(Many of these Notes were hitherto unpublished.)
(Continued from page 85.)
A WOMAN, on hearing that some of the saints had a good opinion of her life and conduct, said, “Ah, if I lose myself, they will only lose their opinion, but I will lose my soul.”
One spoke of Christ and the believer as having a thread of union between them, Christ holding the one end of the thread and the believer the other. “But,” said another person in the company, “that will not do. Christ must have both ends of the thread in His hands, and the believer must be bound in the middle or loop of the thread, otherwise he will soon let go his end and be lost.”
A godly man said that the gracious soul in his troubles would be enabled to receive a promise, but shortly thereafter would lose sight of it, and be as needful of another promise as ever. Having got the second promise, he would lose it in like manner, and it would be so on till the day of his death—losing and getting, up and down, light and darkness, death coming on the promises and making them lifeless in his experience, though true in themselves. “But,” he added, “they will be all renewed to the soul at death, and the comfort of them will not leave him through eternity.”
Rev. John Robertson, Kingussie, was one day calling communicants to the Lord’s table, and said: “The man I call to the table is he who has the cleanest life in the whole parish, and yet who finds himself within the most unclean man in the whole parish.”
Rev. John Kennedy, Redcastle, said that one of the lowest marks of grace, but one of the surest, in all the Bible, was, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (1 John iii. 14).
Rev. Charles Calder, Ferintosh, remarked that the swan was one of the most beautiful of birds, being all white, but that it had (it was said) a black spot on its feet, at which it often looked, and appeared displeased. “So,” he said, “is the Christian beautifully clothed in the righteousness of Christ, but, when he looks at himself, he sees many black spots, with which he has reason enough to be ill-pleased.”
Rev. Robert Finlayson, Helmsdale, said one day in Bruan: “There are very few witnesses here to-day, but there are plenty stones, and the Most High is able to take them and make ‘children to Abraham’ out of them.”
Mr. John Cameron was minister of Halkirk during the early part of last century, when “the great Mr. Gunn” was minister of Watten. The minister of Halkirk was one of the careless “Moderates” of those days, but a clever, witty man. In his parish there happened to be many godly and gifted people, but in the parish of Watten, it is said, there were not so many, though Mr. Gunn was such an eminent man of God and powerful preacher of the Gospel. It is reported that Mr. Gunn one day said to Mr. Cameron, “How is it that there are so many godly people in your parish, and fewer in mine?” “I’ll tell you that,” said Mr. Cameron. “My people expect nothing from me: they look to the Lord for everything. But your people expect it from you without looking to Him, and so they are disappointed.”
[Perhaps it should be added to this, so as to explain the situation more clearly, that many of Mr. Cameron’s people did not go to hear him at all, while many outside Watten came to hear Mr. Gunn, and were spiritually benefitted. Still there was truth in Mr. Cameron’s reply. He knew the letter of the Word.]
Jane Mackay, Armadale, an eminent Christian, was saying that, when she was troubled with Satan, the breath of the blessed Spirit on the Word would soon cause him to fly. “But some of my neighbours,” she added, “will be kept a whole year from speaking to me or one another by Satan, and there’s no word about it.”
Peggy M’Diarmid (Mrs. Mackay) said to three young girls who appeared to be very earnest in following the means of grace: “I wish I would see the day when you would give up,” not meaning attendance on the means, but expectation of salvation by their own efforts.
Some fifty years ago a minister in Wick was one day in the company of a missionary from a distance, and was explaining to the missionary that the Caithness Christians were very much given to doubts and fears about their interest in Christ. While so engaged, they met David Levack, a very worthy but tried man—a “Mr. Fearing,” indeed. “Here,” said the minister, “is one of them,” and they went and spoke to David. The missionary asked him the question, “What is your hope in view of death?” “Oh,” he replied in a sad tone, “I have no hope.” “Ah!” the other exclaimed, “could anything be worse than that?” “Yes,” was David’s ready and searching answer, “A false hope!”
It is stated that the last day the Rev. Archibald Cook, Daviot (previously of Bruan and Inverness), ever preached, he said that a class of ministers were to arise in Scotland after his day that would send people in bundles to heaven without regeneration, or a new birth.
(To be continued.)