(Continued from page 153.)
ALEXANDER GAIR.
One, who was desired to become an elder, went to ask for his advice, when he replied: “No, my lad; for the house is falling, and the further you go in the more difficult it will be to get out. But if you keep about the door, you will have an easier escape.” The house falling was, of course, the Church backsliding.
Referring to the subject of speaking upon the truth, or bearing testimony for Christ in any way, he gave a warning thus: “Woe unto you if you go not as far as you have been taught by the Spirit, and woe unto you if you go any further!”
He remarked on one occasion that he would like to have the last mouthful of food at a meal as sweet as the first, referring to such as would be so long in religious exercises as to make what was said distasteful to their hearers.
“Some,” he added, “will make a grace as long as a prayer, and a prayer as long as a sermon.”
When he was observed rising very early some mornings, he was asked the reason, and he replied, “I have a desire for prayer, and if I drop prayer, I will lose my soul.”
He was one day coming from Wick, and having overtaken a woman whom he thought did not know him, he began to ask her what kind of a man was Sandy Gair, or how did the people like him. She answered that she could not say much about him. “Well,” said he, “tired am I of the man. Many a weary day have I with him.”
One said to him that it was wonderful how few witnesses the Most High was raising up in that day: “Oh,” he replied, “He has them in secret, and He will keep them there till He bring them to glory.”
(To be continued.)
REPENTANCE will fasten thy grips and make thee to reach up to the blood of Christ in time, and to hold Him fast in the arms of thy soul, and suppose thou would’st let Him go, yet He will never let thee go, and then the blood of Christ being reached to thee, then the arm of God shall take a grip of thee, and these two grips shall never loose asunder.—John Welch.
Not o Dhr. Kennedy.
BHA Dr. Kennedy a’ labhairt là eigin ann an “Leabaidd na Bà Bàine,” a’n Gearroch, o’n cheann teagaig sin: “Air eachaibh cha dean sinn marcachd” (Hosea xiv. 3). Ann an cùrsa a theagaig, thubhairt e marso:
“B’e a’ cheud each, air an do mharcaich e so, Ladarnas. Cha robh àithne, eadar dà chlár an lagha, nach leumadh Ladarnas, a’s an duine air a mhuin.
Chunnaic e nach deanamh an t-each so a ghnothuch, a’s gur h-ann a dh’ fheumadh e a bhi cùite as e.
B’e an dara h-each, air an do mharcaich e, Stuaimeachd. Bha Stuaimeachd cho ciatach, as gu’n deachaidh a chliù air feadh na dûthcha.
Ach chunnaic e ‘rithist, ma bha Stuaimeachd ciatach, gur h-e a bhitheadh ro chiatach Fialachd. Agus, ma chaidh cliù Stuaimeachd air feadh na dûthcha, chaidh cliù Fialachd air feadh nan dûthchannan. Rachadh Fialachd a mach a dh’ eígheach ri luchd an rathaid mhòir: ‘Thig a stigh, tha am pathadh ort, agus theagamh gu bheil an t-ocras ort.’ Threatadh Fialachd an neach, a bheiridh e a stigh, leis na h-uile ni a bhitheadh a dh’easbhuidh air.
Chunnaic e ‘nis, ma bha Fialachd cho maith sud, gur h-e a bhitheadh ro mhaith each geal an aidichidh. Thuair e, mar sin, each geal an aidichidh, a’s bha an diallaid cho geal ris an each. Ach ciod ‘am maith a rinn sin do bhrònain, ‘s gur h-ann le a dhà bhròg às an òtrach, a chaidh e anns an diallaid? Chitheadh luchd an rathaid mhòir nach robh na brògan air am bruisheadh. Ach, mu dheireadh, ‘s ann a bhrist am fear, agus chaidh an t-each a thoirt uath. Ach thugadh dha each geur, ruinseach, ruadh, dh’am b’ainm Geur-agartasan-ceartais, air nach do luidh sgìla’dh fheòil a riamh, agus bha a chnàmhan ionnan as troimh ‘n chraicionn. Cha bhitheadh diallaid air, agus, gach duine a rachadh air a mhuin, bhitheadh e ‘ga ghearradh gu smior-chaiill-each, na gallop, a’s dh’eigheadh am fear a’ bh’air a mhuin.
