* These letters were written to Mr. John Macivor, Scorraig, a gracious man who lived to the patriarchal age of over 100 years. An obituary, written by Mr. Cameron, appeared in the Magazine, xxxii., 427.—Editor.
216 West Regent Street, Glasgow, 10th March, 1926.—My Dear Friend, I hope you are sustained by the Lord in a measure of comfort as regards your bodily health, and that as regards your spiritual condition you can say: “To whom shall I go but unto thee; for thou hast the words of eternal life. And we know and are sure that Thou are the Christ the Son of the living God.” Saving faith casts its anchor in Christ Jesus and Him crucified as He is held forth in God’s Word. It does this, not only, when God’s favour is enjoyed by the soul, but when the soul’s cry is: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” It is like Gad: “A troop shall overcome Gad; but Gad shall overcome at last.” Faith, as set forth in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. xi., throughout, shows its strength (as being God’s gift) in overcoming all manners of trials. Nowhere does it appear more vigorous than in face of death as appears in the cases of Jacob and Joseph. No wonder that it is written: “By it the elders obtained a good report.” It is defined in the Shorter Catechism: “Faith is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon Christ alone for salvation as He is offered to us in the gospel.”
The first effect of it is: “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” The Holy Ghost, in the 5th, 6th and 7th chaps. of Romans, shows that the experiences of the justified are not happy because of sin in themselves—”the flesh warring against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh”—but concludes that “there is now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus”; notwithstanding the inward wretchedness of which they complain. “Great,” saith the Holy Ghost, “is the mystery of godliness, etc.”
You are very often in my thoughts, such as they are, and I pray that the Lord may uphold, comfort, and strengthen you to the end, and then receive you into His eternal kingdom and glory with exceeding joy. I hope all your family at home and abroad are well. We are in the Lord’s mercy and goodness in our usual health, for which great mercy we should be thankful; but alas that is easier said than done! With kindest regards to each one of your household, and fond regards to yourself. I am, dear friend, Yours very sincerely, Neil Cameron.
If you put a dog into a sheepfold, the sheep will be sure to huddle together in a corner of the fold.—William Tiptaft.