by Rev. Neil Cameron
(To Donald MacMaster, Strontian)
12 Rose Street,
Glasgow
18th July, 1894
My beloved friend,
I heard last night that you are not keeping so well for the last few days. You have been continually before my mind along with other beloved friends at Strontian though on account of excessive work I delayed so long in writing to you. Nothing would give me more pleasure, were it possible, than that I could go to see you. The Lord grant you the fulfilment in your soul’s experience of the truth, “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, a brother born for adversity.” His faithfulness is held forth as the ground upon which the faith and hope of the poor may rest securely. In themselves they are perfidious in His covenant but He knew them as such from all eternity and therefore He says, “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.” All the rocks of this earth shall go to nothing but the Rock of the poor and needy shall on that day defy the gates of hell and shall be an everlasting foundation for the poor church of Christ.
What would this world be without Christ, the truth, the ordinances of grace, the people of God, and the holy Sabbath? Scotland is getting tired of the Holy Christ of God and therefore they have set up a false Christ that can go to Balls and Theatres, so they had to make another gospel to suit this new Christ. I feel grieved in my soul for the violence done to the King of Zion in our midst. How few there are who take up His cross and follow Him who had to say that “foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests but the Son of man had not where to lay His head.”
You will be pleased to hear that there are tokens of the Lord’s presence to be seen in the congregation of Portree. It gives some encouragement that He has favour for “the poor contemptible things” which the world so much despises. What is to become of the poor people of Strontian? There seems to be none among them like the “man of Macedonia” for I am sure Rev. Mr MacFarlane would come to them if asked. As they seem to be quite content to let the gospel go after all the Lord’s trouble with them as a people so that the young generation will not hear the gospel of Christ but the gospel of men. The responsibility shall be their own.
Kindly excuse me for the freedom I took in expressing myself. I am persuaded the cause of the poor church in this land lies heavily upon your own spirit. Christ had this land upon His heart from all eternity but woe to us we are always unkind to Christ in Scotland.
The Lord grant you His staff and His rod to sustain you and His everlasting arms to be underneath you in your weakness.
With fond regards to Mary, Archie, John MacMaster and Donald Cameron.
Fond love to yourself.
I am,
Your aff. friend,
Neil Cameron