into my heart, I was working at the Duke of Devonshire's, in Piccadilly. On Saturday night, having received our wages, I and others, as was our custom, went off to the public-house to spend them, and make ourselves worse than beasts. On this occasion we were all huddled together (being drunk) until the morning, this being Sunday, when it was proposed that we should go bathing in the canal, and away we went, my eldest brother being one of our number. I was the first in the water, and, after swimming some distance, heard the cry from my companions, “A man drowning!" I swam back to the place, when they on the path, pointing to the spot, said, "He went down there." I dived under the water, but could find nothing, so I swam to the side, and they then told me it was my brother. I was so amazed I thought I should have sunk, and cannot tell how I got on to the path. Some had gone for the drag, and by this time they had brought him out, but life had fled; for, having dived into the water head first, the blood rushed to the head, and he was suffocated. I cannot describe my feelings as I walked up and down by the corpse, now lying on the grass; but one thing I cannot forget. Those words kept running through my mind, "One shall be taken and the other left;" and, from that time, I have felt something in my breast which has never left me since, and I was effectually killed to my sinful life, and cut off from all my former companions. Having no longer any relish for the sinful pleasures of this world, I did indeed prove the truth of that Scripture, "He setteth the solitary in families." My long-neglected Bible was now my chief companion, and although it was to me, as Nathan was to David, always condemning my sins, saying, "Thou art the man!" yet I was compelled to cleave to it, night and day, and I felt it lost time even while eating my meals unless I had my Testament by me to read while I took them, so eager was I for mercy, and to find some encouragement from the Scriptures of truth. I was sure that there was a blessing in it; and, although it seemed only to condemn me, yet I was helped to read, and pray for God's blessing upon it, for oh, my past sins, the actual sins of my life, all previously forgotten, came up before my mind as a dreadful army, and I could not see how God could have mercy on one so desperately wicked, and I truly thought God was about to deal with me as my sins justly merited. Still I could not keep from crying to Him. Often have I been obliged to leave my work and crawl into some place away from every human eye, to call upon Him from my deeply-tried soul. The heavens seemed as brass, and I could not believe the prayers came from my heart, which almost sank me in despair. At other times I felt my heart softened to pour out my prayer before Him, L and then I felt encouraged. But still the guilt of sin hung heavy on my soul, and the way of salvation by Jesus Christ was hid from my mind. I used to go groaning about and thought everybody saw me as I felt myself-a miserable being. How long I was in this state I do not now remember; but one morning, going up Gray's Inn Lane to my work, with as heavy a load of guilt as ever any poor creature could bear up under, the words came with sweet power into my poor disconsolate heart, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Oh, blessed words! The recollection of them brings tears to my eyes now, while I am writing. Blessed words! and I could then, and can now, say of my Lord, "Never man spake like this Man." May we be enabled to cleave to Him with full purpose of heart, and seek His glory in all we say or do. Vile self will try at times to rob Him who alone is worthy of all praise. Mr. Hart says, "Preserve us chiefly from ourselves." 66 Crafty is the foe and strong When we read, or pray, or speak 66 May we with constant care, Amen and amen. If the Lord will, I may give you a further account of the way I have been led. Love to all inquiring friends, and may the Lord bless you with every needful spiritual and temporal blessing. Adieu. June 30th, 1878. Yours sincerely, We are so to know Christ as to live to Him in the strength of His grace and unto the praise of His glory. "If ye know these things," saith He, "happy are ye if ye do them." It is our privilege to know them a great privilege-but it is our blessedness to do them. When men content themselves with the notion of spiritual things, without endeavouring to express their power and efficacy in the practical conformity of their minds and souls unto them, it proves their ruin. That Word which is preached to us ought to dwell in us. See what it is to learn Christ in a due manner (Eph. iv. 20-24). There is a miserable profession, where some preach without application, and others hear without practice.