BY THE REV. PROFESSOR BENJAMIN B. WARFIELD, D.D., LL.D.,
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A.
(Continued from page 319.)
IT was not merely natural but inevitable that in this positive proclamation of universal human duties to a particular people, a special form should be given their enunciation specifically adapting them to this particular people in its peculiar circumstances; and it was eminently desirable that they should be so phrased and so commanded as to open a ready approach for them to this particular people’s mind and to bring them to bear with especial force upon its heart. This element of particularity embedded in the mode of their proclamation, however, has no tendency to void these commandments of their intrinsic and universal obligation. It only clothes them with an additional appeal to those to whom this particular proclamation of them is immediately addressed. It is not less the duty of all men to do no murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to bear false witness, not to covet a neighbour’s possession, that the Israelite too is commanded not to do these things, and is urged to withhold himself from them by the moving plea that he owes a peculiar obedience to a God who has dealt with him with distinguishing grace. And it is not less the duty of all men to worship none but the one true God, and Him only with spiritual worship; not to profane His name nor to withhold from Him the time necessary for His service, or refuse to reverence Him in his representatives, that these duties are impressed especially on the heart of the Israelite by the great plea that this God has shown Himself in a peculiar manner his God. The presence of the Sabbath commandment in the midst of this series of fundamental human duties, singled out to form the compact core of the positive morality divinely required of God’s peculiar people, is rather its commendation to all peoples of all times as an essential element in primary human good conduct.
It is clearly this view of the matter which was taken by our Lord. How Jesus thought of the Ten Commandments we may easily learn from His dealing with the rich young ruler who came to Him demanding: “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” “Thou knowest the commandments,” our Lord replied; “If thou wouldst enter into life, keep the commandments.” Nothing new is suggested by our Lord: nothing but the same old commandments which Jehovah had given Israel in the Ten Words. “Thou knowest the commandments,” says he; “the commandments.” They are the well-known commandments which every one in Israel knew well. “I have nothing else to say to thee except what you already know . . .” so one of the
most modern of modern commentators (Johannes Weiss) paraphrases our Lord’s response: “He who would be worthy of the kingdom of God must keep the primeval commandments of God.” And that no mistake might be made as to His meaning, our Lord goes on to enumerate a sufficient number of the Ten Commandments to make it clear even to persistent misunderstanding what commandments He had in mind. “Thou shalt not kill.” He specifies, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother, and, He adds, summing up as much of them as He had repeated, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” So little does Jesus imagine that the Ten Commandments were of local and temporary obligation that He treats them as the law of the universal and eternal kingdom which He came to establish.
Nor has He left us to infer this merely from His dealing with them in such instances as this of the rich young ruler. He tells us explicitly that His mission as regards the law was, not to abrogate it, but “to fulfil it,” that is to say, “to fill it out,” complete it, develop it into its full reach and power. The law, He declares, in the most solemn manner, is not susceptible of being done away with, but shall never cease to be authoritative and obligatory. “For verily I say unto you,” He says, employing for the first time in the record of His sayings which have come down to us, this formula of solemn asseveration—”Verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.” So long as time endures, the law shall endure in full validity, down to its smallest details. The concluding phrase of this declaration, rendered in our Revised Version “until all things be accomplished,” and perhaps even more misleadingly in the Authorised Version, “till all be fulfilled,” is not a mere repetition of “Till heaven and earth pass away,” but means, in brief, “until all which the law requires shall be done, until no item of the law shall remain unobserved.” So long as the world stands no iota of the law shall pass away—till all that it prescribes shall be performed. The law exists not to be broken or to be abrogated, but to be obeyed; not to be “undone,” to employ an old English phrase, but to be “done.” It is to be obeyed, and it shall be obeyed, down to the last detail; and, therefore, in no detail of it can it be set aside or safely neglected. “The thought is,” remarks H. A. W. Meyer justly, that “the law will not lose its binding obligation, which reaches on to the final realisation of all its prescriptions, so long as heaven and earth remain.” Now, the law of which our Lord makes this strong assertion of its ever-abiding validity, includes, as one of its prominent constituent parts, just the Ten Commandments. For, as he proceeds to illustrate His statements from instances in point, showing how the law is filled out, completed by Him, He begins by adducing instances from the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not kill”; “Thou shalt not commit
adultery.” It is with the Ten Commandments clearly in His mind, therefore, that He declares that no jot or tittle of the law shall ever pass away, but it all must be fulfilled.
Like Master, like disciple. There is an illuminating passage in the Epistle of James, in which the law is so adverted to as to throw a strong emphasis on its unity and its binding character in every precept of it. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law,” we read, “and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.” “The law is a whole,” comments J. E. B. Mayor; “it is the revelation of God’s will; disregard to a single point is disregard to the Law-giver, it is disobedience to God, and a spirit of disobedience breaks the law as a whole.” If then, we keep the law, indeed, in general but fail in one precept, we have broken, not that precept only, but the whole law of which that precept is a portion. We might as well say, if we have broken the handle or the lip or the pedestal of some beautiful vase, that we have not broken the vase but only the handle or the lip or the pedestal of it, as to say that we have not broken the law when we have broken a single one of its precepts. Now, the matter of special interest to us is that James illustrates this doctrine from the Ten Commandments. It is the same God, he declares, who has said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, and Thou shalt not kill. If we do not commit adultery but kill, we are transgressors of the holy will of this God, expressed in all the precepts and not merely in one. It is obvious that James might have taken any others of the precepts of the Decalogue to illustrate his point—the Fourth as well as the Sixth or Seventh. The Decalogue evidently lies in his mind as a convenient summary of fundamental duty; and he says in effect that it is binding on us all, in all its precepts alike, because they all alike are from God and publish His holy will.
