MY dearest James and John and William, I cannot leave you in this vain world without one parting advice, and without once more assuring you how dear you have ever been to me. Now that my body is consigned to the grave, and my soul has returned to God who gave it, to you, my dear children, it will not signify whether you ever knew a mother’s care or not, except in so far as you profit by her counsel. Let me, therefore, ask you and let me beg that you would ask it of your own consciences,—Are you living to God? Are you trusting in Christ for salvation, and obeying His commands?
To promote this my every thought with regard to you has been subservient. Were I assured of this, I should feel comparatively easy as to everything else. Oh! my children, this is the one thing needful.
I feel a pleasing confidence that none of you are ignorant of the method by which sinners obtain reconciliation with God. I would, therefore, only urge your immediate acceptance of Christ as your Saviour; of God as your God. There is no impediment on God’s part. Blessed be His name, all His offers are free; be willing, then, and you are His for evermore. How many temptations you must pass through I tremble to think of; but I have an assurance, which I would not part with for worlds, that my prayers for you are heard, and will be answered when I am sleeping in the dust. I feel a hope that you will be blessings to the circle in which you move, and that you will glorify God by your conduct through life. What higher honour can you aspire to!
You my dearest James, will probably have many opportunities of usefulness. If you live you will have much of this world’s good things to dispose of; value them, I beseech you, only as giving you more of the power to do good. Oh! let all you are and all you have be devoted to God. Encourage every useful undertaking, and give liberally to the poor, as you have received liberally from God. Do all in your power to place a pious clergyman in any church in which you may have influence,* for this is a most important method of doing good.
Should any of my dear boys think of entering the sacred profession of the ministry.—Oh! consider the weight, the importance of the charge. Remember it is doubly incumbent upon you to be yourself what you exhort others to be. I charge you my child to preach Christ Jesus the Lord. Remember, if you do not use every means in your power to bring to the Saviour the souls of those committed to your charge, you are responsible for them.
With one other advice I will conclude. I exhort you, my dear children, if any of you should at any future time think of marriage, that you will not allow beauty, or any outward accomplishments, to be the only thing you look for. In the choice of a wife seek for one who fears and loves God, and I will venture to assure you of happiness with her. Such a one in your own rank it may be more difficult to find; but among the families of the pious it is far from impossible. Pray to God, and He will direct your choice. I trust you will ever love and assist one another, and be dutiful and affectionate to your dear father.
And now, O my God, shower down thy grace in abundance on my children. Remember all my prayers for them; be to them what thou hast been to me;—I can ask no more. Save them from the evil that is in the world. Grant, oh! grant that we may meet in glory, through the merits of thy well-beloved Son. Amen. I remain, your most attached Mother, through life and in death. Janet Colquhoun.
*This letter was written by Lady Colquhoun of Luss to her children when they were very young and when she had on her own mind the impression that she might soon be taken from them. The letter is undated.
*This refers to the right enjoyed by proprietors in virtue of the Patronage Act which is now abolished.—Editor.