A FRIEND has handed us the following letter by a worthy man of the past, which contains excellent advice:—
INVERNESS, 24th March, 1857.
MY DEAR NEPHEW,—I have not any news to tell you at this time about what is going on in the country, but this I may tell you—that death is not idle in this neighbourhood at present. Mrs. B. D. died a few days ago, and I went by the funeral to Dunlichity, and I remained a few days with your father and uncle and the rest of my friends thereabout, believing it to be the last time I would see them in this life. Every feature of my old friends is telling me that we are only “strangers and sojourners on this earth,” and that soon our race will be run. For my part, my life is very short. Now, I have been taking my last farewell of the people—and even of the hill and mountain I took my last farewell! I am very poorly since I came home.
Dear nephew, this is the last letter you shall have from me, and I must write you faithfully and lovingly. You have been complaining of the Sabbath-breaking and profanity of the people, and I believe you have too much reason. You bring to my memory what a pious pack-merchant said once in Strathspey; his name was Alexander Rose. He and his companion took up their lodgings in a farmer’s house, and when the people came in, there was nothing but cursing and swearing. The other man said to Rose, “Arise, and let us go from here, lest they bring judgment on us!” The pious merchant said, “Where will you go? If you go out of Sodom, you will only go into Gomorrah.” And I think the same applicable to you. If you leave England you will only go to Scotland, which is as bad; but I believe both places to be safer for you than any other kingdom in this world. My dear boy, wherever you go in this world there is sin, and wherever sin is there is trouble. But you must remember that God made your body a closet for your soul, in which you can worship God unknown to the world; and so you can pray to God in your daily business or in the midst of company. It is in this closet you can pray without ceasing. My dear boy, I exhort you to make special use of ejaculatory prayer, for one of the saints said, “It is a fiery, flying prayer that will be in heaven before the devil can shoot an arrow at it.” I wish you particularly to shun bad company, for it has proved the ruin of thousands; shun it as far as you possibly can—for to shun it altogether you must need go out of the world. It is a bad sign to see a man taking delight in bad company; but I hope better things of you. You had a good example set before you; and if you will do as they do, you must do it in face of an enlightened conscience, and for this God will punish you for the sin though He would allow them to go free.
My dear nephew, I beseech you—as my last and earnest desire—that you will remember your soul above everything. You cannot be too anxious about your immortal soul. Do not take any notice of the scoffs and jests of the world, but be courageous and “fight the good fight,” that you may have a crown of life.
I must now conclude. . . . Accept of my kindest love and best wishes for your welfare in time and eternity.—I remain, etc., D. M.