THERE is an idea rather widely prevalent among professing people that, while grace subdues the carnal corruptions that it does not affect the natural temper of men. There are some good men whose selfishness and boorishness follows them into a state of grace and, as far as one can see it never troubles them. This is not as it should be. It is very regrettable at times to find some of their admirers extenuating a line of conduct which would be severely condemned in a mere worldling by saying: “Oh, he is a good man and is worth putting up with.” If he is, all the more reason, one may say, ought his conduct to be different. Dr. Owen, the great Puritan divine and saint, touches on this matter in the following extract. “Let us take heed,” he says, “of a morose, sour, natural disposition. If it doth not hinder many fruits of love, yet it sullies the glory of its exercise extremely. Some good persons have so much of Nabal in them, that blasts the sweet fruit of love which comes from them; it is soured with something of an ill disposition, that hath no life or beauty in it. It is a great mistake, to believe that grace only subdues our carnal corruptions, and doth not change our natural temper. I believe grace changes the natural temper, and ennobles it; it makes ‘the leopard to lie down with the kid,’ and ‘the bear to eat straw with the ox,’ as it is promised; it make the froward meek; the passionate patient; and the morose benign and kind. And we are to apply grace to these ends and purposes; and not to humour and please ourselves, as though such things are our natural disposition. Grace comes to alter our natural dispositions, that are unsuited to love, and indispose us for it. We are apt to excuse ourselves and one another, and hope that Christ will do so too, because this or that is much from our natural temper. Pray let us not act thus; our natural tempers are to be cured by grace, or it hath not its perfect work upon us.”
The late Mrs. Elizabeth Mackenzie, Melvaig, Gairloch.
MELVAIG, situated on the west sea border of Gairloch Parish, has been blessed with, at least, a few faithful ones who will for ever adorn the Redeemer’s crown. These have left fragrant memories behind that even the lapse of time has not destroyed. The subject of this sketch can be put on a par with those honoured ones of the past. All who had the privilege of knowing her would have to acknowledge that she was one whom the Lord had blessed.
Mrs. Mackenzie died at Melvaig on the 7th day of last November at the age of seventy-four. Melvaig was not, however, her birth-place, but Little Gruinard, a place on the shores of Little Lochbroom. Her maiden name was Gunn, and she was a member of a large family of sons and daughters some of whom have gone the way of all flesh before herself. In the providence of the Most High she spent by far the greater part of her life at Melvaig, having married and settled there before she attained the age of twenty. She lost her husband nine years ago.
It was while hearing the late Rev. Neil Cameron, Glasgow, preach in Leabaidh na bà bâine that she heard the word with power. The Leabaidh, as it is called locally, is a natural commodious hollow of sandy formation where thousands of people used to gather at communion seasons to worship God in the open. Worshiping in the open air cannot now be possibly carried out owing to the molestation of tourists. When the Free Presbyterian Church was formed in 1893 it was in this spot, under the canopy of heaven, that the congregation of Gairloch worshipped, every Sabbath, when the weather permitted, for the first four years. It was here their first minister was ordained and inducted. Occasionally, presbyteries and sessions transacted their business here. It was here the Lord met with many of His people, like Mrs. Mackenzie, for the first time, and with others to give them renewed tokens of His gracious presence. There are still some living who have pleasant memories of meeting with the Lord in the word and sacraments in this spot of God’s earth. It is not known what year Mrs. Mackenzie was thus impressed but it must have been previous to the opening of the church building in Gairloch in October, 1897; for since that date our people did not worship in the Leabaidh. We are not in a position to say what portion of Scripture Mr. Cameron preached on on that occasion, but the hand of time has been powerless to erase the impression that sermon made on our late friend. From information given us, on which we can rely, her mind was impressed greatly by the awful solemnity of the Last Day. She was convinced that day that he is cursed that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law. Her deep sense of her fallen state made her place herself among the cursed while she listened to the good man speaking to her in Christ’s stead. She believed the roll would be called on the Great Day of Judgment and that she would have to answer. The words of the Judge to the wicked were also ringing in her ears: “Depart from me ye cursed.” It was however, the beginning of better days with Mrs. Mackenzie. This was the Lord’s good way to bring her into the fellowship of Christ and His people. “I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably with her.” The portion of Scripture in which it pleased the Lord to reveal her Saviour to her was: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” This was the first blink of the sun of righteousness arising on her weary soul. This truth made her like Christian in the Pilgrim’s Progress.—her burdens which she carried fell off—”The burden was loosed from off his shoulders, and it fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and continued to do so, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.”
