Written by herself some years before her death, and now taken from her original Copy with great care and diligence.
“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”—PSALM lxvi. 16.
“As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of Hosts.”—PSALM xlviii. 8.
“Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”—2 COR. iii. 18.
(Continued from page 18.)
YET notwithstanding of all that passed, I was so loath to leave my parents, that I earnestly prayed the Lord, if it were His will, He would make His minstry yet edifying to me; but this I found not. I had also the case of the congregation laid before me, and was made to see how low the life and power of religion was amongst us. I not only missed the Lord myself, but I saw a sad cloud of security and deadness both on minister and people. And while I was greatly exercised in mind, and like to sink both under my own case and the case of the congregation, that word in Rev. xviii. 4, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues,” as it made a great impression on my mind, so it haunted me from day to day; so I was thereby stirred up frequently to pray to the Lord that He would show me His mind by it. And so it was more and more cleared up to me that it was the Lord’s call I should leave that parish and minister. Yet I struggled under this a whole year, being still loath to leave my parents, they being now come to age, and the rest of their children being married from them, and if I should thus leave them, it might give offence, and be a talking to the neighbourhood. Upon the thoughts of this my spirit was like to sink; then I began to use arguments with my parents for their removing out of that place, but they would not hearken. But then I thought, Oh, if the minister and people were convinced of the decay of religion, and of the Lord’s withdrawing from amongst us, so as to join together and pray Him back again.
On this consideration I went to the most experienced in the congregation, and asked them if our case as to the life and power of religion was not altered to the worse, by what formerly it was some years ago, with several things to that purpose. They answered me, it was too true that I said, but they seemed unconcerned under all these evils. After this I went to the minister, and began my discourse with a complaint on my own case. He answered me thus, “Folks are born with a pope in their belly; they would have always somewhat to worship.” After what he said, I told him that there were three Scriptures I thought were fast fulfilling in our day ; one was, “There is a generation pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness” (Prov. xxx. 12) ; another, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold ;” and that in Phil. ii. 21, “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” He answered me thus, “The world is not given to your ruling.”
With these answers I was sore smitten, and I was like to sink, all means having now failed me, and I could see no outgate ; but then I resolved to go for a quarter of a year to a sewing school, to be a seamster, in order to gain my bread. This I thought was the best way to get from my parents without reproach. So I acquainted my parents with this design, upon which they consented to let me go for a little time.
And now the day came when I was to part with my parents ; but nature and unbelief, joined with sense and reason, were like to overcome my faith. Yet I was not a mile in the way, when my merciful and gracious God did appear for my relief, with a display of divine love and a blink of divine light, and gave me a full sight of the covenant in all the relations thereof, and that a reconciled God in a Mediator would be to me instead of a father and mother, and all other relations ; and also I got a renewed view of that promise, formerly marked, “That my bread should be given, and my water should be made sure.” The sweetness I thus found in the way to Stirling (the place to which I came) turned my sorrow into joy, and revived all my spirits. So divine providence ordered my lot in a family in Stirling where the fear of God was ; and the first Sabbath I was in that place, I felt an immediate power coming along with the Gospel, reviving both to soul and body. So, from that day forth, I found a daily recovery, and also the Lord inclined the hearts of the godly to favour me.
Oh, now my light compared to the sun did again rise, according to the third part of the similitude recorded in the twenty-and-third year of my life, yet in a different way from what I did formerly enjoy. There were also many strange steps of providence I met with in this year, which were great matter of exercise and sore trial to me, which here I shall forbear to mention. Thus ends the twenty-and-fifth year of my life, being the year 1710.
The next year I continued under the Gospel and pleasant means of grace, by which I was tried to the very first stone of the foundation : for I laboured to bring the whole tract of my life, from my childhood to the day and year in which I now lived, as also all my experiences, both of good and evil, to be tried by this Gospel ; and I desire to bless the Lord as long as I live for the reflex light and composure of mind, together with the rectitude of soul and strength of inward faculties, that was allowed me in this great trial of myself by the clear and powerful Gospel I now came under.