Maille ris gach diom buaidh a bha air, cha deachaidh a cheann a riamh a bhriseadh, a’s rachadh e, mar a thoillicheadh e fhein. Là de na làithibh, dh’ fhalbh e, agus an duine air a mhuin, a’s chunnaic an duine gu maith c’aithe an robh e a’ dol:—a dh’ionnsuidh sluichd de chlàbair làthaich, gu’n ghrùnd. ‘Nuair a rainig e beul an t-sluichd de chlàbair làthaich, gun grùnd, leum e ann, agus an duine air a mhuin. Thug an t-each spriadhadh le uile neart, a’s, anns a spriadhadh, chaidh an duine a mach air mulach a chinn. Eadar dha falbh dhe an each agus tuiteam anns an t-slochd, ‘s ann a dh’ fhosgail e a bheul, agus e a’ dol a dh’ eígheach, ‘Tròcair’; ach, mu’n d’ fhuair e ‘Tròcair’ a ràdh, ‘s ann bha a bheul làn de chlàbair an t-sluichd, ‘s cha robh focal aige. Bha a chuinneanan làn de chlàbair an t-sluichd, a’s cha robh tarruing anail aige, bha a shùilean, a’s a chluasan làn de
chlàbair an t-sluchd, a’s cha’n fhaiceadh e, ‘s cha chluinneadh e. Ach cha d’ fhuair Tròcair Còthrom riabh air teachd ‘na rathad gu ruig a so. Spion Tròcair leatha e, a’s thòisich Tròcair air glanadh a bheul o chlàbair an t-sluchd, a chuinneanan o chlàbair an t-sluchd, a’s a chluasan, o chlàbair an t-sluchd. A’ cheud tarruing anail a fhuair e, ‘s ann a sheinn air cliù Tròcair, a’s lean e air seinn air cliù Tròcair a tuilleadh, ach ‘nuair a gheibheadh e fuachd, a’s a bhitheadh an cnatan, a’s an tuchadh air. Sguir e a’ mharcachd a nis, a’s bha aige, ann am moladh Tròcair, a nis: Air eachaibh cha dean sinn marcachd.”
Notes and Comments.
Recruiting on the Lord’s Day.—One of the unfavourable features of the present crisis is the practice of enlisting soldiers on the Sabbath. On Sabbath the 15th August, between 400 and 500 men were enlisted in Glasgow. Public meetings have also been held in various places on the Lord’s Day with a view to stimulate recruiting, and professed ministers of the gospel have actually delivered addresses at these meetings. Such desecration of the Sabbath by those who ought to know better is scandalous, and no blessing from above can attend such work. How can we expect that the Lord of the Sabbath, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, will go forth with our armies and navies, if we deliberately trample upon His authority and break His law? We may justly expect many frowns of His holy displeasure. Let recruiters and recruiting offices be as busy as they may on week-days, but hold off the Lord’s Day! Such business is then not good for body or soul, time or eternity.
Immodest Apparel.—The inspired apostles, Paul and Peter, express decided disapproval of gaudy or costly array on the part of women, especially those professing godliness (1 Timothy ii. 9; 1 Peter iii. 3, 4). The Apostle Paul also makes special mention of “modest apparel,” and says, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety.” These words ought to be well weighed at the present time. Whether women in general are wearing more gaudy or costly apparel than their ancestors we do not undertake to say, but one thing is plain—that they do not dress so modestly as was done thirty or forty years ago. For a short time past a mode of dress has become fashionable, against which we desire to lift up our earnest protest—it is what is popularly known as the “V neck”—an exposure of the breast that we regard as very unbecoming, and fitted to do harm to the morals of the young. Possibly some respectable women have to a certain extent fallen into this mode through the influence of fashion, but it ought not so to be. “The fashion of this world passeth away.” We earnestly appeal to all the young women of the Free Presbyterian
Church to resolutely set their faces against the mode. If any of them have already, to any degree, adopted it, let them not be ashamed to do the right and retrace their steps. We also express the hope that parents and other friends will firmly use their influence against the practice. Though the apostle speaks immediately to professors of godliness, his counsel embraces all others within the pale of the Christian Church. The Lord is angry with the present generation on account of a general looseness in morals. There is little need to add more drops to the cup of His wrath. We have much need of a Puritan revival.