THE Rev. Mr Shirra, Kirkcaldy, an eminent minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, died at Stirling on 12th September 1804. During his ministry the subject of Liberty and Equality began to assert itself in our large manufacturing towns, Kirkcaldy included. It was seriously proposed to overturn all the existing British institutions, and establish liberty and equality on the French model. Some of the members of Rev. Mr Shirra’s congregation waited upon him, and desired to know his opinion on the subject. He told them he could not answer them off-hand that day; but would take the matter into serious consideration; and, on the following Sabbath give his views publicly from the pulpit. The news somehow got abroad that Mr Shirra was to preach on Sabbath on Liberty and Equality, and a great multitude flocked to hear him. At the close of the service, Rev. Mr Shirra said:—”My friends, I had a call from some of you the other day, wanting to know my opinion about liberty and equality, when I told you, if you came here to-day, I would let you know it. Now, since that time I have travelled in the spirit all over the world, and I shall just tell you what I have seen in my travels. I have travelled over the earth—its frozen and burning zones, mountains and valleys, moist places and dry, fertile lands and deserts; and I have found grown men and children, big and little, strong and weak, wise and ignorant, good and bad, powerful and helpless, rich and poor—no equality there. I have travelled through the sea—its deeps and shoals, rocks and sandbanks, whirlpools and eddies—and I have found monsters and worms, whales and herrings, sharks and shrimps, mackerels and sprats, the strong devouring the weak, and the big swallowing the little—no equality there. I have ascended to heaven, with its greater and lesser lights, its planets and comets, suns and satellites—and I have found thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, angels, cherubim and seraphim—no equality there. I have descended to hell, and there I have found Beelzebub, the prince of the devils, and his grim counsellors, Moloch and Belial, tyrannising over the other devils, and all of them over wicked men’s souls—no equality there. This is what I have found in my travels, and I think I have travelled far enough, but if any of you are not sausthed with what I have told you, and wish to go in search of liberty and equality yourselves, you may find them if you travel somewhere that I have not visited. You need not travel the same road that I have done. I can tell you positively you will never find them on the earth, neither in the sea, nor in heaven, neither in hell. If you can think of anywhere else, you may try. Meanwhile I have given you all the information I can. It rests with you to make a proper use of it.”
In view of the advance of infidel Socialism and Communism, all should study more and more the Bible, and be in all things guided by it; and to ponder well the views given expression to by the Rev. Mr Shirra. Socialists are open, determined, and persistent violators of the Fourth Commandment. It is their habit to hold political and other secular meetings on the Lord’s Day. “If ye love Me, keep My Commandments,” is the language of the Lord Jesus Christ. ‘Those who support Socialists are neither the friends of the Lord Jesus nor of the Bible. “Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.” The Socialists also covet their neighbour’s property. They thus come under the ban of the Tenth Commandment. They possess the spirit of Ahab, who coveted Naboth’s vineyard.
D. MACK.
A Christian’s graces are but Christ’s picture, Christ’s image; and therefore do not you worship His image, and in the meanwhile neglect His person. Make much of His picture, but make more of Himself; let His picture have your eye, but let Himself have your heart.
—Brooks.