By THOMAS BOSTON.
I.—CHRIST THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD BY OFFICE.
He is the actual and eventual Saviour of the elect only, so He is called the Saviour of the body, but He is the official, not of the elect only, but of the world of mankind indefinitely; so in John iv, 24—there He is called, “the Saviour of the world.” Agreeably to which, God in Christ is called the Saviour of all men, but especially the Saviour of them that believe.—I Tim. iv, 10. The matter lies here: Like as a prince, out of regard to his subjects’ welfare, gives a commission to a qualified person to be a physician
to such a society, a regiment, or the like, and the prince’s commission constitutes him a physician of that society, so that though many of them should never employ him, but call other physicians, yet still there is a relation betwixt him and them; he is their physician by office. Any of them may come to him and be healed. So God, looking on the ruined world of mankind, has constituted and appointed Christ the Saviour of the world; He has heaven’s patent for His office, and wheresoever the Gospel comes, this His patent is intimated. Hereby a relation is constituted between Him and the world of mankind; He is their Saviour, and they the object of His administration, so that any of them may come to Him without money or price, and be saved by Him as their own Saviour, appointed them by the Father.
That Christ is thus the Saviour of the world appears if we consider (1) Scripture testimony, which is plain in John iv, 24; He is expressly called so, and so do the believing Samaritans profess their faith in Him. (John iv, 24): “We have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ.” You have the appointment of heaven thereanent. (John iii, 16): “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”; even as the brazen serpent lifted up on the pole in the wilderness was the ordinance of God for healing to the stung persons in the camp of Israel; hence the salvation of Christ is called the common salvation (Jude 3)—salvation which any mankind sinner may lay hold on. So the Saviour’s birth is said to be glad tidings to all people (Luke ii, 10, 11), which it could not have been if He had not been a Saviour for all people, wherefore He Himself testifies that He came to save the world (John iii, 17): “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John xii, 47—”I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” This was His office, to save sinners indefinitely; not this or that sort of sinners, but sinners of mankind indefinitely, without exception. I Tim. i, 15—”This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ came into the world to save sinners.” Luke xix, 10—”That Son of man is come to seek and save that which is lost.” “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them” (II Cor., 19). To the same purpose He declares Himself as the light of the world—by office (John viii) that whosoever will employ Him may have the light of life. If he were not so, He could not warrantably be offered, with His salvation, to the world indefinitely, but to the elect only, more than He can be offered to fallen angels, who are not within His commission as a Saviour, for the ministerial offers can never lawfully carry the matter beyond the bounds of Christ’s commission from His Father. But Christ and His salvation may be warrantably offered to the whole world of mankind,
with assurance that whoever of them will employ Him to save them, he shall be saved. “Go ye unto all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Moreover, if it were not so, the unbelief of hearers of the Gospel not elected, their not coming to Christ for salvation could not be their sin, for it can never be one’s sin not to do a thing he has no warrant for, nor to employ one to save him whom God never appointed to be his Saviour. So it is not the sin of fallen angels that they believe not in Christ for salvation, because they are not within the Saviour’s commission; nor of those that never heard of Christ, because His commission was never intimated to them: but not believing in Christ the Saviour is the sin that ruins the hearers of the Gospel who do at all perish. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”—John iii, 19. Finally, if it were not so, the elect themselves could not believe in Christ until in the first place their election were revealed to them, which is contrary to the stated method of grace, for they can never believe in Christ for their salvation until they see Him to be a Saviour for them. There are two things further to be remarked: (1) The ground upon which Christ might be constituted Saviour of the world by office. And that was the sufficiency of the merit of His death and sufferings, for though Christ died only in the room and stead of His elect on the cross, sustaining their persons only—(John x, 15): “I lay down my life for the sheep”; yet the price paid for them being of infinite worth was sufficient in itself to save, not only them, but the whole world. The bread provided for them, viz., a crucified Christ, was sufficient to give life to and feed not only them, but the whole world of mankind; and therefore He might be appointed the Saviour of the world. “The bread of God is He who cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever, and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John vi, 33).