An equally instructive allusion to the Decalogue meets us in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul is dwelling on one of his favourite themes—love as the fulfilment of the law. “He who loveth his neighbour,” he says, “hath fulfilled the law.” For, all the precepts of the law—he is thinking here only of our duties to our fellow-men—are summed up in the one commandment, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” To illustrate this proposition he enumerates some of the relevant precepts. They are taken from the second table of the Decalogue: “Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet.” Clearly the Ten Commandments stand in Paul’s mind as a summary of the fundamental principles of essential morality, and are, as such, of eternal validity. When he declares that love is the fulfilment of these precepts, he does not mean, of course, that love supersedes them, so that we may content ourselves with loving our neighbour and not concern ourselves at all with the details of our conduct toward him. What he means is the precise contrary of this: that he who loves his neighbour has within him a spring of right conduct towards his
neighbour, which will make him solicitous to fulfil all his duties to him. Love does not abrogate but fulfils the law.
Paul was not the originator of this view of the relation of love to the law. Of his Master before him we read: “And He said . . . Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hangeth the whole law, and the prophets.” That is to say, all the precepts of the law are but the development in detail, in the form of announced obligations, of the natural workings of love towards God and man. The two tables of the Decalogue are clearly in mind as respectively summed up in these two great commandments. And the meaning is, again, not that love to God and man supersedes the duties enumerated in these two tables, but that it urges prevailingly to their punctual and complete fulfilment. As loving our fellow-men does not so fulfil all our duty towards them that, loving them, we are free to rob and murder them; so loving God does not so fulfil our whole duty to Him that, loving him, we are free to insult His name or deny Him the time necessary for His service. Love, again, means not the abrogation but the fulfilment of the law.
It cannot be necessary to multiply examples. Nothing could be clearer than that the Ten Commandments are treated by our Lord and the writers of the New Testament as the embodiment, in a form suited to command them to Israel, of the fundamental elements of essential morality, authoritative for all time and valid in all the circumstances of life. All the references made to them have as their tendency, not to discredit them, but to cleanse them from the obscuring accretions of years of more or less uncomprehending and unspiritual tradition, and penetrating to their core, to throw up into high light their purest ethical content. Observe how our Lord deals with the two commandments, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, in the passage near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, to which we have already had occasion to allude. Everything external and mechanical in the customary application of these commandments is at once swept away; the central moral principle is seized with firmness: and this central moral principle is developed without hesitation into its uttermost manifestations. Murder, for example, is discovered in principle already in anger; and not in anger only, but even in harsh language. Adultery, in the vagrant impulses of the mind and senses; and in every approach to levity in the treatment of the marriage tie. There is no question here of abrogating these commandments, or of limiting their application. One might say rather that their applications are immensely extended, though “extended” is not quite the right word: say rather, deepened. They seem somehow to be enriched and ennobled in our Lord’s hands, made more valuable and fecund, increased in beauty and
splendour. Nothing really has happened to them. But our eyes have been opened to see them as they are, purely ethical precepts, declaring fundamental duties, and declaring them with that clean absoluteness which covers all the ground.
(To be continued.)
Letter from Rev. J. B. Radasi,
MISSIONARY, MATABELELAND.
THE following interesting letter from our Missionary in Matabeleland has been received by the Rev. Neil Cameron, Convener of Foreign Mission Committee:—
C/O NATIVE COMMISSIONER, BEMBESI,
MATABELELAND, SOUTH AFRICA, 14th November, 1917.
MY DEAR MR. CAMERON,—I am still enjoying good health, which is a matter to be very thankful for, as there are many people laid up with fever. I am kept very busy, visiting the sick, reading the Word of God, and praying with them. And as some of our men who used to assist me in preaching to the outside stations, have gone to “the Front,” German East Africa, that has made me very busy. But whenever I have an opportunity—even during week-days—I visit these places, and preach to the people. They are still enrolling people to go to German East Africa, all over the country and in our district as well. Another batch went away last week, with a few men from our congregation and another elder. These, I understand, will remain till the War is over. The others who went first were enrolled for two years.
I have not heard from you for some time; I hope you are keeping well. I am also kept busy with the day school. I am at present teaching alone, as my assistant went to Lovedale this year to finish her education and qualify for a teacher; and as I have seventy-eight children on the books, I am kept very busy. It is a matter to be very thankful for to the Lord that my health, so far, has been good. We should be very glad of a visit from one of our ministers after the War.
The mail from Europe is now very irregular on account of the War. We sometimes have to wait for a month without getting a mail. And so I would like you to send me at once the money (school fees) for the boy whom I intend to send to Lovedale at the beginning of next year. It is well that we should have teachers belonging to our own Church, who are in sympathy with our cause and our simple mode of worship, without instruments or uninspired hymns—simply using the inspired Psalms for praise. We shall be very glad when we get the whole of the book of Psalms complete in metre. It is to be hoped that the Lovedale authorities will let us have them as early as possible. They did not tell us how far they had gone in reviewing them.
I must now conclude with kindest regards to you.—Yours
sincerely, J. B. RADASI.
Air Iomadh Puing Dhiadhachd.
LE MR. EOIN UELSH.