And when the method of salvation by Christ, revealed in a covenant of grace, was laid before me in this Gospel, together with the whole of my soul’s exercise going before, as also the soul’s taking hold of, and by promised power going into the whole method of salvation by Christ, according to the tenor of the Gospel covenant—when all this, I say, was laid before me in that light that shined on my soul, I did go back to the stone-dyke and hill-side, places where God, when I was reading His Word, then shined on my soul, and there did inform me of all this that the Gospel had now laid before me; as also the very Scriptures those ministers brought in as proofs of all those things above-mentioned were the very same Scriptures that were sent to me with light and power, by which I was formerly informed in all those things I now heard clearly opened up. Thus my conscience bore me witness, that by the power of grace I had closed with, and gone in to the whole of this salvation, as the Gospel had holden it out to me. and this I saw and did believe, that the foundation of my hope did stand sure.
Oh, here I cannot but wonder and admire that my experience did so well agree with the substance and matter of the foundation of the soul’s hope, as now holden out in the Gospel, and yet so greatly different with respect to the different degrees of my exercises, and also the way, means, and instruments by which I did obtain my restoration to former light and consolation in Christ, which I was made to believe. Oh, here I got a display of the height and depth of sovereign grace, and of the wonderful way of the Lord’s manifesting the same, who sometimes works above and beyond means, and yet makes His work perfect, according to the stated method of the covenant of grace; which I desire to adore and praise for time and through eternity.
Thus I continued about the space of four months, and so returned to my parents and stayed about a month, and now I saw it more and more impossible for me to live in that place, and under the ministry therein than before. So I told my parents I could not stay. My mother asked me what I had a mind to do, and how I was a mind to live. I answered her, “There was the golden mine of the promises, and the broad board of divine providence, together with the use of some lawful employment—by those I am a mind to live.” So Providence provided me with service in the town of Stirling, that same place I had been in the former four months. As for my so leaving the place of my nativity and ministry on those above-mentioned reasons, I can appeal to God as my witness, and who I believe will be my Judge, that it was not prejudice, nor any other reason, but the life and food of my soul I was seeking, which I found to my real experience under the ministry at Stirling.
Thus I came away from my parents, and ventured amongst strangers, in obedience to that call I formerly mentioned, and in faith of the promise, “His bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure” (Isaiah xxxiii. 16), and in faith of that part of the covenant what God would be to me, in making up the want of all relations, comforts, or worldly profits, that by this undertaking sense and reason said to me I would lose.
I had been but a short time away, when it was observed by some friends that I had not been satisfied with the Gospel as preached by our parish minister, and that now I had left the place on that account; and this they informed the minister of. I doubt not but they had a good design in so doing, but he took it very ill. After this I suffered much reproach by the professing party in that place where I lived. I may say with the Psalmist, “If it had been an enemy I could have borne it.” But I desire that the Lord may convince and forgive them, for nothing was I seeking after, in my leaving my parents and coming to Stirling, but the food of my soul, and this I can appeal to the Searcher of all hearts. And however some have reproached me, this I can declare, that my thoughts, as to the state of that congregation, and impressions of the plagues I fear may be coming upon it, if mercy prevent not, mixed water in the best of my wine, and made me wake when I should have slept.
For, so long as the Lord was pleased in His sovereignty to allow on me the more than ordinary manifestations of His love, I never sought after another life; but when He saw it meet to strip me of that life of sense I lived in the younger parts of my years, and was also pleased to clear it up to me that I was to seek after a life which was by faith in and through the channel of Gospel ordinances, which after I came to Stirling I found in my real experience as the daily food of my soul; for I by this Gospel had my state confirmed, and my various exercises cleared, and so I was taught how to make use of Christ and the promises, every day, for life and salvation.