(2) The reason why He was constituted the Saviour of the world. Among several reasons that might be given for this, I shall only observe here this one, viz., that it was put upon Him as a piece of honour, the reward of His great service in laying down His life for, and instead of, those who were the objects of His Father’s electing love. “And He said, it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth” (Isa. xlix, 6, 8). The Father for that cause invested Him with all power in heaven and earth (Matt. xxviii): Let no man say,
“Alas! I have nothing to do with Christ, nor He with me, for I am a sinner, a lost sinner.” Nay, upon that ground there is a relation between Him and you. Since you are a sinner of mankind, Christ is your Saviour; for He is by office Saviour of the family, whereof you are a branch. If you employ another than Him, or pine away in your disease rather than put yourself in His hand, you do it upon your peril, but know assuredly that you have a Saviour of your own, chosen of God for you, whether you employ Him or not. He is by His Father appointed the physician; ye are the sick, and the less sensible ye are, the more dangerously sick. There is valuable relation between Christ and you as such (Matt. ix, 11, 12). He is the great burden-bearer that gives rest to them that labour and are heavy laden (Matt. xi, 28, and Ps. lv. 22). “Ye labour, spending your labour for that which satisfieth not, and are laden with iniquity, even heavy laden, and nothing less, so that you are not duly sensible thereof.” There is a relation then betwixt Christ and you on that very score.
The late Mrs. Margaret MacLeod, Glenhinnisdale, Portree.
No visitor to Glenhinnisdale can fail to be impressed with the beauty of this glen situated about 12 miles from Portree. It was in glens such as this that piety flourished in days gone by in Scotland. Our sturdy and intelligent peasantry, well-informed through the reading of God’s Word and the Shorter Catechism, were an effective bulwark against the inroads of modernism and infidelity generated in the universities and colleges of our large cities. Sad to say, these glens are now becoming depopulated, due to Highlanders seeking the comfort and wealth of the towns, or being filled with an alien stock with no respect for the Bible, the Sabbath or the worship of God. The worthy woman whose name appears at the head of this notice was one who, though spending most of her life in this obscure glen, showed that she had been with Christ and learned of Him.
Margaret MacDonald was her maiden name and she was born in Low Eyre in the parish of Snizort seventy-seven years ago. Her parents belonged to the present Free Church where she herself remained until after her marriage. On the conclusion of her school days she became a teacher and it was while engaged in this occupation that she met and married Malcolm MacLeod, whose home was in the Glen. They were blessed with seven children, all of whom were present at their mother’s funeral. Malcolm MacLeod was a highly-esteemed communicant in the Portree congregation. Although elected an elder, his natural diffidence and the low estimation he had of his own fitness for the office prevented him from accepting the responsibility. He predeceased his wife by a
number of years but his memory is still savoury to those who knew him.
Like the rest of Adam’s race, Mrs. MacLeod was born into the world dead in trespasses and sins, and nothing short of the power from Heaven was able to move her out of that state. Her father died when she was young but such a loss, though great, made no lasting impression upon her. Upon the death of a young relative, however, her brother John, who appears to have been a godly man, reasoned with her over the state of her soul in view of Death and Eternity. He concluded by saying to her, “See that you pray for yourself,” to which she replied, “Yes, and see that you pray for me also.” The deep impression made upon her at this time continued and she now began to pray in reality for the salvation of her soul. The work of effectual calling was carried on gradually in her experience. She was a long time in bondage as she sought with all her might to please God with her own works. This is the hope of the natural man and from such confidence every soul must be cut off who is to have his portion in Christ. Mrs. MacLeod had to learn this solemn and salutary lesson so that the preciousness of salvation by grace alone would be seen in all its God-glorifying and soul-satisfying beauty. She could draw no comfort from her own deeds which she saw now to be all polluted with sin, and this brought her low in her mind. One day, in this state, she was making the beds at home when the thought powerfully entered her mind, “Do you not know that it is all for Christ’s sake?” Her mind began to be exercised by this thought and she began to see that it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” Some time later she was brought to the full liberty of the gospel through reading the sermons of Rev. W. Romaine. She mentioned to us that although her conversion was gradual and over a considerable period of time yet Satan was not permitted to harass her often on that point, or to becloud her hope of having been united to Christ, even when her progress and growth in grace were a real concern to her. In this connection she told of an incident which happened in the home of the late Ann Munro, Portree, over 20 years ago. There were several of the Lord’s people in the house as well as Mrs. MacLeod. There was one present who, in speaking of spiritual experience, was able to tell some very striking incidents in connection with being brought from darkness to light. The late Finlay Morrison, missionary at Flashadder, who knew Mrs. MacLeod well, turned to her and said, “Where are you now, Mrs. MacLeod?” She replied, “Well, this is the truth I got while listening to what was being said, ‘What is that to thee; follow thou Me.'”