“Na dean dhuit fein dealbh snaidhte, no coslas sam bith a dh’aon ni, a ta ‘sna neamhaibh shuas, no air an talamh shios, no ‘sna h-uiseachtaibh fuidh ‘n talamh. Na crom thu fein sios doibh, agus na dean seirbhís doibh; oir mis an Tighearn do Dhia, is Dia eudmhoir mi, a’ leantuinn aingidheachd na’n aithrichean air a chloinn, air an treas, agus air a cheithreamh ginealach, dhiubh-san a dh’fhuathaicheas mi: agus a’ nochdadh trocair do mhiltibh dhiubh-san a ghradhaicheas mi, agus a choimhideas m’ aithnteann.”—EXODUS xx. 4, 5, 6.
B’E’N ni aig na stad sinn, a bhi comharachadh a mach na meadhonaibh agus an cleachdamh a dh’áithn Dia dhuibh ‘na fhoical, a bhi air bhur cleachdadh annta, am feadh a tha sibh ann an tigh bhur cuairt, agus am feadh a ta sibh as eugmhais a bhi lathair maille ris an Tighearn, agus bhur Ceann; eadhon na meadhonaibh do’n do gheal Dia beannachd ma ghnáthaicheas sibhse iad, agus mar an ceudna chuir e an ceill mallachd orra-san a tha ‘deanamh dearmad orra. Agus do bhrigh ‘s nach ‘eil áite anns an sgriobtuir a tha comharachadh a mach na meadhonaibh so co maith ris an dara h-áithne; uime sin rinn m’ t-áite so thaghadh a chum na criche so fein. ‘Se so an diubhair a tha eadar a cheud agus an dara h-áithne, tha a cheud aon ag agradh lathaireachd Dhe a bhi ann ad’ anam; tha’n dara h-aithn a’ comharachadh a mach na meadhanon leis am feud thu aoidheachd a thabhairt do a láthaireachd ann ad’ anam, agus as-eugmhais nach ‘eil e so-dheanta dhuit láthaireachd Dhe a chumail maille riut. Mar air son t-umhlachd do na cheud aithne, tha do sholus, do bheatha, do shaorsa an urra ris; ‘se sin, ann ad’ aonachd bheannaichte agus ann an comb-chomuinn mhilis ri aon Dia ann an tri pearsaibh, an t-Athair, am Mac, agus an Spiorad Naomh do thugse a bhi air a lionadh le eolas De anns an uile ghliocas agus thugse spioradaid; bhur cuimbne a bhi air a lionadh le cuimbne air a ghrádh, agus fhábhar, agus a chaoimhneas, agus a lathaireachd, thar na h-uile nithe, bhur toil a bhi air a cuir fo smachd agus umhal do thoil-sa ‘s na h-uile nithe; bhur cridhe, agus bhur n-uile aignibh, a bhi air an lionadh le eagal agus gaol, agus le urram agus suite, le tlachd ann-san agus irioslachd. Cha robh umhlachd air a thabhairt riamh do’n aithn so le neach air an talamh ach le Iosa amhain; agus bithidh an aithn so an sin iomlán ‘nuair a bhitheas Dia na h-uile anns na h-uile dhuit; ‘se sin an uair is se Dia d’uile sholus, d’uile bheatha, d’uile aoibhneas agus ghairdeachas, d’uile chomas agus shaorsainn; agus do bhrigh ‘s gur e so an ni air am bheil sibh uile gu bhur suil a bhi ris, eadhon an comb-chomuinn beannaichte sin ri bhur Dia; oir is truagh do’n anam sin a tha as-eugmhais a cho’chomunn agus an aonachd sin ri Dia, oir c’áite am faigh thu solus, agus gairdeachas, agus saorsa, ach uaith-san, an ti ‘se an solus agus a bheatha e
fein? Uime sin cha’n fhaigh thu gu brath do lan deth lathaireachd Dhe gus am faic thu e aghaidh ri aghaidh. Thug so air Daibhidh a radh, Salm xvii. 15, “Nuair a dhuisgeas mi as an uaigh, sásaichear mi le do chomhsamhlaichd gu sioruidh tuille.” Agus ‘se so maithreas ar De, nach e a mhain gu’n d’thug e dhuinn áithne gu’m bu choir dhuinn a lathaireachd fein a bhi againn, ach gu’n d’orduich e an leithid do mheadhonaibh leis am feudadh sinn a lathaireachd fhaotainn; agus an uair a gheibh sibh e, gu’m feud sibh aoidheachd a thabhairt da agus a choimhead maille ribh. Uime sin, anns an dara h-àithn so, tha e a’ toirmesg dealbh snaidhte sam bith a dheanamh; leis am bheil e air thuisinn uile innleachda’ dhaoine, a chum le sin gu’n cuireadh E thu fuidh fhiachaibh a bhi sireadh lathaireachd Dhe; oir cha’n urrainn uile innleachd dhaoine no ainglibh ‘ur cuir air bhur n-aghairt anns an aonachd spioradail so agus ann an comh-chomunn maille ri ‘ur Dia, ach a mhain na meadhonaibh a dh’orduich e fein na fhocal; uime sin tha e a’ toirmesg ni air bith a dhealbh no a dheanamh cosmhail ris. ‘Na dheigh sin, ‘s an ath aite, tha e a’ toirmesg cromadh sios no aoradh a thoirt dà an deigh e bhi air a dheanamh.