From that time till her death she continued a faithful follower of the Lamb. She lived by faith on the Son of God, and afforded very satisfactory evidence of her progress in knowledge, faith, hope and love, and that she was through grace being prepared to be for ever with the Lord. Searching the Scriptures was her daily exercise and delight, she was well acquainted with them, and could quote portions of them with ease. She was a conscientious attender upon the public means and looked for the Lord’s presence in them. She had a habit of going to the local meeting-house long before the service began. We learned from her, before her death, that her reason for this was to have a while there before the service to pray and meditate upon divine things; those were her unwearied and delightful exercises. In this way she sought preparation for her own heart and a blessing for others. The late Rev. C. H. Spurgeon called those people “frawmen,” who came early to the Metropolitan Tabernacle to wrestle in the pew. The pew and closet wrestlers are fast leaving this generation. Sacramental occasions were often sweet to her. She made those occasions seasons for self-examination. She told us that before the last communion she attended in the Gairloch church, that she spent some time praying to the Lord to give her a portion of His own Word to be a staff to go to the Lord’s table with on Sabbath. She said it was long in coming, but it came, and was worth waiting for; it was: “Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” It seems that she was brought to the verge of heaven at this communion, as if the Lord was indicating to her that she would soon be at the table above. It was, however, otherwise with her at other times the Lord would hide Himself. But even those trying seasons worked for her good; her graces were exercised and began to show themselves in a special way. Those depths, however, made her unhappy and she rested not till the cloud was lifted, and the light of the Lord’s gracious countenance lifted upon her soul. Shortly before she died, she related to two of us one day how the Lord restrained the tempter when she happened to attend communions in the neighbouring places. She said she was able to forget all about her cow and household duties and that in doing so she was able to enjoy the fellowship of Christ and His people. She related this to the praise of the Keeper of Israel, she said. This victory was no doubt in answer to prayer.
She was well aware of the progress of Satan’s kingdom throughout the world and especially in Scotland by the instrumentality of Romanism and Modernism and other isms. This kept her at the throne of grace on behalf of our nation and empire. She always held that our nation would yet be punished for her back-sliding. During the crisis in September last, when practically the whole world was living in terror of war, Mrs. Mackenzie was quite unperturbed, being confident that nothing was to happen then. At the same time she did not feel that the danger was past. We took particular notice of the fact that it was “not yet” she said, when telling that no war was to begin then; but as if she expected it later. “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.”
Her last illness lasted about a year. She was not many months confined to the house; she struggled to attend the public means of grace as long as her legs could carry her to the road. Her heart was in such a condition that it was a great risk for her to leave the house, but her mind was in the house of God and she often said, “Oh! I am afraid I have more love to the Lord’s people than I have to Christ.” Love to those who feared the Lord was only one way, among many, by which Christ’s love in her heart found a way to express itself.
Her end was very beautiful. The day she was taken away she said to her youngest sister: “I am going home to-day.” Her sister, who thought she had forgotten for the moment where she was, said in an affectionate way, “You are at home, already, aren’t you?” “Yes, I know, but I am going home to the Lord Jesus,” was her quick answer. Her sister then went out of the room for a little, and when she returned, Mrs. Mackenzie had gone to her eternal home; in the interval she had stepped triumphantly into glory. She was tenderly nursed by two of her sisters who keenly feel her removal. Her loss to those left behind is great. We hope the Lord will yet answer the petitions she offered to the Hearer of prayer, while she was yet with us, on the behalf of the people of Melvaig and for the cause of Christ in general.—A. B.
Anns an Tòiseach tha Gràs Beag.
LE RICHARO SIBBES, D.D.