Some time before Mrs. MacLeod made a public profession, she was in the byre among the cattle when the question came
powerfully to her, “Lovest thou Me?” At first she did not have the strength to answer the question but as she began to meditate on the love of the One Who put the question she felt she could indeed say, “Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee.”
“That was a happy day for me,” she said, “but I have had many a cold one since.” Shortly after this she came forward in Portree and was received as a communicant. That took place in March, 1925, and from that day Mrs. MacLeod was kept a consistent follower of the Lamb as well as an encouraging and sincere friend to all who sought the good of Sion. She was not one who had a name to live and yet was dead. She felt her needs and knew the One Who alone could supply these needs through the means He had appointed for that purpose. On one occasion she had a great desire to go to Flashadder Communion. The day turned out very wet and, as they had a long distance to walk, her husband, who was to go with her, hesitated to go. She insisted on leaving home at least, so great did she feel her desire to be. Her husband agreed and they set off. By the time they reached Flashadder, however, her mind had become very confused and she was tempted as to whether or not it was a real spiritual desire which took her to the Communion. Rev. N. Cameron, in inviting the communicants to the Table, quoted the words: “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.” These words were accompanied with such power to Mrs. MacLeod’s soul that she was convinced that it was this hunger and thirst which made her follow after the Gospel and which had brought her to Flashadder on that occasion. It was another good day in her experience.
As mentioned already, it was after her marriage that Mrs. MacLeod left the Free Church and came over to the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. She told us the portion of truth which led her to take this step but it has escaped our memory. Being of an intelligent turn of mind, she had a good grasp of the principles of the Church and fully approved of our separate position in order to maintain a clear witness on the side of Christ and His Word in Scotland.
Mrs. MacLeod’s health began to fail very much in her latter years, and eventually she came to reside with her daughter, who is nurse in Portree, where she was tenderly cared for until the end. During the last two years she said that that portion frequently came to her, “Let not him that girdeth on his armour boast himself as he that putteth it off”—I Kings 20, 11. She felt that she, herself, was drawing near the end of her warfare. Last New Year she found great sweetness in the words, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes”—Rev. 7, 17, and remarked how wonderful it was to think of God wiping away the tears of His own people.
In the January before she died, a friend called in to see her and said, “You look better today.” To her Mrs. MacLeod replied, “I did not expect to see you again for I woke with these words, ‘So to the haven he them brings which they desired to see’”—Ps. 107, 30. As she often said, she was waiting for the Ferry-boat and wearying that it was not coming. During this time it was a precious privilege to be going to see one who was so obviously ripening for the Father’s House. The end came in March on the Tuesday after the Portree Communion. When we called to see her one of the days of the Communion she said that she wished she could be with us on the Sabbath. Though that was not to be, she had not long to wait until she entered the eternal Sabbath where communion with Christ and His people shall never end.
To the bereaved family we extend our sincere sympathy. May they seek the God of their parents for it is written, “If thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him He will cast thee off for ever”—I Chron. 28, 9.—D. MACLEAN.
Searmonan.
Leis an Urr. Tcarlach C. Mac an Tòisich, D.D.
(Air a leantuinn bho t.d. 340.)