After this I fell a reasoning with myself, whether my former life or the life I now lived under the Gospel was best; for although by the preaching of the Gospel I saw to whom I belonged, and where I was, and what I was doing, and had truths to feed on, according to the measure of the light of faith now bestowed upon me—all of which were sweet and satisfying to me—but the former life I lived, being a life of present sense of divine love and blinks of divine light, with the sensible downpourings of the Spirit I was wont to enjoy, oh, the consideration of this took away much of the sweetness of that life I had by the Gospel. Oh, now I longed to be away, for full satisfaction I could not find; and when I was in this difficulty, I imparted my mind to Christian acquaintances, and they all persuaded me to live a life of faith by the Gospel, for, said they, that life you are seeking is a life of sense, and that is reserved for eternity. This I tried for several weeks, but found no satisfaction.
Yet one day, when I was despairing of ever obtaining any of the days of my youth again, while in prayer that word was sent to me, “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth,” etc. (Hosea ii. 14, 15). Oh, I thought this Scripture was suitable to my case, for I had been in a wilderness of temptation, in a wilderness of affliction, and in a wilderness of desertion. And what God had promised to His church in general, was sometimes made out to His people in particular.
By this I wan to some hope, that God would return to me some of my days of youth, and I was pleading and hoping that God would return; so, after this, there fell out to me a piece of trial that I thought I was not able to go through, unless I got more than ordinary assistance. At that time God mercifully allowed me two of my days of the youth; but alas! this blink was soon over, and I was returned to where I was. Thus passed the twentieth-and-sixth year of my life.
After this I went on lamenting and complaining, thinking that my Beloved was gone away in anger, and would never manifest to me the sense of His love on this side of eternity; so I fell a reasoning with myself, how to learn the divine mystery of the life of faith; but, alas! I could not take it up, nor understand it, so as to practise it. The Apostle calls it a believing what we could not see, according to 1 Peter i. 8; “As having nothing, yet possessing all things,” according to 2 Cor. vi. 10. But all along, since the morning of my day, there hath been a party in my soul that could never be satisfied without possession in less or more degrees. This flame of love was kindled long since in my soul, and hath been maintained by the sensible manifestations of the love of God to me. Oh! this flame did burn so hot at sometimes, that nothing less than the sensible enjoyment of the object beloved could quench.
And when I was thus reasoning with myself, that comparison was brought to my mind: if a rich man would marry a poor woman, and so infest her in all that he had, yet if he should deny her himself, she would not be satisfied, if she had true love to his person. This I applied, and said, “Although God would interest me in all that heaven and earth could afford, and though He would deliver me from the wrath to come, and give me the pardon of all my sins, and all pleasures imaginable; yet I could never be satisfied if He withheld from me Himself and the sense of His love; for I am persuaded that, as there is a real difference between a man and his benefits, so is there between God and His benefits.”
After this, one Sabbath morning, in secret prayer, I was pleading that glorious Christ would come to my soul with such a revelation of His reconciled face, and manifestations of His divine love, that might wipe away a seven years’ jealousy that I had entertained, and had all along remained with me, since the dark cloud came on my soul, as formerly recorded. And when I was thus pleading, I was sweetly transported, and I felt a renewed act of power put forth on my soul, and on every faculty thereof. Oh, here there was great light shined into my understanding, by which I got a renewed sight of glorious Christ, as fully qualified and furnished to answer all my wants ; also I found the same power put forth on my will, making it to comply with and go in to all that was manifested to me in this light that shined on my understanding, as also the affections, namely, love and desire, were drawn to such life, so that the spark that was formerly kindled was now blown up, and burnt with such a flame that was like to consume me.
(To be continued.)
Echoes from the Past.
Critical Verses on the Free Church Assembly of 1874.
BY THE LATE MR. WILLIAM CROWE, WICK.*
HURRAH for the Union ! Why stop to split straws ?
Drive a carriage and six through each Westminster clause !
Get hymns, get an organ, haste drive home the wedge ;
Union is strength, so the proverbs allege.
