, ‘Praise, praise!’ Her last words were, ‘Come, Lord Jesus, for I am now ready.’ O that we may have such a passage,” says he, “by knowing Him ourselves.”
That a careful perusal of the following Memoirs and letters may have the happy tendency to stir up many to a serious concern of soul about vital and practical godliness, is the sincere desire of
THE EDITOR.
PREFACE.
WHEN I began first to write an account of the Lord’s gracious dealings with my soul, so far as I can remember, I had not the smallest intention to let any person know of it till the year 1756, when I was seized with a sore fever, and had no hopes of a recovery therefrom. Then I wist not well what to do with them, being uncertain into whose hands they might fall. After revolving the matter some time in my own mind, I prevailed upon myself to acquaint Mr. Cock of them. So soon as he heard of them he was very desirous to see what I had wrote. I signified to him that if he would let none know of it, he should see them. When conversing, at this time, with Mr. C. about what I had written, I communicated also to him that the Lord bore it in on my spirit, by an irresistible gale of His Word and Spirit, that He would recover me again from my present distress, and that I must return back again to the world, to be tossed with new winds and waves. This brought me into very great grief for many days, lest I should become a wound to religion. In this very melancholy situation sleep became a terror to me; for when sleep overtook me I dreamed I had committed some sin whereby God was highly dishonoured. O, the distress this brought me into! I thought they were well off that got away to heaven without leaving a blot on religion.
Many a time I wondered at the wisdom of God in this matter, in keeping it a secret from me that He would turn me back into the wilderness again, till I told our minister, Mr. C. And in this I found outward advantages, for he taught me the manner of writing as carefully as I had been his own child. When Mr. C. came to see me again I signified to him that the Lord would yet deliver me out of trouble. He asked me how I came to know that; “for,” said he, “ye are not yet delivered.” I told him that I was persuaded of it. He said to me, “It may be Satan will tempt you to think your deliverance not a mercy.” I found this to be true; and I often found the secret of the Lord with him.
Before I proceed to narrate what of the Lord’s goodness He has been pleased to vouchsafe unto me, I would here beg leave to suggest two advices to any into whose hands these writings may come.
- Do not entertain too high thoughts of me, as if there were any intrinsic excellency naturally in me above others. What induces me to suggest this advice is, when I have been telling somewhat that God hath done for my soul, they would fall a-commending me, as though it had been some good thing in me beyond others that had procured these things to me. O, this grieved me to see the crown pulled off the head of the glorious Redeemer, and set upon the head of sinful self. O, sirs, wonder not at me, but admire the electing love of God upon the like of me, a vile worm. O, saints, admire His love, and wonder at the matchless glory and excellency of His person. O, the freedom of His grace! O, the unsearchable riches of Christ! O, the glorious contrivance of redemption through His death and sacrifice! O, that I could love Him and praise Him more!
- Another advice I would give to them who may have access to see my writings is this: if they think it will be for the advancing God’s honour, and the real good of others, to let them go abroad into the world. I say, if it be judged for the glory of God and the advantage of others, let them go. O, that I could commend His love to others; and O, that all that hear thereof may fall in love with our lovely Lord Christ! O, sirs, meditate much upon His love. Many a sweet hour have I had in meditating on His matchless loving-kindness. O, it is a sweet field to travel in till the day break and all the shadows flee away.
MARION LAIRD.