- Tha aithreachas, air dòigh shònraicht’, a toirt glòir do Dhia mar Fear-tabhairt Lagha cothromach, agus air an aobhar so mar an ceudna tha “gàirdeachas air neamh air son aon pheacach a ni aithreachas.” Rinn Dia na h-uile ni air a shon Féin—na neamhan agus an talamh, an cruthachadh neo-reusanta agus reusanta—a chùm a bhi foillseachadh a chliù. Tha sinn air ar gairm, uime sin, gu bhi deanamh na h-uile chùm glòir Dhé. Is e so an ni a tha’n Criosduidh ag iarruidh ged a tha e ghnàth a tighinn gearr air. Cha’n eil tighinn gearr air ann an neamh. Agus ann an sin tha iad a meas luachmhorachd na h-uile ni leis an tomhas anns am bheil e foillseachadh glòir Dhé. Tha e soilleir gur e’n aon dòigh anns an urrain creutairean reusanta Dia ‘ghlòrachadh, a bhi toirt cleachdadh do thograidhean freagarach dha thaobh, mar tha urram, gràdh, agus earbsa, agus ann a bhi foillseachadh nan tograidhean sin anns gach, dòigh cheart agus shuidhichte—ga aideachadh agus a toirt Dhà glòir. Anns an rathad so tha bithibh naomh a glòrachadh Dhé. Agus ‘nuair a thig creutairean reusanta Dhé gearr air a bhi deanamh so, agus a tha iad air an treigsinn le Dia gu siorruidh, an sin tha E foillseachadh a chorruich ann a bhi ga’n sgrìos, agus mar sin a gabhail glòir dha ainm mòr Féin. ‘Nis, ciod e tha sònraicht’ anns an rathad anns am bheil peacach aithreachail a glòrachadh Dhé? Cha’n eil ann ach naoidhean ann an gràs; cha’n eil ach siol tograidhean gràsmhor ‘n a chridhe; cha’n eil ann ach briseadh na maidne anns a chridhe. An urrain esan Dia ‘ghlòrachadh mar a ni spioradan fiorghlan? Cha dàna leinn, agus cha’n abair sinn gu’n dean iad sin. Gidheadh tha ni-eiginn sònraicht’ ‘n a shuidheachadh agus ‘n a fhaireachaidhean a bu mhath a dhùisgeadh ioghnadh bhithibh naomh, mar a tha iad ‘n an cuspàirean tlachd Iehobhah Féin. “Gu deimhin chuala mi Ephraim a caoidh gu goirt, Smachdaich thu mi, agus bha mi air mo smachdachadh, mar dhamh nach do chleachd a chuing: pill thusa mi agus bi mi air mo
philleadh: oir is tu an Tighearn mo Dhia. Gu deimhin an deigh dhomh bhi air mo philleadh, ghabh mi aithreachas; agus an deigh dhomh bhi air mo theagasg, bhuail mi air mo leis: bha nàire orm, seadh fos geur-amhladh, a chionn gu’n do ghiulain mi masladh m’oige. Nach e Ephraim mo mhac caomh? nach leanabh ro thaitneach e? oir o’n uair ‘s an do labhair mi ‘n a aghaidh, tha mi gu duraechdach ga chuimhneachadh fathasd: uime sin tha iomairt ann am chom air a shon: ni mi gu deimhin tròcair air, deir an Tighearna.”
Co e am peacach aithreachail? Is aon e, eadhon an de, aig an robh a chridhe air a lionadh le saoghaltachd, feinealachd, uamhar, eas-creidimh, agus naimhdeas an aghaidh Dhé, agus a sheas a mach ann an ceannaire ‘n a aghaidh-san—agus so uile, faodaidh e bhi, fodh chleoca deiscioibull: ach a nis tha pheacaidhean air a shealbhachadh; cha’n eil comhdach aig air an son; bha bheath uile chaidh seachad ‘n a peacadh; tha a shannt, aicheadh air Dia, a mhi-naomhachd, a neo-thaingearachd, a chion gràidh do Chriosd, agus a pheacaidhean eile gun àireamh, air greim a dheanamh air, air chor agus nach urrain e cheann a thogail. Bhris e’n Lagh a tha naomh, agus cothromach, agus maith. Is ann an aghaidh Dhé a pheacaich e—an Cruithear, am Fear-cumail suas, am Fear-tabhairt lagh, an Dia fad-fhulungach, am Fear-saoraidh. Agus le so uile, tha chridhe olc, agus anabarrach aingidh. Faic mar tha’m Focal, am Biobull a bha roimhe air a dhimeas, a toirt air a ghlùinean bualadh ‘n a cheile. Faodaidh tu so fhaicinn: ach cha’n urrain suil duine fhaicinn mar a tha sholus a dealradh a stigh do’n a fròigean is dorcha anns a chridhe; mar a tha theine a caitheamh fhein-fhirecantachd-san; mar a tha chlaidheamh a marbhadh dòchas mealta. Tha e ga dhiteadh fein; tha e gabhail gràin dheth fein; tha e’g aideachadh Dhé bhi ceart ged a thilgeadh E esan gu sioruidh as a shealladh. Oir buinidh so do fhor aithreachas: cha’n e mhain doilghios, na mothachadh air olcas a pheacaidh mar ni a tha toirt truaigh ‘n a lorg (mar sin bha aithreachas Iudais); cha’n e mhain bròn air son peacaidh do bhrigh gu’m bheil dòchas againn gu’n do mhaith Dia, no gu maith, E ar peacaidhean (faodaidh a leithid sin do bhròn a bhi’n lorg gràdh do’n a pheacadh agus seasamh a mach an aghaidh àrd-uachdaranachd Dhé); ach a bhi faicinn glòir buadh ceartais Dhé, mar a tha sin air fhoillseachadh ann an agartasan agus ann am peanasan a Lagh-san, agus a bhi’g aontachadh ri ceartas na’m peanasan sin, ged a bhitheadh iad air an cur an gniomh an aghaidh an anama. Cha’n eil mi ‘g ràdh gu’m bi’n creutair toileach a bhi air a dhiteadh—nar leigeadh Dia gu’n abrainn sin—ach a leithid so a dh’aideachadh air gu’m bheil am Fear-tabhairt Lagha cothromach.