THA barrachd agus aon aois ann a meag Chriosduidhean, tha euid na ‘n naoidheanan, cuid na’n daoine oga: tha gràs “mar ghràinne de shiol mustaird.” Chan eil nì air bith cho beag ri gràs an tòiseach, agus chan eil nì air bith cho glòrmhoir a ris: ‘s e ‘na nithibh is iomlaine is fhaid a bheir air fàs. Tha’n duine, an creutair is iomlaine, a tighinn gu iomlanachd a lion beag agus beag; tha nithibh gun luach, coltach ri luibh-sgàile Ionah, gu luath a fàs suas agus gu luath a dol as an t-sealladh. Is e creutair nuadh an nì is òirdheire anns an t-saoghal uile, uime sin, tha e fàs gu mall; chì sinn ann an nàdur gu bheil eraobh dharaich mhór a fàs a ni gle bheag. Tha e thaobh a Chriosduidh mar a bha e thaobh Chriosd, a dh’ eirich o bhonn marbh Iese, a mach a teaghlach Dhaibhidh, ‘n uair a b’ isle bha iad, ach dh’ fhàs e suas nì b’ àirde na na nèamhan. Chan eil e thaobh nan chraobhan fireantachd mar a bha e thaobh craobhan phàras, a bha air an cruthachadh gu h-iomlan ‘s an tòiseach. Bha siol gach creutair anns an t-saoghal am folach anns an neo-nitheachd am mach as an do ghairm Dia iad; anns an t-siol is lugha tha ‘n corp agus an toradh na laidh. Ann am beagan de theagas an bunaiteach tha na’n laidh am folach a h-uile co-dhunadh comhfhurtail a tha anns na sgriobuirtean naomh. Bha aig na lasraichean glòrmhoir sin de dh’ eud agus de naomhaechd anns na naoimh a tòiseachadh ann am beagan de shradan.
Na bitheadhmid, uime sin, air ar mi-mhisneachadh a thaobh tòiseachadh beag gràis, ach amhairceamaid oirrne féin air ar taghadh “chum gu’m bitheamaid naomha, agus neo-choireach” Eph. i. 4. Amhairceamaid a mhàin air ar tòiseach neo-iomlan gu bhi ga’r brosnachadh gu strì an déigh iomlanachd, agus ga’r cumail ann am beachd ional oirrne féin. Air dhòigh eil, air eagal agus gu ‘m bi sin air ar mi-mhisneachadh feumaidh sinn beachd-achadh oirrne féin mar a tha Criosd a dèanamh, a tha ‘g amharc oirrne mar mhuinntir a tha e ‘g ullachadh air a shon féin. Tha Criosd ga’r meas a reir eiod a tha sinn gu bhi, agus eiod a bha sinn air ar taghadh gu bhi. Their sinn craobh ri luibh beag, do bhrigh gu bheil e fàs thuig sin. “Có ‘rinn dìmeas air là nan nithean beaga?” Sech. iv. 10. Chan eil Criosd air-son gu ‘n dèanamaid dìmeas air nithean beaga. Chan eil na h-ainglean glòrmoir a dèanamh dìmeas air a bhi frithealadh do mhuinntir bheag; beag nan suilean féin, agus beag ann an suilean an t-saoghail.
Ged a tha gràs beag ann an neart agus ann an luach. Is e Criosd a tha dèanamh luachmhor àitean agus daoine beag agus suarach. Betlehem an t-àit’ as lugha, Micah v. 2, Mata, ii. 6, agus gidheadh chan e a’s lugha; an t-àit’ as lugha ann féin, ach chan e as lugha do bhrigh gu robh Criosd air a bhreith ann. Bha glòir an dara teampuill a tighinn gèarr air glòir a cheud aoin, Hagai, ii. 9, ach gidheadh na bu ghòrmoir na cheud aon do bhrigh gu ‘n d’ thàinig Criosd a stigh ann. Thàinig Tighearna an teampuill gu theampull féin. ‘Se nì beag a tha an clach na sùl ach chì i mòran de na nèamhan comhla. Ged a tha nèamnaid beag tha i rò-luachmhor, mar sin chan eil nì ‘san t-saoghal cho luachmhor ris an tomhas as lugha de ghràs.—Eadar-theangaichte le I. M.
Nadur an Duine ‘na Staid Cheithir Fillte. AM BREITHEANAS DEIREANNACH.
(Air a leantuininn t-d., 73.)