‘San treas aite, tha e a’ cuir sios aobhairean na’m briathra so, “oir is mise an Tighearn’ do Dha, is Dia eudmhoir mi;” uime sin feumaidh tu na h-uile ni a dheanamh a dh’athneas mise dhuit, agus feumaidh tusa a bhi umhail do m’athne-sa, agus cha’n ann do neach air bith eile, oir tha mise posda riut; uime sin ma ni thu air a chaochala ‘sa dh’athneas mi dhuit, cuiridh tu’n gniomh iodhal-aoraidh dubailt, aon diubh ann an aghaidh a chéud aithne, ann an cuir suas ni sam bith ann do chridhe ach mise, agus ni sam bith a ghradhaicheas tu ni’s mo, dha’n d’thoir thu na’s mo do dh’umhlaichd, na’s mò do urram, na’s mò do dh’eagal na dhomh-sa, tha thu a’ cuir an ni sin suas ann do chridhe mar Dha dhuit, agus ‘nuair a b’ailt leat a dhòl mu’n cuairt a chum seirbhis no aoradh a thoirt dhomh-sa an Tighearn do Dha, air doigh eile thulle air an rathad a dh’athn mise, ann an sin tha thu a’ briseadh a cheangail-phòsaidh a bha air a dheanamh eadar mis agus thus; air an aobhar so tha e ag radh, “is Dia eudmhor mi”; ‘se sin ri radh, cha’n urra mi giulan leis, gu’n d’thugadh tu seirbhis dhomh air rathad eile thulle air an doigh a dh’athn mi dhuit ann am fhocal.
Agus anns an áite fa dheireadh, tha e a’ bagradh breitheanas na’n aghaidh-san nach gnáthaich na meadhonaibh ceart, no dhealbhas meadhonaibh dhoibh fein; agus tha e a’ cuir an ceill beannachadh doibh-san a ni feum deth na meadhonaibh laghail, oir tha e ‘ga ghabhail mar chomhara gaoil dha; uime sin tha e ag radh, ‘leantuin peacanna na’n aithriche air a chlann.’
(Thugaibh an aire) Cha’n ‘eil a h-aon agaibh nach smuainich so na pheacadh, eadhon Dia sam bith eile a bhi agaibh n’ur cridhe; ach cha’n ‘eil sibh a’ faicsinn na h-uile, ach tha so na pheacadh, na meadhonaibh a gnàthachadh, a dh’arras daoine eile o dhealbh an cridhe fein oirbh a chum seirbhís a thabbháirt do Dhia leo, o’ nach ‘eil barrantas agaibh ‘o fhocal Dhe, agus gidheadh chi sibh gu’n robh mòran air am peanasachadh, do bhrigh gu’n d’rinn iad an ni nach robh laghail dhoibh a dheanamh ‘nam pearsaibh fein; agus gidheadh a tha laghail do mhuinntir eile air dha bhi air òrduchadh dhoibh; mar a chi sibh ann am Mic Aaroin, nach do shaoil na pheacadh teine coimhead a thabbháirt a steach do’n phailliun a chum tuis a losgadh leis, gidheadh thuit breitheanas Dhe orra anns an dearbh sheirbhís, Lebh. x. i. Mar an ceudna chuir Ussah a lamh ris an Airc ‘nuair a bha i cosmhail ri tuiteam, ge do rinn se e leis an eud a bha aige air son glòir Dhe; gidheadh do bhrigh ‘s nach robh a ghairm air a thabbháirt da le Dia, thainig breitheanas Dhe air, agus thuit e sios marbh; mar sin, ann bhur n-uile dhearcadais, ‘nuair a chronaichear sibh anus an ni a tha dochair, tha so na fhocal coitchion ann bhur beul, gu bheil ‘ur rùnntean gu maith, ach cha’n ‘eil ‘ur rùnntean gu maith as-eugmhais tuigse; oir ma tha thu a’ tabháirt seirbhís do Dhia as-eugmhuis a bhi tuighsinn àithntean, tha sin na bhriseadh air a choimhcheangal eadar thus agus esan, agus peanasaidhidh esan e, “Leantainn aingidheadh na’n aithrichean air a chlann,” agus am peachadh so ann a’ measg chàich; saoilidh mòran nach smachdaich Dia a leithidh sin do dh’aingidheadh, mar an uair a tha doine toirt seirbhís do’n Tighearn an deigh am faoinbharail fein; ach feudaidh sibh fhaicinn an ceart aghaidh sin ann an so, agus feudaidh sinn fhaicsinn, Dia a rinn lagh co farsuinn a cho-tharruing ann an criochan co goirid, gaidheadh tha e co farsuinn ann an cuir sios an dara h-aithne, cia mheud ann an toirmeasg, ann an seoladh, ann am bagradh, ann an geallaidhean, agus na h-uile do thaobh ‘s gu’n robh eolas maith aige nach deanadh aon fhocal ar comhair-leachadh gus an aithne so a choimhead; uime sin tha e a radh, “Cha dean thu dhuit fein dealbh snaidhte sa’m bith?”; ‘Se sin cha dealbh thu meadhon le do ghliocas fein gu seirbhís a thabbháirt do’n Tighearn do Dhia. A ris