CHAPTER VIII.

DISSAPPOINTMENT, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS BORNE.

BLOOMING and lovely herself, attractive by her chastened cheerfulness, and shedding love and peace around her, yet in the sober and subdued light which we have seen her correspondence and her diary unfold, was the passing scene clad to Mary's view. It was the hope beyond the` glories of the world where sin is not, which fixed her eager gaze; and thus one might expect she was prepared for the stroke which was even now about to fall; and so, indeed, she was.

To her confidential friend, near London, she wrote in this strain-The 23d of this month (July) is the day appointed by the General Assembly as a general fast throughout the church. I trust it may be a day of blessing in our land, and that we may be aroused to covet earnestly the best gifts, for if we ask we shall receive: If we really believe that our Lord will do for us what we ask, we shall not be sent away empty. Not one word of heartfelt prayer is forgotten by Him, though it is not always answered in the way we wish. The 23d will be a day of double interest to me, because it is the first of three days appointed for my friend to preach before the people of Urr, in order to their sustaining or rejecting the royal appointment. Should he not be received, I believe that faith and submission will be increased, and hope will not die. Should it be otherwise, I trust he may prove a faithful and unwearied labourer in the vineyard of our merciful Lord. Oh! my beloved friend, will you pray that it may be so? I scarcely dare to pray that it may be as we desire, for I have learned, by constant experience, that the things we set our hearts upon would be injurious. Then, be our pray

er for those things which God sees best, and which will most effectually help us to be pure and without offence in the path of Jesus.'

The hopes excited by the presentation of Mr. Duncan to Urr, were not destined to be realized. Those good men, who were deeply sensible of the evils of unrestrained patronage, as established by the iniquitous act of Bolingbroke, in the reign of Queen Anne, had recently exerted their influence to enact the Veto Law, as it has been called. They honestly believed that the ecclesiastical courts possessed an inherent right, lawfully, to enforce a mitigation of the evil; and they were willing to reconcile themselves to a mitigation, rather than seek a complete remedy, which could only be obtained by an application to Parliament, where secular and party views seem to overbear the temper and motives which ought to be engaged in ordering the affairs of the church of Christ. This is not the place to discuss those weighty questions, which have since that period agitated, and do still continue to agitate the church of Scotland. It is enough to say, that one of the first operations of the new law was the rejection of Mr. Duncan by the apparent majority of five. The patronage of Urr is held by the Crown, and the parish being divided between two candidates, Mr. Duncan, a third, was presented with a view of procuring the union of both parties on his behalf; thus wisely following after things that make for peace.' The people, however, inexperienced in the recent law, flattered themselves that it might be so worked as to place the unrestrained power of electing their pastor in their own hands. It was no stain on the character of the presentee, to be rejected in these circumstances, as some of those who exercised the Veto against him, declared openly that they would reject the Apostle Paul himself, if presented by a patron.

But this attempt, if successful, threatened to counteract the object of the Veto Law altogether, and to convert a salutary arrangement into a source of hostility between patron and people. Stimulated by this fear of the perver. sion of the law, some of the very individuals who aided in framing it, counselled Mr. Duncan to persevere, not for the purpose of opposing the legitimate operation of the newly

acquired right, but of seeking to restrain it within due bounds. He, therefore, zealously supported by the well educated and well informed of the parish, appealed from the decision of the Presbytery which rejected him, to the higher church court, with a view to prove a combination of the people, for the purpose of defeating the presentation, irrespective of his merits, and also to investigate the validity of a few of the votes.

From these sketchy remarks, we must return to the individual whose conduct under the rod was to be a test of the reality of her former experience.

The sunny 7th of August is still bright in memory, when she took her way to the Hall of the High School, to witness that august moral spectacle, where the civic authorities come forth as the patrons of education, and distributors of honours acquired by the industry and talent of their juvenile townsmen, her eye beaming with joy at the expectation of seeing her little brother bow his flaxen locks before the Lord Provost, on the reception of his first prize, -her heart bounding with the expectation that an hour would bring her betrothed with the glad news that all was passed in harmony and love, on the previous day, and that they might prepare together to enter on the work they loved best, at Urr.