‘San t-seathamh àite, Bithidh sgarachdainn air a dhèanamh cadar na fircana agus na h-aingidh; air do chuideachd sgiamhach nan caorach taghta bhi air an eur air deas làimh Chriosd, agus na gabhair a chuireadh air eùl air a làimh chlì. Cha bhi feum air feitheamh air an sgarachdann so gus an téid an deuchainn thairis, a chionn gu ‘n éirich gach seòrsa as an uaighibh, le comharaibh soilleir sgarachdann o ‘n taobh a mach, mar a rinn-eadh soilleir roimhe. Tha e coslach gu ‘m bi an sgarachdann air a dhèanamh leis a’ chruinneachadh dhùbailte sin a dh’ ainmicheadh roimhe; aon dùbh de na daoine “taghta,” Marc xiii. 27. an aon eile “dhiubhsan a ta dèanamh aingidheachd,” Mat. xii. 41. Air do no daoine taghta, bhi air an togail suas le chéile anns na neulaibh, an còdhail an Tighearna ‘san athar! I Tes. iv. 17.; agus mar sin a tha air an eur air a làimh dheis; agus na h-aingidh air am fàgail air an talamh, Mat. xxv. 40. air làimh chli a’ Bhreitheimh. Ann an so a nis tha sgarachdann iomlan eadar dà chuideachd, a bha a ghnàth an aghaidh a chéile, ‘nan àrd-chrìoch, ‘nan rùin, agus ‘nan gnè chaithe-beatha; muinntir, an uair a bha iad an commun a chéile, a bha ‘nan uallaich do aon a chéile, fuidh an robh aon ag osnaich, agus an aon eile gabhail boile; ach a nis tha iad gu tur air an sgarachdann, gun teachd le chèile gu bràth tuilleadh! Tha ‘n t-iarunn agus a’ chrè (a ta air an ainmeachadh le Daniel ii. 41, 43.) nach b’ urrainn bhi air am measgadh, air an tur sgarachdann; air do ‘n aon a bhi am measgadh, air an tur sgarachdann; air do ‘n aon a bhi air a thogail suas do ‘n athar, le tarruing éifeachdach “na Cloiche air a gearradh a mach as an t-sliabh,” eadhon Iosa Criosd; an aon eile air am fàgail air an talamh, gu bhi air an saltairt fo chosaibh.
A nis amharcamaid ris an làimh dheis, agus ann an sin chi sin cuideachd ghlòrmhor de naoimh, a’ dealradh mar choimhlion reulta ‘nan cùrsa, agus le gnùis aoibhnich a’ dearcadh airsann a ta ‘na shuidhe air an righ-chaithir! Ann an so bithidh dà shealladh iongantach nach bu ghnàth leis an t-saoghal fhaicinn: (1.) Coimh-thional mór de naoimh, anns nach ‘eil urrad as aon chealgair! Bha Cain fuillteach ann an teaghlaich Adhaimh, Ham malluichte ann an teaghlaich Noah, ‘san aire: Iudas cealgach ann an teaghlaich Criosd féin: ach anns a’ chuideachd sin cha bhi a h-aon ach muinntir sheulaichte, buill Criosd, aig am bheil uile aon Athair! Agus is sealladh so a tha air a ghléidheadh fa chomhair an là sin. (2.) Na daoine diadhaidh uile air aon taobh. Is teare a gheibhear na naoimh air thalamh a’ dèanamh a leithid de cheòl, as nach bi cuid de na teudan as am fonn ‘nam meag. Chan fheudar a smuaineachadh, gu ‘n còrd daoine nach ‘eil a’ faicinn aeh ann an cuid, ged tha iad uile dol a dh’ aon bhaile mu, na h-uile ceum anns an t-slighe; chan fheud, cha ruig sinn a leas sùil a bhi againn ris ann an staid nao neo-iomlaineachd so: Ach aig an là sin coinnichidh Pòl agus Barnabas ann an sìth agus aonachd, ged bha a’ chonspaid cho dian eatorra, is gun do sgaradh o chéile iad, Gniomh. xv. 39. Cha bhi na’s mò roinnean, cha bhi na’s mò seasadh air leth, am meag na muinntir sin a bhuneas do Chriosd. Bithidh na daoine diadhaidh do na partidh-ean fa leth, an sin air aon taobh, do bhrigh ciod air bith eadar-dhealachadh a bh’ aca ann an nithibh as lugha, am feadh a ta iad ‘san t-saoighal, gidheadh, eadhon an sin, choinnich, agus cheangail iad uile ri chéile ann an aon Tighearn Iosa Criosd, le creidimh fior agus beò, agus anns an aon rathad naomhachd, no cleachdamh na diadhachd. Agus bithidh na cealgairean truagh, ciod air bith comunn d’ am bheil iad, air an treòrachadh a mach le luchd dèanamh na h-aingidheachd.