tha e ag rádh, “Cha chrom thu, thu fein sios da;” ‘Se sin, cha chleachd thu na meadhonan a dhealbh thu fein, no a dealbh neach air bith eile do reir am faoinbharail fein, ‘nuair a dhealbhar e. Ciod e tuille? “Oir is mise an Tighearn do Dhia, is Dia eudmhoir mi;” Uime sin bithidh fhis agam ‘nuair a chuireas tu iodhol-aoraidh an gniomh, agus a thuiteas tu air falbh uamsa, a’ leantuinn d’fhaoin-bheachd fein, agus a dheanamh do reir nòs na’m fineacha eile; agus a nis, do bhrigh ‘s gur aithne dhomh e, cha’n fùling mi e, ach peanasaidhidh mi e. Ciod e tuille? “Leantuinn aingidheadh.” Tha e na aingidheadh seirbhís a thoirt do Dhia air a chaochlaidh do dhoigh ‘sa dh’aithn e fein. Ciod e tuille? “Na’n aithrichean air a chlann, gus an treas agus a cheithramh ginealach.” Leanaidh mi aingidheadh, cha’n e mhàin ort fein, ach air an treas agus air a cheithramh ginealach a thig a mach o d’ leasraidh, agus diolaidh an ceithramh ginealach air a shon. Agus air eagal gu’n abradh iadsan, ‘Thighearn, cha pheanasaich thu sinne aig am bheil cridhe
gu seirbhis a thabheirt dhuit, cha’n ann mar a dh’áithn thu dhuinn, oir tha gràdh againn dhuit, uime sin tha e ag radh, “Dhiubhsan a dh’fhuathaicheas mi.” Mar gu’n abradh e, Cha’n ann, cha’n ann, Cha’n ‘eil mi a’ meas sin na gradh ciod sam bith rùn a tha agad, chan ‘eil thu ach a’ tabháirt fuath dhomh, thusa nach ‘eil a toirt seirbhis dhomh a réir m’ordugh suidhichte fein. Shaoil le Nadab agus Abihu, le Sául agus Ussah, gu’n robh gràdh aca do’n Tighearn; ach ‘s ann a bha fuath aca dha, do bhrigh ‘s nach d’rinn iad do reir ordugh. Ciod e tuille. ‘Nochdadh trocair do mhiltibh dhiubh-san a gràdhaicheas mi agus a choimhideas m’aitheantan.’ Tha e ann an so ag innseadh an diol-tuarasdail a bhios air a cheangal ri gnàthachadh meadhonan aoraidh Dhe; “A’ nochdadh trocair;” ‘Se sin, gheibh thu truas a ghabhaill ri do thraighibh, gheibh thu maitheanas ann do pheacana’, agus gheibh thu doille agus cruas do chridhe air atharachadh: gheibh thu trocair gu saor, cha’n ann a mháin dhuit ein, ach mar an ceudna do na miltibh ginealach a thig o d’ leasraidh. Tha e ag rádh, ‘dhiubh-san a ghràdhaicheas mi agus a choimheadas m’aitheantan.’ Tha coinhead na dara h-áithne na chomharachd air do ghràdh do Dhia, mar a ta briseadh oirre na chomharadh air t-(huath dha’n Tighearn: C’ar son? Air tús, do bhrigh ‘s gur i áithn Dhe a tha ann; ‘San ath àite, do bhrigh ‘s gu’m bheil ann an sin air a chuir sios na dleasdanais a tha t-Fhear-pòsda aig iarraidh ortsa, a bhean-phòsda-sa: agus 3, àite, do bhrigh ‘s gu bheil e na dhearbbadh air do gràdh do thaobh-san; oir do reir ‘s mar a ghràdhaicheas tu e, bithidh tu cùramach a chum na meadhonan uile a gnàthachadh leis am feud thu aoidheachd a thabhairt da. ‘Nis, air son an aobhar so mhìnich mi an dara h-áithne, dh’fhaicinn leis a mheadhon so, am bi sibh ullamh gu meadonaibh aoraidh Dhe eisdeachd, mu bheil mi gu labhairt ribh.
Am bheil sibh ullamh ma ta? Agus am feud sibh a rádh, labhair, a Thighearn, oir tha do sheirbhiseach ag eisdeachd? Agus a bheil sibh ullamh gus na meadonaibh eisdeachd leis am feud sibh bhur sàth fhaotinn do lathaireachd Dhe anns a bheatha so, agus cionnas a dh’fheudas sibh dearbhaichd fhaotainn gu’ faigh sibh trocair ‘san latha sin, agus gu siorruidh tuille? Eisd iad a nis ma ta a chum ‘s gu’m bi thu beo gu maith, agus ‘nuair a bhàsaicheas tu, gu’m feud thu a rádh, Thighearn, Bha mi ullamh gu cleachdadh uile mheadhonan do sheirbhis ann an neart agus ann an treibhdhrireas mo chridhe, am feadh ‘s a bha mo shlàinte agam, ge d’ nach b’ann ann an iomlaineachd, gidheadh ann an treibhdhrireas mo chridhe; bithidh an ni sin fein air a mheas dhuitsa mar umhlachd iomlain do na h-áithnteann uile. Am b’aill leibh ma ta aithne fhaotainn air ciod iad na meadhonan sin bu chòir duibh a ghnàthachadh, agus tha na’s mò ann diubh na a h-aon no dha?