‘Nis, nach eil ni air chor-eigin sònraicht’ ‘n a leithid so de staid inntinn? Ciod e’n t-atharrachadh, ciod e’n tilgeadh bun os ceann a tha’n so? Cia mar a tha cùmhachd gràs Dhé ri fhaicinn agus ri mholadh ann. Nach eil ni air chor-eigin sònraicht’ anns an fhianuis a tha’m peacach aithreachail a toirt do naomhachd agus do cheartas an Fhir-tabhairt Lagha? —gu’n aonadh E fiosrachadh air nàdur uamhasach a pheacaidh dha’m bheil iadsan a tha iomlan naomh na’n coigrich, ri aontachadh ann an ceartas an Lagha dha’m bheil iadsan a tha caillte nan coigrich: gu’n aonadh E mothachadh air uamhas a bhi toirt oibheum do Dhia ri urram Dhà mar an Dia da’m buin dioghaltas, seadh, a leithid a dh’urram ‘s nach gabhadh a bhi air a chleachdadh mar a b’e bh’ann Dia a tha fuathachadh agus a dh’fheumas a bhi peanasachadh peacaidh: gu’n aonadh E mothachadh air neo-airidheachd neo-chriochnach air toilteanas ditidh aig làmhan Dhé, ri bhi dlùth-leantuin ris an Tighearna agus a bhi’g amharc Ris air son tròcair: (oir gu cinnteach cha’n eil mi’g ràdh gu’m bi fior aontachadh cridhe ann an ceartas Dhé, a faotainn cleachdadh dealaicht’ ri foillseachadh, a dh’aindeoin cho fann, air an fhirinn gu’m bheil “maitheanas maillle Ris.”
- Tha aithreachas a glòrachadh tròcair Dhé. Is e aon de thoraidhean crann-ceusaidh Chriosd, agus do bhrigh sin, “tha aoibhneas air neamh air son aon pheacach a ni aithreachas.” Cha’n urrain sinn bhi tuigsinn Dia a gairm a pheacaich gu aithreachas gun a bhi deanamh aithnichte dha a thròcair ann a bhi maitheadh, ni motha is urrain sinn a thuigsinn peacach a cleachdadh fior aithreachas gun ni-eigin de mhothachadh air tròcair Dhé ann an Crisd. ‘S e glòir Dhé air mhodh sònraicht’, gu’m bheil E “tròcairach agus gràsmhor;” gu’m bheil E toirt cleachdadh do thròcair air an talamh tre fhuil a Mhic. Is ann a stigh an so is miann leis na h-ainglean agus leis a mhuinntir shaorta amharc, am feadh ‘s a tha iad a seinn, “Is àirdh an t-Uan a chaidh a mharbhadh.” Is e a on de thoraidhean a bhàis phriseil sin gu’m bheil an “t-aingidh” air a ghairm gu bhi “treigsinn a shlighe agus an duine eucorach a smuaintean;” agus ‘s e aon dheth thoraidhean, ‘nuair a chithear am báis so ‘n a ghloir agus a dh’fhairichear e ‘n a chumhachd, gu’n toir am peacach cleachdadh do fhiar aithreachas.