New lights want chanting to chime with the hymns ;
Then, why not have dancing to supple the limbs ?
Ha ! a sweeping majority overcomes all ;
Our gallery youths will respond to the call.
The Psalter, though sacred, inspired, and divine,
Well suited to David, and all David’s line,
Yet backsliding leaders are now of belief
These heavenly songs are obscure, and too brief.
American hymns ! We’ll begin with a few ;
Man’s composition must not be termed new ;
The old-fashioned folks are fast passing away ;
O speed their departure, we earnestly pray.
“The hope of the Church” in Divinity Hall
Is wrangling for Union, Professors and all ;
Ecumenical councils are now much in vogue ;
Calvin, Luther, and Knox are hid in the fog.
What mean those fierce yellings, coarse hissing, and cries ?
Minority men are attempting to rise !
Hear how they are hooted, and put to the wall,
Who dare stem the tide in Assembly Hall ?
* Mr. Crowe, who died in 1900, at the age of 79, was one of our most godly and devoted elders. He was author of a small book of poems, entitled “The Fathers of Caithness,” but the present verses are not in this book.—ED.
Explain to these youths why the Church is called Free,
And what her creed was in Eighteen Forty-three ;
Was the conflict not keen, and lasted ten years ?
What, then, were the dangers that caused such fears ?
The champions for freedom, who fought in those days,
And marshalled the hosts amid triumph and praise,
Were for valour renowned, and love to the Lord,
With the watchword of Calvin, and Luther’s broad sword.
When Moses, the leader, gave up the command,
When the armies of Israel had entered the land,
The Gibeonite scouts were sent out in disguise,
And treated for union, soft, gently, and wise.
Our Schools not a place for religious truth !
Throw open the gates, do not hamper the youth ;
Teach dancing and classics ; teach Ingram and Gray :
Dispense with the Bible for serving its day.
The dark clouds of winter are cov’ring the sky ;
Removing ” the landmarks ” is the reason why ;
Consulting a witch at misty En-dor,
The Ark and the glory departing therefore.
The ranks are fast thinning, the soldiers are few ;
Assyrians are many, and spread like the dew ;
The bridle and hook, at the word of command,
Can soon turn the aliens out of this land.
Stand fast to your colours near Midian’s camp ;
Get Gideon’s trumpet, sword, pitcher, and lamp ;
Take the waters before them, send word to the North,
The kilt and blue bonnet will soon rally forth.
O Wellwood, dear Wellwood,* why drift with the tide ?
Nixon’s † to windward, and on the right side ;
Call him, if you please, a bigot, and mad,
Perverter, distorter, and all that is bad.
This Syrian host will yet hear a blast ;
Ahithophel’s counsels will fail him at last ;
Let Israel trust in the Plant of Renown ;
This Midianite camp will yet be cast down.
CORRECTION.—In the obituary notice, in our last issue, of Mrs. Duncan MacLachlan, Clarence River, New South Wales, the date of the funeral should have been Friday, 17th October, 1919, and not 19th as stated.
* Rev. Sir Henry Wellwood Moncrieff, the Clerk.
† Rev. William Nixon, D.D., of Montrose.
Alleged Higher Criticism in the Free Presbyterian Church.
WITH reference to the allegations made by “Highlander” in a letter to us which appeared in our issue of 9th March, we have been asked by the Northern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church to publish the following minute, and we consider it fair to do so:—
At a meeting of the Northern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church held at Mígdale, Bonar-Bridge, on 3rd May, 1921, consideration of the letter which appeared in the “Northern Chronicle,” 9th March, 1921, under the heading “Higher Criticism in the Free Presbyterian Church,” and signed “Highlander,” was taken up.