The coach arrived, and with it the honoured father, not the son; and on the street were Mary's steps turned homeward by the disclosure of the event. It is not, perhaps, well for one who partook deeply of that time of trial, to enter too minutely into the scene, or to describe the subdued emotion, the Christian and almost dignified calmness of the hour. She passed some time in her closet, and obeyed the summons of the dinner bell, expecting she had self-command enough to acquit herself as became one who believes that the Lord doeth all things well. But she had tasked her strength too heavily. She smiled and conversed a little at first, but the expression of love and sympathy in the surrounding countenances was too much, the willing spirit succumbed to the weakness of nature, and she was obliged to glide away. After allowing a time free from intrusion, she was followed, and, with dismay, found extended on the floor; her over-exerted powers having for a

time retreated, from that severe strain, by a fit of fainting sickness. Her disorder hung about her for some days; but no word of complaint, fretfulness, or impatience was heard from her, and the peace which the world cannot take away, soon acquired a renewed and stronger influence in her heart than before she was afflicted. But she will speak best for herself.

In the diary, the entry is brief. After stating the fact, and that she had been writing to cheer Mr. Duncan, when she sunk exhausted, she adds :—

W.'s hopes! where are they? The sanguine predictions of many friends! what has become of them? Man lays wise plans, but it is with God to bless or bring them to nought. I want truly to say, "Thy will be done;" but dread a spirit of settled sullenness or discontent." My hopes were so precious! Yet the child of God can never be in despair. I-we-need chastening, and it has been sent in love and mercy. We may yet be happy; at least resigned we must, and by God's help, will be.'

To Mr. Duncan.

August 7.-I would write comfort to you, though my aching eye balls and pained head, tell that I have need of it too. Comfort, and sources of new hope, are what we may be likely to turn to, though at present I feel no temptation of that kind; but do you not think that we should rather search our hearts diligently, to see wherefore our God contends with us? We have sinned in many ways. If we have not cast out those sins before, let us do so now! This is a voice that makes itself heard. Let us strive for holiness of heart and life, and then our God may give us so much heavenly peace, that we shall be happier far, than if all our wishes had been fulfilled. He can do this! in so far as it regards man. I know you will not give place to any angry feelings, but only pray for your enemies, and look on all as coming direct from the hand of God. I feel that He must have something to teach you, and from this very thing, while I weep, I derive encouragement; for many a careless shepherd is plunged at once into the work of the ministry, while those, who are to be true vessels of honour, are tried as the silver is tried: but our merciful

:

Saviour watches the furnace, and does not let it burn too fiercely. It may be, my dear W., that we shall, at some time, look back on this cloudy and dark day as one of the happiest of our lives, if it is the beginning of better things to our souls. I had been indulging in the delightful hope that your character and graces would be best improved by the exercise of preaching and the care of souls. But a wise God sees that more of those disguised blessings, which come in the form of trials, are needful for you, and for me. Oh, I hope it is not through my sins, and my negligence that this has befallen you! There is reason to think he designs us both to glorify his name and to win souls, or he would not take so much pains with us, and send us back so often to examine the foundation. And shall we turn away as if we were injured, repining and rebelling against the will of God? No! let us rather kiss the rod that smites us, and exercise truer love than ever to our King. We are short-sighted creatures, but our precious faith teaches that all is well. I pray that the people and their pastor, whosoever he shall be, may be blessed; and we too, doubt it not, shall not be forgotten of God. He has blessings in store for us more precious than earth can offer. I grieve for you among comparative strangers, to none of whom you can freely open your own heart, oppressed as it must be. But the throne is your sure refuge; there you will find relief. Never, when things seemed to smile, did my heart cleave to you more than now. You have one earthly friend who will never have divided hopes or interests from yours.

**

and may

Farewell, dear W., God ever bless you and keep you, prays your attached and sympathizing

MARY LUNDIE.'

One cannot fail to observe the simplicity with which she unites herself in the trial and in its causes, and also with which she anticipates her position as the wife of a clergyman, as being in a peculiar manner that of a servant of the church. Her plan was not to be a help-meet for her husband alone, but to be a succourer of many, who would depend on his ministrations for spiritual food. It is the happiest of all unions where the wife has sufficient experience and love to be inclined to follow up her husband's work