Amhaireibh air an làmh eil, agus an sin chì sibh na gabhair mhalluichte, (na h-aingidh uile o Chain gus an aingidh mu dheireadh a bhitheas anns an t-saoighal,) air an cruinneachadh r’ a chéile ann an aon chiomhthional ro thruagh! Tha iomadh co-chruinneachadh ann de na h-aingidh a nis; ann an sin cha bhi ann aeh aon. Ach bithidh iad uile a làthair an sin, air an toirt le chéile mar threud air son marbhaidh, a’ bùirich agus a’ beucaich, a’ gul agus a’ caoidh air son nan truaighean a thàinig, agus a ta gu teachd orra. (Agus cuimhnich thusa, nach bi thu ad fhear-amhaire a mhàin air an dà chuideachd fa leth sin; ach gur éiginn duit féin t’ àite ghabhail anns an dara aon diùbh sin, agus gu ‘m bi do chuibhrionn agad maille ris a’ chuideachd cia air bith làmh air am bi thu.) Bhitheadh iadsan aig nach ‘eil gràin a nis do chomunn ‘sam bith cho mór ‘sa th’ aca do chomunn nan naomh, aoibhneach ann an sin cead fhaotainn dol a stigh ‘nam meag ged nach b’ ann ach a luidhe aig an cosaibh. Ach ann an sin chan fhaighear aon chogul am measg “a’ chruithneachd; Glanaidh e gu ro bhaileach úrlar bualaidd.” Bithidh mórán de dhaoine na làimhe deise an t-saoghail so, ‘nan daoine na làimhe eil air an là sin! Bithidh mórán d’ an éigin an dorus agus an làmh dheas fhaotainn o ‘n mhuinntir as feàrr na iad féin, (ma tha ‘m firean na’s feàrr na a choimhearsnaich,) air an tionndadh gus an làmh chlì, mar chreutairean ro-shuarach! O cia uamhasach a bhitheas an sgarachdainn so do na h-an-diadhaidh! cia eagalach a bhitheas an cruinneachd so r’ a chéile do aon chuideachd! An nì nach ‘eil iad a nis a’ creidsinn, chì iad an sin, eadhon, nach ‘eil ach beag air an tearnadh. Tha iad a’ smuaineachadh a nis, gur leòir a bhi cosmhuil r’ an coimhearsnaich, agus is urrainn doibh gu socraich a’ mhór-chuideachd a leantuin, ach cha toir a’ mhór-chuideachd air an làmh chlì comhfhurtachd ‘sam bith dhoibh. Cionnus a lotas e am fear-aidmheil an-diadhaidh, a bhi ‘ga fhaicinn féin air an aon làmh ri Turcaich agus Pàganaich! Cionnus a chuireas e domblas air daoinibh a bhi ‘gam faotainn féin ‘nan seasamh, Protestanaich mi-naomha maille ri Papanach an iodhol-aoraich; sluagh ùrnuigh maille ri an coimhearsnaich mi-naomha, a rinn fanoid air dleasnais na diadhachd; luchd-aidmheil le coslas na diadhachd, a ta ‘nan coigrich; do ‘n nuadh-bhreith agus do chumhachd na diadhachd, maille ri luchd na geur-leanmuinn! A nis tha mórán de chuideachdan a ta ‘n aghaidh a chéile anns an t-saoghal, ach ann an sin bithidh na h-an-diadhaidh uile ann an aon chuideachd! Agus cia uamhasach a bhitheas aghaidhean nan companach ‘sa’ pheacadh do aon a chéile an sin! Cia uamhasach an screadail, ‘nuair a choinnicheas am fear-striopachais agus a striopach a chéile! ‘nuair a ris a choinnicheas fear agus bean, na pàrantan agus a’ chlann, am maighstir agus na seirbhiseich, agus na coimhearsnaich, a bha ‘nan ribeachaibh agus ‘nan ceapa-tuislidh d’ a chéile, gu sgrios an anama féin, agus anama an luchd-daimh, anns a’ chomunn thruagh sin! An sin bithibh mallachdan an àite fàiltean; agus iad ‘gan reubadh féin, agus ag lasadh le corruich an aghaidh a chéile, an àite mar bu ghnàth leò bhi pògdadh agus a’ crathadh làmh ri chéile.
‘San t-seachdamh àite, Bithidh gach euideachd air am feuchainn. Chan fhead an deuchainn a bhi doilich, a chionn gu ‘m bheil am Breitheamh uile-fhiosrach, agus chan fhead nì ‘sam bith a bhi air fholach uaithe. Ach, a chum gu ‘m biodh a bhreitheanas air a dhèanamh follaiseach do gach uile, cuiridh e nithe an dorachadais anns an t-solus as soilleire aig an deuchainn sin, I. Cor. iv. 5.
(Air a leantuininn.)