The Presbytery, after hearing the following witnesses—Messrs. Alexander Murray and John Campbell, elders, Creich; Mr. James Maciver, Bonar-Bridge; Miss Anne Macpherson, Mígdale, the writer of the letter signed “Highlander”; Mr. John Macpherson, brother of the foregoing; and Mr. George Matheson, Cean-na-bad, uncle of the foregoing, and also a statement from the Rev. D. A. Macfarlane, came to the following findings:—
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That no case of Higher Criticism or of charging the Word of God with unveracity or immorality has been proved against the Rev. D. A. Macfarlane.
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That the Presbytery believe Mr. Macfarlane to be a sound believer in the veracity and morality of the Word of God, notwithstanding all that is said to the contrary in the letter which appeared in the “Northern Chronicle,” 9th March, 1921, and signed “Highlander,” and the evidence brought forward by the writer of the letter before the court.
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That the Presbytery, after hearing the evidence of the writer of the letter and other witnesses, cannot regard many of the statements contained in it as true statements or just criticism of what was actually said; neither can the Presbytery come to the conclusion that the letter was written with the desire of promoting the glory of God and the good of His cause. And the Presbytery further feel that the charge made of Higher Criticism in the heading of the letter against the Free Presbyterian Church is without foundation and unjust, and the whole trend of the letter is to hold up the Free Presbyterian Church to public obloquy.
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That the Presbytery are all the more convinced that the said Mr. Macfarlane is altogether free from the charge of Higher Criticism or of casting any reflections on the Word of God from his statement made to the Presbytery and given at the conclusion of this finding, and that in the statement made by him on 2nd January, in the Tulloch School, he only took to do with the translation of a few words, substituting in a reading of a portion of the chapter in 1 Samuel (chap. 25) an equivalent phrase, and also to translation of verses in Leviticus, and in proof of our conviction the Presbytery herewith give Mr. Macfarlane’s statement made before them:—”I, Donald A. Macfarlane, Free Presbyterian minister of the combined charges of Laig, Dornoch, Rogart, and Criech, own and declare that I most heartily believe in the inerrancy and infallibility of the Word of God. I further declare that I sincerely regret that I gave pain to any of my hearers or real friends of the Word of God or left the impression on anyone’s mind by anything I said that I was reflecting on the veracity or morality of the Word of God by the statement made by me on 2nd January, 1921, in connection with the substitution of the words ‘every man’ for the expressions in the text occurring in 1 Samuel 25, verses 22 and 34, and also to translation of verses in Leviticus, and that I now see in acting as I did, and in making such a statement, I acted and spoke unadvisedly, and I promise for the future that in the public reading of the scriptures I will strictly adhere to the Authorised Version.”
In view of the fact that the letter signed “Highlander” has wrongly been attributed to several who had nothing to do with it, the Presbytery take this opportunity of stating that Miss Anne Macpherson, Miggdale (aged 18 years), when asked, on the authority of incontrovertible evidence in the possession of the Presbytery, if she were the writer of said letter, candidly acknowledged she was and that no one was responsible for any word in the letter but herself.
Searmon.
Cuid de Chomharraidhean air Feasgair Dhubhach aig
Eaglais Dhe.
LEIS AN URRAMACH RALPH ERSINE, A.M.,
Ministeir an t-Soisgeil a bh’ann an Dunfermline.
“Ach tarlaidh air tra feasgair gu’m bi solus ann.”—SECHA. xiv. 7.
MAR a ta na sgriobtuirean uile toirt fianuis mu Chriosd, mar sin tha’n steidh-theagaisg so a’ tabhairt fianuis mu chioll a chompártaichdhean do thaobh ’eaglais agus a shluagh fein, mar-aon ann a fheasdal agus ann a ghràs.—Tha dà ach anns an rann as am bheil ar steidh-theagaisg air a thabhairt; tha aon diubh a’ seoladh a chum a chomais buileachaidh ghlic, tha aon eile a chum crioch aobhneach riaghailt suidheachaidh Dhe a thaobh ’eaglais agus a shluagh fein.