-Dr. Owen. REPLY TO AN ENQUIRER. A. NYE, with an enclosure of two shillings for the "Clifton Coal Fund" (acknowledged in February numbers of SOWER and GLEANER), asks my thoughts on John x. 9 and 26, "as one longing to know whether she believes aright." I cheerfully send my thoughts as requested. They are purposely brief to avoid confusion. John x. 9: "I am the Door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." As the door is the way of entrance to a house, so through Christ alone can we gain access to God. He is the only Way of approach to the Father, the only Mediator between God and man. By Him alone have we access into the grace wherein we stand. To obtain salvation, we must enter through Christ the Door, seeing that there is salvation in no other; and "it has pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell." In Psalm cxviii. He is called the "gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter." He is the Way of everlasting life. To be saved from eternal death, and to gain everlasting life, we must enter this Gate or Door. There is no other way; but he that enters this Door shall be saved, for He is able to "save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him." The entrance into the sheep-fold-the visible Church-wherein is found sweet pasture in the ordinances, Gospel truths, and precious promises, and wherein is enjoyed "the communion of saints," and whence the soul is led by the Good Shepherd to feed on the everlasting hills, &c., is only through this Door. How, then, is this Door entered? It is by faith. Notice the numerous passages in the New Testament which declare that "he that believeth shall be saved." "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Those, then, who believe in Him with all the heart as the only Way, assured that, without an interest in His salvation, they must perish-confident that He is able to save them-that, if He will, He can make them cleanthose who thus come to Him, the Door, for mercy, He "will in no wise cast out." Indeed, such, by faith, are in Him already, and to such He says, "Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.' Knock at this Door, ask and seek admission, and it shall be opened. The simple meaning is, that all who feel their need of salvation, and come to God through Christ to obtain mercy, shall be saved. Such are His sheep. They shall never perish. Verse 26: "Ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep," was spoken to the unbelieving Jews who rejected Christ, and therefore is no discouragement to true believers, who, far from rejecting Him, would gladly receive Him into their hearts. The passage is rather full of encouragement to all who long to win Christ and to be found in Him; for, as unbelief is put here to show who are not Christ's sheep, it follows that those who do believe are His sheep. Such believe because they are His sheep. The Holy Spirit has taught them their need of salvation, and has pointed them to Christ, the Door, as the only, but sure and certain, Way of salvation. F. MARSHALL. CONSTRAINING LOVE. "The love of Christ constraineth us.”—2 CORINTHIANS V. 14. Though faint, yet still pursuing, With cheerful resignation His love supports us still. Our love to Him oft falters, But Jesus never alters; His love to us is true. What though we suffer anguish, Chapel Hcuse, Leicester. E. C REMINISCENCES OF DUGALD BUCHANAN. IN 1749, Dugald Buchanan married Margaret Brisbane, daughter of Mr. Alexander Brisbane, land steward to the Earl of Loudon, at Lawes, near Crieff. She was a worthy helpmate, endowed with superior social and domestic qualities, as well as sincere personal religion. In 1753, he was appointed schoolmaster at Drumcastle, in the district of Rannoch, by the Barons of Exchequer, to whom he was recommended. Rannoch, at that time, was in a wild and lawless state, little restrained, and far less subdued by living Christianity; and Buchanan eloquent in address, evangelical in doctrine, and full of zeal for the salvation of souls was the very man to do the work of an evangelist and teacher, to which the Great Head of the Church had called him. Right nobly, by the blessing of God, was the work done. The following extract from the records of the Presbytery of Dunkeld, and bearing date May 1st, 1753, is the earliest notice of his appointment that is known : "Mr. Dugald Buchanan, who has been appointed by the Barons. of Exchequer as schoolmaster at Drumcastle, being present, attending the Presbytery, produced his testimonials, with which the Presbytery were well satisfied; and he declared himself willing to submit to the directions of the Presbytery, according to the Word of God, the Confession of Faith, and the rules of this Church." The committee appointed to examine Mr. Buchanan reported that they had "obeyed that appointment, and were satisfied with his knowledge and sufficiency for his office, which the Presbytery considering, they recommend to him to be as diligent and useful in his station as possible." The condition of the people of Rannoch at the time of Buchanan's settlement among them was very much the same as that of the people of Anwoth, when Samuel Rutherford assumed the pastorate of that parish.* The first Sabbath after his appointment as teacher, Buchanan found the people playing football, instead of going to the house of God. He remonstrated with the people, and sought to persuade Rutherford was settled at Anwoth in 1627. There is still a piece of ground shown on the farm of Mossrobin, in that parish, where the people assembled on Sabbath to play football. He repaired to the spot, warned them of their sin, called the inanimate objects around them to witness against them, should they slight the warning, especially two large stones hard by, which have ever since borne the name of "Rutherford's Witnesses." |