Ni an Lagh peacadh aithnichte, agus ann an lamhan an Spioiraid Naoimh bheir e dearbha-shoilleireachd mu pheacadh, a dùsgadh na coguis, a briseadh sios dalmachd agus a toirt a nuas uamhar a chridhe, gus a toirt a mach anns a pheacach fein-dhiteadh agus eu-dòchas ni air bith a dheanamh air son e fein a thearnadh; ach cha’n urrain e gu bràth fior bhròn air son a pheacaidh, na fuath dha a thoirt seachad; agus dealaichte ris an t-soisgeul, threoraicheadh e gu tur eu-dòchas. Agus, feumail ‘s mar a tha a theagasg, that na leasanan sòlaimte a tha e teagasg air am fòghlum ni’s soilleir ‘nuair tha ‘n t-anam air a threorachadh bho Shliabh Shinai gu Calbharai. Gabhabh mar eisimpleir, naomhachd agus ceartas Dhé: tha a’ lagh teinnteach a foillseachadh glòir nam buadhan sin; ach cia ni’s motha tha iad a dealrachadh ann am bruthadh agus ann an cur fodh àmhghair Mac Dhé Féin? tha’n co-cheangal a dh’feumas a bhi air fhaicinn eadar peacadh agus peanas, air am faicinn ann am bagraidhean an lagha, agus ‘n ‘a ‘n cur an gniomh an aghaidh luchd deanamh na h-aingidheachd, ach cia ni’s motha tha sin air fhaicinn anns nach b’urrain Esan a bhi air a chaomhnadh. Tha olcas a pheacaidh air fhaicinn anns an Lagh, ach, cia ni’s motha ann an gràs an Athar agus a Mhic, ann am fulungais losa. Tha’m peacadh an aghaidh a leithid sin de Dhia. Faodaidh, agus bheir, an lagh air aideachadh gu’m bheil e peacach; ach aig a chrann-cheusaidh fairichidh e nàire dhiadhaidh gu’m b’urrain e easaontas a chòmhdach. Bheir an lagh dha dearbh-shoilleireachd gur e peacach a th’ann; ach is e gràdh a chruinn-cheusaidh a dh’fhoillsicheas dha cho tàireil agus cho nàimhdeil ‘s a tha pheacaidhean. Bheir an lagh dha dearbh-shoilleireachd gu’m bheil e ‘n a luidh gun chuideachadh ann an lamhan Dhé ard-uachdaranail, ach fairichidh e teicheadh aig bho a làthaireachd; bheir an crann-ceusaidh air gu h-onarach aideachadh gu’m bheil e toilltean an ifrinn is iochdraich, ach, gidheadh taruigidh se e a dh’ionnsuidh an Dé sin dha’n tug e oilbheum, agus a b’urrain ann am priobadh na sùla a thilgeadh an sin. Faodaidh an Lagh deoir shearbh a bhròin fhasgadh bh’uaithhe thairis air a imideas, agus a chuthach, agus a chiont ann a bhi treigsinn a thròcair féin; ach aig a chrann-cheusaidh bithidh tobraichean anama air am fosgladh, agus ni e bròn thairis air e bhi lot Tighearn na Glòir. Faodaidh an lagh toirt air a bhi faicinn co-chùmtachd ri iomhaigh Dhé ion-mhiannaicht; ach aig a chrann-cheusaidh, am feadh a tha e’g ùrnuigh, “Bi tròcaireach do mo neo-fhlreantachd,” glaodhaidh e leis an dùrachd cheudna, “Cruthaich anam cridhe glan a Dhé, agus ath-nuadhaich spiorad ceart an taobh a stigh dhiom.”
‘S ann an sin, aig crann-ceusaidh Chriosd, a tha aithreachas an toiseach ag eirigh suas; ‘s ann an sin a tha’n creidmheach a toirt cleachdadh dha. ‘S e obair a th’ann nach urrain co-chruinneachadh eile do chumhachd a thoirt gu buil ach sin a tha coinneachadh aig a chrann-cheusaidh. Nis, ma’s urrain eadhon na naoimh air thalamh a ràdh, “Na’r leigeadh Dia
gu’n deanain-sa uaill ach ann an crann-ceusaidh ar Tighearn Iosa Criost;
“ma tha iad a miannachadh, na’m b’urrain iad ruigheachd air a bhi air an
cumail fodh a chumhachd ioraslachaidh, beothachaidh, agus cruth-
atharrachaidh, ma tha iad a miannachadh a bhuaidh air feadh an t-saoghail
ann an iompachadh nan uile chinneach; ciod e’n t-aoibhneas a bhitheas air
fhaireachadh ann a foillseachadh a chumhachd tearnaidh leo-san a tha’g
amharc air a ghloir gun sgàile, a tha faicinn gnùis an Uain, Solus agus
Glòir neamh. Gu sònraicht’ ciod e’n t-aoibhneas a bhitheas air
fhaireachadh leo-san dha’n robh E ‘n a chùmhachd Dhé chum slàinte.
Nach bi an inn tinnean tric a dol air ais a dh’ionnsuidh an am shònraicht’
na’n eachdraidh ‘n uair a dh’fhairich iad an toiseach a chumhachd tarruig,
agus ‘n uair, air dhoibh fhaotainn a ceannsachadh an cridheachan cruaidh,
a thainig iad gu bhi creidsinn nach robh ni air bith tuilleadh ‘us cruaidh air
a shon?
(R’a leantuinn).