Anns na briathran fein thug sinn fáinear. 1. Na croisean agus na trioblaidean a’s dubhaich’ a’ tharlas do dh’ eaglais agus do sluagh Dhe anns an t-saoghail so, air am foillseachadh fo shamladh trà feasgair. 2. Na sólasan agus na misneachaidhean as milse a tharlas ‘nan crann-chur, air am foillseachadh fo shamhlaadh soluis. 3. An ùin, no an t-àm sònruichte, an uair a tha an dòchas a’ tabhairt suas an spioraid. 4. Tha agaibh cinteaschas neomhearrachdach na crìche shona so, “Tarlaidh air trà feasgair, gu’m bi solus ann.”
Na nithe so dh’fhosgail sinn suas aig àm roimhe so.* ‘Se tha rùn oirnn ‘san àm so a bhi dearbhadh, gu’m bheil an t-àm anns am bheil sinn a nis beo na àm feasgair. B’ail leinn gu’n tugadh sibh gu furachair fainear comharraidhean an tim, agus gu cinn teach ma bheir, taisbeanaidh e gu soilleir, gur àm feasgair e, àm dorch droch àm aig eaglais Dhe. Agus, gu ‘ur cuideachadh ann an so, b’ail leinn cuid de na comharraidhean fhoillseachadh dhuibh deth dh’àm feasgair anns an eaglais. Agus air dhuinn fhaicinn gu’ bheil Spiorad an Tighearn a’ cuir an ceill coir brònach sluagh le àm feasgair, tha e le sin a’ ceadachadh dhuinne bhi cleachdadh an doigh-labhairt ann a bhi foillseachadh an ni ceudna. B’òdh na, comharraidhean a dh’ainmicheas sinne ma ‘seadh, air an tabhairt o’ na cho-shamhlaadh sin, air doigh’s gur h-ann is fearr ni e greim air bhuir cuimhne, ‘nuair a tha iad air an cuir an ceill le leithid do nithe ‘sa tha soilleir do na h-uile neach is urrainn eadar-dhealachadh a chuir eadar maduinn agus feasgair.’ Nis de’ na comhar’an so tha dà sheòrsa. 1. Cuid a dh’fheudas a bhi air an gairm comhar’an follseachaidh a’ nochdadh gu’m bheil an t’àm air lèithair na àm feasgair.
- Tha comhar’an roimh-innsidh ann, nach e a mhàin a tha foillseachadh gu’m bheil mòr dhorchas anns an àm air lèithair, ach gu’m bheil àm feasgair na’s doirche cabhgachadh air aghairt; an leithid as iad so a leanas:—
I.
Tha e na chomharradh a tha roimh-innseadh mu ám feasgair an uair a tha na sgàilean a’ fàs fada. Am feadh ‘sa tha a ghrian àrd, tha na sgàilean goirid; ach mar a’s isle ta ghrian, ‘sann is àirde tha na sgàilean. Mar sin, an so, mo chàirdean, tha e na àm feasgair a tha teachd air an eaglais, an uair a tha sgàilean falamh a fàs fada, agus dhe’ na’s mò a mheas na fior dhiadhachd. An uair a tha sgàil no faileas duine dhà no trì a dh’uairean na’s faide na e fein, tha e aig innseadh gu’m bheil a ghrian iosal, agus an oidhche am fagus. Nach ‘eil a chùis mar sin ann an seadh spioradail, ‘nuair a tha aig luchd-aidich na’s mò mhòir de’ shamhlaadh diadhachd no na th’aca de’ a cùmhadh; na’s mò de shamhlaadh diadhachd no na th’aca deth a brigh? Cha’n ‘eil aig cuid, gu dearbh, uiread ri sgàil no faileas na diadhachd, aon chuid ‘n an teaghlaichean no ‘n an closaidean; nì a tha ag innseadh gu’m bheil e gle dhòrch aca-san, agus gu’m bheil iad a dh’ easbhuidh solus eòlais Chriosd; oir, far nach ‘eil solus, cha’n eil sgàil idir ann ; tha na h-uile na thigh dhorchadas