Air tús, Tha aoradh fhollaiseach Dhe, ann an eisdeachd an Lagh agus an t-Soisgeil air a chuir an ceill duit anns a
mhinisteirealachd so, agus ann thu fein a cheangal le aont ri aoradh follaiseach Dhe, anns a cho-thionail fhollaiseach, le bhi ag ràdh Amen le ùrnuigh fhollaiseach Naoimh Dhe, agus ann bhi sinedh a mach do lámban, agus ann an gabhail ad ionnsuidh fein seula agus sacramainte’ cùmhaint faicsinneach Dhe, agus ann an àite a thabhairt do achmhasanaibh na h-Eaglais, agus ann a bhi toirt àite do iuchreachean rioghachd Dhe; ‘siad so meadhonan follaiseach aoraidh Dhe, mar an ceudna trasgaidhean agus taingealachd fhollaiseach: uime sin ‘se so aon deth na meadhonaibh a tha air àithneadh duinne a chleachdadh, eadhon a theachd a mach, mar gu’m b’eadh, anns an achadh fhosgailt, agus boideachd fa’ chomhar an t-saoghail, gu’n ceangail thus thu fein maille ri buill Chriosd, agus, “gun glac thusa cúpan na’ sláinte, agus gu’n ioc thu do bhòidean ann am measg chàich,” Salm cxvi. 13. Oir tha mòran diubh gu bhi air an cuideachd ann an aon chúpan, agus ‘se so aon deth na meadhonaibh leis am feud thu do thuigse a lionadh, do chuimhne, do thoil, agus uile oisinnibh do chridhe, le làthaireachd Dhe, uime sin ma ghrádhaich sibh e le eisdeachd fhocail, agus co fhada ‘sa bhitheas sibh beo gu’m bi sibh ‘n’ur luchd com’pairt de chomh-chomuinn a naoimh; a chum’s gu’m feud sibh a ràdh maille ri Daibhidh, “Aon ni ghuibh mi air an Tighearn, sin iarraidh mi, a bhi ‘m chòmhnuidh ann an tigh an Tighearna, rè uile laithean mo bheatha, a chum gu’ faicinn maisse an Tighearna, agus gu ‘fiosraichinn na theampull,” Salm xxvii. 4. “C’a so ghrádhaich do phailluna a Tighearna na’n sluaigh! Tha m’anam a’ miannachd, ‘seadh, eadhon a’ fannachadh le deidh air cuirtibh an Tighearn: Tha mo chridhe agus m’fheoil ag eigheach gu h-árd air son an De bheò. Oir is fearr là a’d’ chüirtibh na mile; b’fhearr leam a bhi dorsaireachd ann an tigh mo Dhe, na bhi’m chomnuidh ann am paillunaibh aingidheachd,” Salm lxxxiv. 1, 2, 10.
Agus ‘nuair a bhàsaicheas tu ri bàs, ann an sin gu’ feud thu a ràdh ri’d’ chlann, grádhaich mise an Tighearn, agus ghabh mi tlachd ann an uile mheadhonaibh aoraidhsan sa mhaduinn agus mu fheasgair. Bithidh mi air mo lionadh le a làthaireachd, agus bha mise air mo bheannachadh ann mo ghairm, agus dh’òl mis do dh’abhnaichibh uisge na bheatha; agus lionadh mi le saill tigh an Tighearn féin; uime sin tha mi guidhe oirbh deanaibh-se a ni cèudna, agus gheibh sibh-se beannachd mar fhuair mise.
‘Nis, Tha aig an dara h-àithn so, na’s mò na na meadhona’ follaiseach so, a dh’fheudas sibh a chleachdadh maille ris a chuid eile de na naoimh ann a meadhon a cho’thionail maille ri d’ bhraithrean; tha innte na meadhonaibh uaignidheach so, a dh’ fheumas a bhi deanta gach là maille ri do ghairm, air an là feumaidh tu a bhi aon chuid aig an tigh maille ri’d’ mhnaoi, agus do chlann, ‘s do sheirbhisich, air neo bithidh tu ad aonar, air neo bithidh sibh maille ri cuideachd eile ‘nuair a tha sibh ann bhur teaghlachibh, agus cionnas bu chòir duibh sibh féin a chleachdamh ann bhur teaghlachibh. Tha mi guidhe a mheud agaibh ‘sa tha
deanamh coguis do aoradh Dhé, gu’n cleachd sibh na meadhonaibh uaigneach ann bhur tighibh air a chuid a’s lugha ‘sa maduinn agus air feasgair gach aon là; Tha fhios agam gu maith gu’n d’ fhuair cuid agaibh beannachd Dhé an sin ann bhur teaghlaichean. Agus cia mar bu chòir dhuibh sibh féin chleachdadh ann bhur teaghlaichean fad a chuid eile do’n là, Eadhon deannaibh mar a rinn Solamh, air a leithid do dhoigh ‘s nuair a chi muinntir eile an t-ordugh maiseach sin ann bhur tighibh, gu’m feud iad a radh, “Is sona do dhaoine, agus is sona do sheirbhisich a ta na’n seasamh ‘an so a’ d’ làthair, agus a tha aig eisdeachd do ghliocais; beannaichte gu’n robh an Tighearn do Dhia a ghràdhaich thu, agus a thug dhuit tigh agus a chuir thu os cionn teaghlaich; agus gu’m feud do sheirbhisich féin a ràdh bu mhaith air mò shon-sa, nam faodainn seasamh aig bòrd mo mhaigstir, a chum’s gu’n cluinninn an gliocas agus na briathraibh gràs-mhor a tha teachd a mach as a bheul. Agus sibse a ta n’ur ban-mhaighstiribh, bitheadh briathraibh a ghràis ann bhur bheul, agus ann bhur bilibh, shnàidhibh sgàrlaid, “Chum’s gu’m fosgail sibh ‘ur beoil le gliocas, agus gu’m bi lagh a choimhneis air bhur cridhibh ‘s air bhur teangaibh.” Biodh so na chleachdadh duibh ‘nuair tha sibh ‘n’ur teaghlaichean.
