(Many of these Notes were hitherto unpublished.)*
* Taken from the notebooks of the late Mr. George Sutherland, Forse, Latheron, Caithness, who died in December, 1916. (See F.P. Magazine, April, 1917.) We had already a series of interesting notes from these books, slightly supplemented from other sources—a series that was concluded in April, 1918.—Ed.
SHERIFF MACCULLOCH, Dornoch, was saying: “Satan has three darts to cast at the awakened and believing soul. One is, that he is not among ‘the elect’; a second, that his day of grace is past; and the third is, that he has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost.”
On one occasion, at a Communion at Latheron, Caithness, a great man from Ross-shire was expected to be present. On Friday, at “the fellowship meeting,” all eyes were looking for him, and on being asked to speak to “the question,” he rose and said: “There are only two persons here—he who has got Christ, and he who has not got Him; and he who has got Christ will have fears till the day of his death that he has not got Christ, while he who has not got Christ will not believe till the day of his death that he is without Him.”
Rev. Finlay Cook remarked that Christ was saying in the Gospel: “Count down your sins to me, and I will count down my pardons to you.”
Rev. John Kennedy, Redcastle, said that he never preached the Gospel rightly but he found himself the greatest sinner in the church.
George Mackay, Golticlay, Caithness, and a friend were going on a Sabbath evening to “a reading.” On the way they passed some people who were scolding one another about cows and grass. George said to his companion: “Do not these people put us to shame? How faithful they are to their master, the devil! And how unfaithful we often are to our Master, Christ.”
Sandy Gair came home one day with his horse from “the smithy.” Next morning he found the horse choked with the halter. In a spirit of much submission, Sandy said, “Well, this is a trial, but glory to God, He is not done speaking to me yet.”
One remarked that if the Apostle Paul had got his prayer answered in the removal of “the thorn in the flesh,” as he desired, he would be of little use in the Church all his days afterwards.
Rev. Robert Finlayson said that Paul was never holier than when he cried, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
Rev. John Macdonald, Helmsdale, was to preach on a certain Sabbath at Nairn. As he journeyed by the way he began to think of a text. He could find nothing from the Word but the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” He would prefer to speak on some other text, but nothing else could he find, and so he preached on this commandment. When the service was past, a woman came up to him and said that it was “a blessed sermon” to her. That morning she was going to drown herself, but thought that she would go “to hear one sermon yet.” Under that sermon her bonds were loosed, and her temptation fled.
Rev. Dr. Kennedy, Dingwall, said that selfishness would feed on its own self-denial.
George Mackay, catechist, Latheron, was speaking to a godly woman who was in great distress about her spiritual state. She complained of the lonely days she had now, compared with her former days, having lost all her comfort for eternity. He hearkened to her for some time, and then said, “Do you remember your marriage sermon?” “No,” she answered, “I don’t remember one word of it.” “O but,” said George, “although you have forgotten the sermon, the marriage stands firm and sure. So your marriage with Christ is firm and sure, although you have lost hold of your ground of hope.”
John Sutherland, Badbea, Caithness, was saying that the dead child raised to life again by the prophet, was the blessed experience some might have had of the promises and communion with Christ, perhaps forty years ago. It was now dead, but when the Prophet, Christ, would be called for, and return, He would restore “that child” to life again.
(To be continued.)