sin, no, tha aca sgàil do chràbhadh, agus gun a bheag tuille, air-neo beagan na’s mò ; ni tha ‘g radh gu’m bheil an solus a th’aca na sholus crìonaidh, agus gu’m bheil feasgar dhòrch a teachd air a h-aghaidh. ‘Nuair a tha an eaglais ann an staid soirbheachaidh, agus a ghrian gu h-ard ann a speuraibh, tha sgàilean na’n samhlaichean falambh, deas-ghnàthaichean saobh-chràbhadh, agus innleachdan dhaoinne air an gearradh goirid ; ‘seadh, agus air an gearradh dheth, mar a tha fios agaibh gu’n robh iad gu soleimte air an àicheadh agus air bòideachadh na’n aghaidh ann ar measg-ne ann an laithean ar cùmhnantachaidh ; ach an uair a tha na sgàilean air fàs fad a ris, agus mòran a’ seasamh suas air an son, agus teirc a’ taisbeanadh ‘nan aghaidh, ach na’s roghnaichte gun a bhi a’ seasamh suas air son a bheag ann an eaglais Dhé ach air son dearbh sgàilean, air dhoibh fein ainm a bhi beò a bhi aca, ach gidheadh iad marbh ; an uair a tha so, tha mi ‘g radh, gu coitchionn a’ teachd air aghaidh, tha e ag innseadh gu’m bheil an fheasgair ann.
2.
Tha e na chomharradh air àm feasgair, a uair a tha luchd-saothraich gu cabhaigeach a’ pilltin o’n saothair. Ma chi sibh iadsan a tha saothrachadh ‘san achaidh ag ath-philltin dhachaidh o’n cuid obair, comhdhùnaidh sibh gu’m bheil àm feasgair aig làimh. Mar sin, ‘nuair ann an eaglais Dhé a tha iomadh seirbhiseach frinneach ann am fion-lios Dhé, air an tabhairt le cabhaig dhachaidh do neamh, o’n saothair air thalambh, is comharradh e air gu’m bheil àm feasgair a tarruing am fagus. Mar a ta atharrachadh na muinntir dhiadhaidh ‘sa coitchionn, na chomharradh a tha aig roim-innseadh gu’m bheil feasgair do bhreitheanas a’ teachd, air dhoibh-san a bhi air an tabhairt air falbh o’n olc a tha r’a theachd ; mar sin tha atharrachadh luchd-saothraich urramach ann am fion-lios Dhe gu sònraichte a bagradh oidhche. ‘Nuair a tha Lot air a thabhairt a’ mach a Sodom, tha e aig roimh-innseadh gu’m bheil feasgair feirge a teachd. Bha Metuselah air a thoirt air falbh bliadna roimh an tuil ; bha Ambrose air atharrachadh roimh sgrios na h-Eadailt ; agus Luther roimh chogaidhean Ghermanie ; agus ‘us lionmhor fear-saothraich dìleas a rinn an Tighearn, o chian ghoirid atharrachadh anns an tìr so, agus o’n taobh dùtcha so ; feudaidh sinn a chomh-dhùnadh o’na so, an uair a tha Noahan air an tabhairt a dh’ionnsuidh an cuid àirceachan, gu’m bheil e na chomharradh air tuil a bhi aig làmh, agus gu’m bheil Dia a’ tionaill fhoghair fein mu’n d’thig storm a gheambraidh, agus a’ gairm dhachaidh a luchd-saothraich mu’n tig an oidhche dhorch air a h-aghaidh.
(Ri leantuin.)
* Bha na nithe so maille ri cinn-labhairt eile, air an laimhseachadh leis an Ùgdar, ann an caochladh searmoinean urramach, anns a bhiadhnè 1723.
The Editor regrets that, owing to unavoidable circumstances, he has been unable this month to have a list ready of the large number of subscriptions he has received, but trusts that a very exhaustive list will be given (D.V.) in the July issue.