‘San ath aite, a ris ‘nuair a ta sibh ann an cuideachd, aidichibh bhur peacaidhean d’a chéile, earailichibh a chéile, cronaichibh, teagasgaibh, sòlasaichibh a chéile, agus an còmhnuidh bithibh ‘deanamh maith-eigin ciod ‘sam bith cuideachd ‘sam bheil thu na’m bi thu. Agus anns an àite mu dheireamh, ‘nuair a tha thu ad’ aonar, agus ‘nuair a leughas tu focal Dhé: oir is beannaichte esan a leughas briathraibh an leabhar so, agus a ni iad. Ciod e tuille? Deanaibh ùrnuigh do ghnath, agus deanaibh ùrnuigh ‘san Spiorad le dûrachd, deanaibh ùrnuigh air son na’n uile dhaoine. Ciod e tuille? Aidichibh bhur peacaidhean am fianuis De, faicibh iad, agus gabhaidh gràin diubh, agus thugaibh fuath dhoibh. Ciod e tuille? Bi taingeil ‘sna h-uile nithe. Dean faire do ghnàth, anns na h-uile ni a ni thu, thoir an aire do d’ chridhe, thoir an aire do d’ bheul, thoir an aire do d’ chosaibh, nach sleamhnaich iad ann am puing dleasdanais sam bith. Ciod e tuille? Beachd-smuainich air focal agus air oibre Dhe, beachd-aich air do thruaighe fein, agus beachdaich air trocair Dhia; beachd-smuainich air an lagh, agus beachd-smuainich air an t-Soisgeil; smuainich air do thuiteam ann an Adhamh, agus smuainich air d’eiridh a ris ann an Criosd. Ciod e tuille? “Cuir ort uile armachd Dhe, crioslaich do leasraidh le firinn, cuir ort uchd-éididh na fireantachd, cuir ort brògan ullachaidh Soisgeil Chriosd, comhdaich do cheann le clogaid na slàinte, agus, thar na h-uile nithe, gabh ad’ ionnsuidh sgéith’ a chreidimh, a tha comasach air uile shaighde teinteach an droch-spioraid a mhùch-adh, agus gabh ad’ ionnsuidh claidheamh an Spioraid, ni ‘se focal Dhe.” Cuir ort an armachd so uile, agus seas fuidh d’ armachd rè an là uile, agus luidh sios leis mu fheasgair, agus coidil leis fad na h-oidhche.
Ciod e tuille? ‘San àite mu dheireadh, comharaichibh leibh fein gach oidhche mu’n d’thig sibh gu’r leapaichibh, am breithneachadh air trócair Dhe a fhuair sibh trid an là, an ti mar fhear pòsda a tha cuir comharaidhean gaoil do’r n-ionnsuidh gach aon là, eadhon cosmhail ri duine nàdurach, air dha bhi o’na bhàile, tha e’n tràs agus a ris a’ cuir comharaidhean gaoil a dh’ionnsuidh a bhean, a chum a cumail ann an cuimhne air; gabhaidh si iad, agus taighdich ‘s i suas iad ann a ciste; ge d’ nach mor a’s fhiach iad, gleidhidh si ann an sin iad, do bhrigh ‘s gu’m bheil gràdh aice dha-san a chuir iad. Mar so bu chòir dhuibhse dheanamh; oir tha’n Tighearn, bhur Fear-posda gràdhach, a’ cuir comharaidhean gaoil do’r n-ionnsuidh gach aon latha, a chum ‘ur cuir ann an cuimhne air fein, agus a dh’fheuchainn ciod am meas a tha agaibh orra air a sgàth-san. Nach bu chòir duibh gabhail riu le buidheachas, agus an cuir suas ann bhur cridheachan, agus an cumail ann an sin air a sgàth-san a chuir iad? ‘Nis ‘s iad so na meadhonaibh a dh’fheumas gach aon agaibh a chleachdadh, na’m b’aill leibh lathaireachd Dhe a bhi a’ lionadh bhur cridheachan, agus mar a b’aill leibh trócair fhaotinn do bhur n-ama, agus mar b’aill leibh beannachd fhagail aig bhur clann ‘n’ur deigh; oir le so feudaidh sibh deadh thiomnadh a dheanamh, agus ma dh’fheumas sibh dìlib chothromach fhagail do’r clann, feudaidh sibh uile gheallaidhean Dhe air an deanamh ann am fuil Iosa Criosd, a chuir an ceill doibh. Cha’n abair mi tuille aig an àm, ach do’n Tighearn Iosa Criosd maille ris an Athair, agus ris an Spiorad Naomh, gu’n robh gach uile mholadh, a nis agus gu siorruidh. Amen.
Memorial Services for the Dead.—Memorial services for those who died in the War are getting very common, and seem in many cases to be very like Roman Catholic services, prayers being offered that amount to supplications for the dead. Recently a united memorial service was held in Edinburgh by the congregations of St. George’s Established Church and St. George’s United Free Church. Revs. C. W. Taylor and Dr. Kelman presided. Special notice was taken in the press of the fact that the principal piece of music, which was performed, was the composition of Sir Edward Elgar, a Roman Catholic author. Here again is the Romeward drift.
Acknowledgment of Donations.
MR. ALEXANDER MACGILLIVRAY, General Treasurer, Woodbine Cottage, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, acknowledges, with grateful thanks, the following donations up to 24th January:—
SUSTENTATION FUND.
John MacLeod, Kinlochewe, £1; F. MacDonald, Kinlochewe, £1; Per Rev. J. S. Sinclair—”Friend,” Morayshire, 2/-; Miss Lizzie Mackay, Grantown-on-Spey, 6/-; Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie,
11 Second Coast, for Aultbea Congregation, £1; D. MacLennan, for Aultbea Congregation, 10/-; “Anonymous” (Beauly postmark), £1; Per J. MacInnes, Broadford—Alex. MacLean, Luib, Broadford, 10/-; Mrs. MacBean, Clune House, Newtonmore, £1; Per A. MacLennan, Rona—A. MacLennan, New Zealand, £1.
