The late Donald Matheson, elder, Portree, was on one occasion rather cast down in his mind. In the course of writing a letter to the late Rev. D. Beaton he mentioned how discouraged and despondent he was about his work in the gospel. The following is the reply sent to him by Mr. Beaton together with the enclosure referred to in the letter.
Wick, 15th October, 1924.
My Dear Friend,
Here I am reviewing my past years of profession and as a preacher, and entering such notes against the years that are past—”How barren and useless they have been,” and am on the point of coming to the resolution that it would be better to give it all up when in comes your letter. Well, one effect it had upon me was this—it made me think less of my own ease and the resolution that was forming in my mind, and in its place came a new resolution—”You must write Donald Matheson and tell him to go on until the end of the day.” It is told of Dr. Duncan that while very much harassed with unbelief a distressed woman came to see him thinking that the great Dr. Duncan would not be distressed as she was with unbelieving thoughts. The Doctor set about at once to point out to her what God had said in Scripture, and in administering relief to her from the infallible Truth he got deliverance himself. Let me commend to your attention Daniel xii. 13: “Go thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” Satan would like to make us give up all. He was able enough to show Joshua that he was not clad in the garments of glory and beauty which the high priest ought to be wearing, and Joshua’s own conscience would have to answer as he heard the charges—”That is true.” But when Joshua could say nothing for himself the Lord came to his help—”The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee; is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” Let us go on, my friend, you and I, until the end of the day, in His grace and in His strength, and not be weary in well-doing. This morning when looking through some Gospel Advocates I came across the enclosed which may be helpful to you.
With kindest regards and best wishes.
Yours very sincerely,
D. BEATON.
ENCLOSURE REFERRED TO.
A minister of the gospel, who is still living, was about 30 years ago called to the important work of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ; but being extremely diffident of his own abilities, and having preached for several years seemingly to little purpose, he came to a resolution to preach no more. Being much straitened in his sermon on a Lord’s Day afternoon, and drinking tea afterwards with some Christian friends, he hinted his intention to them, and declared that he could not preach even that same evening. They represented the disappointment it must be to a large congregation who were assembled together as no other minister could possibly be had then to supply his place, and therefore they begged he would try once more. He replied that it was in vain to argue with him, for he was quite determined not to preach any more. Just at that instant a person knocked at the door, and being admitted, she proved to be a good, old, experienced Christian, who lived a considerable distance, and she said she came on purpose to desire Mr.— to preach that evening from a particular passage of Scripture. She said she could not account for it, but she could not be happy without coming from home to desire it might be preached from that evening. Being asked what the text was, she said she could not tell where it was, but the words were these: “Then I said, I will speak no more in His Name; but His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” This extraordinary circumstance so struck the preacher that he submitted to preach from these words that evening (Jer. xx. 9) and experiencing much liberty, has continued in the work ever since, with wonderful success and comfort.
The good woman has often protested since that she knew nothing of the minister’s intention or the debate about his preaching.
—From an old book, published in 1794.