Letters by JOHN GRANT, Strathy.
John Grant was one of the most highly esteemed “men” of the Northern Highlands of whom it has been said that, though comparatively illiterate, they were deeply read in three books: The Bible, the book of God’s Providence and the book of the human heart. He withdrew from the Church at Kildonan in consequence of the faulty teaching there, and removed to Strathy, Sutherland, where he kept a Sabbath Reading in his own house. He died at Brubster, Caithness, 1829. Few are to be found in these sad days who have such close dealings with God, with their own hearts, and with their fellow believers as in those more rugged yet simpler and more real times—Editor of the letters.
Dear Friend,
I do not know what to say, because I am battered down with the judgment of the day, and that I did not hear from thee since long. I am affrighted because of the judgment of the day, that coldness lieth between you and me, between your soul and mine.
Although I lost my strength, that I could not see you, I was thinking if causes had been as they were, that I would ere now have seen thee here. You may say that this is great (much) but I say that it is too little for true love. I am a poor man in a poor state. I have not travelled a mile from this door since three years. I am content with that, because I see clearly the three best things consumed out of the best of our day.; that is, the true living souls need to keep them alive with the Lord; another thing true witness to keep them on Christ’s side; the third, true brotherly love to keep them with one another. In the place of this, the best of them are become thorns. Alas! alas! When Christians come to be thorns, God must come to be fire to burn thorns. If you can keep your eye upon it, the trial is very near. Since I believed that I would not go much abroad I have promised that none would come in here but I would tell them their errors, as I would know, and because of that I am near to lose them all. My mother’s children are very angry with me. My dear friend, I counsel you to get your last end in Christ’s blood, to be stamped deep on your death will try every work with fire.
JOHN GRANT, Strathy, 1813.
My dear Friend,
My mother’s children are very angry with me, because we will not agree in any matter, and my father’s children, I cannot get many of them out in this north country. The power in the means has left us totally. Every man thinks he is right, and not one right according to the law and testimony. I am a poor man in body and mind. I am alone and in trouble, the Lord knows, more than I can tell. I have nothing but the naked Word of God. Blessed be God for all my state, as there is no appearance of the wicked’s judgment on it, as it is His judgment, or the wicked’s judgment to be in prosperity. I must confess this when the trial comes to a height in my mind about my state, day, and death. The merciful Lord gives me my full of His Word, till He puts over, and then I am as rich as Abraham. But when He takes that away, and His presence from His Word, I am poorer than Lazarus. But poor as I am, I am poor at the door of the God of the poor, because He closed upon me all other doors. He is God in power and mercy above what men and angels can take Him to be; exalted be His glory through eternity for it! Search you in earnest, above all things, for a true knowledge of Himself; more than you had of Him ever before, as there is too little true knowledge of Him in the world. My dear, allow me to be free with you. I see you are going further on with the knowledge you got of Him, than you are in seeking more from Him. I will give you a token of this to you, viz., too much deadly sleep has lain hold on your spirit because you stoop from seeking more knowledge of God in Christ. You seek knowledge in the Bible and on the saints’ experience, and dive in it more than necessary. This is the spiritual plague of our day. Hear what Paul said: “Sin with the commandment beguiled me, and killed me.” Scotland is too, too ignorant of this, and because of that they all take this sin for godliness. Behold what Paul feels besides that mentioned: “I am sold under sin.” This sin cut all the glory in Scotland from God, and cut the true communion from all our souls, grieved and put away the Holy Spirit from us in all our practises spiritual and temporal; and this curse lies on them both. May God sprinkle your heart with the blood of the Lamb, to make your soul lively in the true experience of this sin, to groom for the despite done to the Highest or throne of God, to the rescue of thy soul, and if you get this, I will give you a true token of it, viz., you will get admittance to run for the glory of Christ and the life of thy soul, more and more, than you do for thy back, belly, and family. Put these two in the balance before the Lord, and get the Lord to judge on it. May the Lord be in you, with you and yours.
JOHN GRANT, Strathy, 1815.