HOME MISSION FUND.—Per Captain MacDonald, Maryhill—”F.P. Friend,” 5/-; Per Rev. J. S. Sinclair—”A Friend,” Morayshire, 2/-.
JEWISH AND FOREIGN MISSIONS FUND.—F. Macdonald, Kinlochewe, 10/-; Per Rev. J. S. Sinclair—”Friend,” Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.A., 12/-, “Friend,” Morayshire, 2/-, “South Africa,” 1/-, and M. Macphail, Maryhill, Glasgow, 5/-; “Anonymous” (Beauly postmark), £2; Mrs. MacBean, Clune House, Newtonmore, 5/-; “Friend,” Halkirk, 5/-; Per Rev. N. Cameron—”Anon,” Glasgow, 7/-, and Mrs. J. MacInnes, Glasgow, 5/-.
MISSION TO FORCES FUND.
“A Free Presbyterian,” 10/-; “Friend,” Letterewe, Achnasheen, 10/-; Miss Banks, London, 10/-; F. MacDonald, Kinlochewe, 10/-; Per Rev. J. S. Sinclair—”Friend,” Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.A., 12/-, M. Macphail, Maryhill, Glasgow, 7/6, J. MacDonald, Dusary, North Uist, 10/-, “Friend,” Morayshire, 1/-, and D. Livingstone, Applecross, £1; Per A. Tallach, Treasurer—Raasay Congregation, £2 8/-; D. MacLennan, Laide, Aultbea, 2/-; M. L. H., Glasgow, 5/-; C. Munro, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, 8/4; Admiralty, Chatham, £5 18/9; “Anon” (Beauly postmark), £1; Per Miss MacIver, Inverness—”Friend,” Killearnan, £1; “Wellwisher,” Oban, 10/-; “Friends,” Canada, 12/6; Per A. R. Finlayson—F.P. Church, Lochalsh, Canada, collection, £5 4/2 (25 dols.); Per D. Davidson, Treasurer, Moy—W. M’J., 3/-, M. D., 3/-, Mr. F., 1/3, “Friends,” 3/-, J. D., 5/-, J. M’Q., 3/-, Mrs. D., 2/6—total, £1 3/9; “Anon,” Glenhinisdale, Skye, 5/-; Admiralty, Portsmouth, £10; Mrs. MacBean, Clune House, Newtonmore, 5/-; “Friend,” Halkirk, 7/6; Miss C. MacLeod, Courtenay House, Liverpool, 5/-; M. M., Ardniskean, Lochcarron, 10/-; Per Rev. N. Cameron—Admiralty, London, £23, Mrs. Urquhart and sister, Oban, 6/-, “Friend,” Dumbarton, 5/-, Mrs. Chisholm, Thornhill, 8/-, “F.P.,” Kyle, 2/-, Mrs. N., 5/-, M. C., 5/-, Miss M. C., 2/6, “Friends,” Greenock, £1 10/-, “F.P.,” Partick, 5/-, and D. G., Kirkintilloch, 3/6; D. Mackay, Saval, Lairg, 10/-; A. Campbell, Diabaig, Achnasheen, 5/-; Per Rev. D. A. Macfarlane—Miss Mackay, Inchcape, Rogart, 5/-; Captain MacLennan, Plockton, 10/-; Mrs. MacBean, Newtonmore (for Comforts to Forces), 5/-; Per Rev. J. R. Mackay, M.A.—”Friends,” Portree and Sheggans, £3 15/6, collected by Miss A. Munro, Bosville Terrace, Portree.
Rev. Neil Cameron acknowledges, with many thanks, the following donations:—”Anon,” £1 for St. Jude’s Sustentation Fund, £1 for the poor, and £1 for N.B. Society’s Collection; “Anon,” 10/- for St. Jude’s poor and 10/- for comforts for Soldiers.
The Treasurer of the Dingwall Congregation (Mr. Murdo Urquhart, Craig View) acknowledges, with thanks, the following donation to the Manse Building Fund:—From Mr. William Macnair, British Columbia, £1.
Rev. D. A. Macfarlane, Lairg, acknowledges, with thanks, 10 dols. from Mr. James Mackay, Quesnel, B.C., for Lairg Sustentation Fund.
Rev. John R. Mackay, Inverness, begs to acknowledge receipt of
10/- from Mrs. Grant, Dornoch, for Bibles for Sailors. (Omitted from last month.)
Mr. A. Mackenzie, Ardindrean, Lochbroom, acknowledges, with thanks, 10/- from Mrs. Maclean, Ardcharnich, and 10/- from Miss Mackenzie, Schoolhouse, Scotsburn, for Lochbroom Manse Building Fund. (Omitted from last month.)
Rev. J. S. Sinclair acknowledges, with thanks, 5/- for Mr. Radasi, per Mr. James Fraser, from “A Friend,” Ardour; 5/- for Bibles to Soldiers and Sailors, from Miss A. Cameron, London; and from Mr. D. Sutherland, Castletown, Caithness, £1 for John Knox’s Sustentation Fund, 10/- for Mission to Forces Fund, 5/- for Bibles to Soldiers and Sailors, and 5/- for Free Distribution of Magazine.
Per Mr. A. MacGillivray, General Treasurer, Inverness:—Miss C. MacLeod, Courtenay House, Liverpool, 2/6, and “A Free Presbyterian,” 10/-, for Bibles to Soldiers and Sailors.
(Several Subscriptions, etc., held over till next month.)