24 Gibson Street,
Glasgow
5th February, 1894
My beloved friend,
Your last letter cheered me not a little to hear that you are being restored from the gates of death. The Lord grant that you may be restored to something of your wonted strength and health. The few witnesses in Scotland are fast disappearing from our midst, and we ought to tremble as it may be the calling home of the messengers of peace before war is proclaimed against us. But still He is “the Wonderful” and “who knows but He may return and leave a blessing behind Him.” The Church of Scotland can read her own stubbornness and rebelliousness in the history of Israel in the wilderness. It seems nothing will cure us but the rod. “When he slew them, then they sought Him; and they returned and enquired early after God: and they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer, etc.” Psalm 78: 34 etc. This is true of us all by nature. Would to the Lord that He would create truth in the inner part and that He would in mercy destroy the deceitfulness of our hearts. David cried in the agony of his soul: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
The church in Scotland is most likely entering upon dark days of persecution. The world does not know the witnesses of Christ, because they don’t know Christ Himself, and they will persecute the saints under the title He bore Himself “this imposter”. “The reproach of Christ is better still than all the riches of Egypt.”
As you, my beloved friend, are laid aside from standing openly in this dark and cloudy day, plead for all those who stand for the truth and the crown rights of the Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot, for fear, take the honour to myself but I have no doubt that our position is the only way in which truth can be effectively defended and that the Lord will conquer all His enemies yet in this land. He has been wounded in the house of His friends in this land.
Fond love to Mary, Allan, Archy, Miss MacMaster and yourself.
Your loving friend,
Neil Cameron